Me and Mr J

by Rachel McIntyre

Fifteen-year-old Lara finds her soulmate. There’s just one problem – he’s her teacher.

Lara's life has changed radically since her father lost his job. As the eldest, Lara tries to keep upbeat, and the one outlet for all her problems is her diary where she can be open about how dire everything is at home, and worse, the fact that she’s being horrifically bullied at school.

And then a shining light comes out of the darkness – the new young and MALE teacher, Mr Jagger. The one person who takes Lara seriously and notices her potential. The one person who is kind to her. The one person who she falls madly and hopelessly in love with. The one person who cannot reciprocate her feelings … can he?

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Coming Of Age, Realistic Fiction, Ebooks

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 29, 2015

Reviews

[Sarah Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's two aspects to this story. One; the teenager having a relationship with her teacher, as the marketing tells us. Two; a teenager who is VICIOUSLY bullied. To me this book is more about bullying than anything else. Emotional, physical, humiliatingly foul bullying.

The novel is written in the form of Lara's diary, as she records her feelings and reactions to the things that are happening in her life. Exams, money troubles, her parents separating and the aforementioned DISGUSTING bullying. She feels lost, alone, repulsive and unwanted, and she considers ending it all. Then someone shows her attention, respect and (maybe) love, and she starts to see herself differently.

I don't want to spoil anyone, so if you're likely to over-analyse and try to guess stuff skip to the next paragraph.... ok? The ending was a little abrupt in a way that reminded me of Stolen by Lucy Christopher. That's not a bad thing, and it applies here just as much as it would in the Stolen situation, it's just a comparison that came to mind quite strongly so I wanted to mention it. On one hand it wasn't a satisfactory ending, but then this kind of thing can't end satisfactorily, can it?

The whole 'was their relationship REALLY wrong' question that others have posed -and I guess what this book wants us to ask - is a simple one for me. Teacher. Student. Bad. I don't care if they both consent. I don't care if there's only X years between them. He's in a position of power and legally an adult. She's 16 and exceptionally vulnerable. If they both want it GET ANOTHER JOB.

So yeah, interesting, well written and I enjoyed it a lot. I'll be recommending it for this year's Anti Bullying Readathon too!

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd like to point out that this has some serious bullying in it and I don't think that's mentioned enough in the blurb, but it was such a huge and important part of the book. I loved this!

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I spotted Me & Mr J up on Netgalley, I was intrigued. We've all seen the news stories and read the articles about teachers and students who fall in love. I mostly read them in disgust, because ew. But it's not very often you get the chance to read a fictional story that takes on such a taboo. It's a hard one to decide to read, because you're just not sure how this kind of novel will be received. My absolute kudos go to Rachel McIntyre for writing such a topical, difficult, bound to create waves kind of novel for her debut. That takes some large ones.

I was actually mightily impressed with the novel, and seeing it through Lara's eyes, I kind of wonder if student-teacher relationships are as gross as made out. I mean, they ARE, but when you read Lara's story you kind of wonder if what they had was love. A lot of teacher-student stories you read are all about grooming, being groomed, it's all the teacher's fault etc. but Me & Mr J left me not knowing which way was up. Was what Lara and Mr J had wrong? Right? Completely screwed up? I STILL DON'T KNOW!!!!! I have literally no idea how I felt about Lara and Mr J's relationship because it just didn't seem like something that was black or white. And we only see it from Lara's point of view (I would literally kill for Ben's point of view - now THAT would be an interesting read) so it's hard to condone something that's the only bright spot in Lara's life. But, on the other hand, that's what probably makes it worse. ARGH.

Another huge plot of the story was the bullying Lara suffers, for what seems like no other reason at all than the colour of her hair. If people are so small-minded to bully someone for the colour of their hair they should be shot. Lara was right - you can't bully someone for the colour of their skin without repurcussions so why can you bully someone for their hair colour? It made me want to sit in a ball and weep. A lot of people know what it's like to be bullied, me included, and it's just the worst thing ever. I mean, secondary school is bad enough, isn't it, really, without other kids making your life even worse? It was just despicable. What they do to Lara made me so angry and got me so worked up that I wanted to punch them all in their scummy faces. It felt real, and it just made me so sad that they had to pick on the girl who basically had no one to turn to and no way to make it stop.

It's so tough to explain how Me & Mr J made me feel. It made me feel everything. And it's so easy to see how Lara could so easily fall in love with Mr J because her life was just so pants. Her parents are on the breadline, she's bullied and picked on and harassed like no one's business and Mr J offered a bit of a haven. At first, I did wonder what Mr J would ever possibly see in Lara. Not because of anything except that she was a very young fifteen/sixteen. Her diary entries were so much fun to read and she was so snarky and amusing, but they made her seem so much younger than she was. But, actually, it was so easy to see what Mr J saw in Lara and so hard to remember that it was wrong and not allowed and there's a reason there are rules against stuff like that. But did I want a happy ending anyway? You bloody bet I did, and I can't explain why. It wasn't just because I love happy endings, it was more than that. This novel is certainly going to have people talking, and that's the best kind of book. It left me with a lot to think about, and I really, really want Mr J's side of the story. Pretty please?{Leah Loves} http://leah-loves.com http://leah-loves.com/books-mr-j-rach...

