This was a great read. I really liked the characters. I was pulled in the whole way. The ending was not very dynamic, but I think that was by choice. It shows that no matter what we believe,our lives are always changing and so those beliefs may change or we may compromise to be happy and/or make our families happy. ( )

This was a really good book. I wasn't sure about it at first, but the librarian suggested it and I couldn't put it down! ( )

Story Overview
Ruth Ramsey is a divorced mother with two daughters who teaches Sex Education ("Health") at the local high school in the affluent town of Stonewood Heights. Ruth is a popular teacher with the students -- known for her candidness, openness and practicality in teaching sex education. But then a newly formed Christian church in town -- Tabernacle -- and its charismatic but aggressive leader, Pastor Dennis, begin protesting Ruth's style of teaching sex ed and file a lawsuit against the school district. Plunged into a controversy she doesn't want and is mortified by, Ruth ends up being forced to teach a new curriculum based on abstinence and sanctioned by the Christian right. Angry but resigned, Ruth half-heartedly teaches the new curriculum under the watchful eye of principal, school superintendent and JoAnn Marlow, the Wise Choices for Teens liaison.

But when Ruth attends her daughter's soccer game, she is furious when the coach (and Tabernacle church member) Tim Mason leads the girls in a post-game prayer. Fed up with the Tabernacle church interfering in her life again, Ruth publicly chastises Coach Mason and begins a crusade to ban prayer from the soccer field. But when Tim stops by to apologize and talk to Ruth, she is startled to find that he isn't quite the person she initially thought.

Tim Mason is a divorced dad who has had a drug and alcohol addiction his whole life. It cost him his marriage, jobs, and custody of his child. But when Pastor Dennis found Tim and offered him a new chance with Jesus at his side, Tim was surprised to find that the Tabernacle church and Christianity is what he has been seeking. Supported by the church community and given a path to follow that keeps him from the temptations that have brought him down before, Tim starts to put his life together. Coaching the soccer team is his attempt to rebuild his relationship with his daughter Abby. He also remarries a fellow Christian from his church, Carrie, and attempts to live a good Christian life.

As Ruth and Tim struggle with their personal demons -- Ruth with loneliness, teaching a curriculum she can't believe in, her daughters' growing interest in Christianity and Tim with his loveless marriage, sobriety and increasing disenchantment with the Church -- they forge a tenuous connection that surprises them both.

My Thoughts
I have a new favorite author and his name is Tom Perrotta! I loved this book. Not only does it tackle hot topics like sex ed, the separation of church and state, religion, spirituality and morality, it does so with a wicked sense of humor. You think and you laugh -- in my mind, the best thing a book can give you. Although Perrotta is often irreverent, he is also not afraid to dig deep into Ruth and Tim's pain. I admire the author's ability to create flawed characters that are also relatable. Ruth and Tim are by no means perfect but that is why I loved them so much. They are purely human.

I love that Perrotta was able to sensitively talk about divisive issues and give both protagonists an opposing viewpoint, but he was able to bring them together in a way that feels natural and believable. Although Perrotta clearly seems to be on the Ruth's "side" as far as politics, he does a wonderful job of presenting the good aspects of Christianity and what it can bring to people's lives. Having the "pro-Christian" character be a former drug addict and rock musician makes Tim's need for the church more believable than if Perrotta had chosen to have Pastor Dennis be Ruth's foil.

I don't usually like to quote blurbs on the backs of books, but I thought the one on this book just captured my feelings so perfectly that I'm going to include it here:

The Abstinence Teacher illuminates the powerful emotions that run beneath the placid surface of modern American family life and explores the complicated spiritual and sexual lives of ordinary people. It is elegantly and simply written, characterized by the distinctive mix of satire and compassion that has become Perrotta's trademark.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

My Final Recommendation
Personally, I loved this book and I plan on reading more by this author. However, I could see that this book might not be for everyone. If you feel strongly about certain topics -- such as sex education, homosexuality, Christianity -- you might not feel comfortable reading this book as it is often irreverent about these topics and challenges some of the typical Christian belief systems. (In other words, it definitely slants more toward the left than the right!) But if you are looking for a thought-provoking read that is well-written and has a wicked sense of humor, this book is for you! ( )

I was really excited to read this book. I got into it immediately but my interest soon fizzled. The characters were stereotypical and while there were certainly enjoyable aspects, overall I was disappointed with the predictability of the story. The ending felt incomplete and left me completely unsatisfied. ( )

I found this book to be terribley annoying. Perhaps it is meant to be a parody or satire - but the "born-again" self-righteousness turned me off. ( )