With the promise of redefining the stereotypes of Lolita-esque relationships, I had very high expectations for this novel. Of course, I kept in mind there is nothing completely original about turning the tables on this sort of thing; I’ve seen it many times before, and I’ll certainly encounter it again. Every professional review I read seemed to guarantee the portrayal of a twisted relationship, woven into unhealthy, erotic obsession. Ironically, for me, Innocents was a hollow and horribly pretentious wreck.The dialogue in this novel is awful, often reading like a pornographic film. The narrator speaks to other characters with exaggerated innocence, which would’ve been acceptable had it been the intention, but I severely doubt it was anything more than a failed attempt at nonchalance. A large portion of the dialogue reeks of thoughtless word choice and, on other occasions, shoddy page-fillers.I viewed the relationship itself as a ticking time bomb. The reader is genuinely led to believe the narrator and her lover are doomed and that it is only a matter of time before everything crashes and burns. Instead, their one-time fallout lasts for two or so pages before the relationship is rebuilt. A page later, we are promised another disaster, one which was fully expected (and, for me, anticipated), except the book ends there. To be frank, I absolutely loathed the narrator. And, no, she was not an anti-hero, whose antics contributed to some kind of beautifully dark growth, forever indebting my admiration; she was a boring, hypocritical mess, all in terms of the author’s sloppy, dead end writing. There is nothing psychologically interesting about her and, worst of all, nothing psychologically interesting about her relationship. You’re reading about two characters who have built a relationship solely on lust, which has mountains of potential, story-wise, when that particular passion runs out. Except, as the narrator’s interest begins to dissolve, she subsequently explores badly executed sado-masochism, which is illogical due to its immense lack of literary reasoning. Then, to further jump the shark, what throws the narrator into disgust for what she shares with her lover, is an even more blasé encounter with anal sex. Her claim of its depravity and abnormality felt even more overdramatic and pathetic than the scenes of her nausea that followed. Previously, we had gone through 100+ pages of her so-called perversion, yet for that particular scene to be her breaking point felt so ridiculous and, for lack of better word, lame. Of course, trying to delve into the depth of this book will result in no answers, because there simply is no depth. This novel is the author’s (failed) attempt at a psychological exploration of sexual obsession and corruption. All it is, however, is a poorly strung together fantasy, riddled with clichés and futile shots at originality. What a mess!
While perusing one of the book communities I was apart of, I came across this book. The promise of intensive sex scenes certainly sparked my interest, but the initial premise of the characters also caught my eye. This book focuses on an age-gap relationship, and coming from such a thing, I was inspired to take on literature regarding this subject matter.The plot is simple: A 16-year old girl falls for her 34-year old teacher, a la Lolita. But the complexities within the story really help to shape it. Once the book gets into their relationship, it starts to taper off into less fathomable circumstances. But, isn't fiction supposed to be slightly unrealistic?Coote was only 19 when she wrote this book, but her use of the metaphorical language is amazing. What really grabbed me about this book was how easily it was to identify with the nameless narrator. Not just because she was dating an older man (much like I had), but the way she spoke of her relationship as more a game than an actual event struck an all-too-familiar chord. The book plays out as a confessional letter to her ex-lover, explaining bit by bit the details of their relationship. It reminds me of an unsent letter I wrote to an old flame years ago, chronicling our relationship and the unspoken words surrounding it.On Amazon (since it's my prime source for any book review), this book received mixed reviews. It was criticized, though, for the sexual scenes being too "graphic" and "obscene". They were detailed, but I didn't think they were horrific. It's certainly no Harlequin Romance cheese, but it doesn't use unfruitful language like some four-letter c words I know every five seconds, either. Or maybe my generation is just numb to those sorts of perverse things. I think the sex scenes really make the meat of the book, since the most character development happens within them.This book was an enjoyable read mainly because it encouraged me to write a letter of my own. As I began writing the letter, I noticed my style mimicked hers: my paragraphs were short and splotchy, the original topic was dodged with a few irrelevant ones, and my writing took on a second-person narrative. I've always believed the best books are those that inspire you.I also must commend this book for actually having an ending. Far too often I read books that merely end without much of a conclusion. This story is not for everyone, and I believe many people will have difficulty identifying with the characters, given their eccentricities. I enjoyed it immensely though, and could easily read it again.
What do You think about Innocents (2002)?
I couldn't figure this book out. Is it supposed to be empowering? Because I've got news for you - just because you put a female in the role of sexual dominator does not mean she's empowered. I actually thought this book was super debasing to both men and women, by playing up the whole women-use-sex-to-get-their-way and men-can't-keep-it-in-their-pants angles. And call me a square, but sex all day every day sounds like it would just get so BORING, especially since this chick didn't even seem to LIKE the guy. Like, honestly - she was playing him like a fiddle from the start, and he was just this super pathetic excuse for a man who has zero self awareness. Why couldn't she just keep drawing her creepy pictures and leave this guy alone, I ask you this. And #SPOILER the rape at the end wasn't even shocking because this whole book from the beginning just seemed to be trying way too hard to shock me. I just had flashbacks to Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, but instead of the scene disturbing me, I was just kind of like "where did this come from and when did this dude become a living person who's just as messed up as she is?" And if they called each other darling one more time I swear to goodness I was going to break one of my beloved Disney mugs, because that's how ANNOYED I was with them. Don't read this book. It's weird and hyper-sexual and not even in a satisfying Anna Todd fanfiction way.
—Kirsten
This book was alright. It wasn't as racy and disturbing as the book description claimed it would be. A 16 year old pursues a 34 year old and they have a very sexual relationship. There was a lot of graphic and descriptive sex in the book, but other than that, it was boring.
—Kayla
I haven't read such a thought provoking book in really long time. The story in itself is very disturbing and though reminiscent of Vladīmir Vladimirovich Nabokov's Lolita it's told from the prospective of the young girl and is in the form of a letter to her teacher and lover. The language is simplistic and innocent, beautifully capturing the image of a confused teenager masking her inner turmoil by trying to be just like everyone else. Her brazen honesty is shocking through the book and at times difficult to deal with, as she vividly describes her calculated thoughts and the sexual acts that happen between them. What was most disturbing for me was the complete role reversal and the fact that it's the student doing the seducing and the teacher who appears to be naive and immature. Her skill and ease at manipulating him physically and emotionally are hard to deal with at times, especially when juxtaposed with her childish behaviors, inability to take care of herself or even make her own meals. It is a frustrating read at every turn but I have to confess that I couldn't put it down in spit of that frustration and reread it a few time after I was done. The ending is hard to swallow because of our own conscience and the desire for resolution that's inline with our personal sense of right and wrong. It's a great discussion book but one that I would be hesitant to recommend to the prudish or anyone who has difficulty with graphic sexual description.
—Yoshi
