A disturbing read of emotional blackmail and sexual abuse - with once innocent Jasira as an emotional pawn in a game of bickering and petty jealousies between her father and mother. An insight into how the cruelty of humans manifests itself in such terrible ways. However, this is not a completely bleak tale, eventually Jasira is shown kindness, for which I was grateful.
When I woke up the next day, I had a black eye. I couldn't stop looking at myself in the mirror. I felt very, very excited. I had seen boys in school with black eyes, boys who had been in fights. Everyone knew from the way they looked that this was what had happened to them. Now, I thought, people would know about something that had happened to me.
When I went out for breakfast, Daddy looked at me but didn't say anything. Then, in the middle of eating his cereal, he said, 'Just so you know, if anyone sees you like that, you won't be able to live with me any more.'
