This is an awesome, easy to understand story of what consent really is and what to do if you end up in the wrong situation. Sometimes it felt a bit like it was written for a different targetgroup. But it was good overall and I think people could really learn from this.

A good conversation starter about what consent means and how to navigate the subject in today’s world.

'What Does Consent Really Mean?' by Pete Wallis, Joseph Wilkins, and Thalia Wallis is a graphic novel about a serious subject.

When a classmate is sexually assaulted a group of teenage girls have a conversation about what consent is. The subjects of peer pressure, healthy relationships and what to say when you don't feel comfortable are covered. The boys show up to talk about the pressure they face as well.

The characters in this graphic novel are sexually active, but this subject should still be one you have regardless of how you feel about this. It's uncomfortable, but it's handled frankly here and in a very accessible way.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Singing Dragon, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Consent is a relevant topic for today's kids. As the news continue to report the predatory behavior of powerful people, it is important that both males and females understand what consent is and what it is not. This graphic novel, which will be included in my classroom library, helps them learn more about the topic.

This is a great, basic, easily understood, and engaging introduction to consent that would be suitable for teenagers and even pre-teens presented as a graphic novel. Does teaching pre-teens about consent scare you? It shouldn't. People should learn about the importance of consent before they're sexually active.

"Consent is not the absence of 'no', it is an enthusiastic YES!"

This little book touches not only on judgement of victims and victim blaming, but how consent works not only between two people who haven't had sex before, but two people who have previously had sex. Consent is always important, whether it's your first experience with the other person or not. It's a very quick read that would be great for waning attention spans, and I think it should be in school libraries and used in the classroom. It mostly features conversations between friends, but also includes some resources for additional information in the back of the book. My personal favorite is for the "Tea Consent" video which can be easily found on YouTube. A clean version without swearing is also available, plus one intended for kids which mostly uses hugging or hand holding to explain to young viewers.

There's some UK lingo that might be difficult for some to understand, but not too much. Other than that, it's very inclusive, which earned it some bonus points from me.

This book is mostly about the importance of communication and driving home the fact that you are in charge of your own body. My little feminist heart loved it. Put it in schools. Please.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Jessica Kingsley Productions, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

"Consent is not the absence of 'NO', it is an enthusiastic YES!!"

So I'm doing something a little different, this is not my usual kind of review but I feel like this is something that needs as much exposure as it can get. With everything going on right now our kids need to understand consent and what it means and everything it applies to. In this graphic novel it delves into what consent is and not just for sex. This group of teens they have a classmate who was raped and social media is tearing her apart, blaming her ect.. Which bring up the topic of what consent it, and how it's not just a stranger doing it but date rape, and then there's statutory rape and the consent between a minor and and adult. First it's just the girls talking about boyfriends pressuring them into it and how it makes them feel like they should just because they are dating. When the guys join them they start getting the opinion from guys side, their expectations of how they are suppose to act as opposed to how they want to act. By the end of the day they have all learned something.

I liked this because it is a great starting point to talk to your kids either read it with them or just be there to answer questions afterwards. It gives ideas about what to talk to them it's good for opening up the discussion. I would definitely recommend this to parents or to school councillors. It is British so the slang is that to them but it is still very easy to read and follow and the art is appealing. The cast of characters are easy to connect with; it definitely felt like an after school special with how the dialogue played out but it gets the point across.

What I took away from this (as an adult) No matter what if you decide to have sex or not this is a good eye opening read for teens to think that it's ok to say no, if you want to be abstinent that's ok and if your gf/bf wants to be abstinent then you need to respect their wishes. It's even ok to change your mind if you start to feel uncomfortable! And don't let anyone make you feel bad for what you want.

I saw this graphic novel and I know its often a hot topic online and in the news, so I requested it to check it out. It's made for young adults and is geared for that level and I feel its a great topic to get young people talking on the subject to open up beforehand and get their feelings and thoughts out about what it means and how they feel about the matter. I think that it's better to discuss it before something happens to hopefully ward off a potential problem. It could prevent a problem that way if everyone laid out their real feelings honestly. I know it's not something we ever talked about when we were young and maybe it would have helped if we had been able and honest enough to. No one should be pressured into doing things that they aren't comfortable doing.
I feel it will be a good thing for young people who take the time to read it and think about what it says. And even for older people too actually. Its just common sense but things that some people may not have thought about before when it comes to consent and the law. A positive thing all around. Thanks for reading. An advance copy was provided by NetGalley for my review

This is something that I think all teens should read, and not even just teens, parents, educators, anyone who works with or interacts with young people. Consent is an issue that not a lot of young people understand fully, I certainly don't remember being taught what consent is and is not, and I was only leaving school ten years ago.

