Teach Me

By: R.A. Nelson

“a memorable and entertaining break from boring books”

Of all the teen novels available today, Teach Me is one of the best.  By infusing issues many readers are dealing with, R. A. Nelson successfully makes his novel stand out as memorable and entertaining.  This book keeps the reader wanting more and also keeps you involved in the story.  Nelson chooses to write about a controversial  topic, but does it well and keeps the reader’s attention by using figurative language and keeping the story honest.  Although some may call it risqué, Teach Me is a wonderful book for teens who need a break from boring required reading books.

“Nine” Livingston, a high school senior with a brilliant mind, decides to take poetry to mix up her courses in school because she is “a little top heavy in the sciences.”  In this class she meets Mr. Mann, her striking and artistic teacher:  “His eyes are frostbite blue, his dark hair hangs partly across his face like Johnny Depp’s.”  She is “opening like a bud” more and more each day through his unconventional teaching methods and the way Mr. Mann can relate to her as an individual.  His love of Emily Dickinson, his odd but adorable ways, and his interest in Nine lead to a relationship that goes beyond just teacher and student.  Carolina begins to fall into a passionate relationship with Mr. Mann, and learns about more than just Emily Dickinson.

She experiences passion and later pain, and is forced to learn how to cope with these new emotions.  She is “falling into a darkness larger and colder than deep space.”  The man she loves is hurting her so deeply, and why?  He can’t tell her.  She attempts to take revenge and humiliate Mr. Mann, but ends up only embarrassing herself.  Her attacks do nothing to satisfy her longings for vengeance, and Nine soon resorts to drastic forms of retribution.  Nine learns that love is not perfect or everlasting; it is a series of words like “were,”  “if,” and  “might,” as Emily Dickinson’s poems communicate.  Nine wonders if she’ll ever be able to move on. “I know with a crystal certainty I’m going to be broken forever.”

Teach Me is not only an interesting book, but it is a way to engage teen readers.  R. A. Nelson does a wonderful job using issues youths face today to create a memorable novel that all students can enjoy.  Although this book does contain some questionable material, these issues of sex, love, and pain are ones teens deal with on a daily basis.  Readers can gain valuable insight into the pain and passion of Carolina’s experiences through Nelson’s honest writing, and identify with her feelings and emotions.

-Laura H.

“reading in my bed with a flashlight”

If you love scandalous, risqué novels like I do, then you will absolutely love the book Teach Me, by R. A. Nelson. Its theme is following your heart, and everyone is strong enough to get over anyone or anything. At the first three pages I hesitated on reading it because I felt as if I had too high expectations about it that it would never be as good as I thought it would be, but I was wrong. This book is one of those that you know you have so many things that you have to do, but it doesn’t even matter because they don’t seem worth it enough to just set the book down. It was incredible; I was reading in my bed with a flashlight to finish it. I absolutely loved it.

            The book actually starts out in the middle of the story. “Welcome to my head.” The first sentence introduces the “teen diary style” of writing. Caroline is the diary writer, a 17 year old senior in high school. “Nine,” as she is known, talks about random things, then says “I did it. It’s over, I survived.” She tells you about her teacher’s, Mr. Mann’s, wedding and what she did that you can’t believe and about how she’s pushing away her best friend Schuyler. At this point, I was hooked, no point closing the book now.

            I was confused at first, because I had heard that she had an affair with her teacher in the book and I thought I just missed out on all the information. But then she  “rewind[s] to January.” A new teacher comes to school, Mr. Mann. The minute he walks in the door her crush begins with his “beautiful eyes.” Nine eventually says something in class and she thinks, “I can’t believe it. I generally never speak in class; I absorb.” Little does she know, in the next few months she will do many things she never thought she would.  At the end of the first day she claims that she “adore[s] him already.”

            As time goes on, Nine finds herself falling more and more for Mr. Mann. Nelson entertains us with multiple awkward conversations exchanged between the two of them. The fun thing is that, because it is a diary, we not only get to hear Nine’s responses to Mr. Mann’s questions, we get to hear her feeling of what she wanted to say.

            Nine finds herself making mysterious drive-bys at Mr. Mann’s apartment in her car (named Wilkie Collins.) She thinks coincidences are signs, such as his apartment number is 9, and her name is Nine. She finally admits her crush out loud to Schuyler and we know the story is getting more interesting with every passing word.

