Review of She's Watching

[Sou Hi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "She's Watching" by Stephanie Myers-Lewis.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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We often hear someone says that children are a gift from God. For Christians, this statement should be a famous phrase that they all know. Of course, we would think that the churches, where He is worshipped, shall be the safest places for kids. However, is that really the truth? If yes, why are there so many scandals about religious leaders being molesters and abusers? How do we, the adults, react to that? What about the Black Churches? Are they the same? She's Watching: The Revelation for the Black Church and Child Sexual Abuse by Stephanie Myers-Lewis will show you her thoughts on this scandalous pandemic.

I like how the author uses Tamar, the royal daughter of King David, to exploit the biblical messages that point out the problem of child molestation. It shows that if others deliberately turn a blind eye, nothing else matters. Anyone can become the target of injustice and rape.

The author also provides many testimonies from interviewees. They can be normal males and females. They can be a pastor or clergy. Despite their acknowledgment, none of those religious leaders actually hold a sermon that focuses on CSA. Some of them believe the victims will confide in them, so they never feel the need to preach about it. I reckon that is the reason the pandemic of molestation never ceases. Burdened by shame and trauma, the survivors steer away from voicing their sufferings. Additionally, a sufferer's own family can be a significant force that silences them, especially if the perpetrator is a family member. I guess this problem exists everywhere.

On the downside, the pieces of information are provided by anonymous people, so their credibility is not truly solid. For a matter like this, it's more reliable if the survivors are willing to show their identities. It will serve as proof to encourage other victims to raise their voices. Besides, I would like to read researches that are conducted widely, involving a lot of interviewees to display their opinions. The copy has only 60 pages, but I found around 10 grammatical errors. Therefore, I suggest another round of proofreading.

Considering the mentioned negative aspects, I rate this non-fiction book 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to feminists and those who are fighting against CSA. While the author represents black women, I think the book's premise applies to everyone. Regardless of skin color or gender, they experience the same pain and trauma.

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She's Watching
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[Kelly Tunstall]

It is such a prevalent topic and giving a platform for people to speak up is the only way forward for change. I suppose it is also difficult for victims to give their names for fear of possible backlash. It's definitely a catch-22 situation. Thank you for your review.

[Aswin3848]

The revelation is actually a big one and it takes guts to speak up for without fearing the consequences. The review just made me a little more intruiged to read the book. Thanks for the review.

[Paul Link]

I appreciate the author's use of anonymous interviews, I agree that it would have been more compelling to hear from survivors who are willing to show their identities. However, I still think the book is an eye-opening and important read for everyone, regardless of skin color or gender. Thank you for your honest evaluation, and I'm excited to read more of your reviews in the future.

[Chinedum Chijioke]

I'm glad that someone is throwing more light into an issue like this by writing about it. Your review is engaging and educative, thanks.

[Jay_AvidReader]

This was a very thorough summary of the book. It allowed me to form opinion of whether I wanted to add this to my 2023 Summer Reading. Thank you for your review.