Book Review: It's me. Anna

Based on a true story. This disturbing book is a real life account of sexual abuse through the eyes of the victim. It is translated from Afrikaans and won the Bookseller’s Choice Award last year.

I have found that this book is most definitely not for the faint hearted and is written with honesty. Flashbacks are used to alternate between horrific events in the past to the present, where the main character is on her way to kill her abusive stepfather. It’s me, Anna is filled with shocking events and provokes anger in the reader that turns into rage by the end of the book.

For me, the most unsettling part of the book, however, is the author’s note at the back, where she links the story to her personal experience. Following that is an informative afterword, with a take on child abuse by Sharon Lewis, author of An adult’s guide to childhood trauma.

All these years she has called herself "Silent Anna", because she couldn't tell anyone what happened between her and her stepfather. Now, many years later, she finally has the courage to break the silence and reveal the sexual abuse she suffered, its impact on her life and how she has finally manged to overcome it.

This book is a must read. Not only because it tells the story of a young girl's determination to survive and to overcome her traumatic childhood , but it is also because the story is being told with such sincerity and honesty.

The language use is fairly colloquial and is easy to read and comprehend. Foul language is of constant usage in the book, therefore this does not make it suitable for the younger ages.

This book made a real impact on my life as it makes one think about different situations. It also gives people the ability to realise that anyone can deal with similar situations and help to overcome your worst fears. LIfe holds many unsuspected trials and It's me. Anna helps in understanding what others are going through and learning from the authors experience.

 In the ned one can only but say that it is a well-writen book and is most certainly worth reading. However, you might just need some Kleenex to dry those tears for some of the scenes.