4/5 stars
Flux, 2013
225 pages
YA Contemporary Romantic
Scheduled to release September 8
Source: Received an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not entirely sure why I wanted to read this book as forbidden romances like student enters relationship with her professor don't tend to be my preferred reading material: I like more comedic books if possible. But it's always nice to sink my teeth into a contemporary and I really liked this one.
The plot is pretty straightforward. Sixteen-year-old Madelyn just completed her sophomore year of high school but with her excellent grades, she is enrolled in a program to start taking classes at a community college. On the first day of biology class, she meets Bennett Cartwright who seems instantly attracted to her, listens to her, and supports her under the pressure she feels from her parents. The problem though is that he's her professor and he thinks she is eighteen. The novel traces their relationship up to the fateful day when everyone finds out as well as an epilogue where they meet again two years later when she actually is eighteen.
First I must mention how this book is written in second-person perspective with all of her "you"'s being directed at Bennett as this is a letter to him, as she tries to exonerate him from his role. Earlier I reviewed The Winter Prince where I hated this technique but for some reason it really worked for me here. I guess there are no firm rules about what I do and do not like in books; just sometimes things please me and sometimes they confuse me.
Second I found Madelyn oddly sympathetic. I'll confess that I had a few crushes on professors, unsurprising when you consider that I value knowledge and they knew a lot, but obviously nothing approaching her level. My parents were also not as pressuring as hers nor do I have an older brother so it's not like we had a lot in common, as is usually the case when I identify strongly with a character. Yet Madelyn's desperate attempt to try to write her wrongs while also still struggling to figure out who she is and what she wants touched me.
Third, mostly added because I like to try to have three points, is that Bennett is oddly a cipher to me. The main personality trait I have for him is that he loves teaching, its order and structure appealing after a childhood with scatterbrained parents. Because of this relationship, he loses that. Still I do wonder how he could not confirm she was eighteen. Basically I just don't have strong feelings about him but he doesn't seem like a jerk so that automatically makes him better than a long list of other YA love interests.
Overall: Though I can see how this book is definitely not for everyone (the very premise, the writing, the fact that the romance really isn't the important part), I liked it and found its easy writing style to be a perfect read for a few hours.
Other Opinions:
Good Choice Reading
Once Upon a Twilight!
Some Like it Paranormal
Yikes! Even if she was eighteen, if he was her professor he should have known better. Whatever happened might not be illegal but colleges would still consider it unethical.
ReplyDeleteGood point. (Although student/prof relationships were always juicy gossip... so it does happen.)
DeleteGood review, Bookworm. Sounds like it was one of those reads that just went down easy for you -- nothing special, but nothing that tripped you up either. :) Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
The college definitely considers it unethical but her argument is that she is legal (even though she also knows that it's unethical when it's professor/student).
DeleteIt did just go down easily-I didn't want to think too hard about world-building or magical powers so I sought comfort in contemporary and got just about what I expected.
I liked this one too, but I am normally drawn to issue books anyways.
ReplyDeleteIt was a bit of a different read for me-maybe I'll be more open to issue books in the future.
DeleteWhoa. I'm not sure this is my type and the subject is a little creepy. Also, I don't like second person narration very much. Glad you liked it though.
ReplyDelete-P.E. @ The Sirenic Codex
I don't have the greatest opinion of second person narration usually either but the way that it was framed like a letter really worked for me.
DeleteWhile I don't think I'd enjoy this book as much, I am glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteI do think it isn't plausible that the professor wouldn't realize she is a high school student taking college classes. When I was in college, I had some classes with high school students and the professor was aware that the students were in high school. I think the Registrar's Office would make that known to them...
I would have thought there would have been more notice paid as well but I don't know much about that kind of administration. I think it just got me at the right time-I can still think of the flaws but I really wanted a contemp at that moment and it satisfied me.
DeleteI'm glad you gave this one such a good rating.
ReplyDeleteI realize the topic is controversial (see comment 1) but I think people need to see the full story before deciding what this book is about.
I thought it was a brave topic, a brave way of presenting it, and just not exactly what people would expect. (Again comment 1)
I liked the take on it too (although I would also totally read a juicy sensationalized version of this story too-just to appeal to the gossip in me). I wasn't sure what kind of ending I expected but I think it worked here.
DeleteWow, I don't see a whole lot of student/teacher stories in YA, normally people put them in adult fiction so as not to "bother the little ones" or give them ideas, and yet it happens quite frequently so it's good to see someone actually writing about it. I don't know that I could handle the the second person narration though, I really struggle with first and second person narrations.
ReplyDeleteI think it worked because it was so clearly framed as a letter from her to him (a rambling letter that took hundreds of pages...)
DeleteThis one is also on my reading list. I find the 2nd person writing style interesting though it tends to be hit or miss. Still, I'm hoping to enjoy it and I agree with you on Bennett; I don't think it would've been hard to find her age. Great review :)
ReplyDelete-Mari @ The Sirenic Codex
I enjoy the experimentation and it may have helped lift this book slightly out of the ordinary. I'll be interested to see your thoughts!
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