Any book that a teen can read is a teen book.

Treating this as a teen book is both radical and lame. It's radical because it is honest and straightforward without the all too typical patronizing teen-speak. However, it's also lame because, well, what exactly is a teen book? Yes, it deals with high school and teens, but so do many other books. I suppose it all depends on how it's marketed. If it motivates school libraries to shelve it, then it's one not so ridiculous teen book, which is typically found on the cobwebbed shelves of high school libraries. As usual, Oates is at full throttle, never straying beyond the scope of her points, never being tangential, and her hallmark stark prose is as visible as ever.

Also, I'd like to note that I am both a teacher and a homosexual. Although I have never been directly accused of child molestation, it's something I worry about. I wonder who will think what if they knew I were gay, will the parents feel comfortable, or will the children be able to understand and continue to learn from me, and so on.

My 12th form students asked me if I were, and I said yes. I was met with none of the nightmare situations one could imagine, but I was still nervous about the repercussions. Not only for the above reasons, but also because of the questions like "will I lose my job?" "will this end my career in education?" Well, it didn't. And in the long run, it was a good educational and personal decision. The two cannot and should not be separated. It's conservative rhetoric that does no one any good. Keeping kids in the dark about who we are is the same false, patronizing bullshit that teens find so contemptuous about adults, and this unfortunately prevents dialogue.

Yet this behavior is perpetuated through fear. And this breeds the kind of bullshit situations like false molestation accusations, ongoing homophobia, gay teen suicides, and really annoying myopic opinions that don't just end in high school but are carried into adulthood and manifest into discrimination, abuse, and murder. All of this is perpetuated because we are too shy to ask or too scared to tell or talk candidly with our teenagers as teachers or as parents.

So, yeah, I give this book 5 stars for not being ridiculous material for teens about gay discrimination, for handling teen-sex maturely and unflinchingly, and for raising questions about an infuriatingly taboo topic.

Interesting indeed... Joyce Carol Oates for the teen set. It's quite a revelation. However, I must admit that I found some of the details and plot lines to be a bit on the predictable side or perhaps a touch stereotypical. There's a teacher, who is described as effeminate and might potentially be gay - which is a new take. He is accused of engaging in inappropriate behavior with some young boys or men. It's important to note that there is a significant difference between being gay and being a pedophile. Eventually, we come to learn that something did occur between him and the teacher. The twist here is that the reader knows that not all the accusations are true, but we're just not certain what exactly is the truth. Without having to read it explicitly in the text, we get the sense that the student is conflicted about his sexuality. But then, the book ends on a rather strange note with the student engaged in an explicit scene with an older college woman. The intended audience for this book is high school kids, but truth be told, I think I would much rather have them read Foxfire.

Sexy is my first novel by this author.

It is a young adult novel, published in the SCRIPTO collection (a very beautiful collection!).

The story: Darren Flynn, 16 years old, is a magnificent boy. A good swimmer and diver, everyone admires him, except that he doesn't understand why. He is not a very good student and even in his sport, he could be better. His life turns upside down the day his teacher, Mr. Tracy, gives him a ride home in his car. What happened or didn't happen?

Starting from pedophilia as a starting point, the subject of JC Oates slides towards another theme and its consequences - I'll keep quiet for the suspense.

The writing of JC Oates is pleasant, simple and direct. It is addressed to young people and doesn't mince words, it calls a spade a spade. Her writing is dynamic: short chapters that sketch the narrative, that move from one character to another, that carry the reader along the pages.

This first volume has made me want to discover even more of this author, in both adult and young adult literature. I'm happy to have finally bought this book that I had been eyeing for a while.

A pleasant read, an engaging subject, likable characters.

I didn't like this book.

I firmly believe that when writers choose to write for teenagers, they should not dumb down their writing or disregard their unique writing styles. It baffles me as to what teenager would be interested in reading a book like this one.

The lack of relatability in this book is a major drawback. Most of the content seems to revolve around grownups objectifying a sixteen-year-old boy to a fetishizing degree. This could potentially be explored as a significant problem or issue in our society, but unfortunately, it is presented in a stupid and didactic writing style, which further detracts from its value.

[I recently read Less Than Zero, and it had a similar feel, like a collection of episodes from the life of a teen or young adult, lacking a specific beginning and ending in the overall story of the book.]

One positive aspect is that the characters do have specific characteristics that make them somewhat memorable. However, this is not enough to salvage the book.

Every theme that this book attempts to touch on is left underdeveloped. The plot twist involving the English teacher and the implications regarding the headmaster initially piqued my interest and made me eager to turn the pages faster. But once again, these storylines led nowhere, leaving me feeling disappointed and frustrated.

All in all, this book cannot even be classified as an "It's so bad it's good" novel. It was mostly just plain boring, failing to engage me or offer any real substance.

