I bought this book because I love a harrowing memoir, but I didn’t intend to read it right away. You know how fun it is to BUY books, but sometimes it takes a while to actually READ them? Anyway, I cracked it open with the intention of reading just a few pages, and then I couldn’t put it down for the next two days. Jessica’s story is terrible, but the way it is told and written is so, so well done and compelling. I think what kept me needing to finish it right away was I so wanted to understand how anyone could do this to a young woman. I was so gob smacked by the entire ordeal. The afterword by Valerie Dimino is what finally gave me the a-ha moment I was looking for involving the psychology of a certain echelon of abusers (specifically how certain religious people justify sexual abuse). I had never been able to fathom any explanation, but the way it was explained by Dimino based on information she received from people she interviewed was plausible and enlightening. The book gave me strong emotions akin to reading Know My Name by Chanel Miller. I have never felt more involved in a story than with these two books (for better or for worse because both books “messed me up” for a while). This is admittedly a tough read from an emotional standpoint, but it is well worth the pain to read how Jessica persevered. I don’t know her, but I wish her all the best.