This novel is unambiguously about rape, the shame associated with victimhood, the difficult aftermath and continual effects of such a violent attack, and about the struggle to understand the psychopathology of the rapist. The story doesn't have a lot of grand metaphors or clever plot structures, because it literally happened to the author. Instead of using the novel as a tool to abstract her experience and deal with concepts indirectly, Li chooses to represent the trauma for what it is, and she offers the gruesome tale as is, without using art to make these pills easier for the audience to swallow. In this way, she represents her true experience, as brutal and traumatic as that might be.
An interesting feature of the novel is the inclusion of Johnny's story. Sometimes, the teenager's behaviors seem purely evil, but actually, the novel does a good job of providing enough material for the audience to begin feeling empathy toward him. This is an interesting treatment of the rapist, because it goes against human nature to want revenge. Vivian just wants to understand. She wants justice for justice's sake, but for herself, she just wants clarity and understanding, but ultimately, even in the context of Johnny's difficult life, his actions are evil and detestable, and Vivian has to find another way to cope with the existence of such psychopathological behavior.
When the novel came out, it was regarded for its detailed, accurate depiction of the psychology of rape, both from the attacker's point of view and the victim's point of view, but there's no getting around the heart of the story, which is absolute terror, confusion, pain and shame. For these things, there is no easy remedy, and no clear logical path forward, but Li did say later that sharing her story was helpful to her in light of her own violation.