This graphic novel explores the misconceptions and perception of consent from the perspective of both male and female young people. I appreciate the fact that it is not focused solely on female consent, as a lot of discussion forgets to consider that males have just as much right to consent, and just as many insecurities around sex and relationships. I think there's great racial representation in here but not very much LGBTQIA+ representation, I would have liked to see more diversity in that respect. I think the decision not to include the perspective of the classmate who was raped was very smart, as that would have skewed the view of consent based on that particular situation.

Overall I am impressed with the story told and the facts given, I think that it might be very easy to skip over the questions and information given at the end, but I do appreciate that information being there for those who want to read it. I particularly think the legal facts should be more prominent in some way. I think it's difficult to infer that the reason this book seems to be so against nudes and porn is because it is geared towards teenagers, and in the UK where this is set, those things are illegal under the age of 18, EVEN IF THOSE IMAGES AND VIDEOS ARE OF YOURSELF. I've seen a few people complain about the hard line this graphic novels takes on those subjects, but it's in there to educate young people on the law and the trouble they could be in engaging in those things while underage.

This would make an excellent resource for schools and even parents to distribute to young people. It is so important that this issue is widely discussed and everyone is informed, and this is a great introductory tool to do that.

This is a graphic novel wherein a group of teenagers discuss the importance of consent in a relationship. This was written for teens, not by teens. And it is really, really obvious.

I think this book can be a fantastic reference, and a great conversation starter. But it is not a book to hand to your teenaged child and say, "Hey, this is important. See you later." Because your kid is going to read it, roll their eyes, and possibly take it to school with them to have a great laugh, and any time there is a conversation about consent, it will continue to be a joke.

This was a fantastic effort, because this is an important conversation. But this was not the way to go about it.

Use it as a reference, not as a guide.

What Does Consent Really Mean? by Pete Wallis and Thalia Wallis, illustrated by Joseph Wilkins, came across my radar when I was looking for new books to read on my Kindle this fall. (With a small baby, Kindle is really the way to go for me right now.) Now that I am a mother, I am looking for ways to teach consent to my child at a young age, as it's incredibly important to me. Hence, why I picked up this graphic novel.

What is consent? What does it mean exactly, and does it take away the fun of a sexual encounter? Do you have a right to consent in a relationship? These are the big questions explored in this short primer on what it means to give consent and why it's important. Several friends get together after school, and one brings up a rumor that the new girl was raped. This sparks a discussion about what it means to say "yes" and "no," and if that even matters. (Spoiler alert: it does.)

What I found the most fascinating about this book was the spot-on characterization of high schoolers. Now, it's been on the far side of two decades since I started high school, but looking back on what I knew then, I saw myself in these characters. In fact, even just a couple of years ago I had a conversation with a good friend about women who get roofied, and this friend even, in their 30's, expressed fault on the side of the woman. I can speak to this, as someone who has had the *wonderful* experience of being drugged (that was sarcasm, in case you didn't catch it), that it was 100%, explicitly not my fault in any way. In fact, I couldn't have been more responsible at the time of the incident. But it took me a long time to realize that it wasn't my fault because I didn't give consent.

So yes, I saw myself and my peers in these high school kids in a graphic novel, just the way I see all adolescents in their semi-developed prefrontal cortices. Without a full understanding of what consent is and why it matters, kids will continue to believe that as long as it hasn't happened to them, that others should have made better (or even different) choices.

Which is what I think is the brilliance of this graphic novel. It doesn't treat teens as if they have pedantic, juvenile conversations, but rather meets them where they are. Whether it's gossiping about the new girl being promiscuous, using the word "gay" as a pejorative, or doing things sexually with a boyfriend or girlfriend they aren't comfortable with, we all can understand these things because we've been there. So when the authors turn toward defining consent (with a diverse cast of characters, mind you), it's a seamless transition from gossip to, "Hey guys, wait a second..."

I'll be buying this in hard copy and holding on to it for my own kiddo when it comes to be about that time. We have a couple of other books we are using to guide him when he's younger, and we will add this to our arsenal when he's middle school age. Talk about consent can never start too young.

I was sent this book for review via NetGalley and I wish I never had it sent to me at all...

I don't know if it's just my version on my Kindle but it's so confusing and must be corrupt which I'm truly gutted about.

