Right from the get-go, “Sourpuss” descriptively pulls you into the world of a college student. To kick it off, senior Mallory Wahl sets the scene of party culture that every college student has encountered– drunk frat guys. This is when the reader starts to get accustomed to Mallory’s judgemental, superior attitude that isn’t too misguided.
The novel follows Mallory on her path as an aspiring Olympic track star. Everything seems to be going just as planned for the college athlete until she gets an unexpected injury at a track meet. Following her setback, Graham Patterson, fraternity president and really the epitome of what Mallory despises in men, works to train her back to stardom.
With Graham’s stereotypical “frat boy” demeanor and sheer disrespect for women, paired with Mallory’s distaste for Graham, let’s just say things don’t go well for the two of them.
The two sisters who wrote “Sourpuss,” who go by Merricat Mulwray, covered every aspect of rape culture and did it with their own twist, that no doubt will grab the attention of every fiction fan out there. From slut shaming, to toxic masculinity and the use of misogynistic language and the objectification of women, you’ll want to ask “Is this allowed?” The answer is yes, and it is necessary. This novel, with all of its darkness, puts the topic of rape culture on college campuses at the forefront of your mind when you’re reading– a topic that is often overlooked.
Typically, I am not a fan of fiction novels; however, this novel delves into some heavy subject matter that not many authors write about. For that, “Sourpuss” is worth the read.
This novel will wake people up to the rape culture that perpetuates on college campuses everywhere in some manner or another. Make sure to pick up a copy when it comes out Jan. 20, 2019.