A dark relationship evolves between a high schooler and her English teacher in this breathtakingly powerful memoir about a young woman who must learn to rewrite her own story. “Have you ever read Lolita?” So begins seventeen-year-old Alisson’s metamorphosis from student to lover and then victim. A lonely and vulnerable high school senior, Alisson finds solace only in her writing–and in a … only in her writing–and in a young, charismatic English teacher, Mr. North.
Mr. North gives Alisson a copy of Lolita to read, telling her it is a beautiful story about love. The book soon becomes the backdrop to a connection that blooms from a simple crush into a forbidden romance. But as Mr. North’s hold on her tightens, Alisson is forced to evaluate how much of their narrative is actually a disturbing fiction.
In the wake of what becomes a deeply abusive relationship, Alisson is faced again and again with the story of her past, from rereading Lolita in college to working with teenage girls to becoming a professor of creative writing. It is only with that distance and perspective that she understands the ultimate power language has had on her–and how to harness that power to tell her own true story.
Being Lolita is a stunning coming-of-age memoir that shines a bright light on our shifting perceptions of consent, vulnerability, and power. This is the story of what happens when a young woman realizes her entire narrative must be rewritten–and then takes back the pen to rewrite it.
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The most inspiring part of the book is the rewriting of her own narrative – every person deserves to be able to take control of their own story and Alisson Wood certainly does that. A coming-of-age story involving a lot of what’s wrong with the world entwined with a lot of what’s right about it, this read is even better when it resonates with the reader.
And I thought I had an intensely cathartic reading experience with My Dark Vanessa. Oh boy.
No comparison. This reads like a mashup of journal entries, reflections and reassuring check-ins with the reader, and a comprehensive analysis of Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov. It flows so beautifully and is incredibly well written. It’s a fast paced, absorbing read – I finished this in one sitting.
It abso-fucking-lutely blew me out of the water and I’m nearly speechless. It’s gonna haunt me for a long time. Highly recommend.
/ 5
Quick hits: absorbing memoir about an abusive, toxic relationship between a 17 year old high schooler and her teacher; singular timeline, no time jumps; emotional, heartbreaking read.
TW: rape/sexual assault; domestic, verbal, and emotional abuse; grooming and manipulating a minor.
Being Lolita
By Alisson Wood
This was a very compelling and emotional read for me. I find that the story on the way Alisson Wood told her story with strength, grace and honesty really resonated with me. I also listened to the audio book as narrated by Alisson Wood herself and this really made this read quite powerful for me. I had to put it down a few times as this was a very heavy read and needed to be in the right headspace for this book. I did in the end really loved it and applaud Alisson Wood for the strength it took to tell her story. It was a story that needed to be told and I am very proud of the way she did it.
The relationship that started between herself and her English teacher who uses the book LOLITA as the guide to their relationship was really just mind blowing for me. The insights and progression of her story as she tells how she comes to realize the true nature of the relationship was a turning point for me in this incredible memoir. I highly recommend this book and cannot stop talking about it now recommending this to readers.
To be completely honest, I have never read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov so I can’t speak to anything in that book and how the stories compare, but I knew I had to read Being Lolita: A Memoir by Alisson Wood. I am a sucker for a good memoir even when it deals with difficult topics, and I am so glad that Wood decided to share her story with the world. Her writing was fantastic, and she definitely has a way with words which helped me get into her story even more. This is a raw and honest look at how she got preyed upon by her teacher in high school, and the relationship that ensued because of it. I’d like to think that would never have happened to me, but I definitely dated a couple of people like this teacher of hers when I was way too young to have done so and could relate a little (LITTLE) bit to what happened to her.
Being Lolita is an emotional read and I was so impressed with the strength with which Wood tells her story. I decided to listen to the audio because I saw that she narrates it and I HIGHLY recommend this route. To hear her voice while she tells the reader what happened to her, that makes this book even more hard-hitting and emotional. I also appreciated that she tells us what happened to her back then but also what happened after this relationship and how she handled what had happened as she moves through adulthood. I found myself connecting to her so much and I am so glad I had a chance to read and listen to this. If you are a fan of memoirs then you need to read Being Lolita.
Thank you to the author for providing me with a review copy of this book! All opinions and thoughts are my own.