Ali Connery, a 29 year old married woman, has been afraid of the dark her whole life. She finally agrees to see a therapist to begin facing and dealing with the cause of her fears and nightmares. After crying through most of the first session, she realizes therapy is the only way she’s going to be able to overcome those fears and work through her recurrent depression. As the therapy progresses Ali begins to confront the affects of the sexual abuse that was heaped on her during childhood and followed her into adulthood.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Author
Sexual Abuse -
One in three girls and one in five boys are estimated to be sexually abused during their childhood. [Source: "The Prevalence and Circumstances of Child Sexual Abuse: Changes Across a Decade," Wyatt, G., Loeb, T.B., Solis, B., Carmona, J.V., Romero, G.]
Sexual abuse usually occurs with someone the child knows and trusts. Child molesters are often young, family-oriented and respected members of the community. [Source: The Children's Assessment Center, Houston, TX.]
Self-Mutilation -
Self-mutilation, also known as self-injury (SI,), is the deliberate, immediate physical harm of oneself severe enough for tissue damage, such as scarring, to result. Although there are many ways to self-injure, the most common methods are burning or cutting oneself. SI is an attempt to deal with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, depression, self-loathing, and more. The practice of self-injury gained public attention when Princess Diana, during a BBC interview, admitted that she was a "cutter."
"The only antidote to mental suffering is physical pain."
-Karl Marx
"Tell me that you don't take that blade and drag it across your skin, and pray for the courage to press down."
-Girl, Interrupted [movie version]
"The great art of life is sensation, to feel that we exist, even in pain."
–Lord Byron
It is my hope that Afraid of the Dark will help survivors of sexual abuse know there are others who share the anger and shame of that trauma, and to realize there is a brighter side.
"Never fear shadows
They simply mean
There is a light
Shinning somewhere nearby..."
- Author Unknown
Please feel free to email me at: afraidofthedark@sbcglobal.net with comments or questions.
Thank you for your interest.
Michelle
About the Author
Ms. Devlin began writing as a way to express herself while working to overcome the effects of her own childhood sexual abuse. Afraid of the Dark is the result of that effort. Although, the novel is not autobiographical, Ms. Devlin drew from personal experiences while writing .
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Dark Look at Drugs and Self Abuse,
By
This review is from: Afraid of the Dark (Paperback)
Devlin, Michelle. Afraid of the Dark. Baltimore: AmErica House. Manuscript copy. ... A Dark Look at Drugs and Self Abuse Afraid of the Dark is a fascinating view of the obsessive, compulsive behavior of a woman who continues to "use," even while undergoing therapy. The story is told almost entirely in first person dialogue. How could one person survive so many different medications day after day? How long will Alex stand by her? He is either an impossible-to-believe husband or a saint, to continue to be supportive.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ail Should Be Afraid of Herself!,
By
This review is from: Afraid of the Dark (Paperback)
Ali Connery is young, attractive, married to a wonderful husband and appears to have a satisfying job. But her perfect world is falling apart, as she continues to fall into the abyss of pills, marijuana and alcohol addiction. When Ali continues to have nightmares regarding her abusive childhood, her husband suggests that she seek a professional for counseling and therapy. As Ali roller coasts from a Therapist to a Psychiatrist, the reader quickly realizes that Ali really doesn't want help as she continues the yo-yo cycle of falling off the wagon so often that it becomes ridiculous and rudely annoying. Actually, Ali possesses both of those traits along with being one-dimensional and self-destructive. Since she was the main character, I kept looking and expecting some redeeming quality but unfortunately none was forthcoming. So...I ended up liking all of the other characters and truly disliking Ali. Afraid of the Dark has a strong premise but the execution needs improvement. The story was plot-driven but the subject matter really called for more character development. I wanted Ali's childhood abuse to be explored further and more rationale provided as to why. I wish that Ali showed at least once that she wanted to be helped. I commend Devlin on a gramatically well-structured book; however, I hope that future reads are more compelling, in-depth and that the characters are better developed. Yasmin
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW! What a great book!,
By M A Rinkevich (Denton, TX United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Afraid of the Dark (Paperback)
This book takes you through every emotion as you follow Ali's struggle to cope with a world that has tried to destroy her. I could not put it down.
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