Book Review: Being Lolita by Alisson Wood

Book: 161

Rating: 4.5/5

Being Lolita is not an easy read. It surrounds the grooming and victimization of seventeen year old Alisson Wood by her high school English teacher (the Goodreads synopsis refers to it as a 'dark romance', and I really hate using the term romance to describe predatory situations like these). He gives her a copy of Lolita, claiming it to be one of the greatest love stories every told. What follows is a dark and disturbing obsession with mimicking their "love affair" to the one in Lolita; it's years later when Alisson revisits the story she truly realizes the power that the story had over her.

While books like these are hard to read and can be emotionally draining, I choose to pick these books up and read these women's stories to support their acts of redemption. It felt like Alisson's story came completely full circle - which I loved for her.