[Josiemaus85 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gutes Jugendbuch.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When I close my eyes, I see him lying next to me in bed. I can almost hear him breathing and feel his arms around me. Feel his skin. The pure, clean version of that afternoon, not their dirty, perverted account; that's what I'm clinging on to. The truth!"

Anyone that really knows me knows that I will read every book about student teacher inappropriateness before I kick the big bucket into the sky. Why? I don't know why. It's one of those taboo subjects people get their panties in a twist for and I love it. More awkwardness, please!!
Lara is a depressed high school student. Her best friend Chloe left her to join the clique of the popular girls and no it's all Lara who?
Her family lost their money when her dads business went under and they decided to stick it town rather than moving along with her Uncle and being in the solar panel business. Now paycheck to paycheck is all they can look forward to. Her mum is a cleaning lady for the mean bully at school. Ding ding ding, ring that bell.
This leads to horrendous bullying that Lara won't let out in the air and ask for help.
Until Mr. Ben Jagger makes an appearance and all the girls are smitten. Fighting for his attention. The English teacher is out on maternity leave and in her place comes this drop-dead gorgeous thing named Ben. Let the harassing and dreaming begin.
With the fighting over his attention becomes more and more over the top, Lara and her bullies step it up a notch. The bullying becomes more crime like and people should really be put in jail for what they have done to her. When she fights back, they make her wish that she never did. And now what's a girl to do?
Mr. J sees that Lara is in need and opens up his door to her and also his pants (Eventually) Lara becomes over the moon with emotions and helps Mr. J any way she can.
On the way to a college tour to Cambridge, they take the relationship from student teacher to something so much more and dangerous.
Keeping things a secret is even tougher when his ex-girlfriend starts snooping around.
This was such a heartbreaking book to get through. The bullying was exact and dreadful. These are the things that kids actually deal with and they are afraid to speak up. It shocks you at what these kids get away with towards the middle of this book. I can't believe people can be so heartless.
The love story that blossoms over through the book is kind of uplifting. He saves her from a complete meltdown and lifts her spirits. Maybe she isn't that bad at everything like those bullies have been planting in her head.
A lot of people will say that he preyed on the weak, but it felt more like adoration all around. To me, it was sweet and caring.
The only part that I didn't like was how everything ended. There was no finding each other and it was just left open. I hope that means something else will be written about Lara and Ben because I don't think their story is quite over yet.
Let love bloom and don't let anyone stop you from enjoying what you want.

[Ankas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich möchte gar nicht viele Worte über dieses besondere Buch verlieren, möchte es nicht auseinandernehmen oder analysieren, doch bevor ich euch gar nicht von ihm erzähle, versuche ich wenigstens ein paar Worte zu finden, die meine Gedanken zusammenfassen und mein Lesegefühl beschreiben.

Dieses Jugendbuch zu lesen war wie eine Achterbahnfahrt der Gefühle. Lara ist solch ein goldiges, gewitztes, offenes, intelligentes und tolles Mädchen, das jedoch die Hölle durchqueren muss. Aufgrund der sehr persönlichen Tagebucheinträge, aus denen das Buch ausschließlich besteht, bekommt man von Anfang an einen direkten Einblick in Laras Gedanken. Auf den ersten Seiten überwiegen die süßen Schmunzel-Momente und mir als Leserin fiel es unheimlich leicht, Lara mit ihrem scharfsinnigen Witz ins Herz zu schließen. Doch je tiefer man in die Geschichte vordringt, desto macht- und fassungsloser fühlt man sich, wenn man dabei zuschaut, wie sehr die kleine Maus leiden muss. Dieses Buch macht mich so wütend und gleichzeitig traurig. Es berührt mich sehr und lässt mich doch auch immer wieder ein bisschen schmunzeln.

Charaktere, die man schnell ins Herz schließt, mit denen man unweigerlich mitleidet, mit ihnen hofft, bangt und fühlt. Lara brachte mein Herz zum Überschäumen. Immer wieder schüttelte ich den Kopf und versuchte zu verstehen, woher sie diese enorme Kraft nahm. Trotz der Grausamkeiten, der Qualen, der physischen und psychischen Schmerzen, strahlte sie zaghaft. Ich wusste, dass diese Geschichte nicht gut ausgehen könnte, doch ich wünschte es mir so sehr.

Ein unerwarteter Twist ließ mein Herz schneller schlagen und trieb die Handlung in eine für mich absolut unerwartete Richtung. Ich staunte nicht schlecht und ließ dabei zu, dass sich das Buch noch tiefer in mein Herz einnistete.

