I received a eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

The idea of this story had so much potential, controversial yes, but still if executed properly could be told well. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. The main Character in my opinion was annoying and contradictory. there was no clear build up or climax. every male (student or not) seemed to want her. the story was all over the place, not giving a clear jump between memory and current events leaving you confused and having to re read things all the time. 

This book definitely wasn't for me

Not really my type of book. Do not think teachers should date students. I know other people loved this one but it was not my favorite.

Indecent by Corinne Sullivan is about Imogene Abney, a first-year teaching apprentice at a prestigious all-boys boarding school. Imogene finds herself in the orbit of a generation of future leaders, boys from wealthy families who have never heard the word no before. Before long, Imogene begins an affair with one of these boys. The story follows this 'relationship' and its inevitable end. 

The content of this book will definitely turn some people away, but as I've written before in previous reviews, I like dark. A story of a teacher having an affair with a student is definitely dark, and Sullivan really delves into the darkness and the hysteria that this affair causes Imogene. Imogene is the narrator and she tries to convince the reader, as well as herself, that she is in a love story. But I wasn't buying it. Imogene isn't in a love story novel. This book is a character study of a woman on the verge of a total mental and life breakdown. 

My major problem with the book was that I couldn't stand Imogene. She has a serious inferiority complex as well as a serious superiority complex. She makes some of the dumbest decisions I've ever seen a character make. She is the instigator of her own destruction but doesn't seem to grasp her own culpability. I think that Sullivan does a good job of showing that Imogene is not necessarily a villain, but rather naive, immature, and generally lost. I just couldn't connect with Imogene and her insistence that her salvation lay with this one teenage boy. Every time Imogene imagined what her future would be like with Kip, I wanted to punch her.

While I didn't have any objection to the content of the book (in my opinion, fiction is a great place to discuss these taboo subjects without hurting actual victims), I found Imogene so insufferable that it tainted the book for me.

Recommended for people who like books on taboo subjects but who are not bothered by really dumb characters.

An interesting character exploration into a 22 year-old teaching assistant having an affair with a 17 boy at a private school. It touches on issues of class, power, sexual/emotional maturity and more, but focuses mainly as a character study of Imogene. I would have liked to have seen it go deeper into the bigger issues, but would recommend it to people that really like character-driver stories.

A wonderful, difficult and sometimes infuriating debut novel from Corinne Sullivan. Indecent really got me thinking about morality and responsibility as it explores the relationship between Imogene, an extremely naive teaching assistant in her early twenties, and Adam, a 17-year-old student she unwisely becomes involved with. It is easy to judge Imogene, but as the story unfolds and we see the toll this relationship takes on her mental health, expectations are subverted. I felt a great deal for the characters and was captivated by the campus setting. I would recommend this to readers who enjoyed Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld and The Idiot by Elif Batuman.

At the time I binge read this, but now a few weeks later, I honestly can not remember a thing about it. That is the reason for the 3 stars.

I'll be honest: I originally didn't plan on reading Corinne Sullivan's Indecent. The synopsis and cover didn't draw me. Everything changed, however, the day I saw Courtney Summers (one of my favorite authors ever!!) raving about it on Instagram/Twitter. I figured that if Courtney loved it then I would probably love it as well (see, word of mouth works!!), and as it turns out, I was 100% correct. I'm so glad I took a chance on this book.

Indecent is by no means an easy read. It dives head first into an incredibly controversial topic - student-teacher relationships. However, Corinne did a fantastic job of handing it - she didn't stray away from the consequences nor did she glamorize the relationship.

Indecent introduces Imogene, a young twenty-something embarking on her first post-graudation job, and Adam "Kip" Kipling, a senior at Imogene's school.

When the book first begin, I thought I had everything figured out: Imogene would be the ultimate bad guy. However, I could never quite see her that way. Yes, she did something bad, and no, I didn't agree with her choices and actions...but the lines were slightly blurred. Instead of a villain I saw a young woman who was incredibly troubled as well as lost. Imogene needed professional help and guidance, and throughout the book, I hoped that she would seek that out. Imogene is so incredibly uncomfortable in her own skin, and honestly, she appeared more like a pre-teen than an adult, especially when it came to her viewpoints of relationships. In some respects, I could see why she would develop a relationship with one of her students. I think in her head she thought she was making up for what she missed in high school, developing a relationship with the privileged bad boy. Kip was also an interesting character. I can't say I truly liked him. He was incredibly pompous and arrogant; however, at the same time, I felt bad for him as well. He's just as desperate for love and affection as Imogene is; however, he wasn't looking for it in the right places. Also no matter how you spin it, he was a victim.

Indecent's plot primarily focuses on Imogene's new job, her relationship with Kip, and her deteriorating mental health. I thought Corinne did a fantastic job of developing the boarding school. It was incredibly easy to picture, and I especially liked the wide variety of characters it introduced. It was also interesting to see the dynamics that a boarding school brings about. Imogene's relationship with Kip and her mental health tie together, as the further enthralled Imogene becomes with Kip, the more she begins to lose her sense of reality and her set of morals. The ending of this novel was interesting. It ended as I expected it would; however, it also somewhat allows the reader to decide where the characters go next. 

