The Birds, The Bees & You and Me is a story that spoke to me after reading the summary. When I was in high school, we only had abstinence only sex-ed. I think it’s important that teenagers know how to protect themselves. Unfortunately, not all teenagers are educated at home either. This book is important. It teaches about how to protect yourselves, standing up for what you want, how important consent is and also has a really sweet love story!
Thanks to the author, publisher and Xpresso book tours, I received an ARC to read and review!
The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me
Olivia Hinebaugh
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: January 22nd 2019
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
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 / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
Review
This book surprised me in such a positive way. I don’t think I’ve ever read such a sex positive book. The Birds, The Bees and You and Me is very diverse and tells us it’s okay to love who you love and be who you are.
Lacey grew up with her single mother who’s always been very open and honest with anything that has to do with sex. She’s made Lacey realize it’s okay to want what you want, but that consent is very important and to only to do what she’s comfortable with. I think Lacey knows more ways to protect herself than most adults! Her relationship with her mother was one of my favorite things about this book!
At school, they start sex-ed, but when it’s abstinence only, Lacey has a hard time with this. Why shouldn’t students learn how to protect themselves? Not only from diseases, but teenage pregnancy. Let’s just say the school isn’t happy when Lacey speaks her mind. I was proud of Lacey and her friends sticking up for what they believe in.
Students start to learn about Lacey’s knowledge and she starts giving advice (even if she hasn’t even had her first kiss). Besides her fight to help get her classmates educated, this book is filled with many other things: friendship, learning what you really want and first loves.
Lacey, Theo and Evita are a really close group and have a band together. It’s fun reading about their friendship and that they’d do anything for each other. Everybody needs friends like that. Things get harder for her when she realizes her dreams may be different than what her best friends want and that Theo is starting to feel like more than a friend.
I love how Lacey grows in this book. She starts off really shy, even about giving advice about sex, but starts becoming really confident. Lacey fights for what she wants and gives herself a chance to explore her feelings. I loved how much Lacey and Theo talked about their relationship and didn’t just assume things. It’s important to teach teenagers about mutual respect.
The Birds, The Bees and You and Me does get a bit descriptive when it comes to sex in this story, but this is done in a very respectful way. Besides the important messages it brings, the story of young love and an amazing friendship make this book complete!
Author Bio:
Olivia Hinebaugh loves all stripes of literature for children. When she isn’t writing fiction, she can be found writing freelance, making art, discovering new songs on spotify, texting her writing buddies, or folding laundry. She lives near Washington, D.C. with her spouse, three kids, a dog that looks like a coyote, and a one-eyed cat. The Birds, The Bees, And You And Me is her debut novel.
GIVEAWAY!
During this blog tour there is a giveaway for US/CAN readers. There is a chance to win a print copy of The Birds, The Bees and You and Me. The giveaway ends on January 31st.
Tour Schedule
Of course, I’m not the only blog participating on this tour. Click here for the schedule, so you can check out the other amazing blogs participating on this tour. The links are updated daily!
There definitely need to be more sex positive YA books! I’m not saying books should promote having sex, but maybe more books to teach teenagers about protection, consent and that wanting something isn’t actually wrong.
I love how well written this sounds and very thought provoking, too! Sounds like a book every teenager should read! 🙂
It really is 🙂 I LOVED this book!