PREY
Lurlene McDaniel
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Fiction
ISBN: 9780385734530
208 pages

When you read an article in the newspaper about a relationship between a high school student and his teacher, everything seems pretty straightforward. It's obvious that the teacher is always in the wrong, that the student is always the victim, and it's always a tragedy for all parties involved. Always, the student is psychologically damaged and requires therapy. Always, the teacher deserves to go to prison.

These are easy thoughts for all of us to have, but high school freshman Ryan Piccoli doesn't see things so black and white.

Everyone at McAllister High is talking about the new World History teacher, Ms. Lori Settles. She's a good teacher, no doubt, but she's also known for dressing in stiletto heels and shapely skirts. The gossip among the freshman class doesn't concern the head cheerleader anymore. It's all about Stiletto Settles. When Ryan walks into his first-period World History from Ancient to Modern Times class, he echoes all the boys' sentiments when he finds his teacher stunning. Ryan's smart mouth lands him a seat in the first row and a lot of envy from his male classmates. His mouth also gets him noticed by Ms. Settles, but not in the way teachers are supposed to notice their students.

Ryan's female classmates, including his best friend Honey, are less than impressed. As far as they're concerned, Ms. Settles is at best a regular teacher who dresses too inappropriately. What annoys Honey about Ms. Settles the most is not her clothes but how Ryan looks at her. Honey has had a crush on Ryan since forever, and she knows the way he looks and acts when something is distracting him. Since the beginning of the school year, Ryan has been keeping secrets from Honey, and Honey is determined to find out what they are.

Lori brings out all the parts of Ryan he wishes other people would see. She tells him he's mature and sensitive, and she provides for him emotionally where his father cannot. Lori knows exactly what she has to do to seduce Ryan, and she succeeds in her actions. Ryan wants Lori, and he doesn't care what his affair with her does to his grades, his friendships, or his spare time. They work hard to keep their relationship a secret, as Ryan knows the consequences of being discovered, but all it takes is one mistake for everything to come unraveled.

Predator or prey? For Lori, Ryan and Honey there is no simple answer. Lori and Ryan’s need for each other is complex, rooted in childhood tragedies and the damage caused by long-kept secrets. In the end, Ryan and Lori must answer for what they’ve done, but as you’ll learn from them, acknowledging responsibility and actually taking it are two very different things. Because after all, love shouldn’t come with punishments. Should it?

    --- Reviewed by Carlie Webber

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