**THIS!**
Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) addresses all that I have ever felt (and more!) about the fetishisation of gay men in both the media, in fandoms and in real life. To be honest, before I joined the book-ish community and started spending more time online, I had never really encountered this phenomenon much outside of tumblr posts dedicated to One Direction (forcing sexualities on someone? I don’t care if they’re celebrities, it’s not cool). The fetishisation of lesbians and bisexual women, oh god yes. But gay men? Not so much.
I think this is because I used to spend a lot of my time immersed right in the middle of the LGBTQ+ community (now I am back at home and suffering from more than a little separation anxiety), whereas this predominantly comes from straight women. And let me be honest, right here and now - wanting two men to kiss does not make you an ally of the LGBTQ+ community; ignoring and effectively erasing the rest of the community, I repeat, does not make you ally of the LGBTQ+ community.
Do you think all of the men that watch lesbian porn aren’t homophobic? Do you think all of the men in clubs, who have made inappropriate comments towards me aren’t? Because, let’s be honest, they don’t care about who queer women love, they just want to watch them do it.
And, the fetishisation of gay men works in exactly the same way.
To be honest, I think this is the only book I have read this year that has a gay male protagonist and was written by a gay male author. There are so many books out there, solely featuring characters from the LGBTQ+ community that are cisgendered and male, written by straight women.
I bet you’re thinking of some right this second.
I know I am.
And do you know what? Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) is the only one of them in which I have recognised the gay men in my life that I love, in its characters. All of the others were idealised straight-girl fantasies of what male/male relationships are like, whereas this portrayed the characters as real people outside of their places in OTPs.
L.C Rosen really nailed it in this one. And, I hope more authors will follow his glorious footsteps and make the topography of queer Young Adult literature, a little more authentic, a little more real, a little more own voices.

This is an interesting YA novel about Jack Rothman, a gay high school student in New York, who takes on the ‘Jack of Hearts’ Sex Advice column for his school newspaper. Alongside his best friends Jenna and Ben (who is also gay but much less confident), Jack lives his promiscuous life, all the while dealing with ‘Pinky’, a stalker, who leaves pink notes in Jack’s locker - notes that increasingly beceone more threatening as time goes in.

The novel is great, in some ways, for being open about LGBT issues. Jack wears make-up; he is explicit about his sex life. I see what the writer is doing - demystifying what it means to be young and gay. However, parts of this are overly gratuitous: I really don’t think that excessive expletives are required. And, you could argue that if the book is meant to instil confidence in young gay people, the emphasis on Jack’s (somewhat feminine) appearance reinforces such stereotypes.

I am pleased that I read this but, with the risk of sounding prudish, which I am not, I do think some of the novel is over the top and unsuitable for YA readers. I guess it’s a matter of choice, which is fine, but perhaps it should come with a cautionary message.

I picked up this book not knowing what to expect. What I found was a funny, entertaining and educational book that I would encourage all teenagers to read. Especially those exploring their sexuality. Well done Rosen on the great book, much recommended.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this novel!

Title: Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)
Author: Lev A.C Rosen
Genre: YA Contemporary, Mystery 
Released: 30th October 2018 
Publisher: Little, Brown (US) Penguin (UK)
My Rating: 3 stars 
Trigger/content warnings: Underage drinking, drugs and smoking. Some homophobia. The main character, Jack, has a stalker and is blackmailed, the threats get more and more sinister as the book goes on. A few mentions of anxiety attacks and one mention of suicidal thoughts. This book is very sex-positive, so be prepared for a lot of sex references and talks about sex.  


This is an Own Voices novel about an unapologetic gay teen called Jack. Jack comes from a single parent family, his mum decided to have Jack on her own via a sperm donor. I loved to see a different family dynamic be represented here. 

This book is extremely sex-positive, which I absolutely loved, especially as it's YA. Jack is very body positive and views sex as something to be enjoyed, not ashamed of. He begins writing a sex advice column when Jenna, one of his best friends, asks him to. He answers all kinds of questions about sex, sexuality, how to be safe, LGBTQ+, prejudice etc. This book does not pull any punches when it comes to discussing sex, so if you don't like reading about it, which is absolutely fine, just be aware.  I really loved the advice column and Jack's answers, one of the best parts of the book!

The plot is interwoven with messages to Jack's website and then a little later, Jack's responses, the author also adds in the threatening letters at various points. I really liked this element as I couldn't wait to see the questions and answers to the column and also when the next letter would arrive.  