            Mr. Mann begins to visit her at work. We start thinking that he may like her too. He shows up when she has no partner at work day at Schuyler’s mom’s school. Now we’re getting somewhere. I won’t give all the details away, but soon they start seeing each other more and more. They share a first kiss that Nine describes as “a wisp of fantasy, a dream.” There are many encounters, then she turns 18 and it gets really juicy. You will have to read the book to learn more but it’s filled with many surprises including weddings, pistols, shootings, Nine just about going crazy, stalking, floods, hospital visits and more. You will never guess what will happen. This book is amazing and I strongly recommend it.

-Kristin B.

“an amazing story of romance, betrayal, and friendship”

    Teach Me is a great book, fast paced and suspenseful,  for teens as well as for grown-ups. The pages seem to turn themselves, as you eat up Nelson’s intense writing style. The book is set in Madison, Alabama part of the “Rocket City” a town full of engineers where Nelson himself is from, which gives his writing a sense of familiarity with the setting. The main character, Carolina “Nine” Livingston, is a seventeen year-old girl whose true personality has yet to emerge from her science geek exterior. Nine’s best friend is Schuyler, a tall shy boy with beautiful hair. Schuyler is the only one to understand Nine until Mr. Mann, her poetry teacher, completely sweeps her off her feet, that is -  until he has to get married.

    From the time Nine helps Mr.Mann out in his poetry class, she is virtually obsessed with him. Their relationship becomes highly intimate, and escalates from innocent to inappropriate. Nine becomes a completely different person; she starts lying to Schuyler and her parents, her life starts to fall apart, and everything is all about Mr. Mann. When Mr. Mann abruptly ends their steamy relationship, Nine becomes positively obsessed with him. She stalks him, overtaken with the need to get revenge on him for breaking her heart. Nine convinces Schuyler to help her in one last incident to punish Mr.Mann. After the prank they get into an accident, but it’s not over then; the story unfolds and at this point you can put the book down.

    Teach Me is a great book for reluctant readers because of its fast pace; it only took me four hours to read. Nelson uses Emily Dickinson’s poetry not only in Mr. Mann seducing Nine, but also to set the tone for each section. Nelson wrote a highly relevant book for our generation; Teach Me is an amazing story of romance, betrayal, friendship and losing your self, only to find yourself. In a world where we hear of a teacher and a
student having an affair weekly on the nightly news, Nelson’s book portrays this relationship as one that is passionate and true.         

-Rebecca B.

“a passionate and intense plot”

    Teach Me by R. A. Nelson intensely describes the relationship that develops between a teacher, Mr. Mann, and his student, Carolina, a.k.a “Nine”. Carolina is a senior who has never caused trouble for anyone. Most people would describe her as an excellent kid who has “her head screwed on right”. Carolina doesn’t drink, smoke or even party. She’s a National Merit Finalist and is deeply involved in her studies. Her best friend, Schuyler Green, is a boy she has known since elementary school. But, all of a sudden, something new emerges into her life, and causes her to change for the worst. This new change comes when she locks eyes with her new poetry teacher, Mr. Mann.

     This encounter changes everything. They immediately begin flirting and breaking the rules of society. Whether in the classroom or in his apartment, they are inseparable and in love. Nine  leaves her best friend behind in favor of her mysterious, newfound relationship. Then all of a sudden their relationship ends. Mr. Mann leaves her and she doesn’t know why. She is not used to this space that now surrounds her. She needs closeness with some human being.

    Nine’s reaction to Mr. Mann is outrageous to most of us. She has always wanted more and when something of hers is taken away, she turns into a fanatical girl who uses her heart instead of her head. She begins to think crazily. Nine’s family and Schuyler slowly catch on to the fact that something is wrong as she sinks into a state of depression and despair. They can’t do anything to make her snap out of her trance that she is constantly in. All Nine wants is the truth from Mr. Mann. She analyzes and ponders the situation because of the scientific person that she is destined to be.

    Through Nelson’s passionate and intense plot, he is able to hook the reader. He doesn’t just go with the basic details of Nine and her teacher; he digs deeper into the characters, especially Nine. He reveals a young woman with immense feelings, and emotion that is uncontainable, an interesting, intelligent girl with high goals.
    Nelson uses this novel as an image of what is happening in today’s society. This novel should be taken seriously. It contains mature content and should be read with maturity. It is a very interesting and emotional novel that will allow you to better understand some secrets that are hidden. It was an excellent read and kept me captivated throughout the whole novel.   

