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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
I'm crying omg way to end a book Leah Raeder! I want a sequel now please thank you, just for me. I really love Maise and Evan, i love how they see the world as i do before and sometimes seeing it differently. Wesley you're creepy but you're a creep just like i am too XD
i don't even know why i picked this up because i hate this trope so much but for some reason i thought it was gonna end differently, especially after the love interest was exposed for being an even bigger creep than i initially thought. but nope. the writing was good though, i'll give it that.
Great story line but for whatever reason I couldn’t feel the love between them. Like something just wasn’t right, an emotional connection to the reader maybe....
“You should love something while you have it, love it fully and without reservation, even if you know you’ll lose it someday. We lose everything. If you’re trying to avoid loss, there’s no point in taking another breath, or letting your heart beat one more time. It all ends.”
I found this book to be wonderfully intriguing. I mean the student teacher affair so played out, but something about this book I really liked. I think it was Maise. Something about her is so raw and real that made this interesting and not predictable like it could have been, though it was still a little predictable. Wesley might have also played a part in the brilliance of this novel. I think Raeder really knows how to give her characters depth and substance. They felt real and all the detail was put in there so nicely.
This book does many things. One of them is showing that no matter what people say, you don't have to be exactly like your parents though their traits do linger in you. The other is that, living is better than just existing. I feel like this book captures all the thrill of what it feels like to grow up. To do things that make you feel like you are alive and that life is worth living. Living is purely for those moments that set all your nerves on fire. Those are the reasons I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I found this book to be wonderfully intriguing. I mean the student teacher affair so played out, but something about this book I really liked. I think it was Maise. Something about her is so raw and real that made this interesting and not predictable like it could have been, though it was still a little predictable. Wesley might have also played a part in the brilliance of this novel. I think Raeder really knows how to give her characters depth and substance. They felt real and all the detail was put in there so nicely.
This book does many things. One of them is showing that no matter what people say, you don't have to be exactly like your parents though their traits do linger in you. The other is that, living is better than just existing. I feel like this book captures all the thrill of what it feels like to grow up. To do things that make you feel like you are alive and that life is worth living. Living is purely for those moments that set all your nerves on fire. Those are the reasons I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Bullet Review:
The first half was strong and sexy.
The second half tried everything and floundered. I swear, pages got omitted or just disappeared - plots would get wrapped up in a paragraph, suddenly, we'd learn characters were filming when no indication had been made earlier.
I haven't read much New Adult, but it's good. Well-written, some actual drama.
If only authors would stop making all the teachers film and art and literature teachers, though, and give them more varied subjects. Heavy-handed movie references were embarrassingly heavy-handed.
Oh and the sex scenes were pretty hawt - at least at the beginning. In the second half, I wasn't sure what was going on and why, so I almost didn't care what happened.
Oh and way to undermine the "teachers aren't pedophiles!!" thought.
Full Review:
Maise O'Malley has one effed up life. Her mom runs a meth lab out of their house; Dad is missing all together. And Maise spends the time where she's not monitoring her mom's overdoses by sleeping with older men. It's at the fair where she meets a man and later has sex with him in his car. But she leaves him behind, afraid of what might be. Fast forward a few weeks to senior year starting and Maise realizes that "Evan" is Mr. Evan Wilke her film studies teacher.
Can they keep it together the whole year? What is even drawing them together - is it really love or is it just the danger of being caught? And what secret is Evan hiding from her?
I like older men; I joke with my dear girl friends that the silver-haired foxes really do it for me. The other thing I love is the teacher/student relationship. There is just something so sexy about a teacher and a student forming this bond.
That is what drew me to this book - that teacher/student relationship. And for much of the book I really did like what I was reading. I really think the first half was much more solid than the latter half - the latter half just felt like maybe Raeder wasn't sure what should happen. Or maybe she had to cut out scenes and such to fit it into a page count. Whatever the reason, the last 50 or so pages is what caused this to lose a star.
But the positives.
