The Opposite of Innocent

by Sonya Sones

Overview

Poignant and chilling by turns, The Opposite of Innocent is award-winning author Sonya Sones’s most gripping novel in verse yet. It’s the story of a girl named Lily, who’s been crushing on a man named Luke, a friend of her parents, ever since she can remember.

Luke has been away for two endless years, but he’s finally returning today. Lily was only twelve when he left. But now, at fourteen, she feels transformed. She can’t wait to see how Luke will react when he sees the new her. And when her mother tells her that Luke will be staying with them for a while, in the bedroom right next to hers, her heart nearly stops.

Having Luke back is better than Lily could have ever dreamed. His lingering looks set Lily on fire. Is she just imagining them? But then, when they’re alone, he kisses her. Then he kisses her again. Lily’s friends think anyone his age who wants to be with a fourteen-year-old must be really messed up. Maybe even dangerous. But Luke would never do anything to hurt her...would he?

In this powerful tale of a terrifying leap into young adulthood, readers will accompany Lily on her harrowing journey from hopelessness to hope.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062370327
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/15/2021
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	691,798
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.62(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sonya Sones has written seven novels in verse: The Opposite of Innocent, Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went Crazy; What My Mother Doesn’t Know and its companion, What My Girlfriend Doesn’t Know; One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies; To Be Perfectly Honest; and Saving Red. Sonya’s books have received many honors, but she was especially thrilled when she learned that she was on the American Library Association’s list of the Most Frequently Challenged Authors of the 21st Century. She lives near the beach in California. You can visit her at www.sonyasones.com or write her at [e-mail].

Editorial Reviews

A series of free-verse poems full of adolsecent yearning, youthful naivete, and pubescent insecurity. Valuable for those wrestling with sexual and emotional abuse.

Horn Book Magazine

Sones is a seasoned hand at the verse novel, varying her poetic forms and measuring pace and impact through line breaks as she develops a realistic picture of a young teen’s thought patterns.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

06/25/2018
Lily’s thrilled when her parents’ friend Luke comes back to town. She was 12 when he left, still a kid; at 14, she has breasts, wears makeup, and her braces are off—and Luke, who is 29, makes it clear that he notices the changes. Sones (Saving Red) tells the story in her characteristic free verse, which effectively reveals Lily’s feelings and moves the story along. Luke is staying with Lily’s family, so it’s easy for him to help her parents by driving Lily and her sister around town. After a lot of flirting, the two declare their interest, which leads to romantic kissing that makes Lily feel powerful and adored. Soon, though, Luke begins pressuring Lily to do more—things she’s not comfortable with. The ending sidesteps key questions about adult reactions and how Lily will shape her narrative moving forward, but authentic details and situations show both the appeal and the inherent power imbalance of being a teenager involved with an adult. Ages 14–up. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

A wonderful novel, and an important #MeToo conversation starter.” — Gayle Forman, author of If I Stay and I Have Lost My Way

“A series of free-verse poems full of adolsecent yearning, youthful naivete, and pubescent insecurity. Valuable for those wrestling with sexual and emotional abuse.” — Horn Book Magazine

“Sones is a seasoned hand at the verse novel, varying her poetic forms and measuring pace and impact through line breaks as she develops a realistic picture of a young teen’s thought patterns.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“A quick moving and emotionally charged novel that explores an important subject.” — Kirkus Reviews

“In her signature style, Sones weaves a pulse-quickening tale of sexual abuse from young victim’s view. A portrait of suffering that will break readers’ hearts.” — ALA Booklist

“This novel in verse concisely examines one girl’s experience of sexual abuse in a way that is both timely and relevant. A must-have for YA collections.” — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Sones is a seasoned hand at the verse novel, varying her poetic forms and measuring pace and impact through line breaks as she develops a realistic picture of a young teen’s thought patterns.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

A wonderful novel, and an important #MeToo conversation starter.

Gayle Forman

In her signature style, Sones weaves a pulse-quickening tale of sexual abuse from young victim’s view. A portrait of suffering that will break readers’ hearts.

ALA Booklist

Sones is a seasoned hand at the verse novel, varying her poetic forms and measuring pace and impact through line breaks as she develops a realistic picture of a young teen’s thought patterns.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

09/01/2018
Gr 8 Up—When Lily was little, she used to throw her arms around Luke's neck and tell him she was going to marry him one day. He would smile down at her and tell her he'd wait for her. Now Lily is 14, and she feels very grown up—so grown up that when Luke returns after being in Kenya for two years, she wonders if he sees her as a woman or as the same kid she was when he left. Soon it's very clear that Luke desires to be with her, but it's complicated—he's 29. He convinces her to hide their relationship from her friends and family. At first, she's flattered by his attention. As their interactions become more and more physical, Lily begins to feel uncomfortable with the progression of their "romance," but by then, it's too late—she's trapped in an abusive relationship. Readers' frustration at Lily's naïveté will turn to compassion and horror at Luke's manipulations, and then to hope as Lily searches for the courage to escape his clutches. This novel in verse concisely examines one girl's experience of sexual abuse in a way that is both timely and relevant. The abrupt and open-ended ending might not satisfy all readers, but it feels organic to the format and text. VERDICT A must-have for YA collections.—Heather M. Campbell, formerly at Philip S. Miller Library, Castle Rock, CO

School Library Journal

2018-07-17
A young woman is sexually abused by a close family friend in this latest novel in verse from veteran poet Sones (Saving Red, 2016, etc.).Fourteen-year-old Lily has long harbored a crush on her father's friend Luke and is thrilled to learn that he is going to stay with her family upon his return from a research trip to Kenya. She fervently hopes that he'll see she is no longer a little kid, "Now / I feel more like a butterfly— / a butterfly who can't decide / which wings to wear." Initially, Lily is thrilled when he seems to be returning her interest, but this gives way to palpable dread and shame as he pushes her into progressively more threatening situations. Factors that often play into sexual abuse emerge within this harrowing story, including Luke's grooming of Lily from a young age and his use of threats to keep her from telling anyone. She becomes isolated from her best friends, Rose and Taylor, and she is already accustomed to her father's hurtful emotional absence from her life. While realistic, these details sometimes feel a bit rote. All of the main characters seem to be white by default; Luke is English, Taylor is gay, and a caring teacher of Lily's is described as having brown skin.A quick moving and emotionally charged but ultimately underdeveloped novel that explores an important subject. (Verse novel. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews