Empty
Author: K.M. Walton
Release Date: January
1, 2013
Publisher: Simon
Pulse
Summary:
Review:
Sometimes you just
want to disappear.
Life is bleak, pointless, dark and hopeless. This is how
Adele “Dell”, the main character in K.M. Walton’s Empty feels. This is how the reader feels at the end of the book
(and I did too). 286 pounds, Dell has only one friend who may or may not care
for her. Her father deserted Dell, her mom, and her baby sister Meggie for
another woman and became an absent father who tells Dell to ‘get over her grief
and be happy for him’. Dell’s mom works two jobs until she gets fired from one
of them for stealing prescription drugs. She takes many pills everyday just to
get through the day and take care of Meggie and Dell.
Softball is Dell’s favorite sport, but that soon ends when
she is cut from the team because of her weight. The kids at school makes fun of
Dell and wants her to perform a Sumo wrestler moo-like act for their
entertainment, and she happily obliges through forced smiles, and ends up
hating herself later. Whatever makes them happy.
Not once do Dell’s best friend, Cara, does anything about
it.
When invited to a party, Dell reluctantly goes (by the will
and power and whining of Cara), but that soon changes when Brandon, the hottest
and popular guy in school, takes her upstairs, away from the party, both of
them drunk, and rapes Dell.
Now there’s a rumor going around school that Dell raped Brandon when that’s completely not the case.
Dell finally gets a small break when she is accompanied into
the school’s talent show to show off her singing skills (again, by Cara). In
the end, she gets humiliated by Brandon and Chase who wants her to do the sumo
wrestler moo-thing again. And again, she does.
Dell’s life spins spiral downward on from there, as her life
gets darker and darker until she can’t take it anymore.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book, but I will have to say that this book
is not as much as disappointing as it is depressing. Throughout the book, I kept
hoping that Dell will get some help.
Not once did she.
I felt for Dell, I really did. I get where she is coming
from on a personal level. I don’t get why she never had the solution to lose he
weight, boost up her self-esteem, all to make herself happy. That’s what I thought would have happened. There is
a bunch of bullying within this book, to the point where I had to take a small
break just to think. I will admit a few times that I did tear up and almost cried.
A problem I had with this book is that 1) Dell never
confessed her rape by Brandon. She expected someone to speak for her, or when
she almost had the chance to, she never spoke up. The guidance counselor came
to Dell one day, who was there for her because of a student was concerned about
Dell. But she declined his help! Why, Dell, why? That was a great opportunity
for her!
Cara was another problem that I had. I never thought of her
as Dell’s friend because of the way she treated Dell. This Is because all she (Cara) wanted to do was to be
with the popular crowd, leaving Dell behind, not inviting her into conversation
and parties, then will get mad at Dell for something she did or said. Um,
totally fake much, Cara??? Because of this fakeness and I know that Dell knows
that she was being that way. I just wished that she would have stood up to Cara….but
she never did.
The main comment themes I picked up in this book are:
Rape
Bullying
Suicide
Peer pressure/abuse
Drugs
Depression
Aggression.
Conclusion:
I will not lie; this book may not suit many people because
of what happens within this book. In fact, many people will feel that this book
is offensive and insensitive. I, on the other hand, loved the book. Despite what
happens in this book, I like this book because of the connection I had with Adele.
But I will say this:
If you’re
going through bullying, depression, suicidal thoughts, or had been raped- tell somebody.
Don’t hold it in. it may not feel that no one is there for you or that no one
care about you- but there is. I know life sucks. It’s dark, evil, hurtful, and
mean, but things will get worse before they get better. Trust me. Instead of
thinking about the bad things, think about the good things that you cherish,
the goof things that had happen, and the great things that will happen. There is
someone who will listen. Please DO NOT hide it from anyone. No one can help
you if you do not tell them what is wrong. If there’s an opportunity to vent to
that person about that happened to you, and you feel that you’re going to
explode from holding in so much inside, you can tell them as long as you trust
them and they trust you (and won’t go behind your back and stab it).
There are many things I’ve learned within my life that I would
have told tell (like I had mentioned above). My heart goes to Dell, as well as
many other people who had experienced the same thing, or had experience the
same thing as Dell did.
K.M. Walton’s Empty is
amazing. I would recommend this book, but only if you aren’t too disturbed about
what goes within his book and can handle it. I am glad to have purchased this book
and read it.
Empty by K.M. Walton deserves a 4.7/5
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