Dass Herzen auch brechen können (auf welche Weise auch immer), daran habe ich nicht mehr gedacht. Wäre ich doch bloß nicht so unvorsichtig gewesen...

Lest dieses Buch, lasst euch mitreißen, erlebt, liebt, lacht und leidet mit!

[Kirsty · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't think I can read anymore of this

I don't usually rate books I don't finish but I need to say things about this one.

I stopped for a variety of reasons

Firstly being a teacher this book and where it was going made me feel really uncomfortable and there was no way I could turn that teacher head off whilst reading it to be able to enjoy it.

Secondly I felt the girl came across as a lot younger than what she was supposed to be. Don't get me wrong it's not that the voice was a bad one but I just didn't buy it. She felt like one of my year 7s not my year 11s and it meant she wasn't believable for me.

Thirdly all the bullying stuff didn't sit right with me. Don't get me wrong I am sympathetic to bullying and the toll it has but it again something with it felt forced and overdone.

So not the book for me. I'm stopping at about 80 pages and leaving it there.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an incredibly intense, strong story about love that just shouldn't be. It's amazingly written, wonderfully accurate and relatable and full of excitement and energy. I really, really loved it from cover to cover. It was a great read!

Only marked 4 stars because I love my happy endings. So the actual rating is 4.5.

Full review to come.

[Debs · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ma vaff.....
Ma che diamine!!!!
Uno dei pochi libri capace di influenzare così il mio umore.... avevo sempre i nervi a fior di pelle, e per cosa??
QUELLO sarebbe un finale????
Essere così nervosi durante la lettura speravo avrebbe portato ad un finale degno di questo nome! E invece mi è rimasta addosso solo la voglia di prendere il libro e scaraventarlo dalla finestra.
Per fortuna tengo troppo al mio Kindle.
MAI PIU'.

[Kayla Silverss · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I hate Teacher-Student relationships in books and tv shows so I was a bit sceptical going into this and some parts of this book were really well done and reminded me a tiny bit of Stolen by Lucy Christopher, others were really weird and I disliked them a lot.

[CrazyForRomance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quello che ho sempre temuto per uno Young Adult si è verificato con questo libro. Mi spiegherò meglio, ma prima vi racconto brevemente la storia.
Lara T è una quindicenne vittima di bullismo, del genere più spietato: che sia verbale o fisico, diretto o indiretto, sia per essere una ragazza troppo capace, sia per non avere una buona situazione economica. Non ha amici, non vuole aiuto, non ha speranze, non ha una buona considerazione di se stessa. Tutto cambia con l’arrivo di Mr. Jagger, il professore di inglese. Lui non solo la aiuta ad avere più stima di se, a lottare, ma anche ad avere speranza in un futuro migliore. Tra l’alunna ed il professore nasce un amore, tenero e delicato. Ma la legge è legge, e nonostante lei abbia raggiunto la maggiore età, questi rapporti sono vietati. Vi lascio scoprire il finale da sole, qualora abbiate la voglia di leggerlo.
Allora.. è difficile parlare di questo libro senza distruggerlo, e non mi sembra giusto distruggere comunque un lavoro su cui molte persone hanno lavorato, quindi cercherò di tenere a bada la malvagia che è in me. Non mi è piaciuto! Non mi è piaciuto perché è stata la prova di ciò che ho sempre pensato degli YA, e cioè che si tratta di un genere che rischia o di essere una storiella troppo pudica e vuota per adolescenti, o eccedere, di essere troppo pretenzioso. Questa seconda ipotesi è ciò che si è verificato. Il libro tratta di temi abbastanza forti e per qualche capitolo aveva anche attirato la mia attenzione, ma niente. Forse se non fosse stato scritto sotto forma di diario avrebbe avuto un altro impatto. La storia all'inizio è proprio uno slogan ad abbandonare la lettura.
continua a leggere su..
CrazyforRomance

[Minx Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was brilliant . So well wrote . 5 stars .

[primeballerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seitdem die Firma ihres Vaters insolvent gegangen ist, hat sich Laras wohlergehendes Leben schlagartig um 180 Grad geändert. Das Haus wurde verkauft, stattdessen wohnt sie mit ihren Eltern und ihrem jüngeren Bruder nun in einer Mietswohnung mit hauchdünnen Wänden. Statt sich um den Haushalt zu kümmern, geht Laras Mutter nun arbeiten, als Putzfrau bei einer reichen Familie einer Mitschülerin. An allen Ecken muss nun gespart werden, vor allem da die Schulgebühren für Laras Mädchenschule astronomisch hoch sind. Doch diese Opfer werden dafür gebracht.

