Gr 7 Up—A touchingly witty sex-positive collection of tips, anecdotes, and essays on healthy relationships, consent, contraception, porn, and more. YouTube vlogger Witton begins by assuring readers that "it's completely up to you how you wish to consume this book" before diving into the good stuff. Highlights include Holly Bourne's segment on problematic tropes in romance films, which uses a "Wormtail Test" ("If Wormtail starts saying, You're not like other witches,' you're probably five minutes away from getting the Dark Mark tattooed on to your arm") and a chapter on consent, which contains a breakdown of situations in which consent can't happen (e.g., if one individual is incapacitated), a chart listing the age of consent in each U.S. state and territory, and a legal perspective from an attorney. In the chapter "LGBTQ+," Witton acknowledges her privilege as a straight cis woman and her lack of expertise and lived experience, and instead she features thoughtful essays that explore bisexuality, dating while trans, being gender fluid, and more from such noted figures as Ash Hardell, Juno Dawson, and Riley J. Dennis. Minimalistic doodlelike patterns and designs appear throughout.
VERDICT A current take on navigating sexuality and relationships for teens, and a fine addition to most nonfiction collections.
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