So, this book.

This book is an interesting one, actually. (Also I wonder how many reviews I start with the line so, this book…but that’s another story entirely.)

This book.

I think it’s going to do well. I actually really do. I think it’s going to tick a lot of boxes and I think a lot of young people are going to be reaching out for it and praising its very existence because it’s the kind of book they want to read; the kind of book that’s about their life. It’s relatable in so many ways and it’s brave an unflinching and it doesn’t shy away from the fact that its demographic may well be having sex. I don’t think there’s another book out there like this and I think it’s a good thing that soon this one will exist.

Let’s tell you a bit about what it’s about.

It’s set in high school – America and I really need to get me some more UK set YA, actually but that’s another gripe for another day – and it’s primarily about Jack.

Jack is out, and he’s proud and confident and he does his own thing and he likes sex but not relationships and he’s comfortable enough in his own skin to have no strings sex without bothering really what the gossips are saying – in fact he takes a certain amount of pleasure out of listening into people talking about him and hearing how ridiculous the rumours are. His best friend asks him to write an advice column on her website, which he does, and it seems to be a hit. But then he starts getting these anonymous letters in his locker which at first seem pretty innocuous but actually ARE NOT because the letter writer turns out to be a super creepy stalker.

So that’s it, in a nutshell.

And there’s a lot I liked about it.

I liked how bold it is, and I liked how unflinching it is in making its point and I loved how sex positive it is, and I love how its kind of saying, look, these kids are probably having sex and so lets let them know that as long as they’re safe and they’re consenting that’s ok. Sex is not bad. Sex actually can amazing.

I also like how it realises that there are questions teenagers have that they don’t know how to ask and how it takes (some of) those questions and in the shape of Jack’s column, answers them in a thoughtful, intelligent not at all preachy manner. I liked that a lot. Although honestly, less shock value might’ve been nice. Anyhow. It talks about losing your virginity and navigating relationships and it talks about blow jobs and what to do if you don’t think you’re interested in sex at all and I LOVED how boldly it tackled it all – although did it sometimes go too far the other way? I’m undecided. I liked the dialogue too, mostly. Really, for the most part I liked how these teenagers talked like teenagers which will be what gives this book its appeal I think – it feels like it’s written by someone who gets it, by a peer.

What didn’t I like. The overuse of the word fuck. Or rather, perhaps not so much that – I don’t take offense at the word itself, it’s probably one of the most used words in the English language, and sometimes no other word will do, but I do perhaps object of the overuse of the word fuck to describe sex here in this book. And I know that actually that’s what the word is, it is a verb to describe having sex but – and wow perhaps I’m just massively naïve here, and perhaps I live in a bubble and perhaps it’s one of those Across the Pond, things - but I’m not sure it’s used in that context to the extent it is here? Jack uses the word fuck or talks about fucking a lot, a lot a lot, to the point I was really aware of it and it really drew away from the story for me. I’m not saying we have to be all sensitive and treat readers like delicate flowers and talk about making sweet sweet love, I just don’t think it was realistic; have sex with, sex, shag, sleep with, hook up with, screw, there’s probably a million other words that could be used not in place of but alongside fuck that would have made me feel a little bit less like somebody was trying to show off a little bit. It was too much. Which is how I felt about some points of the story if I’m honest – the fourway that Jack did-or-didn’t have, the drinking til you pass out, some of it was a bit too much, a bit try hard and whilst I get and I LOVE what this book is trying to do, I did roll my eyes a little sometimes because it felt like LOOK HOW I CAN SAY FUCK AND TALK GRAPHICALLY ABOUT SEX AND GETTING OFF YOUR FACE DRUNK I’M SO COOL AND SEX POSITIVE WHICH MEANS IT’S OK TO DESCRIBE SOMEONE’S FIRST TIME AS ‘RAPEY’ AND GLOSS OVER IT and it at times I did feel uncomfortable. But then, I’m old. But still, it made me feel weird and kind of a little bit like it was undermining its own excellent messages.