Was ihre Eltern aber nicht wissen: Lara fühlt sich alles andere als wohl an ihrer Schule. Wegen ihren neuen “ärmlichen” Verhältnissen und wegen ihrer roten Haare sowie ihrem Nachnamen wird Lara schon auf der Busfahrt in die Schule nicht nur von den Mädchen ihrer Klasse, sondern auch von den Jungs der Jungenschule nebenan aufs Schlimmste verspottet. Diese Verspottungen beinhalten wüste Beschimpfungen, tätliche Angriffe und schlimmstes Mobbing. Den einzigen Grund, täglich aufzustehen und in die Schule zu fahren, liefert eines Tages plötzlich ein neuer Vertretungslehrer – Mr. Jagger, der sich scheinbar als einziger um Lara zu kümmern scheint.

Die gesamte Aufmachung von “Sternschnuppenstunden” ist unbestreitbar absolut gelungen. Der Magellan Verlag hat da wirklich ein besonderes Händchen dafür seine Bücher liebevoll und voller Hingabe bis zum letzten Detail perfekt zu gestalten. Ich finde es besonders toll, dass es ein Hardcover ist, welches mal ohne Schutzumschlag einhergeht. Das Design ist – wenn ich es richtig interpretiert habe – an ein Schulheft angelehnt, was perfekt zur Handlung passt, da die Handlung aus Tagebucheinträgen von Lara besteht und größtenteils ja auch in der Schule spielt. Der nicht so perfekt akurat aufgeklebte Aufkleber mit dem Titel passt damit auch ganz hervorragend.

Was den Inhalt angeht, so verbirgt sich hinter “Sternschnuppenstunden” und Laras Geschichte eine meiner Meinung nach nur allzu realistische Handlung. Dass Mobbing an Schulen fast schon zum Schulalltag gehört ist sicherlich keine Neuigkeit. Es ist aber erschreckend, wie weit manche Jugendliche tatsächlich gehen können, um das Leben ihrer Mitschüler zu einer einzigen Qual zu machen. Genauso wird aber auch gezeigt, wie eigentlich jeder gewillt ist, da wegzuschauen oder nichts dagegen zu unternehmen. So hat Laras ehemalige beste Freundin Chloe eigentlich etwas gegen die Art, wie Molly Lara fertig macht – doch sie unternimmt nichts dagegen, hauptsächlich um nicht selbst Opfer solcher Attacken zu sein.

Der zweite Handlungsstrang widmet sich der Beziehung zwischen Lara und ihrem Lehrer, Mr. Jagger, die mit der Zeit immer enger wird. Ich muss gestehen, dass ich von der Inhaltsbeschreibung den Eindruck hatte, dass es in “Sternschnuppenstunden” auch hauptsächlich um dieses Thema geht – für mich stand aber die Handlung mit dem Mobbing weitaus stärker im Hintergrund, was auch daran liegen kann, dass ich die Schülerin-Lehrer-Beziehung ein wenig unglaubwürdig beschrieben empfunden habe. Die vielen Veränderungen kamen mir hier ein wenig zu abrupt und auch Laras Gefühle und Gedanken während dieser Zeit konnte ich fast gar nicht nachvollziehen, da sie mir schlichtweg viel zu übertrieben erschienen. Ganz anders im Gegensatz dazu eben Laras Tagebucheinträge zu den fast täglichen Vorkommnissen mit Molly und Co. Diese konnte ich – obwohl ich glücklicherweise niemals Opfer von Mobbing war – sehr gut nachempfinden und mich in Lara selbst hineinversetzen. Auch ihre Familiensituation, ihr Ärger über manche Ungerechtigkeit, usw. kam authentisch bei mir an.

Überhaupt hat Rachel McIntyre ihren Schreibstil perfekt der Protagonistin angepasst: die Tagebucheinträge sind genauso gehalten, wie sie ein Teenager wohl formulieren würde. Damit gehen Übertreibungen, Schimpfwörter und jugendliche Sprache natürlich einher. Authentisch ist solch ein Schreibstil natürlich sehr und eigentlich finde ich das auch sehr gut gelöst – nur war es mir persönlich stellenweise schon etwas zu jugendlich, beziehungsweise empfand ich ihre Übertreibungen – wie man es in dem Alter nun mal so ausdrückt – schlichtweg zu viel und manchmal einfach zu anstrengend.

Laras Geschichte in “Sternschnuppenstunden” ist vor allem authentisch und zum größten Teil auch erschreckend realitätsnah. Solch eine Lara Tittle befindet sich ganz bestimmt in jeder Schule, denn leider gibt es immer eine Person, die zum Opfer erkoren wird. In ihrem Debüt beschreibt die Autorin auf eine etwas andere Art und Weise, wie man damit als junges Mädchen umgehen kann und was man vielleicht eher vermeiden sollte. Auf jeden Fall ist es eine durchaus empfehlens- und lesenswerte Geschichte, nicht nur für Jugendliche.