Now that I have spoken about the contemporary side of things, which I loved, I am now going to talk about why I only rated this book 3 stars and that is because of the mystery/blackmail subplot, which basically took over the whole plot about halfway through. Around the 40% mark, I started putting this book down a lot, mainly due to boredom. By this point I really wanted something exciting to happen, maybe for the main characters to finally find out a good lead to who the stalker was, however, that never happens. I wanted more twists and turns, more suspense, but the blackmail plotline just seemed pointless, even at the end, I didn't understand the motive at all, the villain reveal was weak at best. To be honest, I wish there wasn't a blackmail plot. I would have loved it even more if this story was wholly focused on Jack, his life, his friends and family, the sex advice column etc. 

I will say that a lot of reviews I read stated how the blackmailer was very obvious right from the start, I had absolutely no clue who it was, even right up to the reveal I was still trying to guess who it could be!


As a main character, I really liked Jack for the most part. He is a preachy character, he sticks by his views and he doesn't care what people say about him. However, halfway through the book Jack started to create on me. SPOILER INCOMING. Out of nowhere, he just starts giving into his stalkers demands (taking naked pictures of himself, never sleeping with another guy again, stopping to write the sex column, telling everyone he is in a serious relationship etc) This really annoyed me because I don't think this is the sort of message we should be sending to younger readers, that you should give into harassment and it will go away, because we all know that's not how this sort of thing works at all. 

Another thing that I didn't like was how as soon as Jack knew who the stalker was, within 5 minutes he was back to his normal shelf, completely brushing everything that happened to him under the carpet. Most people would need at least some counselling or to talk about what happened after such a traumatic experience.  

A running theme in YA is absent parents, while this book featured Jack's mum a lot, who was a very supportive and loving parent, she was never there for the important things, like how Jack is stalked and threatened and she never really notices anything different about Jack when his mental health starts to decline due to the harassment. The parents of our side characters, Ben and Jenna, we never meet, but Jenna's parents are reporters and are never home.  



To end on a positive note, I really loved Jack's best friends, Ben and Jenna. They were so supportive of Jack and just absolutely lovely. Ben is also gay, but the opposite of Jack. He wanted romance and love, he liked wearing suits and designing clothing, he loves the theatre and comes from a family that aren't as supportive as Jack's mum. Jenna was incredible. She stuck up for herself and those she cares about, thinking of every possible way to catch the stalker. She was a very strong, likeable character. I really liked how the author created three completely different personalities, extremely easy to differentiate and a very unique, brilliant set of friends. 


Overall,  I am glad I had the chance to read this book and it is definitely worth the read! I would 100% recommend giving this book a go if it sounds like something you would enjoy.

Jack's friend produces an online publication and asks him to provide a sex/relationship advice column for it. Through the column, he starts to receive notes from an admirer which soon turn slightly sinister. What I really enjoyed about this book was how explicit it was. Think of it as a Judy Blume 'Forever' for gay men. I think a lot of people will find this book very relatable, educational and necessary. As a thirty something female I still found it enjoyable, the characters are good and I think its definitely worth a read!

This book was blunt, honest, unfiltered, and brilliant! And it is going to make some people absolutely CRAZY!

What??? A book all about sex for young adults? and gay sex at that??? What??? A honest open discussion about sex??? Yes! And seriously as a mother of three I would strongly encourage all you concerned parents to read this book and have a honest discussion with your teenagers about it! What a fantastic book to open up a dialogue with! Almost 50% of teenagers in the United States are having sex... rather than pretending it’s not your kid, why not engage in a conversation? *steps off soapbox*

Jack is out and proud! He loves makeup, his friends, boys, and sex! He is unashamed, unapologetic, and fabulous! When his friend Jana asks him to host a sex column on her blog he happily obliges... he answers questions about anal sex, blowjobs, not wanting to have sex, and more... he answers these questions respectfully, honestly, and thoughtfully!He doesn’t sugarcoat things and he makes one thing very clear; what you do with your body is entirely up to you, do not let anyone pressure you into doing anything you are not ready for! And really isn’t that the message we want for all of our kids? I found Jack’s sex columns to be extremely insightful, maybe a little more insightful than your average teenager? But then I guess Jack was a little more experienced than your average teenager.... and to be quite honest if any of my kids needed some advice on sex I wouldn’t mind it coming from Jack!

