2. Longer Single Book Reviews

Hunting Girls by Kelly Oliver (Vanderbilt University) examines sexual assault and rape reporting in the era of social media. The book begins with a provocative illustration of how young girls are positioned as “trophies” in popular media like the television show America’s Next Top Model. This current mainstream example is then positioned in the context of historical myths about raping “dead” or unconscious princesses. Oliver’s introduction expertly walks the reader through the problem of “party rape” and the role social media of social media in sexual assault, thereby positioning the reader to follow her argument about problematic representations of young women in media. The book is divided into an introduction, three chapters and a conclusion. The introduction explains how party rape, “creepshots” on social media, and the portrayal of women in media intersect in culture. Chapter one then interrogates and deconstructs the connotations of rape that exist in mythical fairytales like Sleeping Beauty. Oliver uses her analysis of these fairytales to critically analyze depictions of consent (or lack thereof) in modern films like Twilight, Divergent, and Fifty Shades of Grey. Chapter two describes “creepshots” as pictures taken of women and girls without their consent and then posted to social media. Oliver explains how the images and videos that are often circulated of girls and women being raped frequently cause the victims to experience a second type of victimization and trauma. Chapter three provides a thorough analysis of “girls as predators and prey” in films like Hanna, The Hunger Games, Twilight, and Divergent. Oliver uses the analysis to critically assess the complex readings associated with strong young female protagonists who both hunt and are hunted in popular films. The book concludes with the author’s argument that, in order to address issues of rape on college campuses, we must be able to have open conversations about this issue. Oliver acknowledges the trauma that accompanies sexual assault, but encourages students on college campuses not to resort to safe spaces and trigger warnings. Instead, the author encourages readers to distinguish between language and images that are assault and the languages and images used to discuss and, potentially, help correct the issue of sexual assault.