TEACH ME

Nelson’s debut is worthy of acclaim if for no other reason than it offers a bird’s-eye view of the forbidden and fascinating relationship between a high-school student and her teacher, a subject previously unexplored to this depth in YA literature. This unflinchingly honest portrayal of how an innocent relationship can become an illicit one, begins when 17-year-old Nine invites readers into her intimate narrative with the opening line, “Welcome to my head.” Nine details how her crush on Mr. Mann deepens as the attention he gives her becomes a little too familiar, and how it’s not long before their relationship is consummated. It’s easy to see how these two intelligent, emotional characters who share a love for Emily Dickinson could also share an attraction, but the circumstances forecast impending heartbreak. Ultimately, this is a doomed love story complete with the usual trappings of passion and betrayal, but made more gripping because it mirrors real-life cases such as Mary Kay Letourneau’s taboo affair with her then 12-year-old student. Contemporary and compelling. (Fiction. YA)