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Consent
In this “layered and thoughtful contemporary novel,” ( School Library Journal ) an intense—and passionate—bond between a high school senior and her music teacher becomes a public scandal that threatens the reputation of both.
Bea has a secret.
Actually, she has more than one. There’s her dream for the future that she can’t tell anyone—not her father and not even her best friend, Plum.
And now there’s Dane Rossi. Dane is hot, he shares Bea’s love of piano, and he believes in her.
He’s also Bea’s teacher.
When their passion for music crosses into passion for each other, Bea finds herself falling completely for Dane. She’s never felt so wanted, so understood, so known to her core. But the risk of discovery carries unexpected surprises that could shake Bea entirely. Bea must piece together what is and isn’t true about Dane, herself, and the most intense relationship she’s ever experienced in this absorbing novel from Nancy Ohlin, the author of Beauty .
Bea has a secret.
Actually, she has more than one. There’s her dream for the future that she can’t tell anyone—not her father and not even her best friend, Plum.
And now there’s Dane Rossi. Dane is hot, he shares Bea’s love of piano, and he believes in her.
He’s also Bea’s teacher.
When their passion for music crosses into passion for each other, Bea finds herself falling completely for Dane. She’s never felt so wanted, so understood, so known to her core. But the risk of discovery carries unexpected surprises that could shake Bea entirely. Bea must piece together what is and isn’t true about Dane, herself, and the most intense relationship she’s ever experienced in this absorbing novel from Nancy Ohlin, the author of Beauty .
288 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 2015
34 people are currently reading
1832 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Ohlin
30 books140 followersI am the author of Consent (Simon Pulse 2015) as well as Always, Forever, a YA retelling of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, and Beauty, a YA retelling of the Snow White tale.
I've also contributed to several celebrity novels, including a New York Times-bestselling YA trilogy.
My favorite cures for writers' block are long walks, long showers, popcorn, chocolate, and really expensive coffee. I talk to myself a lot while I write (you know, to make sure the dialogue zings).
Thank you for stopping by, and happy reading!
I've also contributed to several celebrity novels, including a New York Times-bestselling YA trilogy.
My favorite cures for writers' block are long walks, long showers, popcorn, chocolate, and really expensive coffee. I talk to myself a lot while I write (you know, to make sure the dialogue zings).
Thank you for stopping by, and happy reading!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
February 14, 2017
I'm just gonna spoiler this whole review and pat myself on the back for holding in all the fucks I wanted to add.
The whole thing was just one big boring lacklustre disappointment
February 13, 2016
I read one of Nancy Ohlin's other books, Thorn Abbey, years ago and I didn't really like it that much but I really wanted to give Consent a chance. And honestly, I wish I hadn't.
Consent started out kinda slow and the writing was weird and even though the writing did get better, it still wasn't that great. I didn't like the way the teacher-student "romance" was portrayed. It didn't really discourage or warn the reader about what could happen when you get involved in a bad relationship. There was a very pedophilic nature about the relationship and I just didn't feel right about this book. It was written in such a weird way. Like, the relationship was written in a normal way. Like it was a love story. Like everything was okay.
Every time the author compared the teacher to Kit Harrington, I died a little inside. Honestly, it was just awful. High school student/teacher relationships should never be romanticized in any way but Consent did just that.
Consent started out kinda slow and the writing was weird and even though the writing did get better, it still wasn't that great. I didn't like the way the teacher-student "romance" was portrayed. It didn't really discourage or warn the reader about what could happen when you get involved in a bad relationship. There was a very pedophilic nature about the relationship and I just didn't feel right about this book. It was written in such a weird way. Like, the relationship was written in a normal way. Like it was a love story. Like everything was okay.
Every time the author compared the teacher to Kit Harrington, I died a little inside. Honestly, it was just awful. High school student/teacher relationships should never be romanticized in any way but Consent did just that.
December 4, 2015
1.5
Teacher-student ‘romances’, specifically those set in high school, are highly problematic, for obvious reasons, and need to be dealt with using tact and sensitivity. You have to avoid romanticizing these kinds of relationships. You have to make sure it comes across that no matter how much the student pursues it or ‘consents’, the responsibility lies with the adult, as the one in a position of authority. Consent given by somebody underage still does not qualify as consent in the eyes of the law. Quite apart from the age gaps and the legal age limits, there are also the unequal power dynamics to consider, not to mention the sheer unprofessional conduct of it all.
Last night in the music history room was a huge mistake, but it’s not like Dane and I did anything immoral. I wanted him, and he wanted me. He’s not some sleazy child molester.
Suffice to say though, this novel is a textbook example of how not to portray a teacher-student relationship.
See full review at the Young Folks
Teacher-student ‘romances’, specifically those set in high school, are highly problematic, for obvious reasons, and need to be dealt with using tact and sensitivity. You have to avoid romanticizing these kinds of relationships. You have to make sure it comes across that no matter how much the student pursues it or ‘consents’, the responsibility lies with the adult, as the one in a position of authority. Consent given by somebody underage still does not qualify as consent in the eyes of the law. Quite apart from the age gaps and the legal age limits, there are also the unequal power dynamics to consider, not to mention the sheer unprofessional conduct of it all.
Last night in the music history room was a huge mistake, but it’s not like Dane and I did anything immoral. I wanted him, and he wanted me. He’s not some sleazy child molester.
Suffice to say though, this novel is a textbook example of how not to portray a teacher-student relationship.
See full review at the Young Folks
June 21, 2017
Want to see more from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...
2.5 Stars
17 year old Bea Kim enrols in music history as her elective for her senior year of high school. Her substitute teacher, Mr. Rossi, hears her play piano one day after class and pushes her to pursue Julliard as an option for college. What starts as gentle encouragement quickly develops into more between them and a trip to New York changes everything.
I found the characters to be very one dimensional and not all that interesting. The plot did move along quickly and the writing style flowed nicely... Overall I don't know what to feel about this book.... It romanticises student-teacher relationships in a way that doesn't show the consequences that can occur when they happen. There is no ramifications to either of the characters actions and that bothered me. The book was very easy to read and I finished it in a day, but something about it was just unsettling to me.
2.5 Stars
17 year old Bea Kim enrols in music history as her elective for her senior year of high school. Her substitute teacher, Mr. Rossi, hears her play piano one day after class and pushes her to pursue Julliard as an option for college. What starts as gentle encouragement quickly develops into more between them and a trip to New York changes everything.
I found the characters to be very one dimensional and not all that interesting. The plot did move along quickly and the writing style flowed nicely... Overall I don't know what to feel about this book.... It romanticises student-teacher relationships in a way that doesn't show the consequences that can occur when they happen. There is no ramifications to either of the characters actions and that bothered me. The book was very easy to read and I finished it in a day, but something about it was just unsettling to me.
February 23, 2020
Started meh, got better then not so much!
February 11, 2021
See more of my reviews on The YA Kitten! My copy was an ARC I got from the publisher via Edelweiss.
Teacher-student relationships in books aren’t my jam, but my buddy Bekka wanted me to read it because she was scared of how the subject would be handled and the book did sound interesting. The same day I started the novel, I finished it because oh my God. Book hangover material? Oh yeah. I give Consent my seal of approval. It’s complex, doesn’t offer any easy answers to anything, and keeps its intensity from start to finish.
No one tells you before you start that Bea is biracial (her dad is Korean, her mom Ukrainian), so that’s a pleasant surprise when it’s revealed and her character is very authentic. Mom is dead, Dad and brother are barely present, and there’s only so much you can rely on your best friend before it causes problems, so Bea is in the perfect position to get into the kind of relationship she does with Dane. They fall for each other very quickly in this short little novel, but Ohlin makes it work through their mutual love of music and piano. I can go with it for the sake of the story.
Ohlin also takes every step to make Bea and Dane’s situation a complex one. If he’s twenty-seven and her substitute teacher while she’s seventeen/mere months from eighteen, can they make it work? The situation is played so close to the border and set in a place without Romeo and Juliet laws so we have to ask ourselves that. There’s going to be a lot of disagreement and I still don’t know how I feel about Bea and Dane. My tenth-grade biology teacher married one of his former students and they were still married last I knew, so it’s not that unbelievable for me. Then again, years passed between when she had him as a teacher and when they got together.
