Author: Rafeeq O. McGiveron
Release: February 14, 2014
Series:
Genre: Romance
Edition: Kindle
Pages: 423
Publisher: CreateSpace
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon

Blurb

With a loving wife and three young children, the glib, cocky, but well-liked Rick O’Donnell seems to have a promising future ahead of him.

Yet the gifted doctoral student also hides a desperate secret: The previous spring, during a difficult time in his marriage, when it seemed his wife would scarcely even look at him anymore, the lonely man fell into a brief, passionate affair with a beautiful girl who had been his own student just the semester before, and who now is a fellow teaching assistant in the English Department, with an office right down the hall from his.

Rick’s interactions with the intelligent, sable-haired Lauren actually had been completely professional when she was in his own class, and after ending the affair that unexpectedly followed, he has committed himself most purposefully to his marriage once again. But now a simple clerical error suddenly brings the attention of Rick’s supercilious and overbearing supervisor. Unless the young man can head off the looming investigation by proving, quickly and conclusively, that there truly had been no hint of favoritism in his professional actions, surely the unrelated but equally damning affair will be revealed. His once-promising career, his marriage, and perhaps even his life itself all are in grave danger.

Sensual, poignant, and introspective, “Student Body” is a frank and intimate character study of hubris, desire, and yet also devotion. Witty and allusive and lyrical, filled with sensitivity and selfishness and self-reproach, the novel explores life and death and guilt and redemption. In a way, Rick’s choices have been made long before, for good or for ill, but it is this harrowing week and a half which will decide the deeply conflicted man’s entire future…

Rating

Review

Okay, rating this book was hard. At first I read 50% of the book and left it as I couldn’t finish it. I really don’t like to not finish a book. I picked up the book again and this time I got to about 80% and I decided it was time to stop. The Characters are too fragile for my taste and the main character (Rick) is just forgettable.

The main character goes over and over (and over) all the details of the affair he had with a student (Lauren), even though he had a promising career, kids and a wife. Now that he was investigated for a horrible crime, everything he did can come out and ruin everything.

The author did a great job at showing us his chaotic emotions and how tormented he felt, but I guess I didn’t get it. It was full of regret and strong emotions written beautifully but the true emotions were missing. I couldn’t feel anything that Rick was feeling.

I am truly sorry as I don’t like to shut a book down, but for me this book wasn’t working. It felt as if I forcing myself to read and for me reading is joy, fun and excitement.

You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.

Other Stuff

Opening Line: “Rick O’Donnell, suddenly let down as the welcome distraction of the teaching ceased, busied himself erasing the chalkboard and shuffling his books together while his sophomore English class filed out.”

Review contributor:

Galit Balli

I am an avid reader, coffee addict, a writer and a blogger. I am a bit of agoraphobic (people scare me, lol). Me and my hubby love to spend every moment together, we even game together.

I live mostly in my own imaginary world full of dragons, magic and vampires and from time to time I pull myself away to deal with the real world.

Read more about Galit here.