This book however was not just about sex it was also about friendship and a mystery involving a crazy stalker... I really liked jacks friends Jenna and Ben and I love the bond between them... nothing beats good friends when it comes to navigating your way through high school.... perhaps Jenna and Ben could have been better developed, but maybe this leaves room for a spin off! I would love to get to know both of them better.... The mystery in this book started off strong, I loved the notes being folded into these elaborate origami animals, and I was very curious to see who was stalking Jack... but the conclusion was a bit underwhelming... having said that I don’t really think that was the purpose of this book nor did it take away from any of my overall enjoyment of the story.... Lastly I just need to address jacks mother, she was so laid-back she was almost comatose... I mean I appreciated her being so open and supportive of Jack’s lifestyle but....

Absolutely recommend! I think every older teen needs to read this book and in a perfect world their parents will read it as well and have a little chat! I think adults will appreciate this, it really makes you realize how far we have come since Judy Bloom... although I remember there was quite the scandal that my mom let me read “Forever”🙄

*** many thanks to Penguin Random House UK for my copy of this book ***

I can immediately tell you that if you don’t like graphic sexual detail and strong language then you should not read this book.

Personally I thought it both entertaining and educational, and would encourage my own children to read it when they are (a lot!) older, for its sensible advice and attitudes towards sex and sexuality.

Plus a ‘how not to’ for coping with bullies. Poor Jack. As happens with so many of us, he is excellent at assessing others’ problems and handing out sage, insightful advice. Yet when it comes to his own issues his friends, family and the reader are all SCREAMING at him to tell someone / call the police / it IS a big deal.

L. C. Rosen perfectly captures the slide into an emotionally abusive relationship and the crippling distress and depression it can cause; leaving the abusee fearful and compliant, even as outsiders think that the way out is clear. I felt physically sick on behalf of Jack at some points and was desperately willing him to change his course of (in)action.

I hesitated over the depiction of casual, abundant sex for teens, but (as previously mentioned) the attitudes are healthy and show good self-awareness and self-esteem so I came down on the side of that being way better than a mysterious silence on the subject. After all, hormones will rise whether we choose to speak of them or not!

Jack is an engaging, charismatic main character – especially when he has his full glitter quota – but I could happily read a whole book about Ben or Jenna too. The characters really came to life for me and I was fascinated by their firm friendship and differing attitudes to life.

I would label this book a great read for teens exploring their sexuality (all of them?!), or adults who would like more insight into the pressures of high school, peer pressure, bullying and the private life of teenagers.



My reputation for sluttiness is only partially deserved. Yeah, I was kissing that guy from St. Jude’s, sure, and then I kissed that guy Zack, who maybe was a friend of Jessica Lauter’s, but mentioned being president of his GSA, so I don’t think he was there with her. Although, maybe, I guess? I didn’t ask. He should have said something. There wasn’t a fourth guy. there was a big mirror in the bathroom, maybe that’s what Tori saw. But yeah, that’s me, Jack. I don’t love being called queeny, but I do have some fantastic tank tops and a love of eyeliner and black nail polish. I also have some great button-downs with mesh inserts and tight jeans with tears so high up you have to go commando in them. I talk with my hands a lot, too. So, sure, call me “queeny” if you’re feeling nasty. I won’t hold it against you, as long as it’s said with love.

– L. C. Rosen, Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts)

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

One of the things I loved most about this book was the sex advice column. Young people don't get that sort of information about sex, and as important as it is to use protection and both be consenting, fun is also important too. Sex was such a taboo subject for teens when I was a teenager, it was all well and good gossiping about who was and wasn't 'doing it' but there was no support or advice. And let me tell you, it's not the type of thing you want to Google... and yes I am talking from experience. I wish there had been an anonymous column I could have sent in my questions and got proper answers without being judged or embarrassed.

I loved how much of an easy read this was, and the mystery of who was terrorising Jack was very cleverly done, I didn't figure out who it was until Jack did. I also adore Ben, how completely opposite Ben and Jack are (sexually/romantically) and that Jack gives the best advice to Ben even though that wouldn't be his preference - that's true friendship.

I could probably talk about this book for hours, and how important it is to have a book where gay sex, and sex in general, is discussed openly and educationally for teens, but I'll leave it there and just say how much I loved this book.

Really great read. Romance, mild erotica and a mystery all in one. Only negative is that Jack's stalker gave up too easily in the end.

