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CONTENT WARNING
Intense scenes depicting sexual assault
and drug abuse
Reference to an eating disorder
Mental illness
Trauma
PTSD
Bullying
Victim blaming
"This novel serves as a sobering reminder: The fact that consent is being discussed in classrooms doesn’t necessarily mean it’s being enacted in bedrooms."
--The New York Times
Ali Greenleaf and Blythe Jensen couldn’t be more different.
Ali is sweet, bitingly funny, and just a little naive. Blythe is beautiful, terrifying, and the most popular girl in school. They’ve never even talked to each other, until a party when Ali decides she’ll finally make her move on Sean Nessel, her longtime crush and the soccer team’s superstar. But Sean pushes Ali farther than she wants to go. When she resists–he rapes her.
Blythe sees Ali when she runs from the party, everyone sees her. And Blythe knows something happened with Sean; she knows how he treats girls. Even so, she’s his best friend, his confidant. When he tells her it was a misunderstanding, she decides to help him make things right.
So Blythe befriends Ali, bringing her into a circle of ruthless popular girls, and sharing her own dark secrets. Despite the betrayal at the heart of their relationship, they see each other, in a way no one ever has before.
In her searing, empowering debut novel, Hayley Krischer tells the story of what happened that night, and how it shaped Ali and Blythe forever. Both girls are survivors in their own ways, and while their friendship might not be built to last, it’s one that empowers each of them to find justice on their own terms.
REVIEWS & PRAISE
"The two teenage girls at the center of Krischer’s dark debut may have grown up in the age of consent, but their actions reveal the long shadow cast by rape culture. Whether or not Sean is punished for his crime becomes less important than the powerful voices these unlikely allies end up granting each other. While the #MeToo movement has successfully empowered women and girls to form a strong sisterhood by sharing their stories, this novel serves as a sobering reminder: The fact that consent is being discussed in classrooms doesn’t necessarily mean it’s being enacted in bedrooms.“
--The New York Times
“Necessary and timely, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ALI GREENLEAF takes us on a journey that is at once heartbreaking and heart-healing, as Hayley Krischer’s unique, refreshing voice skillfully navigates the realities of sexual assault with care, insight, and authenticity. Full of truth, hope, and empowerment, this story is one you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished.”
--Amber Smith, New York Times bestselling author of
The Way I Used to Be
“A powerful, nuanced, and stunning debut about rape culture and survival that will haunt you long after you close the book. Ali Greenleaf's story is complex and beautifully told; full of fury, heartbreak, and hope.
--Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times bestselling author of Girl in Pieces
“Something happened to Ali Greenleaf has teeth. A relentless expression of survival, facets of pain and how we carry & inflict violence toward ourselves and against each other. Daring in its complexity. A powerful debut."
--Courtney Summers, New York Times bestselling author of Sadie
“Something Happened to Ali Greenleaf deftly examines the elaborate complexity of high school friendships, and confronts every possible shade of gray. A timely and intimate discussion of rape culture, the power of shared stories, the courage it takes to find your voice.”
--Ashley Woodfolk, author of When You Were Everything
and FLyY Girls
Alternating first-person narration from junior Ali and popular senior Blythe presents an anguishing picture of a high school hierarchy in which revered athletes behave with impunity... A harrowing read that tells a complicated story with nuance."
"A powerful and important addition to YA books on the topic of sexual assault. Recommended for high school and public libraries everywhere."
"What begins as a twisted tale of teenage manipulation becomes a memorable story about trauma, survival, and the friendships that help us heal."
"A beautiful, nuanced, and haunting novel about sexual assault and female friendship, Krischer has penned one of the best and most important YA novels in recent memory. This is the book that all teenagers and their parents need to read."