Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Tales get bigger in the retelling, but generally what people say about Jack is true: he gets laid a lot. His private New York high school is pretty liberal, but out gay kids are still the minority, and Jack is often the subject of his classmates' gossip and, occasionally, vitriol. When his friend convinces him to write a sex-advice column for her website, Jack reluctantly starts to get into it. But then the letters arrive. Initially, they're just creepy-ish fan notes, but soon they get threatening, demanding he change his lifestyle and tone down his persona. With the school unwilling to help (the principal suggests Jack was asking for something like this), it's up to Jack and his friends to find the blackmailer or give in. This is a bold, inclusive exploration of teen sexuality that, propelled by Jack's brazen voice, never feels preachy. Jack doles out sex tips to teens of all orientations, but he also advises those who aren't sure about sex at all and checks a group of girls more interested in gay men as props than as people. Most sex happens off-page, although language and the prep-school party scene make this best suited for older readers. The mystery adds truly compelling drama, and if things wrap up too neatly, it hardly matters next to all that Rosen gets right. Fresh, sex-positive, and unabashedly entertaining.--Maggie Reagan Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Being gay and out, given to wearing eye makeup, and having a pretty active sex life-although not nearly as active as the rumor mill insinuates-means that Jack is already pretty well-known at his New York high school. But when he starts writing a personal, detailed, and sex-positive advice column for his friend Jenna's blog, his public profile rises, and attention from his secret admirer turns increasingly controlling and threatening. The principal refuses to take action, blaming the situation on Jack's being provocative, so Jack, Jenna, and their friend Ben decide to find the stalker themselves. The forced stalker plot and its outcome disappoint, but Rosen (The Memory Wall) creates memorable protagonists and brings a fresh, frank voice to his YA debut. The ethnically diverse, authentic characters model multiple approaches to being gay and being sexually active (or not), and though the affluent private-school milieu seems a little made for TV, Jack's efforts as a high school Dan Savage feel genuinely helpful and important. Ages 14-up. Agent: Joy Tutela, David Black Literary. (Oct.) c Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up-Contemporary sex advice meets mystery in this high school story of bullying and being true to oneself. Jack is out and proud, unashamed of his love of fashion or his voracious sexual appetite. When his friend asks him to write a sex-advice column for a blog, he is happy to help. Mysterious pink notes then start appearing in his locker, and soon they turn from playful to threatening. Jack begins to shrink into himself until he is barely recognizable to his friends and classmates. This sex-positive story is interspersed with the emails Jack's advice column receives, his responses to those questions, group chats among Jack and his two friends, as well as the eerie letters he gets in his locker. An upbeat, conversational writing style makes this story move quickly, and the understandably creepy atmosphere surrounding the unwanted notes is punctuated by his adventures with his friends, supportive relationship with his mother, and sexual exploits. VERDICT The dearth of sex-positive YA literature-particularly sex-positive queer literature-makes this book an essential addition to library collections that serve teens.-Jenni Frencham, formerly at Columbus Public Library, WI © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Jack, an out-and-proud queer seventeen-year-old, receives anonymous love notes from an obsessive admirer, who then blackmails Jack after he starts writing an online teen-sex-advice column. This sex-positive, unapologetic celebration of the gay community strikes a good balance between an intriguing mystery and inspiring, no-holds-barred social commentary about sex education, homophobia, consent, and integrity. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When a secret admirer becomes a stalker, how much will Jack give up to make it stop?Everyone at 17-year-old Jack Rothman's private New York City high school knows he's gay and that he has a lot of sex (though the gossip is often far juicier than the reality). When Jack, a white boy, starts getting pink origami love notes in his locker, he and his besties, Latinx Jenna and African-American Ben (who is also gay), speculate on who they might be from; but they are far more focused on Jack's agreeing to write an "anonymous" advice column for Jenna's news blog and partying. Jack keeps subsequent notes a secret when they start threatening Jenna, Ben, and Jack's mom. Only when the stalker's threats become explicit does he tell, and the trio start investigating. As the creep factor rises and the investigation falters, Jack realizes he will have to do something drastic to save the ones he loves. The only weakness in Rosen's racy mystery-cum-sex manual is the deus ex machina discovery of the culprit. The characters are believable in their milieu of privilege. Jack's frank (and responsible) advice in his columns may not be for the easily shocked, but it's related as if from a peer. Booze, smoking, explicit language, and pot use make this one for mature readers. A sex-positive and thoughtful romp with humor and heart. (Fiction. 15-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
