The Unrepentant is the latest thriller by E.A. Aymar (2019), and it is a great choice for a book club read. You can read my review of the book here. It posits several questions about the most basic primal instincts of human nature, including survival and revenge. Told in a fast-paced narrative, the novel recounts the story of Charlotte, a young lady from an immigrant family who is abducted and forced into sexual trafficking. When her captors attempt to execute her, she is saved by military veteran Mace, a stranger, who puts his own family and friends at risk in aiding her. While Charlotte faces her past trauma and plots revenge, Mace faces his own demons in the form of depression.

Who Would be Interested?

This novel, which deals with sex trafficking, is not for the faint of heart. If you enjoy reading and watching true crime, and unpacking the psychological issues of psychopathy, then you will likely find this an engaging read. Charlotte’s heartbreaking ordeal is described in great detail, and I would not recommend this book for survivors of similar trauma unless your therapist has given you the go-ahead.

If you’re prepared to read a book that asks more questions than it answers, this novel would be a fantastic book club choice. It is certain to get your group talking!

Book Club Questions for The Unrepentant

  • If you found yourself in the same situation as Mace, Charlotte’s rescuer, and you saw that a person was about to be killed, what would you do and why?
  • If you were Charlotte, would you plot revenge on your captors once you were free? Would you risk being arrested and incarcerated to do so? Why or why not?
  • Do you think Charlotte found meaning or satisfaction in some way once her revenge was complete? Why or why not?
  • How do you think Charlotte’s ordeal changed her?
  • How do you think Charlotte’s childhood influenced her as an adult?
  • Why do you think Mace’s wife left him? How do you think that affected him?
  • The author notes that most young women do not come into prostitution the way in which Charlotte does. How do you think most women become involved with it?
  • When Charlotte was living on her own, before being trafficked, what are some things she may have been able to do in order to protect herself from exploitation? What would you recommend to a young women in a similar situation?
  • At the end of the novel, do you think Mace regrets helping Charlotte? Why or why not?

You can purchase the book on Amazon here!