I’m not entirely horrible. Their relationship is an instant NO legally and in many other ways because he’s her teacher, she’s still underage for the time being, and there’s the potential for an abuse of power and privilege between them. What muddles the line for these two is–as it always is–emotion. If you get emotional in a situation that’s black-and-white legally or morally, it won’t be so black-and-white anymore.
The novel didn’t open on a very sweet note for me, though. There’s some casual sex-shaming in the beginning when Bea calls two girls who whistle at Dane the “senior sluts.” Maybe I went to a super chill high school or really WAS that far out of the loop, but I don’t think we had any person or persons designated the senior sluts? It’s unnecessary in any case.
Toward the end, the investigation of Bea and Dane happens very quickly and the aftermath of it is almost skimmed over. Plot points like who told on them and why are dropped like nothing. Honestly, Consent needed another sixty pages or so to show us more of the aftermath, how Bea feels, and the personal consequences she has to deal with. Even if both were exonerated because they successfully covered it up, matters like these aren’t forgotten and not everyone will believe the police did their job right.
The open-ended conclusion of the novel lets readers decide whether Bea and Dane’s relationship was a bad decision they’ll both look back on with embarrassment in the future or if it was something true that came about in the worst possible way. I read darkly, so I have my own interpretation. If you want a book that will play with your ideas of right and wrong in situations as strange as this, get Consent.
*Bea is Korean and Ukrainian; her best friend Plum and Plum's mom are brown-skinned
*passing mention that Plum's aunt is with another woman
Teacher-student relationships in books aren’t my jam, but my buddy Bekka wanted me to read it because she was scared of how the subject would be handled and the book did sound interesting. The same day I started the novel, I finished it because oh my God. Book hangover material? Oh yeah. I give Consent my seal of approval. It’s complex, doesn’t offer any easy answers to anything, and keeps its intensity from start to finish.
No one tells you before you start that Bea is biracial (her dad is Korean, her mom Ukrainian), so that’s a pleasant surprise when it’s revealed and her character is very authentic. Mom is dead, Dad and brother are barely present, and there’s only so much you can rely on your best friend before it causes problems, so Bea is in the perfect position to get into the kind of relationship she does with Dane. They fall for each other very quickly in this short little novel, but Ohlin makes it work through their mutual love of music and piano. I can go with it for the sake of the story.
Ohlin also takes every step to make Bea and Dane’s situation a complex one. If he’s twenty-seven and her substitute teacher while she’s seventeen/mere months from eighteen, can they make it work? The situation is played so close to the border and set in a place without Romeo and Juliet laws so we have to ask ourselves that. There’s going to be a lot of disagreement and I still don’t know how I feel about Bea and Dane. My tenth-grade biology teacher married one of his former students and they were still married last I knew, so it’s not that unbelievable for me. Then again, years passed between when she had him as a teacher and when they got together.
I’m not entirely horrible. Their relationship is an instant NO legally and in many other ways because he’s her teacher, she’s still underage for the time being, and there’s the potential for an abuse of power and privilege between them. What muddles the line for these two is–as it always is–emotion. If you get emotional in a situation that’s black-and-white legally or morally, it won’t be so black-and-white anymore.
The novel didn’t open on a very sweet note for me, though. There’s some casual sex-shaming in the beginning when Bea calls two girls who whistle at Dane the “senior sluts.” Maybe I went to a super chill high school or really WAS that far out of the loop, but I don’t think we had any person or persons designated the senior sluts? It’s unnecessary in any case.
Toward the end, the investigation of Bea and Dane happens very quickly and the aftermath of it is almost skimmed over. Plot points like who told on them and why are dropped like nothing. Honestly, Consent needed another sixty pages or so to show us more of the aftermath, how Bea feels, and the personal consequences she has to deal with. Even if both were exonerated because they successfully covered it up, matters like these aren’t forgotten and not everyone will believe the police did their job right.
The open-ended conclusion of the novel lets readers decide whether Bea and Dane’s relationship was a bad decision they’ll both look back on with embarrassment in the future or if it was something true that came about in the worst possible way. I read darkly, so I have my own interpretation. If you want a book that will play with your ideas of right and wrong in situations as strange as this, get Consent.
November 12, 2017
http://literarylion.ca/
Let me describe this book in a single word: Ew.
Please be aware that the following review will be spoilerific. This book is gross. Let’s start with the smallest almost inconsequential problem. Bea is awful. She’s a piano prodigy, which fine maybe I can believe. Her dad sucks. Her teachers are all usually awful. Her classmates are dumb and slutty. She even bashes her dead mom’s handwriting for being too girly.
She’s also a compulsive liar who lies not only to her poor single father who’s trying his best, but to her sweet as sugar best friend whom she absolutely does not deserve. Bea acts like she’s too special and different for anyone to understand but she’s really just a terrible person. And here’s the kicker, I still feel sorry for her because she is a rape victim.
This book portrays a teacher grooming a seventeen year old student. Going on a weekend trip with her and having sex a bunch. Then having sex with her in a classroom. None of this is written in a way that implies it’s wrong and gross. It’s written like a romance. Mr. Rossi is her teacher and he has sex with her, this isn’t romantic. Oh god, why is this written like it’s romantic?!
There is a brief part of this novel where it seems like maybe, just maybe Bea will get justice. Bea’s father points out that if they did have sex, it was rape. Bea learns that Mr. Rossi had sex with a fifteen (FIFTEEN) year old girl previously. This is good, maybe Bea didn’t realize she was a victim before but now she will get closure. NOPE. Mr. Rossi goes free.
The epilogue implies that Mr. Rossi has now moved to New York, where Bea will be living and she might still be “in love” with them. They might get together again. He has not ruined her life enough and will probably rape other young girls to boot.
There are definitely other things I could pick on about the book. One-dimensional characters, zero character growth but do I really need to? This book is a teacher grooming and then raping his student portrayed as romance. Why would anyone read this knowing that? I feel dirty for even having picked it up.
Let me describe this book in a single word: Ew.
Please be aware that the following review will be spoilerific. This book is gross. Let’s start with the smallest almost inconsequential problem. Bea is awful. She’s a piano prodigy, which fine maybe I can believe. Her dad sucks. Her teachers are all usually awful. Her classmates are dumb and slutty. She even bashes her dead mom’s handwriting for being too girly.
She’s also a compulsive liar who lies not only to her poor single father who’s trying his best, but to her sweet as sugar best friend whom she absolutely does not deserve. Bea acts like she’s too special and different for anyone to understand but she’s really just a terrible person. And here’s the kicker, I still feel sorry for her because she is a rape victim.
This book portrays a teacher grooming a seventeen year old student. Going on a weekend trip with her and having sex a bunch. Then having sex with her in a classroom. None of this is written in a way that implies it’s wrong and gross. It’s written like a romance. Mr. Rossi is her teacher and he has sex with her, this isn’t romantic. Oh god, why is this written like it’s romantic?!
There is a brief part of this novel where it seems like maybe, just maybe Bea will get justice. Bea’s father points out that if they did have sex, it was rape. Bea learns that Mr. Rossi had sex with a fifteen (FIFTEEN) year old girl previously. This is good, maybe Bea didn’t realize she was a victim before but now she will get closure. NOPE. Mr. Rossi goes free.
The epilogue implies that Mr. Rossi has now moved to New York, where Bea will be living and she might still be “in love” with them. They might get together again. He has not ruined her life enough and will probably rape other young girls to boot.
There are definitely other things I could pick on about the book. One-dimensional characters, zero character growth but do I really need to? This book is a teacher grooming and then raping his student portrayed as romance. Why would anyone read this knowing that? I feel dirty for even having picked it up.
September 21, 2015
My Thoughts: I always seem to be drawn to the teacher/student romance books. I know I shouldn’t like them but I always want to know how they will play out.
We are introduced to Bea who really enjoys playing piano. Her dad doesn’t fully support this because her mom was a music lover and it brings back a lot of memories.
One day when Dane hears Bea playing he really thinks she's talented. He starts to encourage her and things heat up from there. Bea and Dane’s relationship was a little weird to me though. I didn’t really see the appeal of him honestly. I guess I wasn’t fully rooting for them to be together.
Yes, things get intense. And Bea and Dane go further than I thought they would in terms of young adult books. hehe. I was very surprised that it went as far as it did.