This was a really quick read! I was definitely interested by the question ‘who is it’, and I can see how it’s compared to Simon, but that was about it. The characters felt much older than they were supposed to be and the language used was a bit harsh for me. It definitely isn’t as innocent as Simon’s story.

Light yet stern, Jack of Hearts explores the queer experience even in supposedly tolerant spaces and the microaggressions that are often ignored or considered harmless. Jack is out and proud, and unashamedly sexually active, something that a lot of people thinks makes it okay to dictate how to live his life; aside from his mom and friends, that is – they are cool with it. When Jack agrees to run a sex advice column in his friend’s news blog, he starts getting ‘love’ notes that escalate from maybe-creepy to full-on threats. As the book progresses, he and his friends try to catch the person who is sending the notes, while he also tries to hold on to himself.

Jack’s life is subject to public gossip, just because he is gay and isn’t ashamed of his casual sex life. His personality is mostly non-confrontational, low-drama (except when it comes to make-up), and he is happy to help out other people who need sex ed. He ignores the microaggressions that he faces, the casual homophobia, and every thing because he feels like he doesn’t have it as bad as it could be. It is actually sad when the low bar of being treated decently feels like asking too much, for him. Along with this, he also doesn’t believe any help will come without people blaming him for inciting it, so the investigation stays on the down low for most of the book. His friends (one of whom is a Latina, and the other a gay fat black boy), however, are very supportive and try to help him with the best of their abilities, but when they too are in danger of being targeted, he contemplates giving the stalker what they want.

The plot discusses homophobia that goes unnoticed, the fetishization of queer people that is normalized in ‘tolerant’ spaces and claimed as ‘allyship’, the way straight culture tries to define queer culture and bend it to fit its ideas, victim-blaming, consent, awkward questions about sex, asexuality, BDSM, and many other things. It is filled with sex positivity but also acknowledges ace-spec individuals. The mystery may not be the best part of the book, because it was solved by coincidence, IMO, but otherwise it is a brilliant, unapologetic book about being queer, and how you don’t need to change yourself to fit anybody’s ideal of how you should be queer, whether it comes from a straight person or a queer person.

This book is one that I wanted to read from the second I heard about it, and when I got approved for an ARC I actually squealed with delight. A YA novel that openly discusses gay sex? Sign me up. When I actually had the opportunity to read it I was worried it wouldn't live up to its promises, but it didn't disappoint, with plenty of casual and normalised conversations.

As an LGBT+ reviewer what stood out to me most as I was reading this was the importance of it. It's a message to gay teens that everyone has the right to be queer however they want to, express themselves how they want to, without ever being judged for it. This book calls out stereotyping, fetishising, policing, controlling; it was wonderful to read. And it's educational without ever feeling forced - using the Jack of Hearts column to talk about many issues, from coming out to safe sex, asexuality to safe BDSM practice.

But this is more than just a message wrapped in a cover. It's a tense and chilling mystery/thriller, with a complex and unique cast of characters. Jack makes a very good conflicted protagonist - torn between staying true to his loud, flamboyant self and giving in to the demands of his increasingly threatening stalker. I didn't always agree with him - he gets mad at his friends for trying to help, drowns his feelings in alcohol and has the unhealthiest motto of "it could be worse" - but I did always care about him. I found him to be a realistic and relatable teen character, ignoring his problems and avoiding asking for help, and I was invested in seeing him develop in the face of this tense situation.

The way the author was able to blend two very different genres - high school contemporary and dark mystery thriller - created an excellent effect. Being caught up in a party scene only to feel my blood run cold at another terrifying message left by Jack's stalker made for a pretty unique and memorable reading experience. And while I did find the amount of casual sex going on in this high school rather unrealistic, I thought the contemporary setting was very well grounded - it felt real and current. Which made it even more chilling every time the next note showed up.

What also made this book feel scary to me was the very real issues it highlighted. Jack is worried that the police won't listen to him because of his reputation, being told that the way he lives his life is wrong, and not-so-subtly hinted by his headmaster that he has brought this situation on himself as a result of his "lifestyle".

"I knew right then that he was one of those corporate types who say they have no problem with gay people, as long as the gay people never kiss or hold hands or talk about their boyfriends, and just fade into the background."

