Review Detail

Reader reviewed by mlecompt

When Josh was twelve, he was molested by his (female) history teacher. Now he is eighteen and still trying to get past the incident and the guilt he feels about it. His friend Rachel, who he accidently sexually attacked in middle school, is trying to to get him to rekindle their friendship, but Josh still feels guilty about that too.

This book tackles a really difficult subject and Lyga handles it well. Josh is well-fleshed out; he plays baseball and worries about college admissions so the focus is not all on the molestation. His feelings seem appropriate to a boy his age (whether written from eighteen-year-old Josh's point of view or remembering what happened to twelve-year-old Josh). It is a rewarding read, but there is some graphic description of what went on between Josh and his teacher, so this book is not for the faint of heart.