16. The Slow Moon by Elizabeth Cox

On an April evening in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, Sophie Chabot and her boyfriend Crow Davenport sneak out of a party and head to the woods to have sex for the first time. When Crow realizes he has left his condoms in his car, he makes the mistake of leaving Sophie in the woods alone. Returning twenty minutes later, he finds Sophie barely conscious in the wooded area, where she has been beaten and gang raped. Afraid that authorities will think he committed the crime, Crow flees the scene and heads home, where his parents find him washing mud off of himself. When Sophie can’t remember who attacked her, Crow is arrested and brought to trial for her rape. The author, Cox, then goes back in time to events and friends of the main characters to show that secrets and lies are commonplace in the small Southern town.

This novel would be a great read for teens as it deals with many issues young people routinely face. There is also a poignant story line about Crow’s parents and how they deal with Crow’s father having an affair with his sister-in-law. For readers of Jodi Picoult and Alice Hoffman.