So Much It Hurts

So Much It Hurts

Monique Polak

$12.95, Softcover

Orca, 2013

978-1459801363

Genre: Realistic, Romance 

Age: 14+

Description: Iris is an aspiring actress. When Mick, a well-known visiting Aussie director and friend of her drama teacher, takes an interest in her, she's super flattered. She also realizes, during his personal attention, that he is 14 years older than her but good looking, intelligent, and charming. He is definitely nothing like her hapless ex-boyfriend, Tommy. So it is no surprise to Iris when she and Mick start a secret relationship. However, she soon is on the receiving side of Mick's darker side, and it scares her. Soon she is the target of his anger and she makes excuses for him. Iris soon finds herself struggling at school where she is preparing for her role as Ophelia. When Mick finally asks for her to go to Australia with him, Iris needs to evaluate what really matters in her life.

Opinion: Overall this was an average book if you like the student/teacher affair plot lines. I don’t really have all that much to say about it. It didn’t really add anything new to the plate of these stories. However, I will make a note that I found it kind of odd that no one really even questioned the relationship when it was known. Her parents finally figured out that she wasn’t spending the night at her best friend’s house all the time (that she was, in effect, living with Mick) and she had contact with a previous girlfriend and Mick’s and even her drama teacher (who had also dated him) just gave her warnings to be careful. No one called the police or anything. I don’t care if she was 17 (I think)—he is still her teacher and, therefore, their relationship is inappropriate. 

Thanks to the people at Egmont for the ARC for the YALSA YA Galley Group!