Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 STARS

This book has some really important discussions revolving around sexuality and I just love how we are getting more and more YA with LGBTQIA+ main characters. 

Jack is an openly gay teen in high school who is very  open about his sex life and whose (often untrue) exploits are the talk of the school. Then through the request (or should I say insistence) of his best friend Jenna (who is extremely annoying) he starts an advice column on her blog. This plays background to some creepy stalker-like messages Jack starts receiving which lead he and his friends to play detective in attempts to discover who is sending the messages.

This book has so many important messages in relation to sexuality- it discusses safe sex, consent, pressure, identity and so much more.

Something in particular I enjoyed was the contrast between Jack and Ben, one of his closest friends who is also gay. Whilst Jack is a no strings attached kind of guy, Ben portrays the wish to share a relationship with someone before being intimate. I think that contrast was really important in order to avoid any ugly stereotypes about gay men.

Overall, I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would, it was surprisingly honest and I could easily recommend this to so many people. 

Pros: Interesting and unique main character, mystery element, open talk about sexuality

Cons: Secondary characters were weak, some of the advice responses were a little longer than they needed to be in my opinion

Really enjoyed this book. It was funny, surprising and heartfelt, chock full of safe (LGBTQ+)  sex advice that schools these days are sadly lacking.

This is a book I have been waiting for. It is so unapologetic in so many ways. It normalises what people like and that you don't have to be ashamed of being gay, of liking sex, or maybe not liking it at all. Jack was a very real main character and I understood many of the choices he made. Sure, maybe some parts aren't that real, but that might just be because it's not real in your living environment. What I really appreciated were the advice columns where the questions that are asked are real, and the answers are as well. There are questions that real life people have and are sometimes too scared to ask. It was nice to read this book, and to see how things should be in life. 

A warning though, it is a real sexual book, not of the sexual acts are actually described, but no one is apologetic aboout it. If you don't want to read something like that, this book is not for you. But if you are interested in reading a story about a struggling teenage boy, who won't say sorry for who he is, and who just wants to be himself without anyone judging him. Read. This. Book.

Really enjoyed this. It's one which will not appeal to everyone because of the topic, and yes, there are some shocking bits (promiscuity etc) but it's written with quite a real voice. Not a book I would read again, but enjoyable nonetheless, and definitely one which would trigger conversation with older teens.

Well what drew me to this book initially was the description of it being a cross between Simon Vs and Riverdale. Normally I don’t pay attention to stuff like that (because it can be wrong) but as they are two of my favourite things I thought why not. I could definitely see the Riverdale undertones with the stalker thing (very black hood) and the overall storyline was gripping - I needed to find out who was doing that to Jack. Overall it wasn’t a bad book, it was well written and engaging and I did devour it but I don’t think I would read it again anytime soon.

Jack is a high school student who is asked by a friend to write a column for an online blog. He becomes known unofficially as Jack of hearts (and other parts). He's a gay teen who isn't interested in settling down. He loves listening to the girls gossiping about him, even if some of the comments are outrageous. Unfortunately for him, he's gained a stalker secret admirer and things are about to get a little tricky. Jack uses his life experiences to help others through his blog posts. Luckily for him, his witty writing and cheeky stories are helping him get laid. 

This is a fun light-hearted read intended for an adult audience. It's written from Jacks point of view and includes the letters/responses for his column. 

I really like Jack. He gets on with his life and tries not to annoy people. He's a lover of sex and not looking for the one. The writing is comical and Jack overshares his dating life. It's a fun read with a creepy twist. 

4 stars out of 5. 

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for providing me with a copy for review.

Jack Rothman is an out gay high school student who begins writing an advice column to help his friend who is running a publication for the school. He uses this column to give advice on, and to educate people about, sex, but begins to question himself when he starts to receive anonymous letters from a stalker who disapproves of Jack's lifestyle and openness.

I was first drawn to Jack of Hearts because it gave me a similar vibe to The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, something that I have been searching for since I read it last year. It was definitely a good novel and the humour and internal monologues especially reminded me of Gentleman's Guide. The actual similarities between the two novels are small, but both are brilliant in their own regard and can definitely be appreciated for what they add to YA and queer literature.

One of the things that I like most about Jack of Hearts is how open and educational it is about topics that are often taboo, especially for queer individuals. It didn't shy away from being honest which is something that young people need, especially young queer people who will find it hard to experience and obtain this anywhere else.

This was fucking fabulous.

I have to admit-- going into Jack of Hearts I thought it might be one of those books that's IMPORTANT™ but a fairly average reading experience. I love the idea of fabulously gay, but fabulously gay doesn't sound like much of a plot. Turns out it might be!

Okay, I'm seriously underselling this. It's actually a book about queer stereotypes, sex positivity, and how straight women's fetishization of gay men can have extreme and far-reaching consequences.

