……..Nelson's debut is worthy of acclaim… a bird's-eye view of the forbidden and fascinating relationship between a high-school student and her teacher, a subject previously unexplored to this depth in YA literature ……unflinchingly honest….Contemporary and compelling……

-Kirkus

…...it was the writing that blew me away. So many pages of this galley are now dog-eared-marking passages that I know I'll want to re-read……perfectly captures the awkwardness and grace of a teenager teetering on the cusp of adulthood……

-Publishers Weekly Galley Talk

…..keeps readers gripped until the very last word…..approaches the line of what defines groundbreaking, controversial YA fiction --- and barrels right through it…..this tornado of a book illuminates a number of haunting life questions and shocking answers that will gnaw away at readers' consciences long after the final page has been turned….

-TeenReads.com Best of 2005

....by turns exhilarating and terrifying, poetic and scientific.... redeemed by the force of Nine's personality, which infuses the book with grit and humor… Nelson's vivid, hypnotic prose never falters....

-Horn Book Newcomer's Pick

…..I never thought I would become so emotionally involved in a book about a student's affair with her teacher. Highly recommended to teens wanting something more from their books than just pretty pink covers….

-BookSense Fall Kid's Picks 2005

…..This standout debut novel owes much to the engaging narrative voice of Nine…..the loaded subject matter will draw in readers, and the stellar writing and careful pacing will keep them reading. Nine's voice echoes long after the story is finished, making this novel one not to be missed……

-VOYA

….Nelson treads new territory here, and she does some things remarkably for a first novelist……eloquently captures both the yearning that comes with loving someone who doesn't seem attainable and the utter despair when the affair ends…..

-Booklist

……wonderfully eloquent and full of poetic references and wry humor……juicy and cautionary without being preachy, which gives it wide teen appeal…

-School Library Journal

…….a compelling study of human dynamics gone terribly awry…… it might give second thoughts to the occasional yearning upperclassman making eyes at the guy up at the blackboard….

-The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

……With prose on fire …Nelson's strength lies in pushing through the superficial shock value of his plot…..Nine is one of those characters I wish I could know in real life, someone I wish, sometimes, I could have been….

-Andi Diehn for curled up with a good kid's book

.....the first chapter alone is worth the price of the book and will be rubbed in our noses repeatedly as a model of how to grab a reader and write intelligently for teens…

-Sue Corbett, Miami Herald and author of 12 Again

……hell hath no fury like a teenage girl scorned… The writing is rich and ripe, dripping with entendre and layered with symbols…….The book as a whole is smart ….not a novel for the faint of heart….Nine's raw voice carries us through to a mouth-hanging-open-catching-flies climax…

-Hip librarians bookblog

….a raw and dazzling portrait of obsession and betrayal…..

-Holly Black, bestselling author of Tithe and Valiant

…..a poetic and majestic novel about life, discovery and love……a powerful and enchanting story, and immensely difficult to put down. An alluring writing style keeps the reader hooked for more and not wanting it to end all at the same time. ….

-Hot Lava Pelepub reviews

…….mania and obsession expertly captured……Snippets of Emily Dickinson's poetry are included throughout to great effect……

-LIBRARIANNE

….Nelson has tackled a tough, taboo subject with eloquence and emotions that seem very real. Perhaps a groundbreaking work in the world of YA fiction…

-Bookworm Reading Advocate

…..characters were impeccably drawn……the heart of Nine's saga is obsession….an absorbing study of why and how a young woman would allow herself to get into such a risky entanglement….addresses a sensitive subject without pulling any punches…

-Avengingsybil.com

……Nelson shows courage in tackling a controversial topic-the sexual relationship between a teacher and high-school student……

-Publishers Weekly

...high-drama, suffused with…..Fatal-Attraction-like hysteria…

-TEENVOGUE

…..a revenge that John Waters and Stephen King might envy……It's easy, and terrifying, to see how little it would take for the pieces to fall in place…… another must-read for teens….

-Denver Post

…….Raw, poetic, and addictive…..a story about desire, seduction, and the burn of betrayal. Nelson's writing has a visceral power…..Nine, will suck you in with her musings on life and love and then astound you with her ideas of vengeance…..filled with poetry and suspense, I was hooked and could not stop turning pages…..

-Laurie Stolarz, bestselling author of Bleed and the Blue is for Nightmares series