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The Abstinence Teacher

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The Abstinence Teacher

by Tom Perrotta
691 members / 0 friends / 6 groups / 58 reviews / 87 tags

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  • 0 votes
    Member Review
    Deb G

    deb g

    • Rated 3 stars
    21 books / 1 friends / 0 groups

    I had high hopes for a book exploring the issues of evangelical Christianity, divorce and views of sex, especially through the lens of relationship, but was disappointed. The issues were introduced, but never really engaged by the characters, and the ending was abrupt, disappointing and really could have been the starting point for a much more compelling book.

    deb g posted this review 3 days ago.
  • 0 votes
    Member Review
    Vannessagrace

    vannessagrace

    • Rated 4 stars
    2155 books / 24 friends / 6 groups

    Religion is a challenging subject to tackle with someone who believes as you do but the true challenge is when you tackle it with someone who has no use for it. Ruth Ramsey has no use for religion and becomes upset when the head coach of her daughter’s soccer team starts to include prayer. Tim Mason, a washed up Grateful Dead lover, alcohol abuser and former drug addict loses his wife and daughter. He’s converted by charismatic Pastor Dennis and for a while he buys into the religion. The charismatic Pastor Dennis attends a wedding where his wife is a bridesmaid and seated at a table with men without a date. One of the men is offended by the preacher’s conversation and goes to the bathroom to escape Pastor Dennis who follows the man into the bathroom. The man beats up Pastor Dennis and the pastor converts him. Later the man realizes that it wasn’t God who made him want to change as Pastor Dennis had said but something inside him. He leaves the church. Tim marries a woman recommended by Pastor Dennis though he doesn’t love her but he thought it was the Christian thing to do. As time goes on Tim evaluates his faith and realizes he no longer buys into the religion. Ruth is a Health teacher who teaches sex education. She tells it like it is and is told she has to stop because they’re going to try a new program called Abstinence. She doesn’t buy into the program and is told the next year she’ll teach remedial math. While Tim is trying to come to terms with being a Man of God, he constantly finds himself on Ruth’s doorstep. The attraction between the two is one they try to ignore.

    vannessagrace posted this review 6 days ago.
  • 0 votes
    Member Review
    chodgens

    chodgens

    • Rated 4 stars
    861 books / 98 friends / 25 groups

    Amazing!

    This story was really well-done. It revolves around the lives of 2 characters - a sex ed. teacher and a former addict turned Christian.

    Perrotta really showed the reader how easily towns can be taken over by Evangelicals, and I can see how Christians find parts of this book offensive.

    I, on the other hand, loved the entire book. I thought he needed just 2 more pages to tie up the end.

    chodgens posted this review 2 weeks ago.
  • 0 votes
    Member Review
    dorothy f

    dorothy f

    • Rated 5 stars
    50 books / 1 friends / 0 groups

    My favorite book of 2008 so far.

    dorothy f posted this review 2 weeks ago.
  • 0 votes
    Member Review
    Jennifer L

    jennifer l

    • Rated 3 stars
    121 books / 4 friends / 0 groups

    I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it was because I was distracted by other life events.

    jennifer l posted this review 2 weeks ago.
  • 0 votes
    Member Review
    Starlet

    starlet

    • Rated 4 stars
    363 books / 58 friends / 24 groups

    This book was a relaxed read -- I loved the dialog as it was so realistic. Ruth, one of major characters, was thinking and saying what I would be (or would have liked to). She was pretty strong but at the same time so full of self doubt that others couldn't really detect. I just liked the book and it had an above average ending (so hard to find those it seems) and the narrator was perfect.

    starlet posted this review Thursday, June 5 2008.
  • 0 votes
    Member Review
    scott e. pantz

    scott e. pantz

    • Rated 3 stars
    20 books / 4 friends / 0 groups

    Okay, even though there were too many adjectives and adverbs in every sentence; and even though the author was pandering to a lefty liberal audience; I couldn't put it down. I like Ruth best and wished there was more of her. The story stayed with me well after I put it down.

    scott e. pantz posted this review Sunday, May 25 2008.
  • 0 votes
    Member Review
    Crysta B

    crysta b

    • Rated 1 stars
    533 books / 26 friends / 2 groups

    What a big, fat, HUGE waste of time!!

    crysta b posted this review Thursday, May 22 2008.
  • 0 votes
    Member Review
    Catherine D

    catherine d

    • Rated 3 stars
    36 books / 6 friends / 0 groups

    not what I thought it was going to be about ... read for book club ... maybe not what I would have read on my own

    catherine d posted this review Thursday, May 15 2008.
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