This book is a well-executed mystery, leaving enough clues to allow you to figure things out before the characters, but not so much that it's obvious. It's unapologetically queer, and it's the sex ed class you didn't get in school. Seeing something like this released by a major publishing house makes me very happy, and I hope to see it receive all the support it deserves.

Warning: Some strong language below...

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) is the unapologetically honest queer YA you never knew you needed.

Let me start by saying that I know there are going to be a lot of people who don't like this book and that the book and the author will probably face a certain amount of backlash, whether it's because there's, 'too much sex for a YA novel', 'it's too open about sex', 'it's too crass', 'it promotes slutty behaviour', 'it victimises straight people'...yeah, you'll probably see all of those opinions at some point or another, I've already seen a few of them myself from other readers. Personally, I found the honesty and openness in this book refreshing.

It's important to realise that teens are having sex (no, obviously not all of them, but some of them) and surely it's better to promote open discussions about sex whilst at the same time letting teens know that they're not alone and also strongly encouraging safe sex - all of which, this book does brilliantly.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't like everything about this book. I found it difficult at times to relate to Jack and his friends who are rich, vain, rude and at times, not very good friends at all. The fact that they all eat cucumber sandwiches, drink champagne and smoke pot before attending the parties of their private school peers had me rolling my eyes and reminding me very much of a much more queer Gossip Girl.

There were also times where I felt that the drama was made out to be more complicated than it actually was, like if Jack was completely honest about his stalker, the threats would have held no power and so things wouldn't have escalated the way that they did, but then I suppose, there would have been no story.

Intermixed with the drama and suspense was a lot of humour, mostly from Jack who has a very sarcastic, dry and witty sense of humour, something that I really loved about him.

"I'm not sure what constitutes a 'special blowjob.' Violins, maybe?"

The darker subject matter, particularly how it completely destroys Jack’s sense of self, was extremely difficult to read. It was painful to witness Jack's building anxiety and the short and long-term effects that it has on him, but I think this made the overall message even more powerful.

So no, in terms of plot, I can’t say this book was perfect for me personally, but in terms of the messages contained within it, the message that we all have the right to be happy and to be who we are (as long as we're not hurting anyone) without owing anyone an explanation, was much needed, the message that teenagers are having sex and so better to have open discussions about it whilst promoting safe sex, hell yeah and then there’s highlighting the harsh reality that no matter what you do or how you live your life there’s always going to be someone who has a problem with it and who’s going to try to make your life difficult.

But, in the words of Jack himself, "I get to be me. And if you don't like that, fuck off."

Jack's book is so resonant, especially in the LGBT community because as someone who doesn’t define as straight/hetero, there still (even today) seems to be so much drama/expectation surrounding your life choices. Like you have to justify who you are and what/who you like when actually, how you choose to live your life is no one's business but your own.

"It's not about making myself less amazing so I blend in - it's about making sure everyone around me sparkles with their own shade of glitter, that they feel as amazing as I do."

Overall, I like Jack, I think his story is extremely important for all teens (and some adults too), no matter their sexual orientation. This is a book that should exist, and I have no doubt that it will start conversations both good and bad, but at least we'll be talking about it, and talking about the important messages that the author is trying to convey.

Trigger Warnings: homophobia, anxiety, suicidal thoughts

⭐⭐⭐⭐·5 Out and Proud Stars

I loved this book, what a refreshing change for someone to say "Hey, i like sex, and as long as it is consensual, I'll have lots of it please!"

And gay sex too, oh the horror of it all!!

Jack is the person in this story shouting this, he is gay, and he is "out" loud, and abso-fu*king-lutely proud!

He is at high school, where unfortunately he has to deal with gay shaming, slut shaming, fat shaming, and any other type of shaming you can think of.

His best friends are Jenna, an outspoken blogger, and Ben, a gay, black, fat (his words) fabulous fashion designer.

Jenna talks Jack into writing for her blog, as she wants to help people who have questions about sexuality and sex in general, and are too afraid to ask, they are able to write in anonymously, and Jack answers them VERY truthfully.

Look this book is not going to be for everyone.

One, because is is a book about a gay man having no-strings sex, lots of it, but not as much as the rumour mill at school says.

Two, because Jack is not ashamed of who he is, he's glam, he wears make up, he's opinionated, and he doesn't give one sh*t about what people think about him....until the notes.

The notes that are left in his locker and taped to his door are a knockback for Jack, and we see how he becomes a different person when he trys to NOT be who he is.

