cornmaven's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

Sex and relationship education in graphic novel format, covering all aspects, genders, and orientations. It's pretty straight forward and embracing of diversity. A little bit too perky for my tastes, but teens will probably like it, especially if they are not getting good education at home or in school. Resources included in the back.

I knocked it down a star for one glaring problem - saying that it's perfectly safe to search the internet for out of the box sexual desires is pretty damn wrong. Aside from the fact that those sites are riddled with malware and viruses, vulnerable teens may get caught up in a predator's web. I cannot believe an editor didn't catch that, and I hope that teens will take that with a grain of salt.

I also would have preferred more accurate illustrations of female body parts - the stylized versions were ok, but not enough for me. Maybe a link to a valid website that has photographs would be helpful.

The STD comments were too casual, but I did like the dive into consent. Very important.

erine's review against another edition

Go to review page

A great icebreaker book, that covers a wide range of topics. It jumps right in with sex, then also tackles everything from body image to consent, sex vs. gender vs. sexuality, and even feelings of jealousy or friendship conflicts related to ramped up romantic relationships. These did not necessarily flow from one topic to another, but read more like a series of serendipitous conversations.

Not everything is dealt with equally, and as with any personal topic, different readers' mileage may vary. But definitely a great conversation tool to have in the hard parenting topics toolbox.

illychilly's review

Go to review page

funny informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

tiredcreature's review against another edition

Go to review page

funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

fionna's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

overall, a great guide and starting point to learn about sex/sexuality/gender etc. I think this book would've been really useful to have around when I was younger for sure! however, it did feel a bit didactic at points, and the writing definitely feels a bit dated to the point where you can tell this was written by adults - although this is can be overlooked as the content is still educational!

ionablue's review

Go to review page

funny informative reflective fast-paced

4.75

blueberrybanana's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.5

the writing was a little cringe at times but the info was good! 

ssdgm91's review

Go to review page

informative

5.0

This book is great for teens (or anyone I suppose). It covers more than the basics of physiology and safe sex. It covers body positivity, how to balance relationships and friendships, signs of abuse, and more!

kim_j_dare's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

There is so much good stuff in this book.

Authors Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan begin their Authors’ Note with, “Sex education isn’t JUST about how bodies smoosh together; it’s about learning what it means to be a human who engages with other humans. Really, sex education is relationship education, because while we’re not all going to have sex, we are all going to have relationships with the people around us. When you learn about the wide world of sex, relationships, and intimacy, you learn more about yourself and others, which helps you to be a better person and to do better by others.”

And that’s the book in a nutshell. The content is very thorough and informative. The graphic format is engaging, if sometimes a little corny. There’s great information on sexuality and gender, body image, and safe sex, AND the authors don’t shy away from conversations about porn, masturbation, and kinks. There are many penises and clitorises and breasts pictured. There’s active heterosexual and homosexual sex pictured. I’m torn on whether I should consider this for my library. I’m feeling cowardly.

Thank you, RH Graphic and NetGalley, for the advance readers copy.

rainbowofcrazy's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

5.0

I am obv not a teen but I adored this book. A warning that it's probably not really something you'd want to read on the bus or something because there is some cartoon nudity but nothing pornographic. Erika and Matt have created a gem of a book, covering all sorts of topics like anatomy, sexuality, gender, relationships, things to consider before having sex, if you're ready, things you can do to prepare, to topics like kinks, aftercare, even jealousy. It's informative and told in a conversational way, making it easy to digest, and not feel overwhelming.

It's not a full thorough guide to all things, but IMO a fantastic intro to relationships and sex for teens, and even a beautiful refresher for young and older adults, and they offer further resources for further research and learning. Loved this book, love her art as always. Highly recommend it!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings