99 problems, and a book ain't one

2.75 stars

   I swear I had Gangsta's Paradise on a loop in my head while reading this. It was hard not to compare this book to Dangerous Minds. Don't get me wrong, there was more going on here, but the whole teacher out of her element trying to connect to some hardened, troubled kids through some poetic type means....it screams for a leather jacket and a soundtrack, just sayin'.

   I liked the greek tragedies and the way they were not only in the story, but ultimately came through as the story as well. That was nicely done. I find all those interesting, so it was easy to see why some wayward older kids might have as well. There are a lot of elements in them that an audience like that can relate to.

   What really fell short for me though, was the characters. I was as uninterested in her as she was with pretty much everything in general. She was so detached from life, and I get it, she was struggling with some serious stuff, but in turn I was detached from her. The most interesting people in this story to me were the misfit kids, and even they never seemed fully developed. I really just felt bad for them for their lots in life, and for being stuck with yet another person that was only half there in their lives. Alex had her moments of helping them, but she was way too far into her own troubles to help anyone else with theirs.

    All in all it was a decent story but I think it had some real potential to be more if the characters could have been a little more.....something....just more than they were. The detachment there, for me, just seemed to make this story drag on a little.

    I received this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review