Seventeen: The shocking true story of a teacher's affair with her student

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Engaging and engrossing, frank and frankly troubling, Seventeen is a book not easily forgotten' - Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves The publisher wrote: “It’s 1992. Like every other 17-year-old boy, Joe has one eye on his studies, the other on his social life – smoking, Britpop, girls. When his 35-year-old teacher takes an interest in him, it seems like a fantasy come true.”

Joe Gibson, a once-respected author known for his insightful storytelling, seemed to have strayed from his usual path with “Seventeen.” The novel revolves around a teenage protagonist, struggling to navigate the challenges of growing up in a harsh and unforgiving world. However, instead of offering a sensitive portrayal of adolescence, Gibson’s narrative takes a disturbing turn, delving into graphic and explicit scenes that many argue cross the line of acceptability.Sometimes stars explode in our sky should we say no stars for I have homework to do. or should we take our stars? Invariably I think we reach for the sparkers. It’s 1992. Like every other seventeen-year-old boy, Joe has one eye on his studies, the other on his social life – smoking, Britpop, girls. He’s looking ahead to a gap year full of travel and adventure before university when his teacher – attractive, mid-thirties – takes an interest in him. It seems like a fantasy come true. Two days. I can't quite believe it. That's how long it took me to read Seventeen by Joe Gibson. This book is enthralling, so well written with short succinct bite size chapters, each tempting you to read the next to find out what happens. It's exciting, thrilling, jaw dropping, stimulating, serious, humorous, dark, light, wholly thought provoking and ultimately sad. It's a non fiction book but reads like a novel. It's a true story and I'm giving its author the benefit of the doubt that he hasn't embellished what he promises us is the truth. There is so much I could say about this book, but overall I really, really enjoyed it. It is upsetting, but as I mentioned, bitter sweet and most of all extremely important. I really feel this book has the propensity to change lives.

The author cites a doctor who has categorised woman who sexually abuse. It's fascinating. There are five categories - immature regressed, sexual and risky, saviour syndrome, unrequited infatuated and psychologically troubled. They've been compiled because of "heightened awareness and interest in organisational child sexual abuse over recent years." His paws along with other parts of his anatomy are dealt with in long sex scenes that are presented in great, pornographic detail. My favourite was the first one that involves strawberries and lots of foreplay. Sadly that bout is cut short, but there is plenty more to please the discerning reader as Joe is introduced to the delights of the older woman. They even end up in Spain, taking a shower together and after soaping each other down, Joe bends Ali over as her hands reach out for the wall, and he takes her as the hot water washes the soap off their bodies. Once again, this memoir just shows how easy it is for grooming to happen, and not just in one instance, but in a way that traps a person for years. Ali's grooming was aided her physical appearance, authority, the absence of protection for Joe from the school, particularly to a boy and, of course, Joe's undeveloped brain. Engaging and engrossing, frank and frankly troubling, Seventeen is a book not easily forgotten' - Karen Joy Fowler Gibson’s decision to delve into the explicit details of the affair has sparked controversy and criticism. Some argue that the graphic content is unnecessary and potentially harmful, especially considering the target audience of young adults. However, it is important to recognize that the author’s intention may have been to shed light on the disturbing nature of the relationship and its impact on the protagonist’s life.

The relationship between the protagonist and Miss P is not one of equals. Miss P often uses Gibson’s youthful naivety to belittle him, making him feel small and insignificant. This power imbalance is a recurring theme throughout the novel, highlighting the damaging effects of such relationships. I think in terms of nature there is a time and season for everything, sex between generations, if there are children the perspective is difficult, its best really to be with someone your own age if you plan a family. Old men die, and young men complain it was a criminal activity when taken from their adolescent perches and given lot of love which they so happy about at the time. To relate here the development of their relationship and the ups and downs would be to give the story away. What I will say is that the pair become absolutely obsessed with each other, in true love, to the point that they begin living alternate lives while he's trying to continue to study, pass exams, get to university, help his mum after his dad walks out and while she's trying to continue to teach at the school without anyone finding out about them.

Joe and Miss P's case is a grey area for me. You see, it's clear to me from Joe's account that not only did he enter and consent fully to the relationship with MIss P, but was revelling in it, encouraging her, wanting to be with her all the time, wanting to make her happy, in love with her to the detriment of his family life, his studies, any future job prospects or career and sacrificing relationships with friends his own age. I also take into account his age - seventeen - a year off adulthood rather than an early teen. She is vindictive and very cunning, an expert liar and the further you read the more you realise how strategically she’s playing it all out.It's clear from Joe's memoir that he can't get enough of Miss P. He falls headlong in love with her. He lies to his family and to his friends to snatch any chance of spending time with her and that time always includes at least one sex session. It's also clear that Miss P is besotted and falls in love with her young pupil, fabricating tales of lies to hoodwink Joe's mum to find ways of spending afternoons, nights, weekends and then whole weeks with him. This was an amazing but harrowing and heartbreaking read and after finishing reading, I absolutely had to take a break to digest everything I'd read. You get so engrossed in the telling of this story that you sometimes forget this actually happened and then it feels like a punch to the gut. This memoir is heartbreaking as you read through Joe’s recollections of his past and how it’s formed his life years later and raises a lot of red flags for behaviour most of us might be privy too when we’ve decided to date older people when we were all much younger. Commissioning editor Alison MacDonald acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Donald Winchester at Watson Litte. The memoir will be published in July 2023.