I liked Bea’s father and friends for the most part, even though they weren’t perfect either. I also liked that she was going to go after what she wanted and try to go to the college that she wanted eventually.
I thought this book was interesting and I enjoyed reading it. I didn’t really fully connect to many of the characters in this one though. And, it was a very fast read.
Overall: I liked this one, just didn’t fully love it. I think it's probably more of a 3.5 cupcake rating for me!
Cover: Like it. I’d probably pick it up!
What I’d Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
____________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
We are introduced to Bea who really enjoys playing piano. Her dad doesn’t fully support this because her mom was a music lover and it brings back a lot of memories.
One day when Dane hears Bea playing he really thinks she's talented. He starts to encourage her and things heat up from there. Bea and Dane’s relationship was a little weird to me though. I didn’t really see the appeal of him honestly. I guess I wasn’t fully rooting for them to be together.
Yes, things get intense. And Bea and Dane go further than I thought they would in terms of young adult books. hehe. I was very surprised that it went as far as it did.
I liked Bea’s father and friends for the most part, even though they weren’t perfect either. I also liked that she was going to go after what she wanted and try to go to the college that she wanted eventually.
I thought this book was interesting and I enjoyed reading it. I didn’t really fully connect to many of the characters in this one though. And, it was a very fast read.
Overall: I liked this one, just didn’t fully love it. I think it's probably more of a 3.5 cupcake rating for me!
Cover: Like it. I’d probably pick it up!
What I’d Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
____________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
January 27, 2016
3.5 Stars
Bea's life is just perfect; she has good grades, she has an amazing best friend, and she uses lies to cover up the rest. Her family is almost non-existent, she doesn't want what her best friend wants, and her own dreams are impossible. With college applications looming and hard decisions to be made, Bea finds herself in an elected music history course. There she meets Dane, her substitute teacher. He's young, charismatic, British, and he has a true ear for music. When Dane hears Bea play the piano he encourages her to succeed, setting her up for all hopes of achieving a dream she had kept hidden for so long. What starts as encouragement soon grows to more when Bea develops feelings and Dane reveals his as well. A trip to New York later, and a major opportunity on the horizon, things fall apart when Bea must question their relationship, herself, and who Dane really is.
Bea is seventeen, which seems both old and young all at the same time. While I am not one to encourage relationships with teachers, I have seen it work in real life and I have read plenty of books with similar story lines. The relationship between her teacher, Dane, and Bea makes the reader question Dane, because how is it so easy for a man of his decorum to fall into a relationship so easily. He crosses the line several times and I personally thought immediately he must have done this before. It's the way in which Nancy Ohlin writes his character, with so much charm, with a true love of music that blurs the rules. Then there's Bea, our main character. She's biracial, constantly filled with guilt and lies, and lacking a true family home. She's relies on her best friend's family, she acts like more of an adult, and her love of music is hers alone. What starts as just music grows to so much more. Not only does Dane fulfill a missing hole for Bea, but he nurtures her in a way she lacked. So while Bea is this adult child, she's also still so young and her maturity level and emotions show that. I love that we only read from her POV, because it allows the reader to really see how Bea's thoughts work, how the relationship looks only from her eyes, how that approval of music meant so much, and when things heat up with the investigation how she finds her family filling that hole she didn't even realize she had. This is a short novel, so things move fast, but the life of Bea is sadly perfect for the situation. Dane and Bea fall so easily into a relationship, because no one is looking at Bea and worrying. I do love that her best friend is there no matter what, even at the times it feels uncomfortable. It allowed me to really think about the fact that they weren't warned off of this sort of thing or really taught the rules.
Of course, I like the open ended ending, because we as readers don't really know what the future holds for Dane and Bea. We do know that Dane has held on hope and Bea has moved on to realize her freshman year of college is promising, because her life has changed so drastically since they first met. Their relationship is both exciting and scary, because Bea has all these emotions, but she also has fear of discovery and the natural thoughts of a young woman when she starts really looking at who Dane is. While their relationship is one that is illegal, it is easy to see from Bea's point of view and the emotions that are involved. It's also fairly easy to see why Bea chooses space from Dane, even though the emotions are still there. I appreciated that the author gave us just one POV, allowing us to understand the mind of a seventeen going on eighteen year old girl.
I needed about another 6 chapters to Consent, not because it was a book I super wanted to hang onto, but I felt like everything was smoothed over. There wasn't enough to the investigation, into the school and Bea's peers thoughts, or even her own. On top of that, consent is merely mentioned within a couple of chapters, then it too is passed over. While I really enjoyed the natural way in which Bea realized she couldn't be with Dane, I don't feel as though it was due to learning about consent, but more about how she felt about Dane when she learned about his past and reviewed her feelings during the investigation. It made the story so much more romantic, if that's a term you want to connect to the student/teacher relationship, instead of a lesson.
While I ended this book feeling like it lacked some things, it did not disappoint. Consent is very well-written and I think is a great addition to the young adult genre. The situation between Bea and her teacher, Dane, isn't unique, but I do feel like this book stands out. This book makes you think about what is right and wrong, and the hazy line in between.
Bea's life is just perfect; she has good grades, she has an amazing best friend, and she uses lies to cover up the rest. Her family is almost non-existent, she doesn't want what her best friend wants, and her own dreams are impossible. With college applications looming and hard decisions to be made, Bea finds herself in an elected music history course. There she meets Dane, her substitute teacher. He's young, charismatic, British, and he has a true ear for music. When Dane hears Bea play the piano he encourages her to succeed, setting her up for all hopes of achieving a dream she had kept hidden for so long. What starts as encouragement soon grows to more when Bea develops feelings and Dane reveals his as well. A trip to New York later, and a major opportunity on the horizon, things fall apart when Bea must question their relationship, herself, and who Dane really is.
Bea is seventeen, which seems both old and young all at the same time. While I am not one to encourage relationships with teachers, I have seen it work in real life and I have read plenty of books with similar story lines. The relationship between her teacher, Dane, and Bea makes the reader question Dane, because how is it so easy for a man of his decorum to fall into a relationship so easily. He crosses the line several times and I personally thought immediately he must have done this before. It's the way in which Nancy Ohlin writes his character, with so much charm, with a true love of music that blurs the rules. Then there's Bea, our main character. She's biracial, constantly filled with guilt and lies, and lacking a true family home. She's relies on her best friend's family, she acts like more of an adult, and her love of music is hers alone. What starts as just music grows to so much more. Not only does Dane fulfill a missing hole for Bea, but he nurtures her in a way she lacked. So while Bea is this adult child, she's also still so young and her maturity level and emotions show that. I love that we only read from her POV, because it allows the reader to really see how Bea's thoughts work, how the relationship looks only from her eyes, how that approval of music meant so much, and when things heat up with the investigation how she finds her family filling that hole she didn't even realize she had. This is a short novel, so things move fast, but the life of Bea is sadly perfect for the situation. Dane and Bea fall so easily into a relationship, because no one is looking at Bea and worrying. I do love that her best friend is there no matter what, even at the times it feels uncomfortable. It allowed me to really think about the fact that they weren't warned off of this sort of thing or really taught the rules.
Of course, I like the open ended ending, because we as readers don't really know what the future holds for Dane and Bea. We do know that Dane has held on hope and Bea has moved on to realize her freshman year of college is promising, because her life has changed so drastically since they first met. Their relationship is both exciting and scary, because Bea has all these emotions, but she also has fear of discovery and the natural thoughts of a young woman when she starts really looking at who Dane is. While their relationship is one that is illegal, it is easy to see from Bea's point of view and the emotions that are involved. It's also fairly easy to see why Bea chooses space from Dane, even though the emotions are still there. I appreciated that the author gave us just one POV, allowing us to understand the mind of a seventeen going on eighteen year old girl.
I needed about another 6 chapters to Consent, not because it was a book I super wanted to hang onto, but I felt like everything was smoothed over. There wasn't enough to the investigation, into the school and Bea's peers thoughts, or even her own. On top of that, consent is merely mentioned within a couple of chapters, then it too is passed over. While I really enjoyed the natural way in which Bea realized she couldn't be with Dane, I don't feel as though it was due to learning about consent, but more about how she felt about Dane when she learned about his past and reviewed her feelings during the investigation. It made the story so much more romantic, if that's a term you want to connect to the student/teacher relationship, instead of a lesson.
