I have a question for other urban fantasy readers out there....
Is it just me...or is there a hell of alot of women heroines in urban fantasy that have been raped? I was reading a review somewhere, I can't remember where..I think it might have been at Dear Author. I remember them mentioning this but it didn't click with me since at the time I hadn't read too many books with this happening.
Now I read alot of thrillers and alot of them involve rape. I really dislike it in my books but I can deal with it if it's just mentioned in the past rather then a play by play with descriptions. The play by plays of rapes or the remembering of it by the character just disturb me. Isn't there a better way to build character development and to make your character strong, besides having her be a survivor of rape?
I know it sounds awful, but I can take reading gruesome murder scenes over rape ones any day. It just really disturbs me to have to read about rape and it is in so many paranormals and urban fantasy books like it's the newest trend. What do you think of this?
12.27.2007
Rape in books..
  Rachael has written over 300 reviews for various publications online. She started Enchanted by Books to have the chance to showcase a large variety of different genres. Never satisfied with just one type of book she reads them all. Romance, chick lit, paranormal, urban fantasy, mysteries, young adult, memoirs, self help, the variety is endless. Rachael lives in New Jersey and loves meeting new people to chat books with online. Please leave a comment and share your opinion! |
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I haven't encountered this a lot myself, but I can see why it's disturbing. I think, in heroine cases, it's a show of strength if it's not a defining moment in their past. If it is, then usually there are more troubles she is dealing with in addition to it. I'm really not sure, though.
ReplyDeleteI'll take a bloody murder scene over rape any day.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of any books I've read that the heroine has been raped, thank god, but I agree, the play-by-play of one would be terribly disturbing.
And hey! if the author wants to show how the heroine is stronger because of a traumatic event, can't they use something else?? Christ!
Well I have a book that I wanted to read called Wraith and I know it involves the person becoming stronger and developing powers after being raped. I want to read it though because it's about her having the powers to astral project which I really like. I just was thinking about that book when Darkling also had rape in it. In Darkling the woman becomes a vampire after being forced into it from the vampire who rapes her. So she also becomes super human and all that just like the other book, after being raped. It just seems to be the story in alot of these books.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely used way too often as the turning point in a heroine's life.
ReplyDeleteWraith by Phaedra Weldon? I really enjoyed it, but you're right that she discovered her talent when she became the victim of that violent crime. I reviewed it back in June if you feel like taking a peek.
Yeah that's the book Kimberly. I read some bad and good reviews on it but I still want to read it since I like the whole astral projection thing.
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