Gritty as well as thought provoking, Indecent is an interesting tale of loneliness, forbidden attraction, and an all-consuming first love. I'll be curious to hear other people's opinions when the book is released.

*This review will be published on Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf on Saturday, March 3, 2018.

Indecent by Corinne Sullivan a new to me author.  The book wasn't what I expected but I still enjoyed reading it.  Enjoyed the setting and the characters.  Look forward to reading more by this author.

I'm going to be 100% completely honest and say this book was not my cup of tea. After I got the real gist of what was happening in this book, I skimmed through until the end because if I read it in detail, I would be too freaked out to continue.

First of all, I wanted to throttle Imogene most of the time. She clearly wasn't in her right mind when she started a secret relationship with a student. She risked everything and for what? So she can sleep with a boy who looks at her a certain way? Don't forget that the boy is a STUDENT at a school where she's training to become a TEACHER. I'm honestly at a loss for words at how dhshfdja I am about this scenario.

However, there's a catch. Despite this huge over-hanging issue, whether you're disturbed by the content or not, you cant put the book down. Corinne Sullivan captured the taboo and was unapologetic about it. And I'm going to admit that at some points I was hooked, fascinated by something that isn't in the usual mainstream.

Indecent will be for some people, and it will be the complete opposite for others. Check it out to see which one you are.

Found this story to lack interest. No wow factor. Lack of scandal for the story. Main character lacked any sort of appeal.

The font in this book was so small that I was not able to read it.  I only read on Adobe Digital.  I could not make the font larger.  I hope the book is a success and I apologize for my lack of input.

Indecent by Corinne Sullivan begins with a rather idyllic look at the privileged teenaged boys attending a private boarding school, a view akin to Old School by Tobias Wolff, which is also mentioned in the book. Imogene, a middle class girl fromBuffalo, New York, fantasizes from an early age about attending such a school with all its connotations of wealth and status. With body dysmorophic problems, bad skin, conical boobs, Imogene feels isolated. Her love life has been a bust. After graduating from college, she accepts a position as a teaching assistant at Vandenberg School for Boys, an all-boys prep school in Westchester, New York. When Adam Kipling, a popular, charming seventeen-year-old boy, seduces her, Imogene convinces herself that he loves her as much as she loves him. The reader feels the rumble of the train coming down the tracks but is helpless to keep Imogene from being hit by the train of her obsession with Kip.

#Indecent is described as a “smart, sexy, debut” that “shatters the black-and- white nature of victimhood, taking a close look at blame and moral ambiguity.” 

I found it to be perp fiction about a female teaching apprentice’s desperate sexual relationship with a 17 year old prep school student. Nothing morally ambiguous
about that.

Thanks (??) @NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC.

Oh my glob how much do I love books like these. I know, I know you probably find me disgusting.  Guess what? I don’t really care.

Meet Imogene.  She's a little boy crazy.  She also has a pretty severe case of arrested development.  Imogene spent her high school days dreaming about leaving her ho-hum, middleclass life behind in order to attend a prestigious boarding school. When offered a job as a teaching apprentice at Vandenberg School for Boys after college, she jumps at the chance. What follows is the story of Imogene’s tenure at said school and her various interpersonal relationships – one in particular that readers won’t soon forget . . . . 

“This was a bad habit of mine, falling in love.” 

When this sucker popped up on my feed from St. Martin’s Press I knew I had to get my hands on a copy. Luckily, ARCs were available for request over on NetGalley and trust me when I said I clicked that button so quick smoke was probably flying off my fingertips. As a mother, believe me when I say if I ever even got a hint that one of their teachers was trying to have an inappropriate relationship with them I’d press charges so quick their head would spin and I’d probably wind up in jail for kicking all of the ass while waiting for the cops to get there. But when it comes to a work of fiction????  I can’t help myself. I love reading about the taboo. And this one? What a debut! The combination of Imogene’s age in relation to the students, her position of authority not necessarily being that authoritative, her lack of self-awareness/ability to interact with others and the smarm which was Kip all amounted to some serious blurred lines and I just couldn’t help but feel sorry for Imogene at times while simultaneously cringing at her behavior.

(Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that cover.  Perfect)

Recommended to all y’all weirdos. You know who you are.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC I was quite excited to read it.

Indecent tells the story of Imogene, a 22-year-old who's serving as a teaching apprentice at an all-boys boarding school, who has an affair with one of the students.

This isn't something I would normally rush to read, but it sounded interesting.  

Corinne Sullivan is a talented writer and the narrative wove together nicely. We got glimpses of the near past intertwined with Imogene's nostalgia about college or even high school. Everything fit well together and held my attention. I was curious to see how she struck up a relationship with a student, and I was interested to learn how it would unfold.

The characters and actions all unfolded in a way that was fascinating and worthwhile. The book is a good one, and it earns its praise thanks to Sullivan's techniques.

