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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
Maise O’Malley, the newly-eighteen-year-old protagonist of Unteachable, has lived a pretty difficult life. An absent father figure has made her crave male attention (the humor of this is not lost on Maise: “Thanks, Dad, for leaving a huge void in my life that Freud says has to be filled with d*ck.”). An addict mother who can barely take care of herself ensured Maise had to grow up, fast and on her own. Our protagonist is bitingly sarcastic and intelligent, full of sexy confidence and bravado… although as a reader I wanted to know how much of this was truth and how much was a coping mechanism.
When Maise meets and has (well-written, oh-so-steamy) sex with a handsome stranger at a carnival, she finds herself feeling something foreign: Attachment? Attraction? Her fear of these feelings prompts her to run away. She can’t run too far, however; that handsome older stranger, Evan Wilke, is her new high school film teacher.
The chapters that follow detail the undeniable, obsessive attraction between Maise and Evan. Can their relationship be wrong if it started before either one knew of the other’s position? Is love like this true, or is it all based on taboo circumstance? While the romantic relationship is certainly at the forefront of the novel, it’s also a story of personal development. Maise struggles with identity, responsibility, her dreams of being a filmmaker, and her relationships with friends and family.
When Maise meets and has (well-written, oh-so-steamy) sex with a handsome stranger at a carnival, she finds herself feeling something foreign: Attachment? Attraction? Her fear of these feelings prompts her to run away. She can’t run too far, however; that handsome older stranger, Evan Wilke, is her new high school film teacher.
The chapters that follow detail the undeniable, obsessive attraction between Maise and Evan. Can their relationship be wrong if it started before either one knew of the other’s position? Is love like this true, or is it all based on taboo circumstance? While the romantic relationship is certainly at the forefront of the novel, it’s also a story of personal development. Maise struggles with identity, responsibility, her dreams of being a filmmaker, and her relationships with friends and family.
In the first 100-ish pages nothing really happened. It also doesn’t help that the male MC shares the name with a person I know irl and I no longer associate with. That said, it doesn’t really bother me as I go through it. As I went on, there were bit where I had to put the book down bc I was getting the second hand embarrassment. I haven’t done that in so long.
Bad: there were bits were I thought kind of unnecessary like the drug dealer stuff, and the “i know I’m pretty” stuff comes across that the MC is really conceited. Also, E doesn’t really have a story until the final act. But maybe if I look back I can see how the seeds were set up for his mysterious backstory ™
Good: I weirdly find myself rooting for this couple. Also, it helps that they love movies and all that. I finished it in a day and it distracted me enough from pre-results-release anxiety.
Side note: my brain keeps imagining Armie Hammer as E Wilkes. Not a complaint.
Bad: there were bits were I thought kind of unnecessary like the drug dealer stuff, and the “i know I’m pretty” stuff comes across that the MC is really conceited. Also, E doesn’t really have a story until the final act. But maybe if I look back I can see how the seeds were set up for his mysterious backstory ™
Good: I weirdly find myself rooting for this couple. Also, it helps that they love movies and all that. I finished it in a day and it distracted me enough from pre-results-release anxiety.
Side note: my brain keeps imagining Armie Hammer as E Wilkes. Not a complaint.
Beautifully written, interesting and strong MC and what could have been a great story. But it just felt wrong to me all the time - I don't mind the teacher/student relationship, but this one just didn't feel right. Also, the ending was ridiculous.
Not my usual type of story but it kept me entertained. However, I still can't decide if I liked the ending or not...
Okay. I think this book was a just a normal New Adult Contemporary. It's okay for me. I did't have any strong feelings towards the character and I feel like it lacks something I can't explain. The ending was quite bizarre but I like it nonetheless. GIVE ME PARK NOW!
Read it in one night. It was that good. The characters are complex and well written, troubled without being angsty/emo twits. The sex scenes are smoking hot, not cheesy at all. This is everything that 50 Shades of Grey should have been (and failed at miserably). Maise and Evan read like real people, albeit messed up ones. The supporting characters also fulfill their roles without denigrating into caricatures or lame stereotypes.
I'm really glad I bought this one, since I'll definitely be re-reading it.
I'm really glad I bought this one, since I'll definitely be re-reading it.
I couldn't decide between a3.5 or a 4. Ultimately I give it a 3.5 I guess.
Maise O'Malley is 18 years old and has had a rough upbringing thanks to her drug addict mother. Her father is not in her life and because of this she has Daddy issues; meaning she likes to sleep with older men. She is very cynical and older than her years. She meets Evan Wilke the summer she turns eighteen at a carnival that is in town. They ride the roller coaster together and instantly connect. Maise says meeting Evan was like meeting a stranger she has known her whole life. She lies to him and says she is twenty one. They end up having sex in his car. Maise does this sort of thing all the time, however sex with Evan is different. He doesn't just want it to be sex, he wants to know her. He feels something, and while she feels it too, she still runs from him afterward bc she is scared.
Two weeks later she starts her senior year of high school and walks into her film class to find out Evan is her new teacher. They briefly try to avoid their feelings for one another, but end up surrendering because their connection is just too great, both physically and emotionally. Also, as they admit, they liked the forbiddenness of their relationship, which I felt was very realistic.
They slowly change one another for the better and fall in love. Of course, being teacher and student, they have obstacles to overcome. Maise also has drama with her drug addict mother, and Evan has one hell of a secret he is keeping from Maise. The story was completely enthralling. I also felt their love story was an accurate testament to the fact that age is just a number. You can meet your soul mate at any age, and he or she may be any age. You don't get to choose who you fall in love with.
This was a very different telling of the forbidden teacher/student relationship. The writing was BEAUTIFUL and MESMERIZING and I really connected with the characters, Maise, Evan, Wesley (Maise's friend from film class), and I even loved Wesley's mother Siobhan. This is a must read. 5 stars!!
Two weeks later she starts her senior year of high school and walks into her film class to find out Evan is her new teacher. They briefly try to avoid their feelings for one another, but end up surrendering because their connection is just too great, both physically and emotionally. Also, as they admit, they liked the forbiddenness of their relationship, which I felt was very realistic.
They slowly change one another for the better and fall in love. Of course, being teacher and student, they have obstacles to overcome. Maise also has drama with her drug addict mother, and Evan has one hell of a secret he is keeping from Maise. The story was completely enthralling. I also felt their love story was an accurate testament to the fact that age is just a number. You can meet your soul mate at any age, and he or she may be any age. You don't get to choose who you fall in love with.
This was a very different telling of the forbidden teacher/student relationship. The writing was BEAUTIFUL and MESMERIZING and I really connected with the characters, Maise, Evan, Wesley (Maise's friend from film class), and I even loved Wesley's mother Siobhan. This is a must read. 5 stars!!