-Joseph C.

“a brilliantly written story of love, obsession, revenge”

A twisted love story filled with obsession and deep passion, Teach Meby R.A Nelson is a brilliantly written book. This is a great novel that is easy to read and full of interesting page-turning action. Although many people might cringe from the thought of a teacher having a relationship with a student, the greater significance of the novel is much deeper than the facts. Coated with a sense of reality, the novel lays out a foundation of twisted love, revenge, obsession, and a sense of belonging.

The story follows a girl in her senior year of high school who excels in science and math subjects such as quantum physics. When Carolina Livingston, nicknamed Nine, finds she has a new English teacher, she is able to open up to a new exciting world full of the unknown. Drawn by a deep fascination with her teacher Mr. Mann, Nine journeys into an atmosphere filled with meaningful poetry and love. After having a normal life growing up in Huntsville, Alabama, Nine opens up to love, new experiences, and heart break that she has never experience before. Both Mr. Mann and Nine become caught up in a secret affair, connected by their passion of poetry and life.

Hiding a deep secret is not easy, especially from her best friend Schuyler. What is at first a casual affair quickly develops into a very complicated situation. Nine’s world dissolves into dust when, out of the blue, Mr. Mann tells Nine the affair has to stop. Feeling crushed beneath the bottom of the earth, Nine says that  “a glacier has rolled over my life”.  Feeling nothing but emptiness, Nine takes it upon herself to get Mr. Mann back any way possible. Unable to grasp the concept of breaking up, Nine says, “The hurt of his love is there every time. I’ll never be rid of it”. After falling into pieces, Nine is able to tell Schuyler about the affair and together they tackle the obstacles of obsession and detachment. “Maybe that’s what being young is, pushing too hard”, blankly describes everything Nine accomplishes. By taking every concept to the next level, her life becomes more of a tangled web that she cannot escape.

  While many critics and adults agree the story is mainly about molestation of a student, the story is deeper than any age difference seen. The story emerges into a twisted love story, complicated with many feelings of loneliness, angst, and obsession. Nine’s romance with Mr. Mann is quite extreme, but I know that the passion she feels is something many people and teenagers can relate to. Although there is a huge age difference, the characters of both Mr. Mann and Nine are comparable. I believe they are both trying to find themselves in their crazy, mixed up, emotional boundaries. Nine is revealed to be a passionate young adult seeking to find a greater meaning in her simple life.

The plot that R.A Nelson presents is both surprising and shocking. The book explorers a meaning much greater than the fact of a teacher-student affair. I would recommend this book to anyone, even to those who don’t have much interest in reading. I think that people can easily relate to the book’s themes of revenge, obsession, and love. It is a beautiful, elaborate example of love and all of its twisted complexities.

-Kristen P.

"You will not let anything get in the way of turning another page."

 
     This is a fabulous novel about betrayal and obsession. It's a great read for teenage girls, giving very relevant information and actually making it completely realistic. It shows us a unique discovery of what could actually happen between a young girl and grown man. I promise you, you will not be able to put it down. R.A’s strong writing is paired with a story we all want to hear, in a novel that will speak to every teenager.

     Carolina gives us a perfect example of making a man your world. When you lose that man, you lose your world. You convince yourself that it's truly over for you, and that is obsession.

     You will not want this book to end. Its twisting end and amazing recovery reminds us that life is not over after you lose someone you love; it has simply just begun. Every teenage girl goes through that awkward stage when she accidentally throws her life away. This book shows girls that they are not the only ones making these mistakes, even if they are very severe.

     This amazing read by R.A. Nelson will have you choosing this book over anything. You will not let anything get in the way of turning another page!

-Sarah T.

-a book for anyone who doesn’t want a boring cliché love story
   
     If you heard about a scandalous book about a student having an affair with a teacher, wouldn’t you want to read it? I certainly did. Doesn’t everyone want to read something that might be considered slightly inappropriate? Don’t deny it, you know you want to. I read this book in a day. It is officially one of my favorites. I didn’t want to do my school work because I wanted to read. I strongly suggest this to anyone who doesn’t want a boring or cliché love story. This book is funny, sad, and definitely suspenseful. 

