I wasn't particularly thrilled with this one.

The title seemed a forced fit with the actual story. It didn't seem to flow naturally and felt rather contrived.

Moreover, it seemed somewhat inappropriate for the age range it was targeted at. It didn't take into account the interests and understanding of the intended audience.

Also, it failed to offer a very clear message to the reader. The story seemed to lack a central theme or purpose, leaving the reader a bit confused.

In my opinion, it moved quickly, but this speed came at the expense of fully developing the story into a fully entertaining work. There wasn't enough depth or detail to engage the reader on a deeper level.

Overall, I felt that this piece had some areas that needed improvement in order to be more successful.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. However, it had one of the most abrupt endings that I have ever come across.

I truly felt a great deal of sympathy for Darren. It was evident that he was extremely confused and ill at ease within himself.

The situation involving Mr. Tracy left me with feelings that were just as conflicted as Darren's. I understand that it can be both confusing and difficult to respond when people make you extremely uncomfortable, yet they don't actually physically touch you. This makes it seem as if they may not have actually done anything wrong.

Overall, I thought this book was really thought-provoking. It made me stop and consider various aspects of human behavior and the complex emotions that can arise in certain situations. It was a captivating read that left a lasting impression on me.

I would highly recommend this book to others who enjoy stories that challenge their thinking and make them look at the world from a different perspective.

This is the first book by Joyce Carol Oates that I have read and honestly, I am not disappointed and I am even curious to read more. We become attached to Darren, this very popular yet so shy and discreet boy. The presence of a kind but perhaps too severe teacher, and especially different, who seems to impose himself as a threat to some students, will cause Darren to ask himself questions and move away from some people in his entourage. We follow Darren and we want to know what will happen to him.

Darren's character is complex and interesting. He is popular among his peers, but there is a certain shyness and discretion about him that makes him stand out. The teacher's arrival in his life disrupts the status quo and forces Darren to reevaluate his relationships and his place in the school. We see him struggle with his feelings and his decisions, and we can't help but root for him.

The story is engaging and well-written. Joyce Carol Oates has a way of creating vivid characters and a tense atmosphere that keeps the reader hooked from beginning to end. I am looking forward to reading more of her work and seeing where Darren's story will take him.

The writing is excellent. The characters are touching and endearing. One would really like to read a sequel!

The story seems to have captured the hearts of the readers with its well-crafted plot and vividly portrayed characters. The author has managed to create a world that is both engaging and relatable, making it difficult for the readers to put the book down.

The touching moments between the characters add an extra layer of depth to the story, making it not just a simple read but an emotional journey. The readers can't help but feel attached to the characters and root for them throughout the story.

Overall, it is a wonderful piece of work that leaves the readers longing for more. A sequel would be highly anticipated, as it would give the readers a chance to continue following the adventures of the beloved characters and see how their stories unfold.

They all liked him. They liked the boy they believed he was.

I came across this at a thrift store and purchased it as I'm conducting an author study for my lit class, and she happened to be one of the authors. I've read numerous of her short stories, so I had an idea of what to expect. However, this particular book really disgusted me, not just on the surface level. I understand that it was written in a different era when homosexuality wasn't as common. But writing a book that explicitly depicts an adult man being accused of preying on his students, especially the male ones, is just demeaning. This is especially true when considering her other books, which are all heteronormative.

I understand that this is supposed to illustrate how people often read too much into teachers and their relationships with students and how such a rumor could ruin a person's life. However, it is extremely inappropriate for a teacher to offer a drive home to their student and stop for coffee on the way. Use your common sense.

I believe the author is extremely overrated and talked about more than she merits. Her writing is拖沓 and all her novels are essentially the same story repeated. She claims in many interviews that all her characters are very different from one another, but I can't help but see them as the same person because they are all predictable and possess the same traits.

Don't waste your time with this read or this author.

I really didn't know what to expect from this book.

I started reading it, trying to understand what the topics covered by the story would be, but the idea I had as I was reading was always uncertain and ambiguous.