I really loved Maise. Finally, a woman who loves sex and is somewhat experienced! I'm tired of reading about all these sexless virgins that need to get with some domineering, borderline abusive boyfriend to learn how awesome sex is and become an overnight sex vixen. Women are sexual beings, people. No shame there.
I also liked Evan. Evan could easily have been that domineering boyfriend, but he wasn't. He respected Maise's limits, even though he was her teacher and much older than her. Oh, and I liked how he was actually older than her - none of this "she's 18, he's 23, oooooh, how DARING!" No. That's just lame.
I also loved how Raeder actually addressed the difficulties of such a relationship. They are both from different generations, different backgrounds. Both of them have their trials, and it isn't just washed away with sex. They also don't declare their love to each other and start going swoony-eyes all the time.
And yet...a major plot element in Evan's life kinda tarnishes the whole romance.
But really, it was old that the teacher taught film studies (is this done in high school? I was homeschooled, so please tell me!). Wow, here's a lot of heavy-handed allusions to classic movies! We can be ROMANTIC and ARTSY and *projectile vomit*. It particularly struck me as odd because Maise just seems to SUDDENLY want to be a film director. Where did THAT come from? And THAT is your ticket out of the backwater hole you live? To each his/her own!!
The other characters were mixed bag. I liked Maise's mother and Wesley, really didn't like how Hiyam (one of the only other major females in this book) was a b!tch, thought Siobhan was a bit too perfect for her own good (though I appreciated how Maise could actually have a decent role model), and wanted to love Gary, but hated how caricatured he was. In general, there weren't all that many females in this book (Mom, Siobhan, Britt, Hiyam, Park's girlfriend, etc.), and Maise could be rather judgmental about them.
The story is really where I have my problems. Again, the first half is solid as Maise and Evan tempt fate and have sex and figure out their feelings. But then you have a Gary Rivero subplot. And then a Hiyam wants coke subplot. And then Wesley is a creeper subplot. And then just all of a sudden, we learn that Maise has been using her cellphone to video record all these scenes to make this movie. So has Wesley. And their movies tread that line of what I would think would be acceptable to show in a high school film studies class. In fact, after that, I'm surprised that Evan wasn't asked to leave.
The conclusion flounders around as Maise and Evan figure out "What next?" and go back and forth and back and forth on whether or not to be together and figuring out how to wrap up the subplots as quickly as possible.
At least the ending is pretty sweet and appropriate, if it does lead to the reader wonder, "So, how long will THAT last?"
The sex scenes are very decent, pretty hot, but never shoved in just to meet a sex scene quota. It's pretty graphic, so if you don't like sex in your books, avoid.
I must admit to feeling a bit disappointed when I finished. It was good, but not the great awesomeness I was expecting - my fault for putting it too high on a pedestal. I realized after reading this that yes, I still do love teacher-student romances, but I prefer the college type: brooding college professor and young, inquisitive student. But again, this is my fault for not realizing it.
So at the end of the day, solid 4 stars for some good characters, some legitimate drama and some good sex scenes. This won't be a book for everyone as there is a LOT of swearing, sex, drug usage and talk of abuse. But in the market where New Adult seems to mean "virgins learning to have sex", this definitely bucks the trend and has something new and interesting to say.
The first half was strong and sexy.
The second half tried everything and floundered. I swear, pages got omitted or just disappeared - plots would get wrapped up in a paragraph, suddenly, we'd learn characters were filming when no indication had been made earlier.
I haven't read much New Adult, but it's good. Well-written, some actual drama.
If only authors would stop making all the teachers film and art and literature teachers, though, and give them more varied subjects. Heavy-handed movie references were embarrassingly heavy-handed.
Oh and the sex scenes were pretty hawt - at least at the beginning. In the second half, I wasn't sure what was going on and why, so I almost didn't care what happened.
Oh and way to undermine the "teachers aren't pedophiles!!" thought.
Full Review:
Maise O'Malley has one effed up life. Her mom runs a meth lab out of their house; Dad is missing all together. And Maise spends the time where she's not monitoring her mom's overdoses by sleeping with older men. It's at the fair where she meets a man and later has sex with him in his car. But she leaves him behind, afraid of what might be. Fast forward a few weeks to senior year starting and Maise realizes that "Evan" is Mr. Evan Wilke her film studies teacher.
