Maria Padian’s latest novel, WRECKED, is an innovative take on the age old problem of “he said, she said.” Set on a college campus, the story centers around the supposed rape of Jenny, a naïve freshman, while she is at a party. The accused, Jordan, an older sophomore, denies the accusation. WRECKED is written in a dual perspective with half of the narration coming from Haley, Jenny’s roommate, and the other half coming from Richard, Jordan’s housemate. Also involved in this battle of words are Brandon Exley, another housemate of Jordan’s who is known for the alcohol he doles out at parties, and Carrie, a senior who works with the student helpline and is also involved in an on again off again relationship with Richard. Moreover, interludes in the narrative provide a glimpse into Jenny and Brandon’s actions before, during and after the party.

Before I go on, I am issuing a warning to those who feel uncomfortable reading about these types of circumstances; some of the interludes can be a bit graphic. With that said, the rest of the book is well-written and shows just how damaging a possibly rape can have on a person’s mental and physical state.

"The plot of the book was well-woven with many interesting threads strewn throughout the narrative. By establishing these connections early on, Padian expands on themes such as the destruction of the mind and human nature."

The story begins with Haley awakened by Jenny barging into their room. Jenny appears disheveled, but Haley doesn’t think much of it until Jenny’s odd behavior continues. A few days later, Haley returns to her room to find Jenny talking with Carrie and only then does Jenny fill Haley in on the secrecy. Jenny is filing rape charges against Jordan! Haley immediately becomes very supportive of Jenny and offers to help her through any complications in the proceedings. Throughout the book, Haley must help Jenny cope with the upcoming trial against Jordan and the harsh, negative reactions from other students. Additionally, throughout the whole ordeal, Haley has her own trials and tribulations. Due to a serious injury, she can no longer play soccer for the school, and she is falling for a person peculiarly connected to her life.

Meanwhile, Richard is not doing much better. He just broke up with his girlfriend Carrie and has become fixated on winning her back. In the midst of his attempts, Jordan shares key evidence pertaining to the case with which forces Richard to become involved, whether he wants to or not. Within all of the chaos, he meets the girl of his dreams but their love is forbidden. The story continues with Richard’s involvement until an eventual crossroads at being virtuous or protecting the unworthy.

While I enjoyed reading this book, there were some aspects that did not function as well as its best qualities. Many of the characters remained static throughout the novel which lead to little character development and flat dynamics. This caused the characters to feel impersonal and left me with no developed personal connections with the characters. However, the plot of the book was well-woven with many interesting threads strewn throughout the narrative. By establishing these connections early on Padian expands on themes such as the destruction of the mind and human nature. I would recommend this book to anyone searching for a quick read or for anyone who enjoys a book that will make you think about the human nature.