While I ended this book feeling like it lacked some things, it did not disappoint. Consent is very well-written and I think is a great addition to the young adult genre. The situation between Bea and her teacher, Dane, isn't unique, but I do feel like this book stands out. This book makes you think about what is right and wrong, and the hazy line in between.
November 2, 2025
There are so many things I strongly have against this book. Bea and her relationship with her teacher, Dane, didn’t bother me when they were flirting because I just assumed that the book would bring some sort of light to child grooming and abusing authority power to take advantage of minors. But this is not what the book is about at all which was so disappointing. If anything, it almost seemed to encourage it based on the ambiguous ending which I think is dangerous to be promoting especially to young girls like Bea who are vulnerable and don’t have a solid support system.
At one point, the only moment of clarity where you do feel like justice will be served is when Bea’s father makes the valid point that in their state, she is under eighteen and therefore unable to consent to sex which means her sexual affair with Dane is considered statutory rape on his part. But then it all dissipates. Bea isn’t even all that concerned with her relationship with Dane until she finds out he slept with a 15-year old student while she was drunk because he thought she was older for her age. Dane completely takes advantage of Bea and there is no justice served for the consequences of the problematic relationship that he clearly initiated as an adult in an authority position.
He uses his connections to help Bea put her foot in the door to Julliard, then takes her out in a literal date and sleeps with her in the hotel. There is no way he didn’t have any ulterior motives from the moment they first met and it’s so disappointing to see that there wasn’t anything done to show that he deserved punishment for what he did.
There’s a ton of other things I had issues with but I feel like it’s not worth talking about when you have the big gaping void of trying to figure out the ending and the significance of even writing this story if the very serious topics of grooming, consent, and abuse of power aren’t handled well. I’m sure there are other stories that shed better light and awareness on child grooming and teacher-student relationships without almost romanticizing it. Even by the end of it, there is no indication that Bea realizes the danger of what really happened to her and both her and Dane even consider getting back together.
This story is basically a message that it’s okay to be preying on young students or being in a relationship with someone older than you that should know better because the consequences of it are overshadowed by all the benefits of being in a taboo relationship. It’s a very dangerous notion to be enforcing especially for the target audience being young adults.
At one point, the only moment of clarity where you do feel like justice will be served is when Bea’s father makes the valid point that in their state, she is under eighteen and therefore unable to consent to sex which means her sexual affair with Dane is considered statutory rape on his part. But then it all dissipates. Bea isn’t even all that concerned with her relationship with Dane until she finds out he slept with a 15-year old student while she was drunk because he thought she was older for her age. Dane completely takes advantage of Bea and there is no justice served for the consequences of the problematic relationship that he clearly initiated as an adult in an authority position.
He uses his connections to help Bea put her foot in the door to Julliard, then takes her out in a literal date and sleeps with her in the hotel. There is no way he didn’t have any ulterior motives from the moment they first met and it’s so disappointing to see that there wasn’t anything done to show that he deserved punishment for what he did.
There’s a ton of other things I had issues with but I feel like it’s not worth talking about when you have the big gaping void of trying to figure out the ending and the significance of even writing this story if the very serious topics of grooming, consent, and abuse of power aren’t handled well. I’m sure there are other stories that shed better light and awareness on child grooming and teacher-student relationships without almost romanticizing it. Even by the end of it, there is no indication that Bea realizes the danger of what really happened to her and both her and Dane even consider getting back together.
This story is basically a message that it’s okay to be preying on young students or being in a relationship with someone older than you that should know better because the consequences of it are overshadowed by all the benefits of being in a taboo relationship. It’s a very dangerous notion to be enforcing especially for the target audience being young adults.
July 3, 2020
Zart diye adama aşık ol, fırsatını bulunca adamı baştan çıkar (ki adam da zaten dünden razı) sonra tü kaka 😑
Kitabın neredeyse yarısı Klasik müzik, nota detayları ve piyano terimlerinden (ki hiç anlamam böyle şeylerden) ibaret olunca hormonları coşmuş 17 yaşındaki bir ergen kurgusu okumak iyice sıkıcı oldu benim için. Bir de Bea'nin ailesi ile ilgili drama şeysi öyle bir anlatılıyordu ki dedim çooooook kötü bir şey oldu herhalde. Ne olduğunu okuyunca da bu mudur yani dedim 😕
Kitabın neredeyse yarısı Klasik müzik, nota detayları ve piyano terimlerinden (ki hiç anlamam böyle şeylerden) ibaret olunca hormonları coşmuş 17 yaşındaki bir ergen kurgusu okumak iyice sıkıcı oldu benim için. Bir de Bea'nin ailesi ile ilgili drama şeysi öyle bir anlatılıyordu ki dedim çooooook kötü bir şey oldu herhalde. Ne olduğunu okuyunca da bu mudur yani dedim 😕
January 16, 2016
I need a sequel, Nancy. I NEED IT. I'm almost in tears right now. I loved this story more than anyone else has, I think. I need a sequel. I wish I could personally write Nancy Ohlin and tell her how much I'd give for a sequel. I really loved this book. It was fairly realistic considering the subject, and I couldn't put it down.
March 24, 2023
Öğretmen-öğrenci ilişkisiyle heba edilmeseydi güzel bir konuya sahipti üzüldüm...
August 9, 2016
Okay, I have some thoughts, so I'll try to lay them all out.
Firstly, I initially didn't realize this was a Simon Pulse title, to which I can only congratulate their art department--the covers are getting a lot more distinct and interesting, which is always a good thing, and the cover is one of the things that drew me in, so good job, guys. Personally I can't stand covers with ambiguous body shots of models, which both the author's other books feature, so this was a pleasant change.
Secondly, I wanted to read this book because CONSENT is the name of a short story I've been working on for the past year, and even though mine deals with campus rape between students and not the underage student/younger teacher dynamic, consent is still a really interesting issue to me.
SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT--I tried to avoid them but the execution is what I had issues with, so it was inevitable.
So, let's begin the post-op look at the book:
1. I'm aware that this is a nitpicky personal pet peeve, but I REALLY don't like overusing pop culture references--not just in YA, but in all fiction. I find that they date the text and run the risk of alienating the readership. I especially don't like celebrity references, so the MC and her best friend repeatedly referring to the hot teacher as Kit Harrington was annoying and cringe-worthy.
2. Not only is the MC, Bea, a piano prodigy--despite being self-taught and more or less keeping her playing a secret from absolutely everyone--she is also a straight A student with high SAT scores. Ditto her best friend--Plum, short for Pernilla, cue eye roll--whose mother is an ex-model and father is a famous architect. I'm really tired of characters with Mary Sue levels of perfection--this is not a realistic representation of 99% of high schoolers, and it's vaguely obnoxious and mildly insulting. Furthermore, Bea mentions that their high school is a performing arts school, but everyone is shocked when she turns out to be a musician? Not sure how that adds up.
3. Ohlin also abandons some interesting plot threads that she promises early on in the story--she hints that Bea's estranged brother Theo dresses and lives above his means as a CVS clerk, but she never follows up on that. She also sets the reader up for a cathartic or something approaching reconciliation between Bea and Theo, but again, never follows up on it beyond a three-word text message from Theo to Bea ten months later. Similarly, Bea agrees to go to the homecoming dance with Braden before learning some pertinent and negative information about him, but we then skip ahead ten months to the epilogue, and that's it.
4. Even the characters who take center stage are flat and one-dimensional. Dane has no personality beyond being vaguely British (of course), shy, cute and supportive of Bea. Bea lies her way around intimacy with her friends and family, and then is surprised when they're upset, seeming to prefer to endure life by avoiding it. Plum steamrolls over Bea by assuming they want all of the same things, but Bea never stands up for herself and when that blows up in her face, Plum is more or less fine with it and they remain best friends. Not a lot of self-awareness going on here.
5. I think the book's most important flaw is that the dichotomy of consent is not actually explored or analyzed with any real thought. Bea's lawyer father gives her the facts, but she's basically like, that's stupid, I love Dane and I said yes. She dedicates less than a page to the situations that consent laws were put into place for, and horrifyingly, when she finds out Dane had sex with a fifteen-year-old at his last school (she was drunk, didn't look 15, etc. etc.) she breaks it off but eventually (again the ten-month jump) it's implied that she forgives him. I very much feel like I feel when I read a Bustle or an XOJane article with a catchy and provocative title promising one thing, and I get a watered-down, lightly-touched-on version.