I LOVED Jack and his friends, I loved the letters that he wrote to the people who were scared to ask them in public, I mean who *do* you speak to about being a virgin, and a gay virgin at that, who do you ask about how it felt the first time, who do you ask if it hurt? How do you admit that, actually you are not that interested in sex at all?

Jack was very truthful with his answers, and also followed them up with example stories of his own.

"My first time getting it in the butt was kind of weird. I think it’s going to be weird for everyone’s first time, though."

This book pulls no punches, there is sex in it (shock horror) and *GAY* sex at that (put away your pearls mother!) If this type of book offends you, then don't even bother trying to look for it.

I for one, wish that there was someone like Jack in my school, I'm so glad to have met him in this book, and I honestly would tell anyone that had questions about their sexuality or even if they are straight and wanted questions answered to read this book.

Be You & Be Epic

jack.jpg
HOW PRETTY IS THIS COVER??? IT HAS SO MUCH PERSONALITY!

AUTHOR: L. C. Rosen, AKA Lev Rosen. Not his first book, but it is his YA debut. He’s a white, queer dude so this is arguably #ownvoices.
GENRE(S): YA Fiction, Contemporary, LGBTIA.
QUICK SUMMARY: Meet Jack Rothman. He’s 17 and loves partying, makeup and boys – sometimes all at the same time. His sex life makes him THE hot topic of high school gossip machine. But who cares? Like Jack always says, ‘it could be worse.’ He doesn’t actually expect that to come true. But after Jack starts writing an online sex advice column, the mysterious love letters he’s been
getting take a turn for the creepy (taken from GoodReads).
TW: Stalking, Emotional Manipulation, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Blackmail, promiscuity shaming. References to past incidences of questionable consent.
AVG. GOODREADS RATING: 3.95 ★ over 186 Ratings.
MY RATING: ★★★★★ (5)
PUBLICATION DATE: 30 October, 2018 (that’s Tuesday!!)

Read on for a full review! Also, question for those of you who regularly review ARCs on their blog and GoodReads: do you do the same review for both, or not?

smoking.gif
No idea who this dude is, but he definitely gives me Jack feels – the cheekbones! The sexy smoking! The slight moroseness he gets when he’s alone and listening to bitches gossip about him!

YOUR PROTAGONIST: A queer AF teenage boy who thinks it’s important to accept yourself & be sex positive, and recognises he’s currently too selfish to be in a romantic relationship (and tbh, he’s having too much fun playing the field). Fabulous as fuck, charming, a little insecure. On his way to becoming a badass advice columnist who loves to help. A sperm donor baby with a badass single mom who is a richass doctor. I’m calling Hufflepuff.
RECOMMENDED IF YOU WANT: A quick, absorbing LGBTIA read that is at times funny, warm and painfully raw in a way that might just make your heart ache; different and nuanced portrayals of some of the ways to be queer/questioning; a story with flirting and sexual tension and side-characters being the ones to fall in love. I also think this book would be legitimate helpful to some queer/questioning teens.

PERSONAL STAND-OUTS:

♡ “Lord save me from straight people.” – Queer Teacher Lady.

♡ Jack calling out the hetero girls who gossip about him for fetishising gay guys like a boss. And just generally talking about how there’s not just one ‘type’ of gay dude.

♡ The structure! I’m a structure nerd, and I kind of love it for this one – how each chapter is framed by a write-in question to Jack’s column, and Jack’s answer to it, which is honestly some great advice.

♡ How accepting this book is – it particularly made me happy how Jack accepts the bi dude, no sweat (because ugh biphobia) & how positive Jack is towards the person who writes in to him about BDSM.

origami crane
This is the last time you will be able to look at a picture of a pink origami crane and not feel vaguely menaced. Enjoy it.

♡ I LOVE how this book doesn’t shy away from the nitty, gritty, distinctly unsexy details – like Jack talks about how he didn’t know to prep the first time he did anal sex, and so faecal matter got on the other dude’s dick. It’s that kind of realism that makes me think this is the kind of book that would be really, really helpful to some queer/questioning young adults.

♡ Also it’s just super refreshing to have a queer book that’s full of different kinds of sexual encounters, and Jack vibes with various guys to varying degrees (I kind of ship him with one of them) BUT THERE’S NO FALLING IN LOVE!!

♡ Jack in general, tbh. I also liked his friendships with his two best friends, how he trusts them a fair amount (with good reason) and how they both reacted to what’s happening to him.

