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A review by brittanica_bold
On the Subject of Unmentionable Things by Julia Walton
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.