Then there’s the end. OH MY GOODNESS. I hate when I am all invested in a story only for the end to feel like it’s laughing in my face and that’s what happened here. Basically, there’s this big reveal about the stalker which CAME FROM NOWHERE and then wasn’t properly resolved. The whole build up of this storyline is so good and so suspenseful and the whole way through you want to know who it is and it’s just….such a let down and I don’t like how that happened or how the story went from there and it wasn’t handled well at all and I was so grumpy because that, the whole stalker thing was so much more important than anything else that happened in the book and it could have been addressed in a much better way than it was and I was waiting and waiting for nothing and actually I am laughing at myself because I thought I’d quite enjoyed this book until I started writing this review and now it seems it actually rather annoyed me.

I think it’ll do well though, and I think books like this need to exist, I just think this one didn’t quite reach it’s potential. It makes me sad when things don’t reach their potential.

I had kind of mixed feelings about this book. On the whole, I liked it, but there were distinct parts of it I was less keen on. Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) is a story about Jack, a gay teen at high school, who is roped into writing a sex advice column for his friend's blog. But, in the process, someone makes it known that they have been stalking him. (P.S. the stalking storyline does get pretty damn creepy, so like. Just a warning.)

THE GOOD

- All the talk about sex positivity and safe sex. The whole premise of the book, that Jack gives sex advice, is somewhat leery for me, given the ages of the characters, but the actual advice given is (on the whole) really good, and focuses well on sex positivity and having safe sex and consent, which I really liked. As the main character is gay, there is more focus on sex in that context, though also some more general things that apply to straight couples too (less on lesbian sex, but that's kind of understandable in this case...). There were occasional things that I thought veered a little too close to some particular tumblr discourse for comfort, but, for the most part, it was really refreshing to see a YA book that's so open and frank and positive about it all (especially with gay sex because that's still seen as pretty dirty). One thing to note, while there are discussions of sex, the sex scenes in this are all fade-to-black.

- It's ownvoices, and there's huge value in books by mlm about mlm and things like sex that might otherwise be hard to find anything on. Basically, it's really important.

- In one article, Jack calls out these straight girls who are busy fetishising him, and it is truly glorious. I can think of a few books that might benefit from just reading that one chapter.

- The characters are funny and well-rounded (even though I did get irritated by them a few times), and actually it's a pretty compulsively readable book.

THE BAD (OR LESS GOOD)

- In a way, this links in with my first point in the good column. Yes, it was good having all this sex positivity, but I did feel just a bit skeevy reading about this all from a 16/17 year old. You: "Sixteen and seventeen year olds can be sexually active." Me: "Yes, but that doesn't stop me feeling fairly skeevy about it all." Maybe this is all because I'm not actually the target audience, true, but still. A point to bear in mind if you're reading this at somewhat older than sixteen.

- Also, he said he started "three years earlier", which would make him 13 or 14. Like. I'd say that's too early but. You do you, Jack. So long as it's safe and consensual.

- So, the characters are supposed to be about 16-17, but they read a whole lot older than that. I have genuinely never met a 16-17 year old who doesn't treat sex as something pretty funny, and is as mature about it as Jack was in this. It reads a little more like they're all college-aged.

- The fact that both Jack and Jenna hook up with college guys. I really don't understand why authors can't see that this is borderline creepy. They're sixteen. People in college are at least two years older than that and, eighteen year-olds hooking up with sixteen year-olds? Creepy. (Also, his mum? Weirdly okay with it?)

- While Jack's all "sex positivity!" and "not having a sex drive isn't a problem!" in his articles, he does make one comment in his narrative that I wasn't a particular fan of. It comes when he's discussing his best friend, Ben, who's "saving himself" for the right guy. And he references the fact that, in doing this, Ben is not having sex, not kissing boys, and just masturbating alone in his room. Which "must be miserable". So, he's all sex positivity, wait til the right time, in his articles, but in this? I don't know what's going on. It also never gets confronted, which was a bit sucky.

