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meetmeinmalkovich's review
5.0
In every book there is a beginning, a middle, and a twist. This little novel definitely had a twist to it, and one I certainly didn't expect. No spoilers I promise! However, I feel in order to truly appreciate this seemingly dull book, you have to understand JCO and her writing style. A story about manipulation is actually much deeper than that, in my opinion. Katya is a lost girl seeking attention in any way she can, and instead of appreciating herself, she falls into a trap. If I had read this when I was younger I wouldn't have liked it, for I wouldn't have grasped the writing between the lines.
I knew Marcus Kidder wasn't the most upstanding man, considering he was prowling after a sixteen year old girl, but all things considered, she didn't do much to prevent what was happening to her. I am DEFINITELY NOT saying she deserved this treatment (the whole thing left me feeling uncomfortable even though I knew what was going to happen from the very first sentence) but throughout the book I found myself shouting internally at her, begging her to turn around and not to engage this much older man. The ending was sad, but not in the teary-eyes sort of way. More of a pitying sadness for both parties involved.
I knew Marcus Kidder wasn't the most upstanding man, considering he was prowling after a sixteen year old girl, but all things considered, she didn't do much to prevent what was happening to her. I am DEFINITELY NOT saying she deserved this treatment (the whole thing left me feeling uncomfortable even though I knew what was going to happen from the very first sentence) but throughout the book I found myself shouting internally at her, begging her to turn around and not to engage this much older man. The ending was sad, but not in the teary-eyes sort of way. More of a pitying sadness for both parties involved.
stefan_lennemyr's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Here we have a viewpoint that is everything but clear. You don’t really know what has happened; is it just imaginations in the head of the main character?
You turn the pages faster and faster to get to some conclusions, yet you don’t.
You turn the pages faster and faster to get to some conclusions, yet you don’t.
lifesarosch's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
4.0
Deeply unsettling in classic Oates fashion
fiddleysticks's review against another edition
4.0
This book is creepy but it is also compelling. Which is probably why I managed to read it in just three stints! It is very hard to put down. It is clear where the story is going very quickly, but despite that it still drew me in.
ronanmcd's review
5.0
How should one describe this book? A thriller? A novel of suspense? Certainly crimes are committed (as in nearly all good fiction), but it's not a crime novel. A romance? The relationship is never that, or perhaps it is. A coming of age, cautionary tale?
Honestly, I have no idea. I neither could, nor want to, pigeonhole the book. It is a slippery, tormenting book on a twisted relationship. And it is never less than horribly compelling.
We never really resolve right from wrong, never find coordinates on our moral compass. We are set adrift, having compassion for a sexual predator, and veering between mistrust and disbelief of an innocent. It is wonderful.
Honestly, I have no idea. I neither could, nor want to, pigeonhole the book. It is a slippery, tormenting book on a twisted relationship. And it is never less than horribly compelling.
We never really resolve right from wrong, never find coordinates on our moral compass. We are set adrift, having compassion for a sexual predator, and veering between mistrust and disbelief of an innocent. It is wonderful.
lapingveno's review
3.0
What is with Joyce Carol Oates's female characters. I'm far from an Oates scholar, but it seems as if a lot of her ladies are allergic to making wise life decisions. But I guess maybe that's the point.... And certainly the men in these women's lives are far from stellar.
This had some Lolita vibes (though the girl was older, thank God!).
The two principal lovers in Katya's life serve as foils illustrating the difference between love at the carnal, sexual level and love at the spiritual, quasi-Platonic level.
This book ends with the most romantic assisted suicide scene I've ever read. It has almost a storybook quality by the end. I cannot say that I loved the characters enough to feel Kidder's departure from Katya in my heart, but it was certainly a melancholic ending note.
Glad it was a short read. This plot wouldn't have survived a Stephen-King dose of filler!
This had some Lolita vibes (though the girl was older, thank God!).
The two principal lovers in Katya's life serve as foils illustrating the difference between love at the carnal, sexual level and love at the spiritual, quasi-Platonic level.
This book ends with the most romantic assisted suicide scene I've ever read. It has almost a storybook quality by the end. I cannot say that I loved the characters enough to feel Kidder's departure from Katya in my heart, but it was certainly a melancholic ending note.
Glad it was a short read. This plot wouldn't have survived a Stephen-King dose of filler!
madartyst's review
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
radioisasoundsalvation's review
4.0
I've heard so much about this author, I can't believe I waited this long to try out some Oates! She did an incredible job of writing the female protagonist, Katya; very effortlessly describing the angst, selfishness, and general vanity of a teenage girl. I certainly wasn't expecting this novel to turn into what it did; I was expecting a more modernized Lolita. Oates drops those breadcrumbs to distract you from Mr. Kidder's slightly more sinister intentions. Even if that had been the only direction Oates was taking their relationship, though, Oates' overt sexualization of Katya, as well as Katya's troubled personal identity, makes Katya's decisions more formulaic as a rebellious teenager than as scandalous as the age gap within Lolita. I will be reading another Oates novel VERY SOON; this novel definitely hinted at a novelist I could fall for!
bstephens's review
4.0
Disturbing, creepy story about a relationship between a 68-year-old painter and a 16-year-old nanny in beach community. Compelling and unsettling in equal measure. Interesting to compare to The Girl with the Pearl Earring, which I happened to have read recently.