Dark Chapter: Hard Hitting Crime Fiction based on a true story
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Dark Chapter
Review
An intriguing and surprising book, written with a calm, expert sensibility--Beatrix Campbell
Crime writers have long insisted that their genre tackles societal issues better than any other, and Winnie M Li proves that claim beyond a doubt. While the story centres around a horrific crime, it's the exploration of the aftermath and the cruelty of the justice system that sets this book apart. A fine debut from an exceptional talent, and an important study of the human cost of violence--Stuart Neville, award-winning author of The Ghosts of Belfast and So Say the Fallen
Dark Chapter is a brave and unflinching novel that forces us to confront the meaning of rape from the perspective of a perpetrator whose dehumanisation of women leads him to sexual abuse, and a survivor who draws on her inner strength to transcend the ordeal she endures. The novel is taut with suspense and drama and while shocking and deeply disturbing, it ultimately speaks to the power and triumph of the human spirit.--Bernardine Evaristo MBE
Had me gripped from page one and I was with its heroine, Vivian, every step of the way. The threat to her is conveyed with nerve-shredding tension, then with vivid horror. Extremely well written and inspired by real events, this is an impressive and powerful debut--Isabel Wolff, author of Ghostwritten
It may be the author's bravery and honesty that people will (with reason) focus on, but it is her skill as a writer finally that sets Dark Chapter apart. This is not just an important book, it is a very, very good one, and the first, you feel, of many from Winnie M Li--Glenn Patterson, Author & Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen's University Belfast, winner of the Betty Trask Award and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature
Lyrical, haunting and hypnotic. Winnie Li yanks us into the abyss, luring us to confront the complexities of our humanity before expertly pulling us out. An important novel from a ballsy new literary heroine. A must read--Irenosen Okojie, Winner of Betty Trask Award 2016, Longlisted for Jhalak Prize 2017
This is a book about survival. The ones who make it often feel compelled to stop it happening to other women. Dark Chapter should be seen as a beacon of hope as well as a tale of how sadistic and destructive male violence really is. Read it in order to make sense of it, and also to help explain 'why' to girls who need to be armed with as much knowledge and resistance as humanly possible--Julie Bindel
Winnie Li's debut novel is a shocking yet thought-provoking insight into the impact of rape on both victim and perpetrator. The fact that it's based on real events makes it especially challenging. There are important lessons to be learnt from Dark Chapter - a book to be read and discussed--Canon Dr Ed Newell
Winnie M Li handles alternate points-of-view seamlessly in DARK CHAPTER, an unflinching lens on the sexual assault landscape and one that should be applauded--Ali Land, Sunday Times bestselling author of GOOD ME BAD ME
Writing about rape is never easy, yet Winnie Li handles it with sensitivity and without over-sentimentality. But you will squirm, as you witness Vivian's ordeal and gasp at Johnny's complete lack of compassion. Read Vivian's story and know ultimately, 'That it's possible to move on and put your life back together ... An engrossing story that raises many issues about the psychology of victim/survivor and stalker/ criminal. The actions that weave Vivian and Johnny's lives together are tense, unsettling and very real. Winnie Li tells it well--Kadija Sesay, SI Leeds Literary Prize Chair of Judges
'Heart-wrenching depiction... Brave, raw and strikingly original, it is a story that will resonate for many years' --Daily Mail
' Dark Chapter is a fascinating book, which takes an unflinching look at reality of sexual violence. I found myself asking hard questions about society and relationships, but above all I was gripped by the brilliant and complex.
