10/01/2013
This subject is in the paper far too often: a teacher and a student, romantically involved. Is it the teacher's fault? Or did the student seduce the teacher? Riggle's fifth novel (after Keepsake) delves into this topic with her 17-year-old protagonist, Morgan, siding in a courtroom with T.J. Hill, the popular high school teacher with whom she had an affair, and shocking both her parents and Rain, Hill's wife. But then, Rain and T.J. have been trying to start a family, and perhaps Rain has been pushing too hard to conceive. Still, Dinah, Morgan's mom, is convinced that as an adult, T.J. is culpable in seducing her daughter and should be locked up. VERDICT Told from the viewpoints of these three strong women, this work is an intriguing look at an issue that strikes fear in the hearts of many parents. It is sure to attract fans of Jodi Picoult's "ripped from the headlines" novels. [See Prepub Alert, 6/17/13.]—Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Lib., OH
