Tampa

I can't rate this book.

I am revolted by the subject matter. the tone was so callous and disturbing. I found it very hard to read but at the same time couldn't stop because the author did an amazing job of maintaining such a captivating narrative through the unsettling plot.
however, I can't really tell what point the author was trying to make. sure, there were some interesting theming about the judicial system and victim blaming that inevitability happens in situations like these. BUT was it enough to make me believe that was the author's true intention in writing this? not really no.
in my opinion, it gave more “shock value” than anything and I don't necessarily gain anything from that in books personally. I feel like if you are crossing the lines that this book crosses, there needs to be a point and to me there just isn't a point valid enough to justify the absurdity.
so while I think the author is talented (and bold for even writing this) I wouldn't recommend this to literally anyone.

Wow.So, after reading this book, I completely understand why it provoked such strong reactions from people when it was released. I mean, who really WANTS to read a book about a sexual predator using her status as a teacher to seduce young men into destructive relationships? But, I have to admit, I couldn't put it down. I literally read this book in less than a day. It sucked me in like a train wreck you can't look away from and didn't let up until the unbelievable (unless you watch the news) ending.I'm sure by now everyone knows that this book is filled with graphic descriptions of sex and it pulls no punches. You WILL want to take a shower after reading it - it's that gross. Even more disturbing than the graphic nature of the book was the honest, almost sociopathic way in which Celeste, the protagonist, goes about explaining what drives her.The book opens as Celeste, a 24-year-old 8th-grade teacher in Tampa, is preparing for the first day of school. Over the next several weeks she'll peruse the available students in her classes and settle on Jack, a quiet 14-year old in her English class. She then seduces him and embarks on a sexual relationship with him, dodging her police officer husband, his absent divorced father, and a handful of potentially nosy neighbors and coworkers.There is no pretense of feelings on her part, though Jack romanticizes the relationship - for Celeste, it is entirely about sex. Her non-stop fixation on sex borders on the pornographic. (This is not a book you will be inclined to loan out to people or recommend to friends.) Claire is a sociopath. She doesn't attempt to rationalize or pretend that her desires are something they aren't, nor does she attempt to elicit sympathy from the reader by blaming her predilections on past trauma, they just are what they are. She wants to dominate every situation, emotionally manipulating everyone in her life to cave to her needs, and she is matter of fact about it, from start to finish. Strikingly, Celeste speaks of no friends with whom she has an honest relationship. Every single one of the few relationships she has is based on a lie. She shows no contrition for her deviancy, nor does she make any attempt to control it.Through straightforward, graphic prose and a well-developed female antagonist that will remind you of [b:Gone Girl 21480930 Gone Girl Gillian Flynn https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1406511734s/21480930.jpg 13306276], Nutting has given us an American Psycho-esque look into the mind of a predator. While I'm not sure I liked it, I'm glad I read it.

A very disturbing read but the author set out to put a reader into the disturbed mind of Celeste and that was accomplished. The writing was well done and while you’re never rooting for Celeste and never finding yourself liking her, the book certainly puts you into her mind and brings you along on a crazy, disgusting path from the start.

I also had the fear that with the right photographer, the real me might accidentally be captured—that in looking at the photo, suddenly everyone's eyes would widen and they'd actually see me for the very first time: Oh my God—you're a soulless pervert!

absolutely insane and im struggling for words... i laughed out loud more times than i ever could have expected to... the writing here is amazing you really feel slimy and perverted stuck inside celestes head but there is also a lot of dark humor interspersed throughout that caught me off guard but it was needed and it worked perfectly. i would never read this again

“His eyes took in the details of my body with a conflicted face that I knew well: even having seen all the facts of the case, he still wanted me. He wanted me despite knowing what that meant about him”
I'd add an extra comparison that this has traits of storytelling like that of the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street”. You're in the persons POV and you're supposed to be judging yourself and your society and culture.

2.5 stars. Well written but pushes the boundaries of taste a bit too far in regards to minors. Not even good taste, just any taste. I get it, I do, and I'm fine with pushing envelopes, absolutely. And I understand that it absolutely fits the character of Celeste. She's snarky in the cruelest way. She's a terrible person. And she has no filters in her descriptions of illicit encounters with minors. But she's so awful, so irredeemable, she becomes tedious in her vulgarity. It's also awful to read about the trauma she ends up causing one of the boys. I get that this book is how beautiful people get away with all manner of shit, and men in this book enable her, and that no one takes female abuse of males seriously, but I think her level of psychopathy actually weakens the narrative a bit. At least for me.

I also kept forgetting this was Florida.