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strawbunniez's review
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
glad these kinds of books exist for teens growing up now !!
brittanica_bold's review
5.0
4.5 education, not evasion stars!
What I liked about the book:
1. I loved the sex positivity! There was so much information and so much knowledge behind everything from how to properly use condoms to what is considered “normal” to how to give your partner pleasure. It was so informational, it took the “taboo” out of it, which is fantastic! Sex is not taboo, sex is not bad, sex is not something to be ashamed of. It is a normal part of life, and I really liked the approach this book took with it.
2. I loved how there was so much opposition to her blog, given she was from a conservative town. The people that were in opposition to her felt so real! I have definitely heard the thoughts of those that think, “If we don’t talk about sex, how can kids get pregnant?” more times than I can count, especially with some of the more religious/conservative sects of my own family.
I also liked that the author didn’t wrap it up in a neat bow, like “Yep, and everyone changed from being bigoted folks with creationist outlooks to understanding and admiring the teenaged girl.” It felt raw and realistic, which I appreciated thoroughly.
3. I was a bit disappointed when we thought the abortion thank you letter from A.L.T. was from someone almost irrelevant to the storyline…until we found out it wasn’t! After the excitement of this wore off, I was sure Phoebe was going to blackmail A.L.T., which I was SUPER NOT COOL WITH! But the author didn’t let me down and had Phoebe take the high route in the most badass way possible.
4. I loved how Phoebe’s and her mom’s relationship grew before our eyes once Phoebe’s identity was out. The readers were lead to believe her mom was bad at talking about sex and she wasn’t a really open person, but we got to know her story and she saw the error of her ways. I loved watching this growth in her mom as well as the openness in the family’s discussions.
5. I loved the inserts from her blog, Twitter, texts, emails, etc. It added nice visual texture to the book, which I loved!
6. I loved the local election aspects of this story, and how it didn’t turn out how I wanted. But that’s life, so that’s good enough for me!
7. I loved the feminist undertone surrounding this book too. So many things just made me want to high five our narrator.
What could have been better:
1. The romance in this felt forced and unnecessary. It was definitely my least favorite part of this book, and that’s coming from a romance junkie.
What I liked about the book:
1. I loved the sex positivity! There was so much information and so much knowledge behind everything from how to properly use condoms to what is considered “normal” to how to give your partner pleasure. It was so informational, it took the “taboo” out of it, which is fantastic! Sex is not taboo, sex is not bad, sex is not something to be ashamed of. It is a normal part of life, and I really liked the approach this book took with it.
2. I loved how there was so much opposition to her blog, given she was from a conservative town. The people that were in opposition to her felt so real! I have definitely heard the thoughts of those that think, “If we don’t talk about sex, how can kids get pregnant?” more times than I can count, especially with some of the more religious/conservative sects of my own family.
I also liked that the author didn’t wrap it up in a neat bow, like “Yep, and everyone changed from being bigoted folks with creationist outlooks to understanding and admiring the teenaged girl.” It felt raw and realistic, which I appreciated thoroughly.
3. I was a bit disappointed when we thought the abortion thank you letter from A.L.T. was from someone almost irrelevant to the storyline…until we found out it wasn’t! After the excitement of this wore off, I was sure Phoebe was going to blackmail A.L.T., which I was SUPER NOT COOL WITH! But the author didn’t let me down and had Phoebe take the high route in the most badass way possible.
4. I loved how Phoebe’s and her mom’s relationship grew before our eyes once Phoebe’s identity was out. The readers were lead to believe her mom was bad at talking about sex and she wasn’t a really open person, but we got to know her story and she saw the error of her ways. I loved watching this growth in her mom as well as the openness in the family’s discussions.
5. I loved the inserts from her blog, Twitter, texts, emails, etc. It added nice visual texture to the book, which I loved!
6. I loved the local election aspects of this story, and how it didn’t turn out how I wanted. But that’s life, so that’s good enough for me!
7. I loved the feminist undertone surrounding this book too. So many things just made me want to high five our narrator.
What could have been better:
1. The romance in this felt forced and unnecessary. It was definitely my least favorite part of this book, and that’s coming from a romance junkie.
vfinney444's review
4.0
A sweet, yet important and timely YA novel about the importance of censorship and teaching.
bibliobrandie's review
5.0
I loved everything about this book. I love that it exists for teens and adults. I think there is probably more sex education in these pages than most people get in their lives. I love that this book is sex positive. Just read it.
fernweh85's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
allysonmarie's review against another edition
3.5
This book narration was perfect. The story itself was fairly fast paced and fun and engaging. I do think that some subplots were not fleshed out the best which dropped my rating a bit. Also, some plot lines did feel a bit stereotypical and dramatic. I did like how Phoebe was an unassuming character though with how she was introduced. Overall, this book was a super fun, easy and enjoyable listen.
l1ttlel1braryn00k's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
elothwen's review against another edition
2.0
Just too silly and unrealistic. I know it's YA; I hate YA. I read this for a book club I'm joining.
2. The "love triangle". Barf
3. Guys in high school don't act like that
4. Girls in high school do kind of act like that to be honest
5. i'M jUsT aS bAd As ThE ViLlIaN. No, you should expose her abortion. It's about being a hypocrite not about having the abortion itself.
6. The parents were such cardboard cutout nobodies omg. I liked the mom's miscarriage story at least
7. Girl gets haircut and takes braces off and becomes pretty aww <3
8. Epilogue about having sex...alright
9. The tweets SHUT UPPP so again, cartoonish and again, silly.
10. I probably have more to say but I guess I'll be discussing this on the 21st, so I'll leave it for then and whatever ideas the others' spark in my mind. I just don't think contemporary YA fiction is deep enough or well-written enough to warrant a legit review from me personally
Spoiler
1. Of course Lydia Brookhurst had the abortion. Oh no a cartoonish Twitter warrior Republican Texan mayor is a hypocrite?! WhoagH!2. The "love triangle". Barf
3. Guys in high school don't act like that
4. Girls in high school do kind of act like that to be honest
5. i'M jUsT aS bAd As ThE ViLlIaN. No, you should expose her abortion. It's about being a hypocrite not about having the abortion itself.
6. The parents were such cardboard cutout nobodies omg. I liked the mom's miscarriage story at least
7. Girl gets haircut and takes braces off and becomes pretty aww <3
8. Epilogue about having sex...alright
9. The tweets SHUT UPPP so again, cartoonish and again, silly.
10. I probably have more to say but I guess I'll be discussing this on the 21st, so I'll leave it for then and whatever ideas the others' spark in my mind. I just don't think contemporary YA fiction is deep enough or well-written enough to warrant a legit review from me personally
afoxyone's review
5.0
Such a great book! It’s super informative and handles important topics with care and honesty. I also love how individual choices are handled with respect and it showed how damaging it can be to keep people in the dark about their own bodies.