Can they keep it together the whole year? What is even drawing them together - is it really love or is it just the danger of being caught? And what secret is Evan hiding from her?
I like older men; I joke with my dear girl friends that the silver-haired foxes really do it for me. The other thing I love is the teacher/student relationship. There is just something so sexy about a teacher and a student forming this bond.
That is what drew me to this book - that teacher/student relationship. And for much of the book I really did like what I was reading. I really think the first half was much more solid than the latter half - the latter half just felt like maybe Raeder wasn't sure what should happen. Or maybe she had to cut out scenes and such to fit it into a page count. Whatever the reason, the last 50 or so pages is what caused this to lose a star.
But the positives.
I really loved Maise. Finally, a woman who loves sex and is somewhat experienced! I'm tired of reading about all these sexless virgins that need to get with some domineering, borderline abusive boyfriend to learn how awesome sex is and become an overnight sex vixen. Women are sexual beings, people. No shame there.
I also liked Evan. Evan could easily have been that domineering boyfriend, but he wasn't. He respected Maise's limits, even though he was her teacher and much older than her. Oh, and I liked how he was actually older than her - none of this "she's 18, he's 23, oooooh, how DARING!" No. That's just lame.
I also loved how Raeder actually addressed the difficulties of such a relationship. They are both from different generations, different backgrounds. Both of them have their trials, and it isn't just washed away with sex. They also don't declare their love to each other and start going swoony-eyes all the time.
And yet...a major plot element in Evan's life kinda tarnishes the whole romance.
Spoiler
We learn that Evan is actually "Eric" and he changed his name because he had sex with a previous 17-year-old student and got her pregnant. This completely undermines Evan's declaration that he loves Maise and just makes the reader wonder - once Maise starts to get grey hairs or maybe even sooner, will Evan be chasing the next jail bait?But really, it was old that the teacher taught film studies (is this done in high school? I was homeschooled, so please tell me!). Wow, here's a lot of heavy-handed allusions to classic movies! We can be ROMANTIC and ARTSY and *projectile vomit*. It particularly struck me as odd because Maise just seems to SUDDENLY want to be a film director. Where did THAT come from? And THAT is your ticket out of the backwater hole you live? To each his/her own!!
The other characters were mixed bag. I liked Maise's mother and Wesley, really didn't like how Hiyam (one of the only other major females in this book) was a b!tch, thought Siobhan was a bit too perfect for her own good (though I appreciated how Maise could actually have a decent role model), and wanted to love Gary, but hated how caricatured he was. In general, there weren't all that many females in this book (Mom, Siobhan, Britt, Hiyam, Park's girlfriend, etc.), and Maise could be rather judgmental about them.
The story is really where I have my problems. Again, the first half is solid as Maise and Evan tempt fate and have sex and figure out their feelings. But then you have a Gary Rivero subplot. And then a Hiyam wants coke subplot. And then Wesley is a creeper subplot. And then just all of a sudden, we learn that Maise has been using her cellphone to video record all these scenes to make this movie. So has Wesley. And their movies tread that line of what I would think would be acceptable to show in a high school film studies class. In fact, after that, I'm surprised that Evan wasn't asked to leave.
The conclusion flounders around as Maise and Evan figure out "What next?" and go back and forth and back and forth on whether or not to be together and figuring out how to wrap up the subplots as quickly as possible.
At least the ending is pretty sweet and appropriate, if it does lead to the reader wonder, "So, how long will THAT last?"
The sex scenes are very decent, pretty hot, but never shoved in just to meet a sex scene quota. It's pretty graphic, so if you don't like sex in your books, avoid.
I must admit to feeling a bit disappointed when I finished. It was good, but not the great awesomeness I was expecting - my fault for putting it too high on a pedestal. I realized after reading this that yes, I still do love teacher-student romances, but I prefer the college type: brooding college professor and young, inquisitive student. But again, this is my fault for not realizing it.
