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3.11 AVERAGE
3.11 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have probably read this at least 5 times from start to finish when I was younger and I still go back to it whenever I need to reread something that sparks my joy for writing. The writing style is great, it is serious but funny and the characters have real depth which is hard to come by in a lot of books for a younger audience. The main character has some definite mental health issues over the course of this book and reverts to unhealthy behaviour and obviously this is about a teen on teacher relationship so be warned that this is no light subject matter.
Content Warnings
Content Warning: Graphic Stalking (Had to do this here since the tag was not available)
I would've enjoyed this a lot better if:
- the heroine hadn't spent much time consdering herself so much better and higher than her classmates and their vapid preoccupations (but I guess any teenager feels that way)
- the fact that the teacher had taken advantage of her (he did. he did. she's 16, he's over 30.) wasn't excused in the end of the book because he gets her out of a rocky situation and because he had a ~good~ reason to break it off
- the teacher wasn't a crusty pseudo-charismatic male English teacher
however, the writing was really good and I was very surprised to learn R.A. Nelson was a male, for he wrote a teenage girl very convincingly! I guess if you like the genre, go for it, but [b:Innocents|217605|Innocents|Cathy Coote|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400008206s/217605.jpg|210678] is far better.
- the heroine hadn't spent much time consdering herself so much better and higher than her classmates and their vapid preoccupations (but I guess any teenager feels that way)
- the fact that the teacher had taken advantage of her (he did. he did. she's 16, he's over 30.) wasn't excused in the end of the book because he gets her out of a rocky situation and because he had a ~good~ reason to break it off
- the teacher wasn't a crusty pseudo-charismatic male English teacher
however, the writing was really good and I was very surprised to learn R.A. Nelson was a male, for he wrote a teenage girl very convincingly! I guess if you like the genre, go for it, but [b:Innocents|217605|Innocents|Cathy Coote|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400008206s/217605.jpg|210678] is far better.
"HOPE is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all"
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all"
Plot:
The plot started off really slow. I also got a little confused because the book goes from the present to the past and then keeps on going past the present. It made me feel a little fuzzy on the overall details of their relationship as well as the story in general.
This book was very hard to get into, but about 20% in, it started picking up. The plot is very original--you never know where the story is going to go next. If you like crazy plots, you'll love it. The subject matter is something I've never read before--except that small storyline in Pretty Little Liars, but it was much more different than I was expecting.
If you're wanting realistic, this probably isn't it.
Setting:
I can't recall if I've ever read a book set in Alabama before. While the outdoor areas seemed pretty spot on, a lot of the characters didn't sound like they lived there. I'm not a native, not have I ever visited, but I do live in the South and most of the characters just didn't seem to fit.
Characters:
Nine, the main character, never really grew on me, but the story gets so intense and crazy that I enjoyed it anywhere. Nine herself is pretty intense and crazy, and maybe it doesn't matter if I liked her or not because she was just interesting. Her interests were different, though she did not sound like the typical teenager at all. Which I guess is the point but paired with her best guy friend AND the love interest, definitely makes you wonder about the setting.
I really didn't care for any of the characters all that much, but the story was so exciting that it didn't matter too much.
Relationships:
The main relationship between Mr. Mann and Nine seemed to be well done in terms of pacing. As for realistic, I'm not sure since Nine clearly has some issues going on. It was a very fun relationship to read about, though. I suppose I've always been a sucker for obsessive romance stories.
Besides romantic relationships, I liked the friendship between Nine and her best friend. Even though neither of them sounded like actual teenagers, them being one another's friend made since. I also liked Schuyler's loyalty to Nine.
I also enjoyed the relationship between Nine and her parents. It seemed realistic and they were in the picture a good bit.
Writing/Voice:
I liked a lot of the author's lines, but it was hard writing to get into. A lot of the time I would literally roll my eyes at some of Nine's thoughts. Nelson is definitely a good storyteller, though, and it was hard to put the book down once the relationship started going.
Ending:
I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. It's nice seeing closure, though it's definitely awkward. Maybe it's just me, but it seemed to be missing something. Maybe what bothers me is Nine never seeming to get any help for herself. After all that she did, I'm pretty sure she could have at least used someone professional to talk to.
Overall:
Very slow to start with, but ended up being exciting and crazy. Probably not too realistic, but a fun read!
Hallucinatory, intense, almost otherworldly. I had inappropriate relationships with teachers, sure, but nothing at all like Nine's. But oh, how brilliantly Nelson captures those feelings. I'm reeling a little, from reading and revisiting all at the same time.
Nine's a bright girl, too smart to fall in love with a teacher, right? But she does, and everything shifts in her world. The voice is pitch-perfect, and I inhabited Nine from about the thirtieth page. I'm shaking my head, trying to remember I'm almost 50, and my high school Government class is far, far behind me.
Recommended, especially if you've ever found yourself in love with precisely the wrong person- or precisely the right person at the wrong time.
Nine's a bright girl, too smart to fall in love with a teacher, right? But she does, and everything shifts in her world. The voice is pitch-perfect, and I inhabited Nine from about the thirtieth page. I'm shaking my head, trying to remember I'm almost 50, and my high school Government class is far, far behind me.
Recommended, especially if you've ever found yourself in love with precisely the wrong person- or precisely the right person at the wrong time.