[Favola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obwohl das Buch ja schlicht gestaltet ist, gefällt es mir optisch richtig gut. Vom Inhalt her hat es mich stark an"Atemnot" von Ilsa J. Bick erinnert, doch es liest sich ganz anders. Wir bekommen hier nämlich das Tagebuch der fünfzehnjährigen Lara Tittle in die Hände. Vor zwei Jahren musste ihr Vater Konkurs anmelden und ist seither arbeitslos. Die Familie musste ihr Haus verkaufen und die Mutter geht putzen, damit wenigsten etwas in die Kasse kommt. Lara ist gross, dünn, rothaarig und vor allem sehr intelligent, so dass sie eine private Mädchenschule besucht. Doch mit dem finanziellen Absturz , wird sie zum Mobbingopfer Nummer 1.
Dann kommt jedoch ein junger Vertretungslehrer an die Schule und der erkennt Laras Talent und ergreift vor allem auch Partei für sie ....

Laras Tagebucheinträge sind natürlich sehr salopp formuliert, emotional aufgeladen, strotzen nur so vor Sarkasmus und sind zum Teil bitterböse - kein Wunder, wenn man bedenkt, was ihr alles widerfährt .... Ich fand die Texte sehr authentisch. Genau so stelle ich mir ein Teenager-Tagebuch vor, doch zum Teil war mir persönlich die Schwärmerei für den Lehrer ein bisschen zu viel des Guten. Auch muss ich zugeben, dass die Liebesgeschichte für mich nicht so ganz glaubwürdig war. Irgendwie hat mir da etwas gefehlt.
Dadurch dass der Text in kurze Abschnitte eingeteilt ist und auch mit Listen oder SMS aufgemischt wird, liest sich "Sternschnuppenstunden" sehr abwechslungsreich und rasch.

Nach dem Klappentext könnte man vermuten, dass diese verbotene Liebesgeschichte im Mittelpunkt steht. Klar drehen sich sehr viele Gedanken und Textstellen um Laras Lieblingslehrer, doch Rachel McIntyre hat das Gewicht doch noch etwas mehr auf das Thema Mobbing und die schwierige Familiensituation gelegt. Beides Dinge, die es tagtäglich gibt und unter denen wohl mehr Menschen leiden als wir vermuten. Wenn die Familie an Geldmangel und Arbeitslosigkeit zerbricht und genau diese Punkte auch der Auslöser für Mobbing in der Schule ist, schlägt das Schicksal gleich doppelt zu. Und diese Echtheit macht "Sternschnuppenstunden" zu einem eindrücklichen und wichtigen Buch.

Fazit:
In ihr Debüt "Sternschnuppenstunden" packt Rachel McIntyre einige nicht ganz einfach Themen: Familienprobleme, Mobbing und eine verbotene Liebe. Durch die Tagebuchform ist die Geschichte für einmal ganz anders aufgegliedert - emotional geladen, frisch, realistisch
Eine lesenswerte Geschichte, nicht nur für Jugendliche.

[Rebecca Emin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me and Mr J is written from the point of view of Lara, our fifteen year old protagonist. Lara is at a difficult enough age as it is, but her parents are having troubles both financially and, as a result, in their relationship, and her family life is suffering. Add to this, the bullies have singled Lara out and are treating her really badly at school... and making it absolutely clear her family will suffer even more if she speaks to anyone. This, I believe, is the root of this story, the poor girl has a hideous psychological nightmare going on, and seemingly no solutions available to her.

Enter Mr J, a very young, newly qualified teacher, who is instantly a hit with the girls in year 11. Lara sees in him a way of avoiding the bullies for a while and escaping the family issues that are constantly on her mind. As a result her feelings for him snowball into something enormous, and this is how things develop. Two vunerable people finding their way.

While this story of forbidden love should, perhaps, have been shocking, it was in fact more about other issues than the relationship between Lara and Mr J, in my opinion. Also, as it was told entirely from Lara's perspective, and in the form of a diary, it was great to get to know her and see her sense of humour. There are a few lines in the book that made me laugh out loud, and I particularly love the way Lara records her interactions with her Gran.

I love the voice of Lara in this, all of the characters are strong, I think the way it is written as a diary reads really well and I do like the ending and the epilogue too. I can't wait to read more from this author.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

**ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

I didn't want to like this book. (I say that a lot.) Teacher/Student affairs (understandably) kind of gross me out, and seeing them romanticized it not something that I generally find appealing, especially with a character this young.

This book though, I couldn't stop reading. Even after I told myself, "Okay, I'll read one more page and then be done with it, because GOD I CAN'T HANDLE THIS TROPE", I kept reading.

Told strictly in diary entries, you got see the tale of a wonderfully witty and smart 15, turned 16 year old schoolgirl unfold from solely her POV. It was easy to see why she would have an infatuation with the new, young teacher at her school. As an older reader, it was also very easy to see that while perceived as 'an old soul', so to speak, and more mature than her peers, she was still very much a 16 year old girl with what was essentially her first boyfriend. She never really understands the severity of the situation and potential blowback that could occur when/if discovered.

So yes, I wanted to stay far away because of the subject matter, but stayed for the writing and characterization.