You can attempt to explain away much of the above with "What do you expect, it's only YA," but there is YA out there that explores real issues well and with honesty, grace and respect to the truth of the situations it fictionalizes. This just isn't one of them.
Firstly, I initially didn't realize this was a Simon Pulse title, to which I can only congratulate their art department--the covers are getting a lot more distinct and interesting, which is always a good thing, and the cover is one of the things that drew me in, so good job, guys. Personally I can't stand covers with ambiguous body shots of models, which both the author's other books feature, so this was a pleasant change.
Secondly, I wanted to read this book because CONSENT is the name of a short story I've been working on for the past year, and even though mine deals with campus rape between students and not the underage student/younger teacher dynamic, consent is still a really interesting issue to me.
SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT--I tried to avoid them but the execution is what I had issues with, so it was inevitable.
So, let's begin the post-op look at the book:
1. I'm aware that this is a nitpicky personal pet peeve, but I REALLY don't like overusing pop culture references--not just in YA, but in all fiction. I find that they date the text and run the risk of alienating the readership. I especially don't like celebrity references, so the MC and her best friend repeatedly referring to the hot teacher as Kit Harrington was annoying and cringe-worthy.
2. Not only is the MC, Bea, a piano prodigy--despite being self-taught and more or less keeping her playing a secret from absolutely everyone--she is also a straight A student with high SAT scores. Ditto her best friend--Plum, short for Pernilla, cue eye roll--whose mother is an ex-model and father is a famous architect. I'm really tired of characters with Mary Sue levels of perfection--this is not a realistic representation of 99% of high schoolers, and it's vaguely obnoxious and mildly insulting. Furthermore, Bea mentions that their high school is a performing arts school, but everyone is shocked when she turns out to be a musician? Not sure how that adds up.
3. Ohlin also abandons some interesting plot threads that she promises early on in the story--she hints that Bea's estranged brother Theo dresses and lives above his means as a CVS clerk, but she never follows up on that. She also sets the reader up for a cathartic or something approaching reconciliation between Bea and Theo, but again, never follows up on it beyond a three-word text message from Theo to Bea ten months later. Similarly, Bea agrees to go to the homecoming dance with Braden before learning some pertinent and negative information about him, but we then skip ahead ten months to the epilogue, and that's it.
4. Even the characters who take center stage are flat and one-dimensional. Dane has no personality beyond being vaguely British (of course), shy, cute and supportive of Bea. Bea lies her way around intimacy with her friends and family, and then is surprised when they're upset, seeming to prefer to endure life by avoiding it. Plum steamrolls over Bea by assuming they want all of the same things, but Bea never stands up for herself and when that blows up in her face, Plum is more or less fine with it and they remain best friends. Not a lot of self-awareness going on here.
5. I think the book's most important flaw is that the dichotomy of consent is not actually explored or analyzed with any real thought. Bea's lawyer father gives her the facts, but she's basically like, that's stupid, I love Dane and I said yes. She dedicates less than a page to the situations that consent laws were put into place for, and horrifyingly, when she finds out Dane had sex with a fifteen-year-old at his last school (she was drunk, didn't look 15, etc. etc.) she breaks it off but eventually (again the ten-month jump) it's implied that she forgives him. I very much feel like I feel when I read a Bustle or an XOJane article with a catchy and provocative title promising one thing, and I get a watered-down, lightly-touched-on version.
You can attempt to explain away much of the above with "What do you expect, it's only YA," but there is YA out there that explores real issues well and with honesty, grace and respect to the truth of the situations it fictionalizes. This just isn't one of them.
March 2, 2018
Between all of the lies she tells at school about her non-existent piano teacher and her supposedly okay home life, Beatrice Kim has a lot of secrets even before starting her senior year at Andrew Jackson High School.
Then Bea meets her music history teacher. Mr. Rossi is young, good-looking, and completely believes in Bea's potential as a professional pianist--something Bea hasn't ever allowed herself to consider.
When their shared passion for music turns into something else, Bea and Rossi begin a sexual relationship that could ruin them both. Bea thinks she knows what she is doing and what she wants. She thinks Rossi understands her and loves her. But with the threat of discovery looming, Bea will have to confront uncomfortable truths about herself and her relationship with Rossi in Consent (2015) by Nancy Ohlin.
Consent delivers two stories in one slim volume. One, reminiscent of Sara Zarr's The Lucy Variations, explores how Bea lost her love for the piano and how she can reclaim it; the other is an often uncomfortable examination of a relationship that never should have happened.
Despite the problems Bea hints at in her home life and the lies she tells, everything comes very easily to Bea in Consent. She is at the top of her class despite having no real interest in college. She is a piano prodigy with perfect pitch although she has never had formal lessons. She is also, conveniently, at a recently rebranded "Campus for Baccalaureate and Performing Arts" despite having a nearly pathological desire to avoid the piano at the beginning of the novel. Readers who can get past these contrivances will be rewarded with a layered and thoughtful contemporary novel.
The push and pull between what is perceived and what is true throughout Consent adds another dimension to Bea's often unreliable first person narration as readers, and Bea herself, contemplate Rossi's agenda. Despite some heavy-handed moments, Ohlin delivers an open-ended novel ripe for discussion as readers follow the plot's twists and turns.
Possible Pairings: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo, The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee, The Truth Commission by Susan Juby, Boy Toy by Barry Lyga, Teach Me by R. A. Nelson, Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten, The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
*A more condensed version of this review appeared in the September 2015 issue of School Library Journal from which it can be seen on various sites online*
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
Then Bea meets her music history teacher. Mr. Rossi is young, good-looking, and completely believes in Bea's potential as a professional pianist--something Bea hasn't ever allowed herself to consider.
When their shared passion for music turns into something else, Bea and Rossi begin a sexual relationship that could ruin them both. Bea thinks she knows what she is doing and what she wants. She thinks Rossi understands her and loves her. But with the threat of discovery looming, Bea will have to confront uncomfortable truths about herself and her relationship with Rossi in Consent (2015) by Nancy Ohlin.
Consent delivers two stories in one slim volume. One, reminiscent of Sara Zarr's The Lucy Variations, explores how Bea lost her love for the piano and how she can reclaim it; the other is an often uncomfortable examination of a relationship that never should have happened.
Despite the problems Bea hints at in her home life and the lies she tells, everything comes very easily to Bea in Consent. She is at the top of her class despite having no real interest in college. She is a piano prodigy with perfect pitch although she has never had formal lessons. She is also, conveniently, at a recently rebranded "Campus for Baccalaureate and Performing Arts" despite having a nearly pathological desire to avoid the piano at the beginning of the novel. Readers who can get past these contrivances will be rewarded with a layered and thoughtful contemporary novel.
The push and pull between what is perceived and what is true throughout Consent adds another dimension to Bea's often unreliable first person narration as readers, and Bea herself, contemplate Rossi's agenda. Despite some heavy-handed moments, Ohlin delivers an open-ended novel ripe for discussion as readers follow the plot's twists and turns.
Possible Pairings: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo, The Midnight Dress by Karen Foxlee, The Truth Commission by Susan Juby, Boy Toy by Barry Lyga, Teach Me by R. A. Nelson, Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten, The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr
*A more condensed version of this review appeared in the September 2015 issue of School Library Journal from which it can be seen on various sites online*
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
October 19, 2015
What captured my attention while reading CONSENT was how complicated and confusing the issue of consent really is for a teenager who is emotionally and sexually influenced by an adult--particularly and adult who is in a position of authority. Since finishing Ohlin's novel, I've found myself continuing to ponder ethics, emotions, common sense and the human condition. CONSENT isn't designed to have the answers, but it certainly raises many important and thought provoking questions.
January 23, 2016
these always end so god damn badly. ugh
December 29, 2015
Meh. I like books about student/teacher relationships, but this one didn't make the grade. (HA!) Between the insta-love and the teacher's constant blushing and bashfulness (plus he was British, PUH-LEASE) it was just one cliché after another. The only thing that really kept me reading was that I wanted to know what Bea's big huge lies and secrets were, and even those weren't worth anything. The only character that I really did like was Plum: she was adorable, her family life seemed interesting, her nickname is cute... I'd rather read books about her. The only saving grace for this book was that it was a very quick read.