- Personal dislike: this book did use the q-slur as a blanket term, but like I say. Personal.

- When he uses femme to describe himself. As a cis gay guy.

- "The idea of having to think, 'Wait, is this okay with my boyfriend?' before kissing some cute boy I just met at a party." Jack, that's called cheating.

So, overall, I liked this book, though I definitely was not the target audience for it. But it's one of those ones that shows the importance of having ownvoices books about topics like this. It was a whole lot more engaging than yet another straight woman trying to tell me how gay boys/men feel.

This book is brilliant, and a really welcome addition to the current world of YA. This book is funny, and warm, and almost overwhelmingly relevant to today's teens. Its sex positive attitude and matter of fact approach to the lives of its characters makes it feel very fresh. I really liked the way it looked at society's attitudes as well, I think it will make a lot of readers think twice about some things.

My only slight quibble with the book was in the way the secret admirer plot line is wrapped up. It's the one weaker moment in an otherwise very strong book.

A really interesting read, some great characters, the subject matter handled very well, a must read for every young man or lady struggling with their sexuality

DON'T READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE EASILY SEXUALLY OFFENDED. Its an honest, account of life as an high school student who is homosexual. If you are expecting the usual angst ridden teen coming to terms with his homosexulaity, you might be pleasantly surprised. Jack is loud and proud, he is confident in his sexulaity and its so refreshing. I am sure this book will be well received by Young Adult readers for its honesty, its portrayal of life as an affluent teen living in New York and the positive message it portrays of modern homosexuality. It's a must read for any teen who is struggling with his homosexualiity or has friends that are homosexuals.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an open and honest review*

OK - the positives.

This YA novel is very pro LGBT+ (and as it should be in this day and age). It gives frank advice (and some of it is *very* frank) for a whole manner of do's and dont's in the minefield that is puberty and burgeoning sexuality. There is also a mystery element as Jack is stalked by an unknown 'admirer', which was quite effective as I was drawn into the whodunnit aspect of the story until....

And the negatives

the reveal of who is doing the stalking and why was just so random and a bit crap - I actually thought it was a red herring, but no, just a crap nemesis with a bad grudge.

I can see the high sex content and the setting (artsy school in Manhattan) being a big draw and the book will probably be a huge hit with the target audience. I, on the other hand, sat reading it imagining that the author had overdosed on TV shows set in high school and decided to write their own version - I'm guessing that there have already been many talks to transfer this book to the screen - and it was hard for me as a reader not to imagine the author cynically plotting their own '13 reasons why'-style Netflix series.

OK I wasnt the target audience, and had I read this 25 years ago I would probably LOVE it, but as I say, it all felt a bit calculated and cynical for my taste.

Some will love this book and others will have very mixed feelings about it. I can understand why some would love it but I just found it too over the top and if it was dialled back a bit it could have been a better book. It will certainly divide opinion but not one for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy for review purposes.

What an amazing fabulous book. This book should be made available in ever high school 6th and 6th form college. Fantastic read. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Wished I had this type of book available when I was in college.
Thanks to both NetGalley and Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read Jack of Hearts in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion..

I would've loved to have access to a book like this in my teenage years, when I was full of questions about sex; about whether my being attracted to girls was just a typical teenage straight girl thing, and I am beyond thrilled that this book is out in the world for teenagers going through similar things. Jack Rothman (who I would die for) is so open about sex, so comfortable in his own skin and so shamelessly himself! I want to send a good few questions to Jack of Hearts, even now!

However, I noticed a lot of reviewers have big issues with this book and how freely sex is presented throughout, but I can't help but wonder what people really expected with a blurb like that. Sex amongst teenagers - especially 17 year olds - <I>really</I> isn't uncommon, but access to sex advice and sexual health information is very scarce for LGBTQ+ teens. Now, I'm not saying this book should be the holy book for gay kids looking for guidance by any means, but it's so refreshing to see such things in a YA novel, because it is happening!