I do wish that (what I felt should have been/was) the main point of the novel - That she may have wanted and willingly entered into a relationship with an older man who was an authority figure in her life, but regardless of want and consent, IT IS THE AUTHORITY FIGURES RESPONSIBILITY TO SAY NO - hadn't been so quickly thrown out there in the epilogue. But I think the diary-style way the book was written didn't lend itself to any other option.

[Edel Waugh Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a young girl called Lara who's family are on the breadline after the family business went bust. If things were not hard enough she is getting badly bullied at school , and being ginger haired with an unfortunate surname is just about all the bullies could possibly need to begin a war against her. Lara's interior dialogue is hilarious and even though she really is struggling with these bullies and having no real friends to speak off she is very brave and gutsy and I had to admire her for that.
When a new teacher arrives her life brightens considerably in some ways , but some people can't stand her happiness and would do everything they could to hurt her even more.
I literally started this and did not put it down until I finished it, it had such great characters both good and bad and a plot that felt very believable that I wanted to see how Lara's story would end. This is a very memorable story with a female lead character that is to be admired.


I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.co.uk

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I really enjoyed Me and Mr J. Even though I wouldn't normally choose to read a book involving forbidden romance, I found it a moving and funny coming of age story.

Lara's parents are getting divorced and she is the victim of some serious bullying at school. She has no-one to confide in until a new teacher arrives and soon she realises she is falling in love with him.

What made this stand out for me was the central character's often very funny reflections on her place at home, at school and in the world. The relationship is handled sensitively and appropriately but without the humour, it could have been an uncomfortable read.

It would have been interesting to see Mr J's point of view more to understand why he was prepared to risk everything for this relationship and I would have liked more detail about the fate of certain characters at the end. But over all, a very entertaining read.

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

"even when something feels right, it can still be wrong."

I commend the author. This is a very tough book. It doesn't hold back any of the ugly stuff. Lara is horribly bullied. She is tormented and terrorized. It's awful to read.

And the midst of all the bullying and awful abuse, there is one beacon - a new teacher Mr. J. He is sweet & gorgeous. He is a new English teacher - a subject she is very good in - and he has noticed Lara and how great she is.

But it's a fine line between the teacher and student relationship. It's a tough to juggle - wanting to help and little crushes and new towns. This is a great book in showing how mob mentality can warp our sense of right and wrong and how the need to save can blur the lines of what should and shouldn't happen. It's a great story that definitely explores the gray area of relationships.

[gem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really interesting, because I loved it whilst wanting to slap Mr J! Focusing on a variety of controversial issues such as bullying and student/teacher relationships, the story is very current and therefore it's easy to relate to what is going on. At times it was laugh out loud funny, at others it made me think about how I'd deal with the situation if I was Lara. It's clear that this is going to be a book that people either love or hate, but I was firmly in the LOVE camp and read it in one sitting. It's perfect for fans of Cat Clarke.

[Katie (Kitkatscanread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book. It is my true opinion only.

Oh my golly gosh is this book awesome!
So emotional and hilarious and perfect in so many ways.
I was so into the book that I got emotionally involved.
All I will say now is this is a book you need to keep your eye on!

More on my thoughts will be revealed near the release date; which is Feb next year - eep!

[Nikki Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Yes, the subject matter is a bit grim, but the main character, Lara's POV is so convincing that I was swept along with her feelings and lost perspective on the reality of what was going on. Because it deals with a teacher-student relationship I can understand that it may not be for everyone, but I found it to be subtle, very funny at times, and overall hugely enjoyable.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

Affanculo anche questo finale. Cioè ma si può rovinare un libro così??????????
Ho letto questo libro in un solo giorno e PRETENDEVO un finale diverso.
Affanculo con affetto #_______#
#Aleseiscurrileesincera

[Sammi Bland-Kanes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant story. I was engaged with Lara throughout and the diary style writing made it an easy read giving it a steady voice and pacing.

TW - there are many instances of horrific bullying which intensify throughout the book (starting off relatable as high school b bullying due with name calling but escalating to much worse)

[abbi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. This was so embarrassing to read lol but I feel bad giving it any less. It was okay but I expected more and it was so childish.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for Bookaholic Confessions

