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3.11 AVERAGE
3.11 AVERAGE
Do not read this book. Here is a quote: "--!" Please do not read this book.
How would you react if the ‘crush’ on your teacher turned out to be reciprocated? Carolina “Nine” Livingston has always been focused and intense. When she is instantly attracted to her new Poetry teacher, her focus turns to learning everything about him. Throughout the semester, they get closer until the unthinkable (unbelievable) happens. When her teacher, Mr. Mann, breaks things off, Nine’s life spins out of control. Nelson whips us through
Nine’s account of the events of the last semester of her senior year. We get a glimpse of how easily something like a schoolgirl ‘crush’ can get out of hand and snowball into obsession.
Nine’s account of the events of the last semester of her senior year. We get a glimpse of how easily something like a schoolgirl ‘crush’ can get out of hand and snowball into obsession.
3.5 ⭐ I randomly picked this up just because it's dust jacket and title were intriguing. This was quite an enjoyable read, it treats a different dynamic to what is usually put out there by authors, this being a student teacher romantic relationship and this was quite interesting. I think this book could've been done better while still keeping it's original plot...from something as simple as Mr. manns surname which is just weird to the way Carolina acts immaturely even though she's supposedly 17/18, it felt either dragged on in parts yet rushed in others. With that being said, I still enjoyed this book on the whole as it was quite different to what I'm used to. Definitely more willing to pick up books at random now!
I’m always left unsettled when these types of stories ends with no repercussions for the abuser. The story of course does not frame the teacher’s actions as abusive and grooming, but there was a point prior to the climax when I thought the narrative would deconstruct the teacher-student relationship. But at the last moment, the story switched to “hey this adult is really just being human,” as if that excuses his criminal actions.
This book is either genius and wonderful or horrible. I can't decide. I love how the author has made Nine so real - I felt like I was right there with her, falling in love, watching her world change. But I don't like what she turned into when the affair ended, not sure I buy her response.
And I definitely don't like Mr. Mann. Not only is he a schmuck for dating a teenager, he handled just about everything in the situation wrong, particularly the way he ended it.
Very engaging read, though not entirely convincing during the latter portion of the story.
And I definitely don't like Mr. Mann. Not only is he a schmuck for dating a teenager, he handled just about everything in the situation wrong, particularly the way he ended it.
Very engaging read, though not entirely convincing during the latter portion of the story.
As much as you know that a relationship between a student and a teacher is wrong, there was something about Mr Mann and Nine that made me root for them, that wanted this relationship to work out. But about halfway through the book things end and Nine becomes this crazed, intense, psychotic, obsessed stalker. By the end of it my shoulders ached from cringing at all the things she did to Mr Mann. We all go through grief when a relationship ends but this was just a whole other level of craziness!!
So, I'm giving this book 3 stars and that's probably for the first half of the book which I loved and at least made the book a worthwhile read for me!!
So, I'm giving this book 3 stars and that's probably for the first half of the book which I loved and at least made the book a worthwhile read for me!!
I still don't know what to think about this book... I liked it, especially the beginning, but then it got a little - no, very - crazy. Yet, it was so compelling and I could not part with it until I was done. What got me through the madness of the second half of the novel was Schuyler and Nine's friendship. I definitely liked Schuyler the best. Even though Nine was becoming really extreme and I was wondering how it went so far, I still enjoyed the book. I didn't like Mr. Mann from the beginning only because I knew something was going to go wrong and he would be (at least partly) at fault. The book is gripping, chilling, and has a reassuring ending.
Nelson, a white cis middle-aged man (when writing this book), writes from the point of view of a 17 year old, all-american brainiac girl (she’s super duper muper smart). He claims he doesn’t consciously write YA, that it’s all a subconscious need to escape from the adult responsibilities of having 4 children and a wife and boring adult stuff. He states “I want to be Nine, the protagonist of my novel Teach Me, who likes to strip down to her bare essentials and sneak out in the backyard with her telescope for a little dangerous moon-gazing in the middle of a suburban night.” First and foremost, nowhere in the book is Nine given this much personality. Secondly, Nine is nothing but a person with no remorse and anger issues. She physically and sexually assaults her best friend, Schuyler, multiple times. She physically assaults her teacher, Mr.Mann, a 37 year old attractive white cis-male, and harasses his eventual wife and the wife’s father. She harasses his parents, she punches some teacher at school, and decides to do this quirky thing where she walks into a public establishment, pulls out a gun, and points it at Mr.Mann. A tone deaf attempt of “making a point”. Bro that’s not okay. We are living in a society—with a gun-violence epidemic. Nelson normalizes this behavior because it is “casually” written into the story plot. It is not okay for women to physically or sexually assault/harass anyone! Check your fucking double standards! There were so many triggering scenes where she forces herself onto Schuyler, especially a scene where she gnaws at his lip bloody and raw! And the book ends with everyone asking for forgiveness because she can’t help and self-victimize. The beginning of this book is really about a man grooming a touch-starved child, but then it quickly turns into a sociopathic girl! And I don’t throw that lightly because she gets Schuyler to drive her to this public establishment and doesn’t tell him about the stunt, calls him over dramatic, and then proceeds to get him into a car accident because she wanted to follow Mr.Mann. So clearly, the life of another human is simply a chess-piece to get what she wants. And ofcourse, it reeks with stereotypical gendered sprinkles. Like men not knowing how to clean and women knowing how to do it better. Also, the women in this book are always labeled as “ugly” or “pretty”. And the men? Well, you don’t really know how they look. Except that Mr.Mann is very attractive and blue eyed. Please don’t read this book. I read the whole thing. Spite is a very powerful motivator. Nelson, whatever you do, please stop. Let this stopping of things be your contribution to society.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A frighteningly true story, told in language that flies off the page. A few plot elements felt forced so that the story would be dramatic, but other than that I have no real complaints.