Let me get personal for a minute: at 17 years old, I had a group of friends (very dysfunctional, but I had some of the best memories with them) in high school, consisting of at least 20 people, boys and girls. We had parties almost every weekend, we drank pretty often, and we had a lot of sex! Reading this book reminded me a lot of my time at high school, so reading all these reviews in which people don't think that threesomes, group sex and BDSM dabbling happens with some 17 year olds is quite surprising. It was at 17 that I realised a lot about myself sexually, and that knowledge came from actually having sex... and this was very much the norm!

I do understand that, for those who didn't have a similar high school experience, this book could be a little too much, but I personally loved it and I have never felt more validated about some of my questionable high school antics! I would've been such good friends with Jack, Jenna and Ben. I love them.

I did knock a star off because the Pinky plot wasn't interesting to me because I guessed who it was almost from the start, and then my suspicions were confirmed, so I didn't get a big satisfactory revelation at the end.

I love love LOVED this book! Foul-mouthed, honest, funny and unapologetically real characters, and an intriguing, sometimes terrifying, story woven through with fantastic, thoughtful advice about sex and love. I started out expecting a love story--pink notes arriving in a locker is everyone's dream meet cute, right?--and slowly became more horrified as the realisation hit that this was NOT a dream come true, but a total nightmare. I was left guessing who Jack's stalker was until the last possible moment, and I loved how the book challenged stereotypes at every step, with well-rounded, fully fleshed out characters. I can't recommend this book highly enough! If you're looking for a laugh, a chill, and some genuinely helpful advice, then this is the book for you.

This novel follows Jack, a gay high school student who is completely comfortable with his active sex life and sexuality. When Jack teams up with one of his best friends, Jenna, to create a sex advice column for people to send in their anonymous questions for answering, things start going south for Jack. While the column is, mostly, widely praised by everyone, someone out there has taken notice of Jack and seems to really hate his lifestyle. Jack starts finding little pink notes in his school locker, which get increasingly more threatening and terrifying. Does Jack have to give up his lifestyle, become a different person, just to meet the demands of his secret stalker?

Of the 75 other books I've read this year (excluding rereads of favourites), none of the others drew me into the story as quickly as this book. Jack and his friends, Jenna and Ben, aren't perfect ideal teenagers. They can be mean when they're frustrated, they fight, they drink - they smoke, which is something I'm never cool with - but I really enjoyed them. The flaws in these characters, regardless of how dedicated to their friendship they were, left an added bit of mystery to the story. What if it was them that sent the notes? I'm not confirming or denying anything, because figuring out the stalker's identity plays such a huge role in gripping the attention of readers, but I adored that you just can't be sure about anyone. Jenna is the daughter of a reporter and a lawyer, and she takes her blog seriously. She discusses important topics, and encouraged Jack to start his sex advice column (which I'll touch on more later). Ben is the shy peace-keeper of the group, and is also gay. He is such a sweet, wholesome character that sees the best in everyone, and I loved that the author acknowledged the difficulty he felt fitting in being both gay and black in high school.

Jack's mother works long hours in a hospital, and yet their relationship is that perfect mix between mother and child, and friendship. His mother supports his sexuality and open sex life, and it was so refreshing to see the conversations that took place between them. Sexuality is, obviously, a prevalent topic throughout this novel. Jack doesn't limit his beliefs and opinions on sex and the LGBT+ community just to his column. He has no problem correcting, arguing, or educating his friends and peers, which felt like a significant trait that we don't see enough in fiction or reality. The column itself opened a narrative with the public - anything from losing their virginity, consent, relationship advice, to specific sexual acts, and each subject was answered tastefully, truthfully, and without an ounce of judgement. Throughout this book we see experimentation with sexuality, erasure of sexuality, homophobia, bullying, and casual sex, and every time such a crucial topic was brought to light, it was an opportunity used to the fullest to both educate and entertain readers.

