NB: NOT for everyone. Almost finished high school, Josh Mendel is plagued with decisions to make – about his present, his future, and particularly his past, which was scarred by a widely-known secret he resolves to confront again. Josh’s early pubescence made him conspicuous amongst his hormone... more

NB: NOT for everyone. Almost finished high school, Josh Mendel is plagued with decisions to make – about his present, his future, and particularly his past, which was scarred by a widely-known secret he resolves to confront again. Josh’s early pubescence made him conspicuous amongst his hormone-ridden peers, and he was thrilled by his teacher’s attentive friendship until it skewed into a sexual relationship both inappropriate and manipulative, ending in her imprisonment. I loved this novel. An odd reaction, maybe, to a saga of misused power and sexual abuse, but Josh's character is so tenderly written; I love the unquestioning and unquestioned closeness between him and his friend Zik; and the gradual unfolding of the truth about his relationship with Eve the teacher is measured, allowing the reader to understand his feelings and reasons and to feel as deeply as Josh did. The entire sequence of events could have been sensationalised but instead they were peeled open almost lovingly, with recognisable adolescent humour. This is the first account I've read that was utterly clear sighted about teacher-student sexuality, that showed adolescent wish-fulfilment in a realistic and powerless situation. Boy Toy delves into the betrayal of innocence & trust, and the disclosure of Josh’s entrenched feelings of misplaced guilt had me in tears. Probably the very people who might want it restricted are those who should read it and see the relevance and ultimate hope within. Unsettling theme notwithstanding, such a superbly crafted exploration of teenage sexual vulnerability deserves to be read and openly discussed.