Certainly, "Sexy" is a novel with a message that is, to say the least, misleading, but this is a strength of the book, because the curiosity to discover where the story wants to lead is so great that it induces the reader to read feverishly in a very short time. In my case, it was only half a day of reading.

The writing style is very smooth, simple and pleasant, and I was enthusiastic about it. But the themes... well... frankly, I couldn't understand them.

While reading, I thought of various alternatives. At first, I thought this could be a teenage novel about the discovery of sex, but then I started to think that instead it could be a novel about sexual and psychological violence against minors... but I was wrong there too.

Subsequently, I thought it could talk about homosexuality and discrimination. Then I thought that the whole thing could turn into a thriller.

No, let's say that this novel contains a bit of everything mentioned above, but it doesn't really focus on these themes.

The protagonist is described as a very beautiful boy who attracts everyone, men and women alike, but apart from his aesthetic appearance, inside he is really empty, but at the same time he appears as a very ambiguous character and it is impossible to understand what he really thinks and feels.

I hoped that his character would be revealed to the reader in some way at a certain point, I hoped that there would be a real shocking twist to give meaning to the whole story and to justify the climate of tension that subtly pervades all the pages.

IN REALITY, IT WAS A BLUFF!

The ending was the most disappointing thing I could read. I really expected everything, but instead I didn't expect a banal and meaningless epilogue, which unfortunately was the case.

As I was saying, the protagonist from the very beginning seems like a boy with little personality, without his own ideas, who is carried away by the crowd, who wants to be accepted and who all he wants is to have a good reputation and never go against the current.

I said to myself that no, it couldn't really be like that, I hoped that the author had only staged this uncharismatic facade, but that she had a trick up her sleeve, but unfortunately I discovered that there were no ulterior motives, the story is really what we read, that is, the mirror of an empty and impersonal society, full of prejudices and that doesn't want to get out of the binaries, neither in good nor in evil.

Even a dramatic ending would have been more desirable than what actually happens: that is, nothing.

Despite the ending, which deserves the lowest possible score, three-quarters of the book was a good read, rich in psychological tension and even if it leads to absolute nothingness, I still can't help but give a passing grade as the overall score.

Oates is a talented author. This time I didn't fully understand her intention (maybe to create the most uninteresting and empty protagonist in literature?), but she still deserves to be read.

Average book on the struggles of a teen faced with complicated relationships and tormenting thoughts. It is a well-written mystery of third person narratives that enhanced the story. However, for me, it scores below average. What could have been a moving story was hard to enjoy with an ending that left me feeling less than satisfactory. There are also loose ends that left me feeling the need to be tied up.

The unpredictable nature and feelings of the main character were unreliable and frustrating. This was due to the circumstances that were already complicated, and the character's nature made the plot more confusing. Joyce Carol Oates does well in tackling the complicated issues, but it is not a gripping plot that I'd hoped to have been given.

Perhaps with a more resolved ending and a clearer character arc, the story could have been more engaging. As it stands, it is a decent read, but not one that will stay with me for a long time.

**"For Teens"**

For teens, these years are a time of great change and growth.

It's a period filled with new experiences, challenges, and opportunities. Teens are constantly exploring their identities, trying out different activities, and making friends.

They are also faced with the pressure of schoolwork, exams, and future plans. However, it's important for teens to remember that they are not alone.

There are always people around them who can offer support and guidance, such as parents, teachers, and friends.

Teens should also take the time to take care of themselves, both physically and mentally. This means getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and engaging in regular exercise.

By doing so, they will be better able to handle the challenges and stress that come their way.

Finally, teens should embrace this exciting time of their lives and make the most of every opportunity that comes their way.

After all, these are the years that will shape who they become in the future.

I'm not a fan of this book.

The writing style really didn't appeal to me. It seemed as if the author was constantly trying to get inside Darren's head, but it came across as too vague.

There were times when I felt lost and couldn't quite understand what was going on or what the characters were thinking.

The lack of clarity made it difficult for me to engage with the story and the characters on a deeper level.

