Author: Winnie Pagora
Genre: YA fiction
Year Published: 2023
Nerdection Rating:
“Nerdection Must Read”
Sexual Abuse and assault is a sensitive and triggering topic for many and some of the fiction books around these topics handle these sensitivities with delicacy, care and precautions. Unclutter by Winnie D Pagora is one such book that does justice to this sensitive and taboo topic. Written as a tribute to #MeToo and #TimeIsUp abuse survivors, the book is written beautifully, giving away that darkness always ends and hope should never be lost.
But what is the story of this book and how is this book different from others in this niche? Read the review to find out!
So What’s Unclutter About?
As mentioned before, unclutter is a story revolving around the abuse and assault of a girl named Tina Lauren, our female protagonist. Tina was an intelligent student who had a dark memory from the past that made her despise any kind of physical touch.
Her fears and dark memories start to resurface when Nicholas Parker from Parker Industries tries to assault her – twice. This ultimately leads to Tina slamming her elbow into his face – in front of the whole school. But just like in the real world, people started siding with Nicholas, saying that Tina must have done something to provoke him and that Tina was in the wrong.
Tina does not apologize but is shocked when Nicholas starts threatening her more and more with each passing day. But it seems that Nicholas is only the start of Tina’s problems. With her reputation crumbling apart, her first abuser surfacing and her friends turning to snakes, will Tina be able to unclutter her mind, body, and inner voice from all the negativity and hatred she is enduring for so long? Will she ever be able to get justice and meet someone who does not frighten her? Read the book to find out!
My Thoughts On Unclutter: A Survivor’s Story:
I started reading this book with the thoughts that this would be some kind of depressing book – but it wasn’t. It was a bittersweet book with a great storyline, plot, world-building and dialogue.
Tina was a strong girl who overcame her past traumas gracefully. Her personality was inspiring and her courage should be applauded. The way in which she became the true and best version of herself and carried herself was powerful. Despite all this, Tina still seemed an ordinary human due to her inner voice that we all can relate to – a voice that builds doubts and makes us pessimists.
Rory and Jai were Tina’s friends and honestly, these are the types of friends we all NEED in our life – the ones that make bad times pass like a breeze. They were extremely supportive and saying them minor characters would be wrong because they were also the ones that acted as catalysts in Tina’s story.
Ekon was a cute and sweet cinnamon roll – a great love interest and funny guy for our girl. He was the absolute best in everything and honestly, every Tina deserves an Ekon in her life – the person who understands her doesn’t judge her, cooks delicious meals for her, consoles her, and pampers her. Ekon was a walking green flag and passed all positive vibe checks.
And Ekon’s and Tina’s sweet romance was both heart-warming and heart-melting at the same time. Just read this passage:
“Hey, Ekon,” I said. “Would you call me Tia?”
Ekon gave me a questioning look.
“Only when the two of us are alone.”
Ekon smiled at me mischievously. “Are you suggesting we should spend more time alone together, Tia?”
“Maybe, Eko.”
Ekon looked surprised. “Oh, I have a nickname as well?”
“Why? Do you not like it?” I teased.
“I don’t hate it,” Ekon replied. “Maybe because it’s you.”
We walked in silence, enjoying the only sounds in the quiet winter night—of our feet falling in step and our hearts beating in sync.
Winnie wrote this book in a great tone, with images automatically appearing in readers’ minds when reading any scene from Unclutter. Her way of handling this sensitive topic delicately was beyond exceptional. Her writing wand created a magical spell that can leave readers hooked, captivated and yearning for more!
In short, what I am trying to say is that this book is worth reading and is a great read that will instantly give you a dopamine and serotonin boost and leave you a fan of the writer, book and the main characters!
My Rating For Unclutter:
5/5
Content Warning:
Sexual abuse, sexual assault, mentions of childhood abuse, trauma, and mention of R-word(rape).
About The Author Of Unclutter: A Survivor’s Story
Winnie D Pagora loves three things the most in her life: her family, her tech profession, and stories. Her fascination with stories started as a mere toddler when her mother read to her, and she began making up her own when she could barely read or write. She was just six when her article first got published in a leading children’s newspaper in India. Since then, she has dreamed of writing a book, and “Unclutter: A Survivor’s Story” is her debut novel. Other than reading and writing, Winnie’s interests include travel, wildlife, and global cuisines. She currently lives in Canada with her husband and her daughter.