This book is pitched for fans of Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, which is one of my all time favourite books. While I completely agree with this comparison, Jack of Hearts is stands unique yet equally important next to that book. Simon covered topics of coming out, self-acceptance, friendship, relationships, and blackmail, and Jack of Hearts has all of that and more. However, I unfortunately imagine that Jack of Hearts, moreso than Simon, will be frowned upon by more close-minded individuals. We don't often see sex spoken of in such great and various detail in YA - which is honestly, unrealistic. Some teenagers have sex, and some don't. This statement is normalised on several occasions in this novel, which was fantastic to finally see, and made me proud to have read this book. As long as sex is safe and consensual then it's okay, and that's what this book points to over and over again.

One downside I will say about this book is the use of the "f" slur referring to LGBT+ members. Jack uses this term to describe himself several times, and while it made me uncomfortable, I could see that it was a coping mechanism for this character. The word "slut" is also tossed about in this book, but again, is usually used by Jack to describe himself. How he uses the word seems to discredit the negative connotations associated with it, and reinforced the "you do you" message when it comes to sex. Jack accepted, if not owned, the fact that he perpetuated some stereotypes of being gay. He wore his identity on his sleeve and never faltered - until, of course, the stalker came into the picture. The stalker, even as a plot device, was quite scary to witness. The thought that someone is paying such close attention to you and you have no idea who they are, or why they're singling you out and treating you this way is terrifying. Over time, as the stalking increased to worrying levels, Jack falls prey to anxiety, depression, and fear.

Bullying, whether in high school or at any other stage in your life, is completely unacceptable. While Jack and his friends work tirelessly to catch the stalker in the act, it was heartbreaking to see that certain adults took no responsibility for the stalker's actions. Instead, the situation was blamed on Jack - if only he didn't act on his sexuality, if only he didn't express himself, or spread information on his column. While it was horrible reading this, it wasn't at all surprising. As this novel stands by, the world has a long long way to go before we reach equal rights. Everyone deserves to express themselves and live their lives in a way that makes them happy, so long as it isn't harming someone else.

Truly, I believe that this could potentially be one of the most important and impactful reads for teenagers and young adults today. We need to learn about sexuality, consent, coming out, self expression, bullying, safe sex, communication, and every other essential subject portrayed within this novel. I've talked a lot about these important portrayals in this book, but the humour and heartwarming moments can't be forgotten about either. Jack and his friends could be hilarious together, and even his romantic excursions were usually so relaxed and funny and utterly realistic. Despite the situation they're thrown into, this such an iconic group of friends and it was fun to live vicariously through them.

This book comes out on October 30th 2018 and if you want a non-scary mystery to read on Halloween, then I highly recommend you pick this book up or preorder. Already I'm set on preordering this wonderful book after reading the eARC! While I was sent this for review, please note that (as always) all thoughts and opinions of this novel are my own. This is a fast-paced, show-stopping read, and is one that I'm now counting the days before it gets huge!

This was exactly the type of book sixteen year old me needed. It’s a frank normalised look at gay relationships, with a hint of a mystery whodunnit.

The main character begins an advice column, and those pieces of advice are properly thought out sensitive, humourous and useful.

Some of the characters want sex and aren’t afraid to talk about it as a concept divorced from emotion as a recreational activity, much more in line with how teens actually see the world, and it makes a change for YA to handle this, rather than ‘one true love, my destiny, but just a chaste kiss even though they’re over 16 and it’s legal.

This would, and should have burned its way through my sixth form, but instead our gay sex Ed was from alternative pre internet sources thanks to school restrictions, and it was hard not knowing what you were doing and feeling was normal and ok. This book goes a long way to rectify that.

