Where Are You Going, Where have you Been?

“Where Are You Going, Where have you Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates was a terrifying read. Connie was an ordinary girl who was thrust into a situation that at the very least was going to get her raped, and might possibly end up getting her murdered. Connie wanted the same things as any girl. She didn’t always listen to her mother. She wanted a boy to think she was irresistible, and was attracted to “forbidden” boys. Joyce Carol Oates was great at setting the scene and getting the reader to identify with Connie. Connie and her friends were a bit too daring at times, flirting wit bad boys and doing things her mom didn’t approve of. This story was written a long time ago but the plot could have been written yesterday. Arnold Friend was a horrifying, believable character. I wanted this story to end happily, but it didn’t . I think that is why I will remember it.