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"One Night" Changes Everything

Kimia Johnson is a 16 year old girl who loves books and Chemistry, who dreams of going to college and becoming a Pharmacist. She lives on Gardendale Street with her loving family, and has one close friend, Abby. Everything seems perfect, but one night changes that forever. 

The Choices of Others

Kimia's dreams are quickly taken from her when a stranger named Bill makes a decision that will quickly cause her life to unravel. However, it is not just his criminal act but choices made by all the character's in Kimia's life before and after that one night that contribute to how her life unfolds. Throughout the story, Kimia asks herself, why me? Which is a fair question to ask, but not one she (or anyone else) will receive an answer to. 

Yes, these are topics many of us would rather avoid, but unfortunately, for others, these topics are reality. It is tough to read about stories that involve rape, but they are also essential stories that help us to see the world around us. 

Young Adult Fiction

When Dan Daniel Odia asked me to read his novel, One Night, I was thrilled, honoured and scared all at once. Thrilled because there is a certain rush to reading a book before it is published, as if you know a secret that others will soon know. Honoured because he asked. Scared because I was terrified that I would not like the story. Luckily, after reading the dedications, I knew that I had nothing to fear. 

While reading One Night, I became a teenage Bookworm again. The story was wonderful, despite the heavy topic, and the writing flowed nicely throughout. I didn't feel as if I was reading a horrifying memoir of a girl who was raped, but rather, I felt as if I was in conversation with Kimia. I witnessed her pain, felt her rage, and saw her harden as the years changed her. 

All in all, this is exactly the type of book younger Bookworm would have picked out from the school library, and I am grateful that I was able to read it; 4/5 stars from me! One Night by Dan Daniel Odia will be released June 1st, 2020! If anyone has any more recommendations for me, please comment, email (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com), or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1). Hope everyone is staying safe!

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