♡ IMO, it also side-steps the ‘BUT WHY AREN’T YOU GOING TO THE POLICE???’ trope fairly well, in a way that is realistic for the character, isn’t irritating and takes into account external factors.

WHY I REQUESTED IT: Kelly Jensen @ the Hey YA Podcast rec’d it like months ago, and it’s been on my TBR list ever since. Also, look at that cover ❤ I really loved this one, so thank you NetGalley!!

“So they’ll be right about me. I live the stereotype. I don’t mind. That’s me. Doesn’t mean it’s everybody. Plenty of guys I’ve fucked pass for stereotypically straight, but no one goes around saying they’re in the straight closet or whatever. And most of them suck cock just as good as the flaming faggots. Stereotypes exist because some people conform to them, but the moment you start assuming that everyone conforms to them, you’re a homophobe, or racist, or whatever.”

Jack Rothman is unapologetically gay and loves casual sex. Although he is often the topic of conversation with the school gossips, he prides himself on living his life exactly as he wants and to hell with what people think. Everything he does is safe and consensual so why shouldn’t he enjoy himself! But when Jack finds himself on the receiving end of a creepy stalker, can he maintain his carefree attitude to life?

I loved Jack’s confidence. He was so proud of who he was. To see that slowly eroded away by his stalker was so distressing. This was such an emotional story, although there is some humour too. Yes there was plenty of uncensored sex and talk of BDSM, anal sex and blow jobs (if that offends you, then maybe this isn’t the book for you) however the emotional impact of what Jack goes through was so heart breaking. He becomes almost unrecognisable as he desperately tries to keep his stalker happy.

This story is a frank, honest and unflinching take on what it’s like to be a gay teen in high school. I’m sure it won’t be to everyone’s liking and will cause a lot of discussion, but in my opinion it’s an important story about gay stereotypes, positive sexuality and self-worth and one a lot of teens, both gay and straight, will relate to.

4.5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jack of Hearts will be available from the 30th October 2018.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Penguin Random House) for providing a copy. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

I found the concept of the story to be really effective. The idea of a stalker and their identity was handled very well with tight writing that provided for good pace and measured tension. Characterization was fine, but I found the teens to be old beyond their years. This was aggravated by what was the most frustrating aspect of the book, namely the advice column. This came across as very preachy despite the balancing use of language. Sex predominates throughout the book but only in description. Actual sex was all off camera. This hampered the realism of the story in that it was so trivialized that gay sex even first time sex was portrayed as very easy and nothing to stress about, with no failures or discomfort. It is difficult to know what message this sends out.

The story is written from the first person perspective of the lead character and this allows for both the external development of the story and internal reflection. Sadly it doesn't feel like a teen character but someone old beyond their years.

The story ends with an unexpected resolution, which was interesting but rather rushed

Jack of Hearts (and other parts) by Lev A.C. Rosen a five-star read that will tickle your pickle. This is my first read by this author and I am sure it won’t be my last, this was so much fun to read, I am buying a copy for every teenager, and young person I know as well as some old that could do with it. I’m older than the intended audience and I still loved it, it had an effect on me much like a book I received nearly 25 years ago as a teenager from my aunt, that book much like this had an effect on me that changed my outlook on life, they have such a powerful message interlaced within the pages. I know some will find this book too explicit and to some it may be, but that adds to the story, they all have a place and each character will bring you a different aspect most of all Jack will show you how its okay to be you, no matter the version of you that you present that day. This is easily the most powerful read of the year.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book but it had been recommended by a friend who has similar literary tastes as me, saying I would love it - and WOW, was she right! I was sucked in from the first chapter and literally devoured this heartwarming and gutsy story over 36 hours. While I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it. The advice given in Jack’s columns is honest and ground breaking. I found myself wishing it was a real column written in a real publication. I’m not sure why this book has been described as YA. I am a middle aged, married, heterosexual mum of two girls so obviously not the target audience, but I loved it. The writing is sensitive, even when describing sex; it never breaches the border of crudeness or gratuitous titilation. I also enjoyed trying to work out who Pinky was, which had my mind going in many bizarre directions.
An excellent book that should be read by everyone. It is informative and even at my age, you’re never too old to learn!

Absolutely full of voice, brash, and touching - I swept through this book and really enjoyed it. While at times it went a bit too quickly for me, and I wanted to get my bearings, I did really enjoy the humour!