Review: The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me by Olivia Hinebaugh
10:00
Series: None
Author: Olivia Hinebaugh
Published January 22nd 2019 by Swoon Reads
Goodreads Synopsis
Seventeen-year-old Lacey Burke is the last person on the planet who should be doling out sex advice. For starters, she’s never even kissed anyone, and she hates breaking the rules. Up until now, she's been a straight-A music geek that no one even notices. All she cares about is jamming out with her best friends, Theo and Evita.
But then everything changes.
When Lacey sees first-hand how much damage the abstinence-only sex-ed curriculum of her school can do, she decides to take a stand and starts doling out wisdom and contraception to anyone who seeks her out in the girls' restroom. But things with Theo become complicated quickly, and Lacey is soon not just keeping everyone else’s secrets, but hers as well.
Goodreads
Review
Lacey Burke has never even kissed a guy, but she knows all about safe sex and healthy relationships because of her midwife mam making sure she's known since she was old enough. Her best friends, Evita and Theo, had a disastrous attempt at a relationship, but managed to stay friends through it all, but when the school's health class starts to give students unhelpful, and frankly, dangerous abstinence only sex education, the three decide they need to take a stand. Starting off with advice sessions in the girls bathroom, soon leads to pamphlets being made, condoms handing out, and a suspension in the works. Lacey also starts to reconsider her plans for the future, thinking that training to be a doula may be better than going to study music, and helping a former classmate through her own teen pregnancy is the jump she needs. Her conflicting feelings for Theo don't help matters either, but will Lacey's Senior year be as perfect as she was expecting?
This book was so sex positive and frankly, perfect for teens these days. I'm lucky that the school I went to, and the education system in my country, isn't outdated or spouts 'abstinence only' education, because that helps literally no one! Lacey was such a relatable main character, and I loved her friendship with everyone in the book, from Evita and Theo, to Alice, to Kelly and her mam at the hospital. The romance between herself and Theo was cute, but I would've liked a little more substance to it - but that's my only negative. Definitely a great YA contemporary!
Dates Read:
July 6-9, 2020
Rating
4 Stars
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