I’d been hearing lots about Me & Mr J (all of it good!) so I was really looking forward to discovering this story for myself. I was intrigued to see how things would play out; Rachel McIntyre is tackling two mahhhooosvie subjects here with both pupil/teacher relationships and bullying being brought into the spotlight.
I always go for books written in diary format; I think they’re great. You get such a personal insight into the narrator’s mind and in the case of Me and Mr J it really did feel as though I was having a snoop through Lara’s personal diary. Despite all of the horrible, horrible things that she’s experiencing in her life at that point, she never loses her sense of humour. Even when she’s in the darkest depths of despair she still manages to write her entries with warmth and an upbeat attitude. (Whereas I would be howling under the duvet & threatening never to come out…)
The bullying side of things was really hard to read. I was almost crying and it wasn’t even happening to me. I’d like to say it’s unbelievable that people could be so vile, but sadly it isn’t. In fact, it’s scarily realistic. My heart broke for what Lara was subjected too and there were points where I wanted to scream in outrage at the way she was treated. But still she carries on and makes do with writing funny comments in her diary when she gets home, which do go some way towards lightning the situation, but it’s still uncomfortable to take in at points.
For me, the bullying side of this story was probably a bigger theme than the pupil/teacher relationship which I wasn’t expecting. The bullying that takes place is both physical, mental and touches upon cyber bullying too and in my opinion Rachel McIntyre didn’t shy away from exposing the true horrors of high school bullying, for which I believe she should be commended. The same goes for the pupil/teacher aspect of the story. I thought I’d have difficulty believing in a relationship between a sixteen year old and her teacher. Yes, we do hear about these things happening but I was worried that I just wouldn’t be able to envisage it in my mind – however, thanks to Rachel’s emotive and compelling writing, I actually could. I still don’t fully know what to make of the relationship between Lara and Mr Jagger. I love romance and there were points when I desperately wanted them to stay together, because they genuinely seemed to care for one another. But then the sensible, real-world side of me says pupil plus teacher equals wrong. From my impression of Mr Jagger I didn’t feel in any way that he was using Lara, which I thought I perhaps would. Achhhh, I don’t know. It’s such an incredibly tricky subject to even cover in a review so hats off to Rachel for writing a whole novel on it.
It must be daunting to release a debut novel covering such taboo subjects but Rachel McIntyre should really be commended for Me and Mr J as I think she’s done a brilliant job.
This is JUST the kind of book I would have devoured in my late teens and it would have resonated with me on so many levels. Some aspects of the novel, particularly Lara’s language reminded me of Louise Rennisons’ Georgia Nicholls novels (y’know the ones – Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging…?) Me and Mr J was dealing with more scarily serious subjects, but there’s that same injection of humour that can be found in Louise’s novels.
If you enjoy Young Adult novels with a bite then give this a go. It’s a stunning debut and definitely marks Rachel McIntyre as an author to look out for in the future…

[New Book · Rating 2 out of 5]

To me, it felt like the characters were portrayed as younger than they actually are, especially through their language. Now, I'm going to guess and say this book was set in the same year it was published (2015), and I've never heard of any 15/16-year-old keeping a dairy in this day and age, especially one where she writes about all of her crushes, and OMG! I LITERALLY LOVE MR J SOOO MUCH! Or I HEART MY BIKE. Seriously? Even my twelve-year-old niece wouldn't say that. Or use gay as an insult for a damn sandwich.
On top of that, all of the insults from both Lara and her bullies seem very childish. "Ginger minger" and "Titless" are all very juvenile to say these kids are meant to be almost sixteen.
In no way am I saying that this stuff wouldn't hurt Lara, because I can totally appreciate that it will hurt, no matter what they are saying. But seriously?

Continuing, Mr J was, to put it lightly, a twat.
It seemed like he had his head screwed on alright to begin with, like listening to people when they say not to spend so much time with a student because it looks weird. Then, he goes and snogs her and they go to bed together. Smart, dude. Real smart. As well as this, she was fifteen years old when they kissed. He was twenty-two and she was fifteen. How would you feel about your fifteen-year-old daughter kissing a twenty-two-year-old man, her teacher, no less?
Yes, consider that.

And the law is a whole different can of worms.
Giving your student a lift home unless there is a valid reason (e.g one boy in my school was under threat of physical attack so had to be driven to and from school by our headmaster) is illegal.
Contacting your students on Facebook is illegal (although Mr J does acknowledge this).
Giving your phone number to your student is illegal.
Having romantic relations with a student is illegal.
Having sexual relations with a student is illegal.
Planning to meet students outside of school is illegal.
Punching students is illegal.
Really, it's no wonder they got caught. Deleting messages would have solved nothing because their phone providers save all messages, all voicemails, and all phone calls. They will get them if they need to, which the police would have requested.

And then, there's the ending.
Oh boy, what an ultimate shit-show that was.
So he gets arrested, she moves down to whatever town it was she moves to, gets a new boyfriend, "You were my teacher, you were the adult, you should have known."
Yes. He should have. And at sixteen years old, especially when you insisted so heavily that you knew what you were doing to Emma, you should have to.
Even so, with all this aside, it feels completely empty. It builds up to it for a few pages and then... Nothing. It was such a disappointing ending.

So if you're planning on reading this book, really, don't. It's a waste of time.

[katia · Rating 4 out of 5]

„Sternschnuppenstunden“ von Rachel McIntyre ist ein sehr realistisches und authentisches Buch. Die Autorin versteht es wirklich sehr gut und überzeugend aus der Sicht eines sechzehnjährigem Mädchen zu schreiben. Da das Buch in Form von Tagebucheinträgen geschrieben wurde, erhält der Leser klare Einblicke in die Gedankenwelt von Lara. Dennoch gab es ein paar Kleinigkeiten, die mich persönlich nicht zu hundert Prozent überzeugt haben.

