Tampa Paperback – 4 Mar. 2014

This book is not for the easily offended. It’s not going to be a book that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It’s not a book that you are going to enjoy reading because of its contents. But at the same time, it is a book that you can’t put down. It is fascinating and expertly written by the author who did really well to convey the view point from the sociopath Celeste who has a preference for teenage boys. This book is like a beautiful car wreck. You know you shouldn’t look but you can’t help but stare and that’s how I felt. I knew I shouldn’t be enjoying this book yet I wanted to continue reading on. I wanted to know if Celeste was going to get caught. Was she going to end up in jail? Was she going to take her life? Was justice going to be served? The chapters were long and that did make me take a few days to read it but it may have also been due to the subject matter. Because even though I loved the book, it was still a lot to take in as well. I would suggest to anyone who is considering reading it to go in with open eyes and an open mind. And not to be put off straight away by what it’s about. As the author has written it for a reason to highlight that it’s also beautiful women who can be predators and not just men. And most of the time they get away with it because of their looks, their gender and because teenage boys find it a dream achieved instead of seeing themselves as victims.

I must declare an interest here - when I was 14 I had a crush on my beautiful female maths teacher (as did all the boys in my class) - and that abiding memory is why I bought the book. While my teacher was a tease who wore revealing clothing, Alissa Nutting's protagonist, Celeste Price, goes much, much further. What I had expected was a fairly erotic book, probably badly written. What I got was a superbly written story in which the selfishness and narcissism of Celeste advances through the story until it is very clear the damage she is causing to the young boys she seduces (even though they love it) as well as to her husband. Celeste skewers the other teachers and the unattractive boys with witty and well turned descriptions which reminded me of Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Dark Places, Sharp Objects) at her best. There is some very good writing, including those very difficult to write sex scenes. I didn't like other reviewers have any problem with the fairly explicit sex. I'd rather have well-written highly detailed sex scenes than the limp prose and innuendo of Fifty Shades. The author claims the book is a satire, but I really don't see that. There is a cruel humour there, but what she describes is peculiar to the unusual circumstances (based on a factual case in Florida of Debra Lefave). While the book invites you to see how you would feel if the genders were reversed, this doesn't actually advance the case for or against the legal treatment Celeste finally gets. Clever cover, by the way!

Saw a review of Tampa in a newspaper and thought it might be interesting as it deals with such a taboo subject. I was interested to learn what drives a woman to behave in a predatory way more associated with men and what the effects of the behaviour might be on her inner life.Well, sure Tampa is readable, it rocks along nicely, it's fun...but that's about it. It's pretty run of the mill predictable kind of stuff and without putting a spoiler in here, some of the plot developments seem convenient rather than remotely believable - the most well timed heart attack ever? And the characters are two dimensional - the evil anti-heroine, the clueless spouse, the ugly lonely older woman, the troubled youth are all present and correct and duly trotted out.Although the book purports to be written by a woman there is next to no understanding of female sexuality or why a woman might prey on young boys, for example whether there something in the character's background which predisposed her to this behaviour. The only explanation we're given seems very, very thin, almost a formality.The character's behaviour is instead that of a male paedophile with no insight into the character's state of mind or any inner conflicts which her behaviour might cause. Instead we are presented with what is in effect a cartoon villain - not terribly interesting really.Tampa cannot remotely compare with Zoe Heller's Notes on a Scandal which treat a similar theme with real intelligence, and manages to be profoundly shocking with none of explicit-sex-for-the-sake-of-it we get here, which gets rather boring eventually. I find myself wondering if going for extreme subject matter was the only way this insipid writer thought she'd ever get into print?In conclusion Tampa is pretty uninspiring stuff really, although I'm sure the shocking theme will be sufficient to assure a large readership, after all I fell for it. Having done so, I'm off to take a very long hot shower - if I can stay awake long enough that is.

First off, don't read this book if you are easily offended. It's about a woman who purposefully becomes a teacher to seduce her underage, male students into sexual relationships.Erotic, shocking and a little uncomfortable to read in places, but on the contrary, very funny at times. The story is told through the woman's eyes, and although a complete pervert and narcissist, I felt she was witty and not unlikable.The premise of the book is good and did make me want to read, but there isnt much of a 'story' as such. Primarily about her sexual deviancies and how she can get them met.Would recommend purely for the sheer shock that someone actually wrote it.

Although *provocative*, this sort of long essay is neither a real enlightenment on the matter of child-adult psychology or entertaining. It's a very well written, cold hearted story. Who is she talking to? What's the point?

Great book, I loved it! It’s not the most amazing thing ever written of course, but I really enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be reading it more than once.

This book was exactly like a pimple popping video for me - so gross but also so enthralling to watch (/read)

I had mixed feelings reading this book, a tribute to the author’s skill.To use someone for sex is wrong, especially when you are their first love. That heartbreak lasts a long time.But I also felt sorry for Celeste, a beautiful woman with a psychological problem.I won’t read it again, but it deserves 4 stars.

Book in good condition. Fast delivery. Can’t wait to read it. Had to get it here because the library does not carry it.