inkbunnie's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved it!!! the story follows a high school senior who begins to develop feelings for her music teacher after he is floored by het piano talent. Her mother didnt survive her birth and both her brother and her father blame her for. to the point where she cant even play piano in their presence because it reminds them too much of her mother.
then she meets Dane and he helps change her entire outlook on her collegiate future. their romance blossoms to fast after a super sloe start and while bea thinks shes in love she may not be the only one. i wish the conclusion gave more closure but it was an interesting look at consent through the eyes of an almost 18 year old when the age of consent in my state is 16.
definitely recommend.
then she meets Dane and he helps change her entire outlook on her collegiate future. their romance blossoms to fast after a super sloe start and while bea thinks shes in love she may not be the only one. i wish the conclusion gave more closure but it was an interesting look at consent through the eyes of an almost 18 year old when the age of consent in my state is 16.
definitely recommend.
elmmom02's review against another edition
2.0
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.
theawkwardbookw's review against another edition
2.0
Want to see more from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCferU-BCL2dlFjWdD0rS75Q/videos
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.
chrissymcbooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
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.
juliaamaee's review against another edition
1.0
1/5 stars
i’ve had this book for a while and i knew i wasn’t going to be a fan so i decided to read/skim it so i could part with it. the trope is gross and problematic and the writing is a bit messy. i felt like conflict was never resolved or resolved in the worst way possible? and the “emotions” gave me whiplash. that is all.
i’ve had this book for a while and i knew i wasn’t going to be a fan so i decided to read/skim it so i could part with it. the trope is gross and problematic and the writing is a bit messy. i felt like conflict was never resolved or resolved in the worst way possible? and the “emotions” gave me whiplash. that is all.
bibliophilogy's review
3.0
3.75 but its not a 4 star so i gave this a 3 star rating.
the plot was in my opinion weird as i have no idea where it was going and i sorta think it changed its direction in the middle(?) but im fine with it though. writing style was my favorite and after all this time, i still cant deal with the protagonist hiding a not-so-secretive-secret and it annoys me a lot! but overall everything was pretty good and im happy with how everything ended.
one thing i need to point out is the relationship between Dane and Bea. almost when we get ot the end, i personally think that how the thing happened and how it was ended is so weird(?) like suddenly everything was cut off and the story moved on to another stage. for me, i want some more explanation and how the two reacted to the thing.
the plot was in my opinion weird as i have no idea where it was going and i sorta think it changed its direction in the middle(?) but im fine with it though. writing style was my favorite and after all this time, i still cant deal with the protagonist hiding a not-so-secretive-secret and it annoys me a lot! but overall everything was pretty good and im happy with how everything ended.
one thing i need to point out is the relationship between Dane and Bea. almost when we get ot the end, i personally think that how the thing happened and how it was ended is so weird(?) like suddenly everything was cut off and the story moved on to another stage. for me, i want some more explanation and how the two reacted to the thing.
stenaros's review
3.0
Story of piano prodigy who connects with her music appreciation teacher during her senior year in high school. Opens many avenues for discussion of what must be termed statutory rape, no matter how much someone is into the idea. It does all this while also telling an interesting story and managing not to go the easy route of demonizing the teacher.
carleneinspired's review
4.0
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.