Die Thematik des Buches wiegt sehr schwer und befasst sich eigentlich mit mehreren überaus wichtigen Themen. Das Thema Mobbing ist wohl der größte Punkt und ich es ist wirklich erschreckend, wie realitätsnah die Autorin es in „Sternschnuppenstunden“ dargestellt hat. Ich habe unheimlich mit Lara mitgelitten, sodass es mir sogar stellenweise auch zu viel wurde, da ich einfach nicht eingreifen konnte.

Es ist ein unglaubliches wichtiges Thema über das unbedingt viel mehr gesprochen werden muss! Mobbing kann einen Menschen drastisch verändern und es können lebenslange Schäden davon zurück bleiben. Hier in diesem Fall hat es die Autorin authentisch und nachvollziehbar gelöst, wenn auch mit einem Schrecken. Aber wie sagt man so schön: Lieber ein Ende mit Schrecken, als ein Schrecken ohne Ende.

Der andere Punkt bezieht sich auf das Schüler-Lehrer-Verhältnis. Ebenfalls ein sehr wichtiges Thema, was aber in meinen Augen der Autorin nicht ganz gelungen ist. Ich persönlich konnte diese Liebe, die zwischen Lara und Ben entstanden ist, nicht nachvollziehen. Beziehungsweise hat es Frau McIntyre es in diesem Punkt nicht geschafft die Gefühle zu transportieren. Ich muss sogar soweit gehen und sagen, dass es mir stellenweise sogar ein wenig unrealistisch erschienen ist. Insbesondere die Figur Ben ist irgendwie nichts Halbes aber auch nichts Ganzes.

Das Ende ist ein logisches Ende, welches ebenfalls sehr realitätsnah gehalten wurde. Aber auch hier hatte ich ein paar Schwierigkeiten, insbesondere wie das Verhältnis der Beiden angeht. Da mir aber der komplette Handlungsstrang nicht so recht gefallen hat, war dies nicht ganz überraschend.

„Sternschnuppenstunden“ von Rachel McIntyre ist eine sehr authentische Geschichte, die zum einen sehr aufwühlend ist und definitiv zum Nachdenken anregt. Ein Buch, das eine klare Leseempfehlung verdient!

[Holly Reads Xx · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I think I need to start this review by saying that I had not read the synopsis before reading this book. All I knew was that it was YA with student/teacher elements. I was honestly expecting a light and fluffy, student/teacher romance. I'm still trying to process what happened, and where my thoughts are at right now.

Books are usually pretty predictable, so I was confident that this would be an easy read about love between a girl of around 17, and her young, gorgeous, student teacher. But how wrong was I. This book got me at every turn.

Me And Mr J, is written in the form of a diary by 15 year old, Lara. I also need to state that this is a book set in England, where our various age laws are much different to those in the US. With 15 being a few years younger than I was expecting to read about, I was in two minds over what I thought of the writing style.

Quirky and endearing? Or young and immature? To be honest, I think that it was maybe a bit both, but as the book went on, I could see the growth in both the character, and the authors writing. I initially thought the book funny, but it wasn't long before it took a turn that had me equal parts gripped and unnerved.

It was surprisingly (for me) a pretty hard book to read at times. It had a large focus on something that is very personal to me, and I had to take a few breaks from reading to get myself together. It's definitely not a book to take lightly.

And under all the seriousness, struggles, and heartache, there IS a romance. Not exactly your most conventional, but a romance nonetheless. I loved Ben (Mr J) and - the then 16 year old - Lara, and I would love for the author to revisit them 5-10 years down the line, to see if anything had changed for them.

Prepare for all kinds of feels with this witty, poignant novel about first love, and the horrific life of a teenage outcast.

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*

[Galleane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thèmes forts, sujets importants, ce roman les multiplie et l'auteure aurait pu trouver tellement d'autres manières de les traiter. Le choix narratif n'a pas été pour moi optimal. Le récit ne s'attache qu'à l'essentiel, en plus de mettre trop de distance avec les personnages, alors que ce dont l'auteure parle aurait mérité d'être plus approfondi. Si ce qui se passe, ce qui touche au harcèlement est arrivé à franchir ce mur qui me séparait de l'héroïne, l'histoire d'amour m'a laissée indifférente. À la fin j'ai compris certaines choses sur cette romance, il n'en reste pas moins que je n'ai pas aimé comment l'auteure terminait son histoire, comment elle concluait toutes les choses importantes. Aucune prise de risque et aucune originalité (si ce terme peut être employé dans ce genre de récit). La lettre de fin m'a permis d'atténuer ce sentiment négatif que je ressentais en découvrant les dernières pages, mais le roman reste pourtant bien décevant.

Ma chronique complète : http://bloggalleane.blogspot.fr/2016/...