Indecent is a complicated but binge-worthy read that will have readers anxiously gripping the pages. Overall, I enjoyed this one and would certainly read more from the author in the future. But I have to get over the misguided and somewhat cringe-worthy characters (who I LOVED) beforehand. 

Recommended.

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an Arc of this book</i>

Where do I begin? Let’s start with the main character Imogene. She was severely flawed and incredibly weak when it came to asserting her authority. It was exhausting at times especially when I felt people walk all over her but, I do know there are people in the world like her so it felt very real. I felt hurt for her and some of the horrible self-deluded decisions she made. I like Kip but I also didn’t like him just like her. Adam ‘Kip’ Kipling was an illusion she didn’t really know the real him and I feel that’s what lead to her demise. She fell into this delusional trap of what she wanted to see and couldn’t see the warning signs of where the relationship was headed like the reader could. I want to hate him but the outcome makes sense because he’s a boy. He’s not a man and although his actions where ass-holeish in the end and pretty much throughout he really just acted like any young boy would. 

I loved her friend Chaplin because she was exciting and self assertive and confident. She knew who she was and was really the one person on Imogene’s team even when she didn’t realize it. The other characters were just background noise and not memorable. 

Student-teacher relationships never work and all though this wasn’t an illegal one it’s still frowned upon. The problem with this relationship to be honest is you really have to question who took advantage of who. She was five years older than him. 22 to his 17 but the cards were always in his hand. He perused her, he asserted himself into her life, he decided when and where they would see each other, and he’s the one who decides when it would all set into flames.

I didn’t care for the background info we got a lot it was boring and tedious to read. The language and writing style was ok not the best but not the worst. It was an easy read and fast as well. Nothing was shocking that happened so you won’t get any OMG moment besides maybe finding out how the whole ordeal ended which was also anticlimactic and kind of weak. But it was enjoyable enough to read and finish. And I would be interested to see if the author wrote a follow up story in Adam’s POV.

I liked this book, the writing, and first person narration. Imogene, the main character, however was kind of messed up and immature.  She had little experience with the opposite sex.  She is a teachers apprentice at a private boarding school for boys and she enters into a relationship with a 17 yo student, while legal, still not really moral.  She seems obsessed with him and he with her for awhile, but he moves on and she doesnt.  That part is tough, her dismissal as a TA, her depression.  But I think she will be ok once she gets over him and moves on to a different occupation.   Imogene just needs to live and experience more.  I thought the writing and story were interesting and Ir enjoyed the book.  Not a topic for everyone.  Kind of one of those books where you wonder why the main character is making such terrible choices, but you want to to know what happens regardless....reels you in!

I didn't think I was going to give this ARC four stars, but the story which, at first, felt so cliché (male student, female teacher) really grew on me and definitely elicited a riot of emotions: disgust, embarrassment, understanding, compassion, anger, frustration ... The heroine is a pale and not very likable character, and it isn't too hard to see why she fell for and became utterly obsessed with the confident and charming prep school student. Throughout the relationship, he was the one in control. In the end, Imogene realizes that "it was never really about Kip" (a fact that the reader recognized a lot earlier), but we are left guessing whether Imogene will be able to address and overcome her issues. I will definitely recommend this book to readers. (less)

Shy, introverted Imogene Abney has always been fascinated by the elite world of prep schools, having secretly longed to attend one since she was a girl in Buffalo, New York. So, shortly after her college graduation, when she’s offered a teaching position at the Vandenberg School for Boys, an all-boys prep school in Westchester, New York, she immediately accepts, despite having little teaching experience—and very little experience with boys.
When Imogene meets handsome, popular Adam Kipling a few weeks into her tenure there, a student who exudes charm and status and ease, she’s immediately drawn to him. Who is this boy who flirts with her without fear of being caught? Who is this boy who seems immune to consequences and worry; a boy for whom the world will always provide?
As an obsessive, illicit affair begins between them, Imogene is so lost in the haze of first love that she’s unable to recognize the danger she’s in. The danger of losing her job. The danger of losing herself in the wrong person. The danger of being caught doing something possibly illegal and so indecent.
Exploring issues of class, sex, and gender, this smart, sexy debut by Corrine Sullivan shatters the black-and-white nature of victimhood, taking a close look at blame and moral ambiguity.
I wanted to love this book and was eager to start. Corrine writes in such a way that every passage is easy to understand and absorb. However, it took quite a few chapters to get used to the borderline pornographic description and thoughts Imogene had, which often made me feel uncomfortable reading. I found myself switching between liking, hating and feeling sorry for both the main characters: Imogene and Adam. Imogene at times appeared to be have so many issues and idiosyncrasies, that I was often left wondering if she had some form of autism. I found it difficult to believe that she could be that sheltered throughout her life, she couldn’t understand basic concepts and failed to have no sense of personal responsibility. Both the characters grated on my nerves at times and I often wanted to yell at Imogene to get her crap together…but I kept reading as the writing was persuasive.
Overall what did I think? I’m honestly not too sure….even days after I finished reading this book I am not sure if I loved it or hated it! What I do know though…is Corrine’s debut novel is an amazing effort and shows a writing style many experienced authors fail to get right.

ARC supplied by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.