It’s Love Simon, who is sex positive and has watched too much Veronica Mars.

I loved it.

In the opening chapters of this book, the gratuitous sexual references almost put me off continuing but I persisted. The plot opened into an engaging mystery and a tale of friendship, teenage angst and how young people overcome discrimination. The characters are engaging if not al little stereotypical - a homosexual boy with a quirky girl as his best friend and overweight boy who doesn’t fit in. That apart, you learn to enjoy their company as you move through the book and you certainly want to find out the identity of Jack’s stalker. Rosen skilfully weaves a trail that could inculcate many so you are kept on your toes until the end. That aspect of the storyline does not disappoint.

I have to say that I am still unsure about the audience for this book as I feel the sexual context is too hard-hitting for young teenagers but the storyline would not appeal to the older range of teenage. I couldn’t see myself recommending it to any of my students and I don’t think I’d like my own daughter to read this as there is just too much sex in it. However, I imagine young people who fear their sexuality or are confused or frightened to ask some of the questions raised in this book might appreciate its bold approach.

Witty, insightful, beautifully pitched; this book should be required reading for 15/16 year olds. This book is full of advice about love and sex, both LGBT+ and straight. Any book that encourages open mindedness and reduces prejudice is worthy of a read, but this one does all this with a light touch. Jack is a wonderful character, as are his friends. I loved it!

3.75 stars

I was so happy to read this book, it's like a breath of fresh air in the YA world. Most of the time sex in YAs is a taboo or something that is just slightly mentioned. Here it definitely was not and that's totally fine. Jack is a gay teen who's very open about his sexuality and he is totally okay with people knowing that.
The online sex advice column was a great idea to show us more of Jack's personality and life, and also his past.
Jenna and Ben were great and I appreciated their concern for Jack, they just had his best interest at heart.
The school environment in which the book takes place was interesting to read. I was happy to see that Jack had Nance on his side supporting him, considering that the principal was no help at all.
The storyline surrounding Jack's stalker gave me the creeps, it was well done in that sense. The only thing that bugged me was the fact that they didn't do anything sooner. When Jack's mother found out I was ready to see him go and check the cameras of his building but it didn't happen. Maybe it would all have been for nothing in the end but I think a try would have been nice.
The part where Jack was miserable and powerless was hard to read. He just couldn't take it anymore, he was ready to admit defeat and let the stalker win. I was so relieved when the truth was discovered and Jack finally got back to his old self.

★★★☆☆/★★★★★

Book Review: Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by L C Rosen

Positives
✂️Likeable main character and supporting cast
💌Very funny

Negatives
💌Rude - like an x-rated version of Love, Simon
✂️I guessed 'whodunit' early on

I enjoyed this LGBT YA contemporary. Jack is a very likeable main character though he seems to have more sex than I have hot drinks in a week 😂 the stalker aspect was a good addition though I did guess fairly early on.

Jack Rothman is out and proud. He is something of a sexlebrity at his school, and his apparent sexcapades are discussed in great detail in the girls bathrooms each week.

When Jack's best friend Jenna asks him to write a sex advice column where readers can send in anonymous questions for Jack to answer, he is initially wary but then agrees when he sees a chance to show that he isn't quite the player that his peers believe him to be. As his 'Jack of Hearts' column gains more readers, Jack himself gains a stalker and we follow Jack and his two best friends as they attempt to untangle this escalating situation.

As I mentioned in my negatives above, I do think this one should be marketed at the older end of YA, so 16+, as it's pretty graphic and sexually explicit at times. I'd recommend if you liked Love, Simon and don't kind a bit of rude and graphic language.

I tried very hard t like this book but just couldn’t! I found it difficult to connect with the main character, though I liked the concept and the end reveal was nicely done.

