Joyce Carol Oates

Dust Jacket Blurb

It was in November, a Thursday after swim practice. The thing with Mr. Tracy, Darren's English teacher.
The thing was how Darren would think of it afterward.
The thing that was vague and not-named.
The thing that hadn't happened, anyway.
(Had it?)

Darren Flynn has the perfect life—until that day in November.

After that day, after what happened (did it happen?), life is different. Darren is different. Nothing is as it was—before. His friends, his family, even the people who are supposed to be in charge are no longer who Darren thought they were. Who can he trust, now?

This compelling, masterfully written novel by acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates explores one teenager's search for identity in a complex, deceiving world, and the answers he finds in the most unexpected places.

Excerpt

This year, his junior year at North Falls High, when Darren Flynn's life cracked in two.

Sixteen but sometimes he felt younger. Thirteen, or twelve.

But sometimes he felt older, too. Kind of fed up, burned-out, so many people looking at Darren Flynn in expectation of—what?

Good work, Darren. But you can do Better.

Coach Ellroy was always saying this. Darren knew it was a compliment; definitely Coach didn't say this to all the guys. Still, it stuck in his head. As Darren dragged himself out of the pool streaming water, streaming hair down into his face, sucking for air like he'd almost drowned.

...can do better.
You can do better.

Reviews

Booklikst, February 1, 2005, p. 954
Publishers Weekly, February 7, 2005, p. 61
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, February 8, 2005

Other Editions

paperback

Sexy

by Joyce Carol Oates

New York: HarperTempest, 2005

263 pages

Dust Jacket Blurb

Excerpt

Reviews

Other Editions

A Guide to Teaching JCO's Young Adult Literature