********SPOILER ALERT*****************************************

For my initial encounter with a JCO book, I found it to be rather decent. The story is set in a small town in New Hampshire, where an undercurrent of homophobia quietly simmers. Right from the start, a group of high school boys brutally beat up a gay man and manage to flee without getting caught.随后，一位英语老师特雷西先生给几名学生打了低分，这些学生便恶意报复，诬陷他是恋童癖者。令我有些惊讶的是，学校官员和警察竟如此迅速地自动认定，只因这位老师有同性恋的传闻，那么他是恋童癖者的指控也一定是真的。主角达伦，由于害怕他恐同的父亲、哥哥以及学校里的朋友会排斥他，所以不敢告诉任何人特雷西先生在一次送他回家的途中有过友好的举动。这使得事情更加复杂，因为镇上有人看到达伦那晚在特雷西先生的车里。对特雷西先生的调查不断推进，直到他意外死亡。

达伦的性取向在这部小说中成为了一个更广泛的主题，因为他的英俊外表使他成为了男女都渴望的对象。他对自己从他人那里得到的关注感到不自在，并且经常试图淡化自己的外表，努力让自己看起来更粗犷、更有男子气概。最终，达伦感到被定义他的标签所保护和安慰，甚至在他参加的一次大学派对上评论说“没有人像他习惯的那样迎接他”。

This novel delves deep into the themes of homophobia, false accusations, and the struggle of a young man to come to terms with his own identity. The small town setting adds an extra layer of claustrophobia and judgment, as everyone seems to know everyone else's business. The characters are well-developed, and their actions and decisions are driven by their fears, desires, and insecurities. Overall, it is a thought-provoking read that challenges the reader to question their own assumptions and prejudices.

I found an interesting book that I read in French for my French class. It was truly captivating from start to finish. The character development in the book was excellent. Each character had their own unique personality and traits that made them come alive on the pages. The author did a great job of making the characters relatable and easy to understand.

The plot of the book was also very engaging. It had a good flow and kept me hooked from the beginning. There were several unexpected plot twists that added an element of surprise and excitement to the story. I never knew what was going to happen next, which made it even more enjoyable to read.

Overall, I really liked this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading a good story. It not only helped me improve my French language skills but also provided me with an entertaining and enjoyable reading experience.

Good, but not incredibly enthralling.

It is a decent piece of work, yet it fails to completely captivate the reader.

I find that I have a stronger preference for her contemporary fiction.

Perhaps it is because the contemporary setting allows for a more relatable and engaging narrative.

Nonetheless, this particular work can still be recommended for people who have an affinity for coming-of-age stories and redemption stories.

These themes are explored in a somewhat interesting manner, although not in a way that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Overall, it is a worthwhile read for those who enjoy these specific genres, but it may not have the broad appeal to draw in a wider audience.

I read this book, but I couldn't understand the message it was trying to convey. I mean, was Mr Tracy homosexual or not? This question really confused me while I was reading. The story seemed to hint at something, but it never really made it clear.

The end of the book also felt odd and incomplete. It left me with a lot of unanswered questions and a sense of dissatisfaction. I was hoping for a more conclusive ending that would tie up all the loose ends and make everything clear.

Overall, I found this book to be a bit of a disappointment. It had some interesting ideas and characters, but the execution was lacking. I'm not sure if I would recommend this book to others, as it may leave them with the same sense of confusion and dissatisfaction that I had.

I absolutely loathed the writing style.

However, that is just a personal issue on my part.

To be fair, she executes it quite well.

The story she presents is truly thought-provoking.

It makes one stop and consider various aspects that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Although the writing style didn't resonate with me, I can't deny the power and impact of the story itself.

It has the ability to engage the reader's mind and spark deep conversations.

Perhaps with a different perspective or a more open mind, I might come to appreciate the writing style more.

Nonetheless, I must admit that the thought-provoking nature of the story is a remarkable achievement.

It leaves a lasting impression and encourages further exploration of the themes and ideas presented.

Overall, despite my initial aversion to the writing style, I can still recognize the value and significance of the story.

This quick little read doesn't tie up all of the loose ends at its conclusion.

It was a difficult subject to read about, and yet it wasn't perverse in the telling. The author managed to handle the topic in a way that was both engaging and respectful.

She could have made the story longer easily, perhaps by delving deeper into the characters' backgrounds or exploring the themes in more detail. However, the brevity of the story actually made it more palatable. It was a quick and easy read that didn't require a huge investment of time or energy.

I would have given it four stars, as it was well-written and had an interesting premise. However, I couldn't get emotionally invested in such a short story. There simply wasn't enough time to develop a connection with the characters or to fully understand their motivations.

Overall, it was a good read, but it could have been better with a bit more depth and development.

What even.

Usually, I am a big fan of JCO. However, at the end of this book, all I can think is WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. I really don't understand. I just don't. WHAT? WHAT.

The first part of the book nearly bored me to tears. But fortunately, things started to pick up (I was almost on the verge of putting the book down). And there is one major point in the plot that is really good, which I shall not spoil here. But the ending? WHAT. WHAT.

In my opinion, the title does not fit the book at all. Generally speaking, I enjoy JCO's works. But this one, for me, was a MAJOR flop. However, some people really loved this book. I would really love to hear from them in the comments or via message as to why/what the hell was going on. This was a very quick read. The spacing and font are very generous, and it's a thin book to begin with. So really, it's still worth a try.

I've heard that her adult novels are good. So, I may give those a go.

The novel is quite okay and interesting in many ways.

However, I just don't think I'm completely hooked on Carol Oates.

Her "Violence" is truly a powerful novel, but apart from that, I haven't really appreciated her writing style.

Maybe it's because her works often explore dark and complex themes that I find a bit overwhelming at times.

Nevertheless, I do recognize her talent and the impact her writing has had on the literary world.

Perhaps with more exposure to her other works, I might come to a better understanding and appreciation of her unique voice.

For now, I'll continue to explore different authors and see what other literary treasures I can discover.