Title: Consent

Author: Donna Freitas

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5

rigger Warning!
Stalking and Harassment

Reading this was difficult in some ways. At many points I’ve actually held my breath in anticipation of what was gonna happen next. I can only imagine how Freitas must’ve felt through this whole ordeal. What was frustrating however was the amount of excuses she would make to make it seem like the behavior of her stalker was….normal? or out of concern? 
Freitas was a grad student in D.C. She was really excited to start her journey for her Phd. She even encountered a “mentor/professor” in the field she was going for. She thought he would be a role model, someone she could go to for help, but instead she quickly realized what a bad idea that was. “Father L” became her stalker. He was everywhere. In the staircases, in the hallways, and in between classes. It was too coincidental. He started visiting her in her home without her telling him her address. Come to find out he looked up her files in the office. He also started sending her unsolicited mail to her home. Father L even went as far as becoming a fixture within her family. As Freitas mother was sick with cancer, Father L began writing letters to her! 

Freitas is a great writer. She takes you on this gut wrenching journey. Often questioning whether her sense of style is what made Father L act upon his thoughts. There was no sexual assault thankfully. There were instances where Freitas was hoping maybe some type of physicality would happen so it would be easier to tell someone about it. In the story she wrote about how poorly people acted towards her complaints about harassment. Almost like no one cared because it would tarnish their reputation. It’s so sad and disgusting how little action is taken when a woman comes across this type of situation. Freitas will be scared about this for years to come, and the fact that the person who did this to her is supposed to be a priest made it even more disgusting. I’m hoping Freitas can have a peace of mind again one day, maybe after that awful man passes away or something (I know, harsh). 
I would like to thank NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.