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Sexy

joyce carol oates

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Sixteen-year-old Darren Flynn, a popular, good-looking high school athlete who lacks self-confidence, learns that his jock friends are hatching a revenge act against their English teacher for failing a member of the swim team.

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1,2005

This edition

Format
288 pages, Paperback
Published
January 1, 2006 by HarperTempest
ISBN
9780060541514
ASIN
0060541512
Language
English

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About the author

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joyce carol oates

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Joyce Carol Oates is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collections The Wheel of Love (1970) and Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won many awards for her writing, including the National Book Award, for her novel Them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize (2019).
Oates taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught short fiction in the spring semesters. She now teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Oates was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2016.
Pseudonyms: Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.

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Community Reviews

Rating(3.9 / 5.0, 99 votes)
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99 reviews All reviews
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starrzz
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Such a notation deserves some arguments:

1) I didn't understand the purpose of the story. What was it? What were they looking for? Why do it?

2) Rather Nazi and useless characters. The narrator has no personality, it just seems like a big victim.

3) What's the relationship with the title? I didn't see any correspondence with the plot (and there is no plot, lol).

4) The style is poor and worthless. In fact, my brother could have written it.

5) I didn't have any reflection during my reading.

6) It's not even entertaining since nothing happens.

7) Unreal (it never happens like that in real life).

Well, maybe there were things to understand, but... even Nietzsche is clearer.
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emceephi
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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This book is surprisingly engaging despite the narrative style.

The sentences and chapters are short, which gives the reader a sense of being inside the mind of a very very confused young boy. I guess that's the whole point.

There are a lot of exclamation marks, which sometimes pulled me out of the story. I don't think exclamation marks are usually necessary to make a strong point, but that's just my opinion.

The ending is sort of ambiguous, which I quite like. It leaves room for the reader to interpret and think about what might have happened next.

The story about how things can snowball and go completely out of control was realistic and very sad. It made me think about how easily our actions can have unintended consequences.

However, it was hard to connect with any of the teen characters because they were mostly one-note. They didn't have much depth or complexity. I felt terrible for the teacher though. He was trying his best to help the students, but he was in a difficult situation.

I did like the way Darren chose to honor him in the end. It was a touching gesture that showed that even in the midst of chaos and confusion, there can still be moments of kindness and respect.

Overall, this was an interesting read that had its strengths and weaknesses. I would recommend it to others who are looking for a quick and thought-provoking story.
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Saku_k
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Not my favorite Joyce Carol Oates by far. The narrative voice in this work was disappointingly too distant and flat. It failed to engage me on a deeper emotional level. Moreover, the details regarding competitive swimming and diving seemed rather off. For instance, it is a known fact that high school swimmers do not typically compete in the 100 IM. This small inaccuracy might seem minor, but it detracted from the overall authenticity of the story. Additionally, the mention of a 300 meter freestyle competition also seemed rather odd as it is not a common event in the world of competitive swimming. These elements combined made it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the narrative and appreciate the work as much as I might have otherwise.

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scotwilson
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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What initially caught my attention and drew me to this young adult novel was the author.

Darren, a sixteen-year-old high school student, is not only a local jock but also a talented athlete. As a swimmer and a promising diver, he had advanced to the varsity team by the end of his sophomore year. People couldn't help but notice how good looking he was. Girls liked to comment that he was sexy, yet he was also shy. No one would dispute that he was a guy's guy, unmistakably a jock. And up until a snowy Thursday, he was living a happy life, enjoying popularity, full of self-esteem, and an overall good kid who worked extremely hard to be the best he could be. However, everything changed when he accepted a ride home with an effeminate teacher. Although Darren felt uncomfortable during the ride, nothing untoward actually happened. Or so it seemed.

What actually occurs is that the jocks who have a dislike for this teacher, mainly because he marks hard, decide to set out and discredit him. The consequences of their actions, unfortunately, go far beyond what anyone could have ever imagined.

http://bevd.edublogs.org/
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Gigglebox
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Good looking. Fine. Cute. Hunky. Sexy. Hot. These are all words that we often use to describe someone's appearance or charm. Among them, the word "sexy" is perhaps the most powerful and evocative. It can be defined as being sexually suggestive, stimulating, or appealing. However, the meaning of the word "sexy" is rather equivocal, as it can be used to describe both how one feels and how one is perceived by others.

This is the main focal point of the Young Adult novel by Joyce Carol Oates. The novel begins with an intriguing first line that immediately sucks the reader in. It sets the tone for the rest of the story and makes us eager to find out more about the characters and their relationships.

As we read on, we discover that the concept of "sexy" is explored in depth. The characters in the novel grapple with their own desires and attractions, as well as the expectations and judgments of those around them. Through their experiences, we gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be sexy and how it can affect our lives.

In conclusion, the word "sexy" may seem simple on the surface, but it actually holds a great deal of complexity and nuance. Joyce Carol Oates' novel does an excellent job of exploring this concept and showing us how it can shape our identities and relationships.

If you're interested in reading more about this fascinating topic, be sure to check out the full review at http://didibooksenglish.wordpress.com....
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Tasogare
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Wow, Darren.

I understand that you grew up in a highly masculine household within a rural town filled with homophobic and worthless redneck hicks. However, you are a cowardly and useless individual.

Despite my growing sense of dread as the false accusations accumulated, this book was an incredibly compelling page-turner. I breezed through its conveniently short and easily digestible chapters in approximately an hour. The writing style was简洁 and a bit vulgar, but it intrigued me in a way that my previous attempt to read a novel by this author did not. I truly liked the poor teacher, and after finishing the book, I found myself reflecting on the hysteria that surrounds even the slightest hint of improper high school student/teacher relationships.

P.S. The word "sexy" does not accurately describe anything in this book, which is sort of the point. Nevertheless, it also made it extremely difficult to read in public with this cover.
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TruthCycle
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Okay, this was rather aimless.

There were some powerful messages regarding standing up for what one believes in, which was related to Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience". However, then we continuously heard about how "sexy" the main character is and how everyone is constantly drooling over him.

I suppose he could have simply accepted his popularity, yet instead, he chose to go against the current and defend his vilified English teacher. But then the ending somewhat disregarded this development.

Similar to the novel "Expensive People" that Oates wrote decades earlier, "Sexy" is a satire on social norms. People act in accordance with whatever custom is currently in vogue, and most people don't notice what is amiss.

It seems that the author is trying to make us think about how we blindly follow social norms without really questioning them. The character's decision to go against the grain could be seen as a call to action for the readers to do the same.

Overall, while the story had its moments, it also felt a bit disjointed and unfinished.
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grover2203
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 15,2025
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Interesting perspective indeed. The narrator in this story is a popular high school boy who finds himself uncomfortable with his emerging "sexiness." It's a unique and engaging premise that immediately draws the reader in. There's a scandal involving his gay English teacher, which adds an extra layer of complexity and drama to the narrative. JCO, the author, does a masterful job of slipping the reader under the protagonist's skin. At times, it can be a very uncomfortable place to be, as we are privy to the boy's inner thoughts and conflicts. We see his confusion, his self-doubt, and his struggle to come to terms with his changing identity. It's a powerful and thought-provoking read that will leave you with a lot to think about.

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