I prefer a more straightforward and descriptive writing style that allows me to easily visualize the scenes and understand the motives and emotions of the characters.

This book, unfortunately, failed to meet my expectations in that regard.

Perhaps it would appeal to some readers who enjoy a more abstract and mysterious approach to storytelling, but for me, it just didn't work.

Interesting but not my cup of tea.

The first time I read it, I really didn't get it. I was aware that the teacher might or might not be gay, but I had no clue what that had to do with Darren. Half of the time, I simply didn't know what was going on. Now, this is just my experience and other people may have grasped it easily. But for some strange reason, I didn't. I had to read it twice to understand the plot.

The book, overall, was good. I would recommend it to others. I like Joyce Carol Oates and her writing style. However, for some reason, I just couldn't get fully immersed in this particular book, and perhaps that's why I had trouble understanding it. But if you're a big fan of Joyce Carol Oates, you'll probably love this book and hopefully understand it without much difficulty. :)

Yuck! Garbage is such an eyesore and a nuisance.

It seems to be everywhere, ruining the aesthetics of our environment and causing all sorts of problems.

Not only does it smell bad, but it can also attract pests and spread diseases.

Every time I see a pile of garbage, it just makes me cringe and wish for a cleaner world.

Today, I had the misfortune of coming across a huge pile of garbage on my way home in the afternoon.

It was so disgusting that it completely ruined my mood and took away my precious afternoon.

I just wanted to go home and relax, but instead, I was faced with this unpleasant sight.

It made me realize how important it is for each and every one of us to take responsibility for our waste and keep our surroundings clean.

We should all do our part to reduce, reuse, and recycle to make the world a better place.

Give me my afternoon back! I don't want to have to deal with garbage anymore.

Let's all work together to make our environment garbage-free and enjoy our afternoons without any more unpleasant surprises.

I thought this was a truly horrendous novella. Darren, a handsome high-school athlete, is a shy and mediocre student who manages to get by on his good looks. He effortlessly earns popularity and average grades simply because of his physical appeal. One day, after practice, he finds himself stranded, and his flamboyant and "feminate" English teacher, Mr Tracy, offers to drive him home. At first, nothing seems amiss. However, Mr Tracy asks Darren to call him by his first name, "Lowell," and this casualness immediately makes Darren uncomfortable.

At practice, Darren's swim team members all complain about Mr Tracy. They gripe about his tough grading, his supposed bias against jocks, and his preference for girls. In their dissatisfaction, they hatch a plan to frame Mr Tracy as a pedophile. Darren,虽然没有直接参与这个计划，但他也没有试图阻止它。他在女生面前很笨拙，与班上其他同学疏远，并且对自己的外表很在意。他非常害怕被视为同性恋（小说中从未明确表明他是否是同性恋），所以他对每个人都表现出一种闷闷不乐、漠不关心的假象。他任由自己陷入恐同暴力之中，对Mr Tracy没有任何帮助，而Mr Tracy唯一的罪过就是对他过于熟悉。

If that were the entire novel, I might have been able to enjoy it as an examination of the dynamics of homophobic prejudice and toxic masculinity. However, I detested the way the novel played into the all-too-common fear of predatory gay men, groomers, and pedophile teachers preying on innocent boys, perhaps trying to convert them. In the end, Mr Tracy is not simply an innocent victim of grade-grubbing, homophobic meat-heads. The beguiling English teacher, who delights in dispensing Ds and Fs with fanfare, takes pictures of the boys in their speedos at swimming carnivals. Even if his conduct isn't criminal, it is definitely creepy. I dislike these kinds of stories because, instead of refuting the paranoid ravings of homophobes like Anita Bryant, they give some narrative plausibility to such ideas. How many novels and plays are there like this about gay English teachers? Just to name a few examples: Alan Bennett's "History Boys" and Jonathon Galassi's more recent "School Days." Why are these stories over-represented in gay literature? Why would a publisher promote this kind of book to young audiences? I don't think novels have to constantly present good characters and good representation, but this kind of story is far too pervasive and pernicious.