McDaniel (Don't Die, My Love
) forsakes her typical weeper for a cautionary tale about a high school freshman seduced by his history teacher. On the first day of class, Ryan “locks eyes” with the stiletto-wearing, cleavage-baring Ms. Settles (“I feel heat”) and watches her bend over a desk drawer (“The sweaterdress hugs her backside, and I want to do the same”). Describing the same encounter, the teacher says, “I stare at him and the room seems to recede. A halo of light encircles him and suddenly, I know... he'll be the One.” The two become sexually involved and mutually obsessed, arousing the suspicions (and jealousy) of Ryan's longtime friend Honey, who wishes she were his girlfriend. McDaniel furnishes the souped-up drama her fans crave, and even the denouement has its soapy excess (Ryan, about to be reunited with the now-vilified and convicted Ms. Settles, asks, “Which of us is the predator and which the prey?”). Readers interested in a more sophisticated, psychologically astute treatment of the same subject should see last fall's Boy Toy
by Barry Lyga (Reviews, Sept. 3, 2007). Ages 12-up. (Feb.)