I myself found the book cover and title a brilliant eye catcher and one that needs to be spread about and awareness made on.

so as I'm on my bus travelling home yesterday I got excited at delving onto it, but the words all over lap each other, it's the pictures don't add up with the wording (it's a comic/graphic book style) and so no matter how much I tried to untangle the mess it just gave me such a headache...

plus it gives me no idea who the main character is so I font understand who's dating who and who sent what photo graph who didn't give consent blah blah blah...

and it's a shame my version came through like this as my Godmother is a Counsellor in Schools/universities etc and also works with children aswel as adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and so I thought this would be BRILLIANT Aat showing her in hope she could maybe then go one to recommend it to the youngsters and teens she sees and speaks too...but I can't even lend it out as it's just so poorly written.

after getting 67% through it on my kindle I get the jist into what it's all about and I think it's a FANTASTIC IDEA/BOOK and the drawings are brilliant (baring in mind my kindle is black and white) and I think this will be a great hit, and I myself will actually purchase a copy when it's released...it's just a shame I couldn't raise awareness with this book and help get it out there, with how poorly it was to read.

if only I knew how to receive physical Arc copies of books...like some of these reviews as I really was looking forward to this...as I can relate to it.

3* from me...from what I read and untangled it will be a brilliant book.

This is one of the best graphic novels I've read!
Not only is it well written and nicely illustrated, but it also tackles a very important issue, that has been broadly discussed lately, but I am not confident enough that its importance has been emphasized to the younger populations.

And, this novel could serve exactly that purpose!

Just like the creators highlight, consent is not just the absence of "No", but an enthusiastic and explicitly communicated "YES".

This message is conveyed through the graphic novel, when a group of female friends start discussing about one of their new classmates who is rumored to have been raped.

I like the fact that the girls at first seem to never having thought of the issue of consent in much detail before, something that I am fairly sure is the case among the majority adolescents. But, gradually and through their conversation, they start realizing that they do not have any need or obligation to consent to anything they are not 100% sure they want.

And, then, their male friends approach them and are let into the conversation, which only serves to make it even more realistic and important, as it is highlighted that they do not purposefully make their girlfriends do stuff the latter might not have done otherwise, but they really have no clue as to how to properly ask for their consent and not just assume that they do.

I can't stress enough how important it is for today's adolescents to have access to this particular graphic novel, and especially to familiarize with the concept of consent.


All in all, 5 stars for an important graphic novel, which succeeds in conveying a powerful message.

I think this graphic novel is a great starting point for this topic. I liked its simple approach to the topic and the way it covered a variety of subjects relating to consent. I liked the way that they reaffirmed their clarifications throughout the novel. They explained things in a clear and concise manner and even elaborated in many situations. They talked about values and gave examples, many of which young adults will be able to relate to. The format was easy to read and creating it into a graphic novel makes this topic more appealing to its readers.

So, what is consent? The novel elaborates on this many times throughout the novel. Consent means that there is no pressure, that both parties are happy with the decision that they are making, that there is the enthusiastic “yes!” before the act, that the individual is not being forced or coerced into something, etc. This text provides many definitions and many examples of what this word means. Because your body is yours and what you do with it depends on what you want. So, what happens if you say no? What about the famous, “everyone else is doing it.” or what if you’re just not sure? This graphic novel covers these options and many more. The novel consists of a group of four girls conversing. You will meet a group of boys who chime in on the conversation and give you their opinions on the subject matter so it’s not all about girls.

In the back of the novel, the author has given its readers a wonderful resource. From consent, sexting, porn, being positive sex resilient, etc. the author has listed some discussion questions, a list of information that was discussed in the novel, some Did You Know Facts and a list of resources where you can go to find further information for each of these additional subjects. I feel that this is a wonderful way to approach this subject and this novel should be read by anyone who is mature enough to handle this subject matter. This novel makes a great starting point for future discussion or research. 4,5 stars

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2176486676?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This book is a frank, open discussion about consent and sex. I really appreciated that it modeled appropriate listening and speaking behaviors and that the discussion included a variety of sexual orientations. Every school library should have this book available.

A hot topic on college campuses today, as well as among younger kids, is the issue of consent. Pete Wallis and Thalia Wallis tackle the issue in What Does Consent Really Mean? Their story, told in comic book format with illustrations by Joseph Wilkins, follows a group of high schoolers talking about sex, relationships, and consent.