    The book starts off in the middle with, “Welcome to my head. Let’s hit the ground running”. Carolina “Nine” Livingston starts off her senior year in high school a little differently then normally. She decides she’s “a little top heavy on sciences”, so she signs up for a poetry class. There’s a new teacher this year, Mr. Mann, and nobody knows anything about him. Nine is immediately attracted to him. She’s normally very quiet in class, but she seems to speak up while in Mr. Mann’s class.  His odd ways of teaching help Nine relate to him. She finds herself talking to Mr. Mann more outside of class, and soon, driving past his apartment complex in her car, Wilkie Collins. Nine realizes she is falling deep in love with her teacher, and can’t get enough of him. Let’s just say she learns a lot more about love, life, and everything else then she does about Emily Dickinson.

    Throughout the book, I couldn’t figure out if Carolina and Mr. Mann were actually going to work out. Nine accidentally leaks her obsession to her best friend, Schuyler. He immediately knows what’s going on, and doesn’t approve. Nine and Schuyler have a weird relationship. They kissed once, but never spoke of it again. Just think about how Schuyler feels hearing all of this. Things really change once Nine turns 18. I’m sure you can imagine what happened then. Suddenly, her heart is broken. Mr. Mann won’t tell her why it has to stop (because it just being plain wrong isn’t a good enough reason). Nine desperately tries to get back at him, but just ends up embarrassing herself in the process. Nothing seems to work to satisfy her craving, if you will, for him. The novel ends with insanity, a shooting, a car crash, and a hospital visit. It’s all incredibly suspenseful.

    With Nelson living here in Alabama, it’s interesting to read a book about places we know. I was immediately hooked. It’s weird, knowing that this type of thing happens all the time. I’d just never paid too much attention to it I guess. Now I look at teachers differently. Not in a sexual way, good Lord no, just differently. Knowing that student-teacher affairs happen so often, it’s just strange to think about. This was a very quick read. I didn’t want to put it down. But it wasn’t a quick read in an “I want to finish this” way, quick as in fast-paced and suspenseful. I highly recommend this book to whoever wants a different, twisted kind of novel. It is definitely one of my all-time favorites.

-Shelby M.

"Her infatuation blossoms as she calls his home to listen to his voice."

     A tall and awkward "good" girl Carolina “Nine” Livingston fills her high school career with science courses in hopes that she will one day work for NASA. She decides to take poetry in order to broaden her academic scope and to “mix up a new batch of kids.” The new teacher from Huntsville, Mr. Mann, walks in without saying so much as, “Hello.” As he dives right into the poetry of Emily Dickinson, Nine is awestruck. She speaks out in this class, but she is silent in all others. Her infatuation for him blossoms as she calls his home to listen to his voice, and she watches his house yearning just to catch a glance of him. Mr. Mann begins to eat regularly at the local ”Ground-Up Cow Face Burgers,” Nine’s place of work. She fantasizes about touching him and caressing his unclothed chest. She passionately kisses her pillow, dreaming of what it would really be like - until she finds herself in his car, tasting his real lips and tongue with hers.

     They fall in love, and on the night of her eighteenth birthday, the day that their relationship becomes legal, Nine’s virginity comes to an end. Her best friend Schuyler must help her in her predicament, while he fights off his unknown feelings for her on his own. Eventually, Nine finds out that she has been deceived. Will she kill him? Will she tell his fiancé? Or will she tell the school about his illegal and inappropriate behavior and ruin his career and life forever? She must overcome many obstacles in order to find out the truth and save her friendship with Schuyler.

     The book starts as Nine is getting ready for Mr. Mann’s wedding. Then it flashes back to how the whole situation started. This technique makes her character easier to imagine and more realistic, as Nelson interjects the story with Nine’s memories and fantasies of her sexual relationship with him. At the climax of the novel the tense switches to the present, as the reader now knows the full history behind Nine’s dilemma. The storyline was a great idea and brilliantly executed with enticing imagery. Nelson includes Emily Dickinson’s poetry that seems to be written entirely for the circumstances in the book. She describes the thought-to-be indescribable high school experience and the love of two people. The reader can almost feel Mr. Mann’s lips caress her skin and his arms embrace her body. One may even yearn to be loved and cared for in this way. 

     At times Nine’s obsession may become too much and grow to be just an annoyance. And a few of the situations seem to be too far-fetched and unrealistic. However, the beauty of the language, the remarkable imagery, and the general plot outweigh these flaws. Despite its incredible qualities this book is not for the conservative reader who takes offense to sexual situations. One should probably be older (at least sixteen) to fully enjoy the impact of this fantastic novel. 

-Callie S.