Unteachable

Unteachable by Leah 3.5 STARS

Synopsis
Maise O’Malley just turned eighteen, but she’s felt like a grown-up her entire life. The summer before senior year, she has plans: get into a great film school, convince her mom to go into rehab, and absolutely do not, under any circumstances, screw up her own future.
But life has a way of throwing her plans into free-fall.
When Maise meets Evan at a carnival one night, their chemistry is immediate, intense, and short-lived. Which is exactly how she likes it: no strings. But afterward, she can’t get Evan out of her head. He’s taught her that a hookup can be something more. It can be an unexpected connection with someone who truly understands her. Someone who sees beyond her bravado to the scared but strong girl inside.
That someone turns out to be her new film class teacher, Mr. Evan Wilke.
Maise and Evan resolve to keep their hands off each other, but the attraction is too much to bear. Together, they’re real and genuine; apart, they’re just actors playing their parts for everyone else. And their masks are slipping. People start to notice. Rumors fly. When the truth comes to light in a shocking way, they may learn they were just playing parts for each other, too.
*A copy was provided by net galley for an honest review.
**Recommended for those 17 or older due to mature content


Genre: New Adult/Forbidden Love
Overall Thoughts:  Interesting but out of my comfort zone 
Characters: Evan and Maise 
Page Turner: Sometimes
Series Cont.? No
Recommend if You Like…Slammed, Captive in the Dark, Pieces (Taboo/Forbidden Love) 
Book Boyfriend: Um. Evan
Sex Scenes: Yes

Overall-
Wow. Just. Wow. I don't even know how to describe what I think about this book. I'm...not speechless but confused. I guess I have a moral dilemma with this one....Unlike Slammed, (Captive in the Dark and Pieces) this book really tested boundaries, and overstepped them frequently, in a way I was uncomfortable with, throughout the entire novel. While I commend the author for her risk, and her incredible ability to write, I really missed a connection here. Forbidden love is a popular theme, whether its star crossed lovers, family drama, aliens, kidnapper/victim, human trafficker/victim, teacher/student, I've read them all (genre that is), and each one carries its own weight, and hardships, in their own individual way. Unteachable is no different. In fact its an extremely well written and provocative novel. The author really caught my attention, right away, and I absolutely LOVED Maise's voice. She  of course was provocative, but it was more than her personality, or her dialogue, I could literally feel her attitude and connect with her emotions on a completely different level. I truly felt like a fly on the wall of her story. I was captivated. No doubt about that.

Megan Fox as Maise

I, however, struggled with the content. Even though I appreciate and enjoyed other novels on this taboo topic, this particular one was a moral dilemma that I struggled with more than any other Ive read. Now I understand there is no "legal issue" i.e. the main character is 18, however,  it is still illegal to be in a relationship (or to just have sex) with your teacher, so while she is legal their actions aren't, even if consensual. So its a moral issue primarily, and while I had no issue with Captive in the Dark (okay I had issues with it, but it was different), I really struggled to get through this one, because of the topic.

Okay, so now on to the actual book...while I struggled to get through this book, honestly even though it was well written, I couldn't get past the moral issues, it was well written, an well developed. The book starts off with Maise at the carnival before her senior year starts and we follow her throughout her senior year. Maise doesn't have it easy, and her attitude definitely provides a thick shell to avoid getting hurt by others. Maise manages to fall for her teacher, prior to knowing he's her teacher. Yeah sure that makes it better but the guy is like 14 years older than her, I think thats what i struggled with, his age. Maise goes through her senior year, sometimes going through the motions, dealing with the sh*t life has thrown at her, and somehow finding a friend through all of it. As she falls further and further into the depths of her forbidden love, she also finds herself, and I think this is really where the magic of the book is. I kept reading, even when I was uncomfortable, was Maise's strength. She was confident even when she was scared and refused to show her fear. She owned her problems in a way that most characters aren't able to.

Matt Davis as Evan

Evan, the teacher and love interest, was actually a decent enough guy. The author did such an amazing job of making his character flawed in a normal and beautiful way. Showing the readers that frankly, he just fell for the wrong girl, and that sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with. Evan isn't cruel, he isn't kinky, he never pressures her, he is a nice guy, but he was doing something wrong. So I was uncomfortable, but I was also kind of rooting for them. Truth is, how often is the one you love neatly packaged, before during or after? almost never.

There certainly struggled throughout the relationship, between his job and her status as his student, and the moral dilemma he faced, and of course the other drama (won't give it away here) but in the end the struggle all couples face, whether their love s enough.

The pacing of this book is great, things really moved at a nice and steady pace throughout the year, it never felt like it was too slow or too fast. Towards the end, things gain momentum and the couple are faced with a lot of "final" decisions, decisions that forever change the life of both. And while the ending was a "happy" one, I did want a little more from it, I mean I did just read this entire book, and the ending just left me feeling eh about it. But it does end on a good note.

I will definitely look at other books by this author, but this was just not for me.