December 25, 2015
This was cute but nothing special. It was highly predictable and didn't make a lot of sense. I still enjoyed it because I needed something shallow to read. Also the story is getting really interesting in the middle of the book.
June 30, 2017
One of the most terrible books i've ever read? yes.
November 12, 2015
4.5 stars.
Consent by Nancy Ohlin is an incredibly thought-provoking young adult novel about an affair between a high school student and her teacher. Well-written and impossible to put down, readers will be thinking about this story long after the last page has been turned.
Beatrice "Bea" Kim's life is full of secrets but she has trouble keeping her crush (and subsequent relationship) with her music teacher, Dane Rossi, under wraps. Bea cannot help but notice how sexy and good looking her substitute teacher is but their interactions are at first innocent and focus on her extraordinary talent for playing the piano. His praise and interest are just the inspiration she needs to consider pursuing a future as a concert pianist and their shared passion for music easily bridges the age gap between them. The attraction between Bea and Dane simmers in the background until the two take a trip to New York so Bea can audition for a professor at Julliard. Careful to keep their distance from one another upon their return, a careless moment of passion sparks an investigation into their affair.
In spite of her less than happy home life, Bea manages to excel at both her school work and playing the piano. Bea's relationships with her father and brother are distant and the reasons for the rift between the family members remain unclear for a good part of the story. Although she is essentially a piano prodigy, she has ever received any type of formal training nor much encouragement to nurture her natural abilities. The one bright spot in her life is her friendship with Plum but despite their close relationship, Bea is less than forthcoming about many details of her life.
The various story arcs are interesting and the characters are relatively well-developed. The music aspect of the storyline is possibly a little too detailed for a layperson but music enthusiasts will certainly enjoy the close attention to detail. Bea and Plum are vibrantly developed characters that are three-dimensional and quite likable. Bea's brother and father are not as fully fleshed out and for the most part, they remain on the periphery of the overall story. Dane remains enigmatic despite his rather prominent role in the storyline and some of the questions raised about him are never clearly answered. Nonetheless, he is a larger than life character whose obvious charisma and charm make it very easy to understand why Bea is so attracted to him.
The questions swirling around Bea and Dane's relationship and the age of consent are extremely insightful and thought-provoking. Viewing the romance through Bea's eyes, it is easy to understand what she is thinking and feeling from their very first meeting until the novel's end. Her perspective during the investigation is intriguing and it is not until she learns unexpected information about Dane that Bea sees their relationship more clearly and with this newfound knowledge, she makes a rather surprising decision about their future. While most of the storyline is resolved, a few lingering questions remain about certain individuals and their actions.
Consent by Nancy Ohlin is an adeptly written novel about uncomfortable subject matter that is guaranteed to generate interesting discussions between parents and their teens. An outstanding portrayal of a sensitive topic that I highly recommend to readers of all ages.
Consent by Nancy Ohlin is an incredibly thought-provoking young adult novel about an affair between a high school student and her teacher. Well-written and impossible to put down, readers will be thinking about this story long after the last page has been turned.
Beatrice "Bea" Kim's life is full of secrets but she has trouble keeping her crush (and subsequent relationship) with her music teacher, Dane Rossi, under wraps. Bea cannot help but notice how sexy and good looking her substitute teacher is but their interactions are at first innocent and focus on her extraordinary talent for playing the piano. His praise and interest are just the inspiration she needs to consider pursuing a future as a concert pianist and their shared passion for music easily bridges the age gap between them. The attraction between Bea and Dane simmers in the background until the two take a trip to New York so Bea can audition for a professor at Julliard. Careful to keep their distance from one another upon their return, a careless moment of passion sparks an investigation into their affair.
In spite of her less than happy home life, Bea manages to excel at both her school work and playing the piano. Bea's relationships with her father and brother are distant and the reasons for the rift between the family members remain unclear for a good part of the story. Although she is essentially a piano prodigy, she has ever received any type of formal training nor much encouragement to nurture her natural abilities. The one bright spot in her life is her friendship with Plum but despite their close relationship, Bea is less than forthcoming about many details of her life.
The various story arcs are interesting and the characters are relatively well-developed. The music aspect of the storyline is possibly a little too detailed for a layperson but music enthusiasts will certainly enjoy the close attention to detail. Bea and Plum are vibrantly developed characters that are three-dimensional and quite likable. Bea's brother and father are not as fully fleshed out and for the most part, they remain on the periphery of the overall story. Dane remains enigmatic despite his rather prominent role in the storyline and some of the questions raised about him are never clearly answered. Nonetheless, he is a larger than life character whose obvious charisma and charm make it very easy to understand why Bea is so attracted to him.
The questions swirling around Bea and Dane's relationship and the age of consent are extremely insightful and thought-provoking. Viewing the romance through Bea's eyes, it is easy to understand what she is thinking and feeling from their very first meeting until the novel's end. Her perspective during the investigation is intriguing and it is not until she learns unexpected information about Dane that Bea sees their relationship more clearly and with this newfound knowledge, she makes a rather surprising decision about their future. While most of the storyline is resolved, a few lingering questions remain about certain individuals and their actions.
Consent by Nancy Ohlin is an adeptly written novel about uncomfortable subject matter that is guaranteed to generate interesting discussions between parents and their teens. An outstanding portrayal of a sensitive topic that I highly recommend to readers of all ages.
November 23, 2015
For the better part of this novel, I had the strongest feeling that it would receive three stars from me. After finishing this novel, I couldn't give it more than two.
My favorite thing about this novel was the obvious dedication and infatuation with music. Ohlin clearly spent a great deal of time researching the proper terminologies and the most beautiful compositions. The passion bled through the pages.
Our characters were racially diverse, which was nice. Beatrice is Asian, her friend seemed to be biracial - black and white. And of course, the sexy professor type was British. There were also a few LBGTQ characters mentioned and though none had an actual role in the book, I still appreciated that she included a same sex marriage.
These observations considered... I couldn't move past her main characters' vocabulary. Our main character, Beatrice, is seventeen years old. She and her friend Plum are the top two students in their rather esteemed school. Perfect grades, high intellect, Harvard prospects even. Yet... Beatrice's voice did not portray her intelligence. In fact, her vocabulary tended to be juvenile at best, as she often used words like "totally" and overused the word "also" one too many times. (Also, Plum is 17 and still calls her parents Mommy and Daddy. Not even in a cute way, just... in a very childish way. Perhaps it was just a personal judgement. Perhaps I just yearn to hear more intellectual language in young adult fiction.)
I love teacher/student affair books and I'm drawn to them and I should really learn my lesson because most of them disappoint.
Ohlin really had me invested with the sincere concern and honest hope Dane had for Beatrice. He wasn't creepy or inappropriate. He was supportive and strong and honest. Things moved slowly, which is something most student/teacher books don't do. I really enjoyed that. Dane remained mostly innocent for much longer than I anticipated. And yet, when he finally gives in, after little provocation, they don't hold back. No subtle anything. Just, home run straight from the start. And from there, everything went downhill.
I found the ending to be sort of hurried and confusing. In the end, I feel this book is missing something. Many parts were cut short and there was so much more left to be desired. I really wanted to like this book a lot but in the end, I simply couldn't lie to myself or to you.
_______________________________________
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. That in no way influenced my review.
My favorite thing about this novel was the obvious dedication and infatuation with music. Ohlin clearly spent a great deal of time researching the proper terminologies and the most beautiful compositions. The passion bled through the pages.
Our characters were racially diverse, which was nice. Beatrice is Asian, her friend seemed to be biracial - black and white. And of course, the sexy professor type was British. There were also a few LBGTQ characters mentioned and though none had an actual role in the book, I still appreciated that she included a same sex marriage.
These observations considered... I couldn't move past her main characters' vocabulary. Our main character, Beatrice, is seventeen years old. She and her friend Plum are the top two students in their rather esteemed school. Perfect grades, high intellect, Harvard prospects even. Yet... Beatrice's voice did not portray her intelligence. In fact, her vocabulary tended to be juvenile at best, as she often used words like "totally" and overused the word "also" one too many times. (Also, Plum is 17 and still calls her parents Mommy and Daddy. Not even in a cute way, just... in a very childish way. Perhaps it was just a personal judgement. Perhaps I just yearn to hear more intellectual language in young adult fiction.)
