Sexy (novel)

Novel by Joyce Carol Oates

Sexy

First edition

Author| Joyce Carol Oates
Language| English
Publisher| HarperCollins

Publication date

| February 15, 2005
Publication place| USA
Media type| Print (Hardback & e-book)
Pages| 272 pp
ISBN| 0060541490

Sexy is a novel by Joyce Carol Oates. First published in 2005, it is her fourth book written for young adults. The book's themes of pedophilia, homosexuality, and pre-marital sex, as well as its adult language, have caused it to be the source of attempts to ban the book from school libraries.[1]

## Plot summary

[edit]

Sexy follows the character of Darren Flynn, a sixteen-year-old high school student and swim club member that questions his own sense of self and sexuality. He's attractive but shy, gets average grades, and constantly worries about not meeting others' expectations.

On one rainy night after a training session, Darren's friend leaves early, leaving him without a ride. His teacher, Mr. Tracy, offers to drive him home. Darren is wary of the man, who's gay but in the closet, but he reluctantly gives in. Nothing really happens on the ride home, but Darren still leaves shaken up. Shortly after, Mr. Tracy catches one of Darren's swim team members plagiarizing, gives him a bad grade, and causes that member to be thrown off the team. This prompts that member to start a rumor as revenge, and several other students start to anonymously accuse the teacher of hitting on boys; it ruins the teacher's life. Darren does not participate in making accusations but is now torn between his moral objections and his fear of being thought of in the same light.

## Reception

[edit]

Critical reception for Sexy has been positive, with Kirkus Reviews calling the book "a sympathetic portrait of a young man devoid of adult guidance".[2] Bookpage and Teenreads both gave positive reviews, with Teenreads praising the book's themes.[3][4] Publishers Weekly wrote: "Rather than delineating the lines between right and wrong, truth and falsehood, Oates uses the uncertain teen's viewpoint to mine the gray area, inviting readers to draw their own conclusions about the events."[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Banned Book Week September 27-October 4, 2008 Marshall University
2. ^ Sexy Kirkus Reviews
3. ^ A CONFLICT OF CONSCIENCE Bookpage
4. ^ Sexy Teenreads
5. ^ Children's Reviews: Sexy Publishers Weekly

* v
* t
* e

Works by Joyce Carol Oates

The Wonderland Quartet|

* A Garden of Earthly Delights (1967)
* Expensive People (1968)
* Them (1969)
* Wonderland (1971)

The Gothic Saga|

* Bellefleur (1980)
* A Bloodsmoor Romance (1982)
* Mysteries of Winterthurn (1984)
* My Heart Laid Bare (1998)
* The Accursed (2013)

Other novels|

* With Shuddering Fall (1964)
* Do with Me What You Will (1973)
* The Assassins: A Book of Hours (1975)
* Childwold (1976)
* Son of the Morning (1978)
* Cybele (1979)
* Unholy Loves (1979)
* Angel of Light (1981)
* Solstice (1985)
* Marya: A Life (1986)
* You Must Remember This (1987)
* American Appetites (1989)
* Because It Is Bitter, and Because It Is My Heart (1990)
* Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang (1993)
* What I Lived For (1994)
* Zombie (1995)
* We Were the Mulvaneys (1996)
* Man Crazy (1997)
* Broke Heart Blues (1999)
* Blonde (2000)
* Middle Age: A Romance (2001)
* I'll Take You There (2002)
* The Tattooed Girl (2003)
* The Falls (2004)
* Missing Mom (2005)
* Black Girl / White Girl (2006)
* The Gravedigger's Daughter (2007)
* My Sister, My Love (2008)
* Little Bird of Heaven (2009)
* Mudwoman (2012)
* The Sacrifice (2015)
* Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. (2020)
* Breathe (2021)
* Babysitter (2022)
* 48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister (2023)
* Butcher (2024)

Novellas|

* Black Water (1992)
* First Love: A Gothic Tale (1996)
* Beasts (2001)
* The Corn Maiden: A Love Story (2005)
* A Fair Maiden (2010)

Short story collections|

* By the North Gate (1963)
* Upon the Sweeping Flood and Other Stories (1966)
* The Wheel of Love and Other Stories (1970)
* Marriages and Infidelities (1972)
* The Goddess and Other Women (1974)
* The Poisoned Kiss and Other Stories from the Portuguese (1975)
* Crossing the Border (1976)
* Night-Side (1977)
* All the Good People I've Left Behind (1979)
* The Assignation (1988)
* Demon and Other Tales (1996)
* I Am No One You Know: Stories (2004)
* High Lonesome: New & Selected Stories, 1966–2006 (2006)
* The Museum of Dr. Moses: Tales of Mystery and Suspense (2007)
* Wild Nights! (2008)
* Dear Husband (2009)
* The Corn Maiden and Other Nightmares (2011)
* The Doll-Master and Other Tales of Terror (2016)

Short stories|

* "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" (1963)
* "Pastoral Blood" (1963)
* "Stalking" (1972)
* "The Temple" (1996)

Young adult fiction|

* Big Mouth & Ugly Girl (2002)
* Small Avalanches and Other Stories (2003)
* Freaky Green Eyes (2003)
* Sexy (2005)
* After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away (2006)

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template