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thisisgettingstupid999's review
5.0
This is a lovely, non-judgemental and inclusive book for teenagers, mostly written in comic book style. It has an open-minded and educational approach to sexuality and gender identity , which will be welcomed by many parents, although some may object to it. I had hoped to read this with my 12-year-old son but after a look at the contents page and a quick flick through, he felt he wasn’t ready for it yet. Hopefully we’ll find the right time, somewhere between ‘too much, too soon’ and ‘too little, too late’!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
ohyes_that_girl's review
5.0
Very impressed with this graphic novel that talks about sex and puberty. I would say it’s the perfect age for younger middle school kids. What I really love about it is that it’s LGBTQIA+ inclusive and mentions consent a lot. Fantastic!
lattelibrarian's review
4.0
When there's a comic book about the growing body and all its sexual and romantic intricacies that's written and illustrated by Scarleteen authors, you know it's going to be good. Narrated by five very different teens, Wait, What? describes all the ways one can be a teen. Some of these characters are lesbian, straight, gender non-conforming, romantic, sexual, enthusiastic, reserved, and more. Their differences unite them and allow for a breadth of questions and answers to be raised.
I will say though, that I like the characters' siblings more than the main characters themselves at times...sometimes the cast was so steadfast in their beliefs that it sometimes made it hard to connect with them in a book about answering questions and learning new things. Though I think it's a great thing to have characters know for sure who they are, I also think for some teens who have questions they might wants a few more instances in which they're unsure.
Overall though, I think this is a great and inclusive resource, definitely great for teens who are ready to ask questions and have them answered. Certainly worth getting for your library, teen, and beyond!
Review cross-listed here!
I will say though, that I like the characters' siblings more than the main characters themselves at times...sometimes the cast was so steadfast in their beliefs that it sometimes made it hard to connect with them in a book about answering questions and learning new things. Though I think it's a great thing to have characters know for sure who they are, I also think for some teens who have questions they might wants a few more instances in which they're unsure.
Overall though, I think this is a great and inclusive resource, definitely great for teens who are ready to ask questions and have them answered. Certainly worth getting for your library, teen, and beyond!
Review cross-listed here!
alongreader's review
5.0
What a cute, funny book! It keeps a light touch without making fun of the subject, making sure to validate the reader's feelings at all times. This is a wonderful title to give children to help them understand our increasingly complicated world.
aengh's review
3.0
I like what the book said. It's a good intro to sex positive sex ed. The information is basically correct (I say basically because some of the information is answers to inherently subjective questions like 'how do you know you're ready for sex'). They still answer questions like that fairly well by highlighting that it can be different for different people and offering some examples.
Where I do feel critical is also the open-ended answers. In my opinion, they're correct, but I also recall being a teen who received abstinence-only sex ed in (a Catholic) school. These answers likely wouldn't have helped me a lot. The book normalizes a lot of feelings, which is great, but for the big questions, I think it would be better to have an overall summary statement like, 'overall, you'll probably...' to help the kids who are desperately seeking some sort of validation or identification.
Where I do feel critical is also the open-ended answers. In my opinion, they're correct, but I also recall being a teen who received abstinence-only sex ed in (a Catholic) school. These answers likely wouldn't have helped me a lot. The book normalizes a lot of feelings, which is great, but for the big questions, I think it would be better to have an overall summary statement like, 'overall, you'll probably...' to help the kids who are desperately seeking some sort of validation or identification.
thenextgenlibrarian's review
5.0
I loved this nonfiction guide to growing up. I think it should be mandatory reading for every middle schooler. Unfortunately in my Texas town there’s no way we could have it in our library, but I think they did an amazing job of explaining all areas of puberty, body changes and more.
tracie_nicole's review
4.0
Good intro to bodies, consent and Sex Ed in an inclusive and informative way. This was a good primer for any kids to have a safe space to learn about these topics.
khorne3's review against another edition
informative
fast-paced
5.0
Loved this inclusive book on growing up. Was helpful for guiding my discussions with my kids.
leighwitz's review
4.5
Highly recommended reading for middle school! I've been searching for a fun, accurate sex ed book for this age group for a long time and this really hit the spot. Everyone and their kids should read this.