I love teacher/student affair books and I'm drawn to them and I should really learn my lesson because most of them disappoint.
Ohlin really had me invested with the sincere concern and honest hope Dane had for Beatrice. He wasn't creepy or inappropriate. He was supportive and strong and honest. Things moved slowly, which is something most student/teacher books don't do. I really enjoyed that. Dane remained mostly innocent for much longer than I anticipated. And yet, when he finally gives in, after little provocation, they don't hold back. No subtle anything. Just, home run straight from the start. And from there, everything went downhill.
I found the ending to be sort of hurried and confusing. In the end, I feel this book is missing something. Many parts were cut short and there was so much more left to be desired. I really wanted to like this book a lot but in the end, I simply couldn't lie to myself or to you.
_______________________________________
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. That in no way influenced my review.
November 12, 2015
Title: Consent
Author: Nancy Ohlin
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Series: N/A
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher, Simon Pulse, through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review--thank you so much!
My previous experiences with Nancy Ohlin's work has been ambivalent--I read her other novel, Thorn Abbey, and I just wasn't feeling it. So I was a little apprehensive when I began to read Consent. For one thing, it talks of self-discovery, the constant up in the air feeling of being young, always so afraid to stand out and desperate to fit in, all at once. And that self-discovery naturally flows into sexual awakening, and the giddy, flying on air feeling of first love.
The main character, Beatrice 'Bea' Kim, is a loner, a deeply defensive young woman with a secretive passion for music, ignored by her family, in doubt about her future. In some ways, I really related to her. She was so vulnerable, and so shy. But when she meets Mr. Rossi, her music teacher, there is an immediate spark between them. Bea's voice almost becomes manic as the novel goes on, which gave the volatile and shaky feel to the relationship that felt real.
This novel was really intense, and really painful. It evoked the agony of growing up, and being seventeen, perfectly. It made me hurt for Bea; she just wanted to be loved and accepted, and when Dane shows that toward her, she gravitates and stays in his alluring, seductive orbit, and it spurs the novel at a breakneck pace. And then there's Dane himself, hopelessly attracted to Bea, unable to control himself. It really bothered me that he seemed to prey on her insecurities--it made it feel wrong, despite Bea feeling like she's in love.
Regardless, though? This book is dark and real and raw, ripped right from the headlines, and I enjoyed it. It was an eye-opening look into relationships such as these. I really liked it. The bottom line: A dark and gritty novel that had me feeling everything, Consent is a fantastic peek into the consequences of a passion gone too far! Next on deck:The Butterfly Clues by Katie Ellison!
Author: Nancy Ohlin
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Series: N/A
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher, Simon Pulse, through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review--thank you so much!
My previous experiences with Nancy Ohlin's work has been ambivalent--I read her other novel, Thorn Abbey, and I just wasn't feeling it. So I was a little apprehensive when I began to read Consent. For one thing, it talks of self-discovery, the constant up in the air feeling of being young, always so afraid to stand out and desperate to fit in, all at once. And that self-discovery naturally flows into sexual awakening, and the giddy, flying on air feeling of first love.
The main character, Beatrice 'Bea' Kim, is a loner, a deeply defensive young woman with a secretive passion for music, ignored by her family, in doubt about her future. In some ways, I really related to her. She was so vulnerable, and so shy. But when she meets Mr. Rossi, her music teacher, there is an immediate spark between them. Bea's voice almost becomes manic as the novel goes on, which gave the volatile and shaky feel to the relationship that felt real.
This novel was really intense, and really painful. It evoked the agony of growing up, and being seventeen, perfectly. It made me hurt for Bea; she just wanted to be loved and accepted, and when Dane shows that toward her, she gravitates and stays in his alluring, seductive orbit, and it spurs the novel at a breakneck pace. And then there's Dane himself, hopelessly attracted to Bea, unable to control himself. It really bothered me that he seemed to prey on her insecurities--it made it feel wrong, despite Bea feeling like she's in love.
Regardless, though? This book is dark and real and raw, ripped right from the headlines, and I enjoyed it. It was an eye-opening look into relationships such as these. I really liked it. The bottom line: A dark and gritty novel that had me feeling everything, Consent is a fantastic peek into the consequences of a passion gone too far! Next on deck:The Butterfly Clues by Katie Ellison!
March 20, 2016
I've always been a *huge* fan of the teacher/student relationship novel -- especially when it veers into potentially scandalous/illegal/uncomfortable territory. So, I was definitely excited when I had the opportunity to read Consent -- a book with a title that just screamed "You're about to jump into some massive ethical quandaries here!"
That said, I think I was expecting a bit more complexity here -- which may or may not be fair for a YA novel. Our main character, Bea, is a high school senior who is weeks away from her 18th birthday (and from the point of making huge decisions about her educational future -- which could have massive impacts on her relationship with her father). Her "love interest" is a music teacher in his late 20's, who inspires Bea to leap wholeheartedly into her music -- and into the possibility of Julliard, rather than the more traditional educational paths that she knows her father is expecting.
I do think the *relationship* was handled with a fair degree of sensitivity -- but I found myself just wanting more of something that was never delivered. The portrayal of the student/teacher interaction felt a little flat -- maybe because it was seen only from Bea's perspective and was written as if it were just a typical high school relationship, with the unfortunate side effect of a police investigation thrown in to complicate things. Bea's final revelation also felt a little *too* convenient, although it was probably a fitting conclusion given the events of the rest of the book.
Part of my reservations are probably just based on the fact that most of my frame of reference for comparable subject matters are books outside the YA genre -- so, my expectations may not have been completely realistic. That said, this definitely wasn't a *bad* book. There was never a point at which I considered abandoning the story -- there just simultaneously was never a point where I just *knew* I'd found a book I'd revisit in the future.
That said, I think I was expecting a bit more complexity here -- which may or may not be fair for a YA novel. Our main character, Bea, is a high school senior who is weeks away from her 18th birthday (and from the point of making huge decisions about her educational future -- which could have massive impacts on her relationship with her father). Her "love interest" is a music teacher in his late 20's, who inspires Bea to leap wholeheartedly into her music -- and into the possibility of Julliard, rather than the more traditional educational paths that she knows her father is expecting.
I do think the *relationship* was handled with a fair degree of sensitivity -- but I found myself just wanting more of something that was never delivered. The portrayal of the student/teacher interaction felt a little flat -- maybe because it was seen only from Bea's perspective and was written as if it were just a typical high school relationship, with the unfortunate side effect of a police investigation thrown in to complicate things. Bea's final revelation also felt a little *too* convenient, although it was probably a fitting conclusion given the events of the rest of the book.
Part of my reservations are probably just based on the fact that most of my frame of reference for comparable subject matters are books outside the YA genre -- so, my expectations may not have been completely realistic. That said, this definitely wasn't a *bad* book. There was never a point at which I considered abandoning the story -- there just simultaneously was never a point where I just *knew* I'd found a book I'd revisit in the future.
January 25, 2016
Bea is floating along her senior year, letting her best friend, Plum. dictate their agenda: studying for classes, planning college trips to the best ivy league schools, and practicing for the SAT test. But Bea has a secret, she plays the piano like her mother who died when Bea was an infant. Father cries whenever he hears Bea play, so she has had to learn and practice on her own. When she is overheard playing by a new, young music teacher at school, Mr. Rossi, he is the first one to tell her just how talented she really is. Dane Rossi offers to introduce her to his teacher at Julliard, opening up opportunities, Bea had never even considered, because she and her father rarely talk and she feels abandoned by him. A weekend trip to play for the professor changes her future, and her relationship with her teacher, causing even more secrets and confusion. She thinks she’s in love, but is she really?
