Review by HEATHER MCDIARMID
There is good narrative drive to this story and Gowdy dares to explore delusional and sexually predatory thinking but Helpless is otherwise completely unremarkable. Except for one thing- the man with the predatory sexual behaviour is the HERO at the end of the book - both in the child's view given that he releases her to the mother (has this EVER happened in real life??) and as a man doing the "right thing". A secondary character who actually does a courageous action by reporting the predator and herself to the police - her action is rendered meaningless by the perpetrator's greater heroic action. In addition, in an interview by the author in a PS section (2008)she says ""Ron obviously holds the physical power. But the emotional power very quickly shifts to Rachel. She eventually senses the shift and exploits it." And there you have the myth perpetuated of the misunderstood adult male and the manipulative and powerful female child.