Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite
A young girl, scarred for life from a brutal assault, thrown out of her home by a mother who no longer can stand to look at her – this girl now lives above the comic book store where she works. She hides her scarred face from the world with a hoodie and sneaks around in the shadows of the store doing inventory and trying to remain nameless, a mere shadow, a ghost. The girl’s name is G, short for Georgina, and the store owner, Jimmy, is just a little bit in love with her – in spite of her scarred face.
Determined to do right and help the girl emerge from her protective shell, Jimmy insists that G joins the rest of the staff, dressed in comic book characters, at a fundraiser event. G is presented with the costume of a superhero. She balks at the thought of going out in public, attending an event where there will be too many people in a small space. She gives in and reluctantly tries on the costume that was specifically designed for her. Once dressed, she feels like a whole new person. The old G continues to lurk behind the mask that covers the scarred half of her face, but a new G, a confident, fearless young woman, a real superhero emerges.
In Justice for G, Jennifer Fales excels in the art of storytelling. From the very first line, the powerful punch of dialogue and narrative lead the reader up the curve of excitement to a chilling climax where G meets her attacker face on, challenging herself with the conflict of standing her ground and defeating her fears, or becoming yet another victim. In creating the character of G, the author has implemented the unspoken fears of many other victims. She vividly explores the dual personality of the hidden victim and the victorious superhero evolving from a protective shell, a sanctuary in which the victim once hid from the world that abused her. This is a powerful story about one woman’s struggle to overcome evil and reclaim her life through her own ability to obtain justice. Well done.