I think my girls will eat this book up, but I had to keep putting it down to take a break, it made me so uncomfortable, yet I had to finish it. The author does a great job of getting into Bea’s head. Bea is filled with survivor’s guilt and liar’s guilt. She can’t talk to her dad about her dreams because that brings up painful memories for her father. Bea’s brother doesn’t want anything to do with her because he views her as the reason, his mother is dead. It’s no wonder she is vulnerable. The ending wraps up almost too quickly, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. As a parent of a seventeen-year-old girl, the whole thing just makes me enraged, from Bea’s father’s distance to her teacher’s taking advantage. But if I were alone within my family, as a seventeen-year-old girl like Bea, I might find it all very romantic. Ugh! Four stars for keeping me so engaged and angry.
I think my girls will eat this book up, but I had to keep putting it down to take a break, it made me so uncomfortable, yet I had to finish it. The author does a great job of getting into Bea’s head. Bea is filled with survivor’s guilt and liar’s guilt. She can’t talk to her dad about her dreams because that brings up painful memories for her father. Bea’s brother doesn’t want anything to do with her because he views her as the reason, his mother is dead. It’s no wonder she is vulnerable. The ending wraps up almost too quickly, and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. As a parent of a seventeen-year-old girl, the whole thing just makes me enraged, from Bea’s father’s distance to her teacher’s taking advantage. But if I were alone within my family, as a seventeen-year-old girl like Bea, I might find it all very romantic. Ugh! Four stars for keeping me so engaged and angry.
December 1, 2015
I honestly almost put this book down when Bea walks into her class and the hot young teacher at the board had a British accent......
Okay, but moving past that. Consent .... what am I to do with you? It was a short little novel that brought up some interesting ethical dilemmas and dealt with some character growth, but ultimately it didn't bring a whole lot to the table in terms of teacher-student relationships.
Beatrice Kim had some interesting dimensions to her. We definitely see some of her interesting back-history and the lies that she tells her friends makes her intriguing. I also really enjoyed the piano element and thought it added something unique to the premise. Dane also started out strong and had the makings to be different than the usual sleazy, gross teacher going after a student. Nancy Ohlin gives us the opportunity to see some of Dane's background and what makes him tick as a character, which is rather rare.
The development of their relationship moved at a good pace. On Bea's end, there was a hint of insta-love, although I think that was a fair inclusion. On Dane's side, I think we can see part of Bea's draw over him because of her unique talent, and the attraction grows from there. The slow and steady aspect made the relationship seem more realistic.
The ending was a little unexpected for me in multiple ways. Although it left me feeling jarred, I think it was in a good way because it forced me to think about what had come before. The downside was that it felt slightly rushed and hurried.
Okay, but moving past that. Consent .... what am I to do with you? It was a short little novel that brought up some interesting ethical dilemmas and dealt with some character growth, but ultimately it didn't bring a whole lot to the table in terms of teacher-student relationships.
Beatrice Kim had some interesting dimensions to her. We definitely see some of her interesting back-history and the lies that she tells her friends makes her intriguing. I also really enjoyed the piano element and thought it added something unique to the premise. Dane also started out strong and had the makings to be different than the usual sleazy, gross teacher going after a student. Nancy Ohlin gives us the opportunity to see some of Dane's background and what makes him tick as a character, which is rather rare.
The development of their relationship moved at a good pace. On Bea's end, there was a hint of insta-love, although I think that was a fair inclusion. On Dane's side, I think we can see part of Bea's draw over him because of her unique talent, and the attraction grows from there. The slow and steady aspect made the relationship seem more realistic.
The ending was a little unexpected for me in multiple ways. Although it left me feeling jarred, I think it was in a good way because it forced me to think about what had come before. The downside was that it felt slightly rushed and hurried.
May 16, 2017
I only have good things to say about this book, despite other reviews.
'Consent' by Nancy Ohlin is a very good fast read, about an almost 18-year-old student, Bea, and her teacher, Mr. Rossi. They both share a passion for music and slowly start to like each other in the process. As things start to get more intense, Bea has to discover what is true and what isn't about Dane, herself and their relationship.
The book is pretty straight forward, which is why I quite like it actually. It isn't dragged and is very enjoyable to read. I liked the characters a lot, especially Dane, and the way he is portrayed to be this kind, handsome man with a dirty secret as well.
I liked how this story isn't just your typical older man/woman dating a younger man/woman. Both Bea and Dane play the piano very well, and he truly pushed her to follow her dream. It wasn't just him trying to be nice to get in her pants, he really thought she had the potential, and gave her the encouragement she needed to pursue her passion.
I can't help to think of their romance as sweet sometimes. Despite me being against the idea of a student-teacher relationship, as a work of fiction, this I thought was very well written and an easy interesting read.
Overall, I truly enjoyed 'Consent', and am glad I picked it up.
'Consent' by Nancy Ohlin is a very good fast read, about an almost 18-year-old student, Bea, and her teacher, Mr. Rossi. They both share a passion for music and slowly start to like each other in the process. As things start to get more intense, Bea has to discover what is true and what isn't about Dane, herself and their relationship.
The book is pretty straight forward, which is why I quite like it actually. It isn't dragged and is very enjoyable to read. I liked the characters a lot, especially Dane, and the way he is portrayed to be this kind, handsome man with a dirty secret as well.
I liked how this story isn't just your typical older man/woman dating a younger man/woman. Both Bea and Dane play the piano very well, and he truly pushed her to follow her dream. It wasn't just him trying to be nice to get in her pants, he really thought she had the potential, and gave her the encouragement she needed to pursue her passion.
I can't help to think of their romance as sweet sometimes. Despite me being against the idea of a student-teacher relationship, as a work of fiction, this I thought was very well written and an easy interesting read.
Overall, I truly enjoyed 'Consent', and am glad I picked it up.
July 16, 2017
To start off i adore teacher-student love affair books, so I had a feeling I was gonna enjoy this and BOY DID I FREAKIN LOVE THIS BOOK. I had so many feels it was crazy. From the first page, I was giggling and yelling and talking to all the characters like it was happening in real life. The characters were realistic and extremely relatable. I understood the attraction and it made sense and was adorable. The relationships were high school but at times I saw them a lot more mature than high school, maybe even college like. The writing style was beautiful and made the reading even more enjoyable. I have never a book so quickly, even though towards the end I was having a panic attack, crying, and all which never happens. I did see a couple plot turns coming, but thats because I have had her experiences and thats not necessary a bad thing. I loved this and the ending was not what I wanted but it made sense, and really it made me more emotional to have it the way it ended.
AMAZING , 5/5 stars heck 10/10 stars :D
AMAZING , 5/5 stars heck 10/10 stars :D
November 21, 2015
So I'm a bookseller. I like to keep track of the "taboo" books that come out for teens because parents can be nuts. There's no way I could justify selling this to a teen. The more I think about it, I would rate this 1.5 if I could. This book felt like the author had good intentions but lost where she was going in flimsy storylines and glorifying the relationship between the two. Beatrice loses her virginity to this guy and then lies to the police to save their relationship but finds out he drunkenly had sex with another underage girl, who lied about her age and looked older, And that is unacceptable to her! It's laughable. Especially since he obviously loves her and after she turns eighteen, keeps helping her and trying to talk with her. Ultimately, this book was about a girl who lusted after her teacher and then used him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2016
I read this book because I'm expanding my "tough topics" and had heard good things about this book and its approach to statutory rape.
Yet another absentee parent(s) in YA. Dead mother, emotionally (and mostly physically) checked out father.
I didn't really understand why she was lying to people about piano lessons, and I felt like the reason behind her not being able to practice was not adequately explained, or at least not put in the right part of the narrative.
Until his previous affair was revealed at the end, I felt that the teacher was being ridiculously indiscreet. If you know this is illegal, and at the very least a fireable offence WHY ON EARTH would you HAVE SEX in a CLASSROOM with a WINDOW!
The investigation seemed really rushed and I was surprised and disappointed to find who had turned them in. I did like the slight reconnection with her father at the end.
Yet another absentee parent(s) in YA. Dead mother, emotionally (and mostly physically) checked out father.
I didn't really understand why she was lying to people about piano lessons, and I felt like the reason behind her not being able to practice was not adequately explained, or at least not put in the right part of the narrative.
Until his previous affair was revealed at the end, I felt that the teacher was being ridiculously indiscreet. If you know this is illegal, and at the very least a fireable offence WHY ON EARTH would you HAVE SEX in a CLASSROOM with a WINDOW!
The investigation seemed really rushed and I was surprised and disappointed to find who had turned them in. I did like the slight reconnection with her father at the end.
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