The first thing I noticed about the book is the assumption that teenagers are going to have sex. The idea that sex should be reserved for one person after you're married is not even hinted at here. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe that is the ideal and standard that should be held out, especially among teens. What Does Consent Really Mean? has a very open attitude--everything is OK, as long as the people involved are in agreement. I just wish abstinence had been a part of the discussion.

That said, I know the reality is that many teens have sex, want to have sex, and talk a lot about sex. So the clarity that Wallis and Wallis bring to consent is welcome. One of the characters says, "Consent is NOT the absence of No, it is an enthusiastic YES!" They discuss going along with a partner just to avoid conflict, the fact that if you do something one time it doesn't mean you have given consent to do it every time you're together, and what to do when someone asks you to do something you don't want to do.

The authors want this book to be a resource in classrooms and school libraries. At the end they include several web pages listed on a variety of related topics, all of which can help a kid with questions. Kids are always going to have sex. Some kids, especially girls, are going to give more than they wanted to. What Does Consent Really Mean? can help to start conversations and spur some reflection that can stem the tide of unwanted contact and sexual activity.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

I guess looking at the fact that it's meant for the formative years a book like this is absolutely a good thing. (Let's face it, I probably got harassed more in school than I have in the ten years since.) This is definitely something that needs to be taught early on.
Obviously crossing our fingers and hoping for the best doesn't work.


Can I question if there'll be a guy version? Because the little bit we get from "their male friends," left me feeling like some things were unresolved and like they were opening a whole other door. Besides the quick lesson on the meaning of consent and the "Get off you're freaking girlfriend, no she doesn't enjoy it; that's why she is telling you to STOP!" moment, there isn't much of a lesson from the guys perspective. They just go on talking about the pressure they feel and the false assumptions they've made from watching porn.

My take on that: "I feel pressure to keep up with what everyone else say's they're doing so therefore I'm going to pressure you into doing something you're uncomfortable with even if you don't say yes."
= "I come first, you're just here for my own use."

Alright, maybe I read too much into that. But I feel like they missed the point on their part and simply told them to stop being jerks and consider what the girl is feeling.

The entire book is a group of girls going back and forth (and around, to a point where I felt it got confusing) about how they feel doing certain things, when they feel pressured and how much control they feel they have.
It's a great book from a female's point of view, because it's filled with great advice all girls should hear. "This is what consent it, if you're uncomfortable and at no point say Yes. Then whatever is happening is not okay."

I liked it for that and it's a good lesson and message but I just feel like it's lacking when it came to both sides. Yes, it'll teach girls that it's alright to say no, but does it truly teach guys that only Yes means yes?

It is so sad that there is a need for this book... But, especially at this time, the subject of consent is even more important than before. This is a perfect tool to use in school to bring up consent to discussion.

I feel I am fairly educated on what consent means. I wanted to read this book to see if there was something I could learn still, and to see if this book would be something I think a teenager would read. (Or maybe because I still think I am in my early 20's and "hip") There where parts of the comic that I had not considered fell under the need for consent, so it was indeed educational.

Still, I do not think a teenager would pick up this comic by them self. It has the grownup lecturing tone over it, and a lot of the conversation felt staged and unnatural. BUT, I belive it could be a great tool to use by schools in the sexual education to teach teenagers about consent, and to respect each others boundaries. Sex ed. has been lacking in a lot of places and we start to see the repercussions of this. By starting early, the right attitudes can be taught and I belive this comic can help more towards this than to listen to the "old and boring teacher who does not know what it is like to be a teenager today".

A thoughtful and provocative graphic novel for middle grade and teenagers meant to teach them that they decide what is right for their bodies and breaking down that consent is not the absence of no, but an enthusiastic YES from both parties. The graphic novel takes place as a discussion between a diverse group of teen girls as they talk about a student who was raped and then to consent, relationships, porn and what is and is not appropriate—in addition to a group of boys joining the conversation.

While I didn’t particularly agree with the posting nudes section (because they seem to place blame on the victim for sharing pictures of themselves—as in the argument, once it’s out there, it’s out there forever, and you can’t control what someone else does with it), the rest of the discussions between the teens are absolutely spot on. Teens need to talk about sex—not just sex education, but consent, what harmful relationships look like, peer pressure, and that it’s okay to change your mind even after you already gave consent.

The notes at the back of the graphic novel contain lots of fantastic discussion topics and resources for further reading and additional information. Most of the resources gathered are focused on the UK (particularly the legal bits), but readers outside the UK can still gather valuable information.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.