So at the end of the day, solid 4 stars for some good characters, some legitimate drama and some good sex scenes. This won't be a book for everyone as there is a LOT of swearing, sex, drug usage and talk of abuse. But in the market where New Adult seems to mean "virgins learning to have sex", this definitely bucks the trend and has something new and interesting to say.
And that made my heart ache, too—the thought of how much happiness lay scattered across the universe, unrealized, in fragments, waiting for the right twist of fate to bring it together.
This was a quick, easy read that I purchased ages ago and finally got around to. Overall, I didn't really like it, didn't hate it, and it was kind of boring and predictable for me. The writing was beautifully crafted as always with this author, but the story just didn't do it for me.
4 1/2 stars.
Review to come.
It's no surprise to anyone that I am a sucker for these types of books. I actually started this book back in January, and for some reason I put it down for awhile. It wasn't that it was bad. I was enjoying the storyline very much. I guess I just wasn't in the right mood for this genre at the time.
After some time, I picked it back up again and finished in two days. This book had a whirlwind of emotions all compacted into about 300 pages. I love the authors writing style. Everything is so descriptive, but it doesn't overpower the picture she is trying to paint.
Evan and Maise have an instant connection to one another after meeting at a carnival one night. This throws Maise through a loop, because she isn't used to long term. Everything before Evan is quick, and over as soon as it begins. Which might not be a problem after all, seeing as on her first day of school she runs into Evan as her new film teacher.
Of course problems arise as they form a plan to keep their relationship a secret. Maise is 18, so aside from the fact that he is her teacher, their relationship would be legal. He was older though(30's), and I think that is why it made it feel even more taboo.
Everything finally blew up and Evan and Maise were left to pick up the pieces and find out where to go from there. The last third of the book went by far to quickly. My heart was beating fast until the very last page. And at the end, all I could think of was, Wow, what a ride!
If you are into the student/teacher books, then I would suggest trying this one out!
It's no surprise to anyone that I am a sucker for these types of books. I actually started this book back in January, and for some reason I put it down for awhile. It wasn't that it was bad. I was enjoying the storyline very much. I guess I just wasn't in the right mood for this genre at the time.
After some time, I picked it back up again and finished in two days. This book had a whirlwind of emotions all compacted into about 300 pages. I love the authors writing style. Everything is so descriptive, but it doesn't overpower the picture she is trying to paint.
Evan and Maise have an instant connection to one another after meeting at a carnival one night. This throws Maise through a loop, because she isn't used to long term. Everything before Evan is quick, and over as soon as it begins. Which might not be a problem after all, seeing as on her first day of school she runs into Evan as her new film teacher.
Of course problems arise as they form a plan to keep their relationship a secret. Maise is 18, so aside from the fact that he is her teacher, their relationship would be legal. He was older though(30's), and I think that is why it made it feel even more taboo.
Everything finally blew up and Evan and Maise were left to pick up the pieces and find out where to go from there. The last third of the book went by far to quickly. My heart was beating fast until the very last page. And at the end, all I could think of was, Wow, what a ride!
If you are into the student/teacher books, then I would suggest trying this one out!
Wowowowowow. Thought I was done with broken emotional teenage shit and all that jazz. BUT WOWOWOWOWOW. This is one of the best that I've read. Maise is as strong as a fucking statue built with the hardest concrete. She could knock you out with that sharp mouth of hers and make you love her at the same time. Well ofcourse, this all comes down to Leah. You are a fucking genius and you deserve heaps of appreciation. Well done. This wasn't all about taboo, no. It was also about family and maturity and reality and just LIFE as it is. Although I did love the plot and the story and everything of the theme sense (and I do, really, a lot), what got me clingy to this book is the writing. That writing, man, I devoured every word, every comparison, every metaphor, every humor, every fucking thing. It was the trigger, consistent from the beginning. Never disappointing. The way of words was so beautiful I could weep and not care. It let me feel and pour all my emotions out and gaaaaah. Okay wow. Wow. Once again wow. And you probably know what'll come next right? Right. WOW. Okay. wow.