Starred Review ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Starred Review In March, 14-year-old Maddy was jumped by five guys. One of the guys held Maddy down while three of them raped her. A fifth boy stood watch. Although they were wearing masks, Maddy could identify some of their voices. Maddy tells no one of the assault, hoping it will just fade away. But when one of the boys turns up in her English class the following September, Maddy's reaction is one of pure terror. In class, the students are assigned a collective writing project. One student begins writing a story, and each student writes a subsequent chapter. This story is about Farang, an unfortunate girl designated by her tribe as the "pain eater." Farang's plight eerily mirrors Maddy's, as each girl seems fated to silently bear pain inflicted by others. Goobie beautifully orchestrates the evolution of Farang's fictional tale with Maddy's uneven healing process; as the class debates Farang's culpability in her own abuse, for instance, Maddy's rapists spread rumors that Maddy was "asking for it." The student-written chapters flesh out the emotional reactions of the entire class, unveiling a handful of strong individuals who are unmoved by groupthink. Readers may note the parallels between Maddy's story and Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak (1999). These excellent novels complement each other, as each realistically portrays the extended repercussions of sexual assault, as well as the healing power of art.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

A thoughtful and sensitive handling of a difficult topic.Six months before starting grade 10, Maddy Malone (a white Canadian 14-year-old) is attacked by a group of boys and raped. Following the ordeal, Maddy has become a shell of herself, trying to avoid her attackers, who thus far have not said anything. Everything changes when Maddy shares an English class with two of her attackers. The uneasy silence they've all worked to maintain begins to crumble when the class collectively begins to write The Pain Eater, a fantasy novel about Farang, a 15-year-old girl who at birth was chosen to bear the pain of her fellow villagers. As the students manipulate the story in turn to fit their own ideas and agendas, Maddy begins to see parallels between herself and Farang—and it's not long before her classmates also begin to catch on. When Maddy's secret begins to unravel and her attackers threaten her to keep quiet, she must decide whether to fight or stand down. The novel never hits readers over the head with its message, but it is not an easy read. At times heartbreaking, it honestly addresses Maddy's full range of emotions associated with the rape, from pain to crippling fear and sometimes anger. Through the device of the collectively written story and the teen characters' responses to it, Goobie sensitively and artfully tackles the problematic way rape is perceived in society. Powerfully written, this is not just a story about trauma, but also one of healing. (Fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A thoughtful and sensitive handling of a difficult topic.Six months before starting grade 10, Maddy Malone (a white Canadian 14-year-old) is attacked by a group of boys and raped. Following the ordeal, Maddy has become a shell of herself, trying to avoid her attackers, who thus far have not said anything. Everything changes when Maddy shares an English class with two of her attackers. The uneasy silence they've all worked to maintain begins to crumble when the class collectively begins to write The Pain Eater, a fantasy novel about Farang, a 15-year-old girl who at birth was chosen to bear the pain of her fellow villagers. As the students manipulate the story in turn to fit their own ideas and agendas, Maddy begins to see parallels between herself and Farang—and it's not long before her classmates also begin to catch on. When Maddy's secret begins to unravel and her attackers threaten her to keep quiet, she must decide whether to fight or stand down. The novel never hits readers over the head with its message, but it is not an easy read. At times heartbreaking, it honestly addresses Maddy's full range of emotions associated with the rape, from pain to crippling fear and sometimes anger. Through the device of the collectively written story and the teen characters' responses to it, Goobie sensitively and artfully tackles the problematic way rape is perceived in society. Powerfully written, this is not just a story about trauma, but also one of healing. (Fiction. 13-18)

Voice of Youth Advocates (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Fifteen-year-old Maddy was gang-raped and told no one because she has seen rape victims vilified to the point of suicide. She copes through self-harm, art, and pushing people away. As school starts, Maddy is petrified to find two of the boys involved in the rape in her English class. When the teacher assigns the class to write a collaborative novel, Kara starts the tale of tribal pain-eater Farang, who suffers for no reason other than chance. As each student’s chapter reflects his or her views on Farang, most feel she enjoys or deserves the pain but others express doubt. Realizing she is Farang, Maddy starts questioning why she is forced to eat others’ pain. Just as she finds some friends, though, someone leaks her story and the vilification begins. Can Maddy possibly find enough strength to take back her life? This painful story was impossible to put down. Maddy’s story alternates with chapters of the class story, and while it is doubtful so many students are such articulate writers, it is still fascinating—and again, painful—to see how they view and vilify the victim of circumstance. Maddy is the real star, though, and her terror seeps through the pages as she struggles to cope with zero support. In the end, it is the story—and those who write it—that helps Maddy find a way to comprehend and face her demons, and to take a stand. Both violence and sexual content make this narrative appropriate for high school readers.—Rebecca Moore. The Pain Eater is one of the most powerful books within the reaches of my mental library. Goobie portrays the perspective of a victim in a realistic way, leaving readers thinking, “Hey, this could happen to anyone,” and compelling them to read the pages two or three times over to absorb all emotions depicted. The book describes the main character’s rape and the self-harm she uses to cope afterwards. 4Q, 5P.—Anna Lindberg, Teen Reviewer.