I think other readers may enjoy this more than I did

What a thoroughly enjoyable read!
This book was raw and honest in a way that I didn't expect. There were elements of humour but this book was very real and talked about a lot of issues that young adults face in this day and age.
Jack, the main character, is a brilliant protagonist. Not only extremely likeable he is very believable too. This book really fills a gap in the market.
Thanks for netgalley for allowing me to read a e-copy pre-publication.

This is the sex positive, YA book depicting queer sex that I have always wanted. My evil, inner demon is already crying with laughter at the scandalised pearl clutchers who will be up in arms about this because they don’t want teenagers to read about sex. For that alone I feel like I want to buy the author a drink. While the overall story was a bit wobbly at times, it was entertaining and it carried an important message: that it’s ok to want sex and enjoy it whatever your gender identity or sexuality without it having to be eternal love or soul mates for ever. As long as everyone is open, honest and respectful of each other, as long as there’s consent, then everything is permitted and there is no shame attached. This is something that desperately needs to be available to teens – whether they choose to read it or not (and that choice should be theirs.) It’s like Judy Blume’s Forever had a love child with R.L.Stine’s Love you to Death. A really good book and thank the gods that queer sex is finally being published in YA and normalised as being just as perfectly natural as hetero sex. More like this please.

ETA: I've seen a few reviews accusing this book of promoting risky behaviour among teenagers. To be honest everything about this book is so over-the-top that I hadn't even considered the implications of some scenes. To me the "pre-game" parties Jack and his friends have where they get high and eat cucumber sandwiches and drink champagne were so hilariously fake that I couldn't take it seriously. Same goes for the orgy described at the beginning (which never really happened) and some other sex scenes. I'd love to think that any sensible 17yo reading this book would see through this as I did, but I understand that not everyone might do, and glorification of such risky behaviour is not something I can back up. So I'm lowering my rating to 1 star because, while I still appreciate the honesty of the sex talks included here, the mixed signals (make sure you always have safe sex, but it's ok to drink at a party until you black out and don't even remember how you got home but hey! you still have your pants on!) make this book very much not recommendable for the younger part of YA

I have very mixed feelings about this book... The first chapter left me shocked - and I mean open-mouthed, have-I-just-read-that shocked. When I was 17 I used to meet my friends on the weekends to have coffee and obsess over whatever had happened that week on Friends/Buffy/X-Files, so reading about a group of high school kids having an orgy in a hot tub in the first page already was a bit overwhelming, and not because of the sex itself, but because of how honestly it was discussed. If (like me) you read NA, you know the sex in those books is always the same: mind-blowing orgasms, never-felt-this-before experiences and too-big-to-fit members. Occasionally someone experiences a bit of discomfort before seeing the fireworks for the first time, and that's about as much a concession to reality you're going to get. Not here. Sure, Jack has a lot of mind-blowing sex (always tastefully discussed) but in his column he acknowledges how awkward, funny and even painful it can be. I have never read about teenage sex, gay or straight, with the honesty and simplicity this book manages, and that's no small accomplishment. And Jack's internal struggling about "being the right type of gay" was just awesome, and more than a little bit heartbreaking.

Unfortunately, that's practically the only things I enjoyed. I've already said how I spent my weekends at 17, so it was very hard for me to connect with a bunch of rich kinds who spend their time partying, drinking, smoking pot and having sex. The mystery about the notes was no mystery at all because I guessed who the stalker was the first time they showed up, so mostly I spent the book annoyed at Jack for not wanting to go to the cops, not wanting to tell his mom and pushing his friends away when they were obviously worried out of their minds for him. Plus we get no explanation at all about the stalker's motives for making Jack's life a living hell. AT ALL. So in the end the whole stalking plot felt completely unnecessary, and it was like I was reading two different books: a YA about a funny kid writing a sex-advice column, and a dark thriller (the stalker was NUTS) about a kid being harassed. It made no sense.

My guess is that this book is going to be very polarizing, so I recommend it to everyone so they can have their own opinion about it (not very useful, I know, but it's the truth!)