Jack Rothman is out and proud and he loves casual sex. He has a reputation for being a slut (reclaiming; not shaming) but only most of it's true. After he starts to write a sex advice column on his friend's blog, Jack receives a mysterious note from a secret admirer. However, as more notes arrive, the tone of the messages becomes darker and more threatening, forcing Jack to make some tough decisions about his self in order to protect the people he cares about.

Let's just say it right now: This book contains graphic, unapologetic gay sex. I mean, with all the icky bits left in. And hell, if you ask me, it is so refreshing.

Jack's frank approach to sex and sexuality offers a much-needed voice in YA. The narrative is carried by his charisma and humour, which I absolutely loved. He’s hilarious and doesn’t take himself too seriously, but he never allows the joke to be on him-- or his sexuality. The book is a mixture of funny, moving, and informative. I think it could be really helpful for confused/questioning/closeted teens who need answers. It covers everything from consent to asexuality to BDSM.

There's some great discussion about gay culture, tops and bottoms, and a critique of het people's insistence on figuring out who is who in a gay relationship, enforcing their worldview that someone has to be the "man" and someone the "woman". If it sounds heavy-handed, though, it just doesn't come across that way. Jack is fun, and his tone is open and conversational.

The characters are diverse, with Jack's two closest friends being the Latinx Jenna and Ben who is black, gay and fat (reclaiming; not shaming), plus a whole array of queer characters of all shapes and skin colors. They do all have quite a bit of economic privilege and live in the very liberal NYC, but Jack is quick to acknowledge this. Also: quick shout-out for Jack's super badass and supportive mom.

My one real complaint is the resolution of the central mystery with the love notes. It's not hard to guess who it is and the oddly-timed unveiling of the culprit has a touch of deus ex machina about it. That was the only weak point of the book for me. And the smoking (lol) because I've become such a mum.

I know Jack of Hearts is guaranteed to cause a stir and get banned a million times over. Not just by homophobes either (because, duh), but by people who believe there is something dirty and shameful in enjoying casual sex, especially sex that goes beyond the vanilla norm. I know already that some folks think this book has crossed a line.

But, honestly, I find it so heartwarming. Is it a little crass and gross at times? Sure. But it's cute and sweet and empowering, too. It doesn't promote sex; it promotes self-worth and individuality. Jack says outright that not having sex, waiting for the right person, never finding a right person, having lots of safe sex with lots of people... all those things are okay if that's who you are and what you want. I am not a gay man but I seriously wish I'd had Jack to tell me that when I was a teenager.

CW: Homophobia; alcohol abuse; stalking; graphic sex.

Just a really great, fun, touching (heartbreaking!) book. 

The blurb is pretty straightforward on what you're going to get plot-wise, but in terms of the heart of the book, this is what doesn't get mentioned:

This is a book about boundaries. About setting your own and negotiating them with other people. It's about how to handle people who trample yours, whether it's with creepy-ass stalker notes or if it's spreading rumours and fetishising you. It's about the frustration of a slut-shaming world that's also bizarrely envious of you. It's funny as fuck and an easy read and relatable. Thoroughly recommend.

So, this book.

This book is an interesting one, actually. (Also I wonder how many reviews I start with the line so, this book…but that’s another story entirely.)

This book.

I think it’s going to do well. I actually really do.  I think it’s going to tick a lot of boxes and I think a lot of young people are going to be reaching out for it and praising its very existence because it’s the kind of book they want to read; the kind of book that’s about their life. It’s relatable in so many ways and it’s brave an unflinching and it doesn’t shy away from the fact that its demographic may well be having sex. I don’t think there’s another book out there like this and I think it’s a good thing that soon this one will exist.

Let’s tell you a bit about what it’s about.

It’s set in high school – America and I really need to get me some more UK set YA, actually but that’s another gripe for another day – and it’s primarily about Jack.

Jack is out, and he’s proud and confident and he does his own thing and he likes sex but not relationships and he’s comfortable enough in his own skin to have no strings sex without bothering really what the gossips are saying – in fact he takes a certain amount of pleasure out of listening into people talking about him and hearing how ridiculous the rumours are. His best friend asks him to write an advice column on her website, which he does, and it seems to be a hit. But then he starts getting these anonymous letters in his locker which at first seem pretty innocuous but actually ARE NOT because the letter writer turns out to be a super creepy stalker.

So that’s it, in a nutshell.

And there’s a lot I liked about it.

I liked how bold it is, and I liked how unflinching it is in making its point and I loved how sex positive it is, and I love how its kind of saying, look, these kids are probably having sex and so lets let them know that as long as they’re safe and they’re consenting that’s ok. Sex is not bad. Sex actually can amazing.

I also like how it realises that there are questions teenagers have that they don’t know how to ask and how it takes (some of) those questions and in the shape of Jack’s column, answers them in a thoughtful, intelligent not at all preachy manner. I liked that a lot. Although honestly, less shock value might’ve been nice. Anyhow. It talks about losing your virginity and navigating relationships and it talks about blow jobs and what to do if you don’t think you’re interested in sex at all and I LOVED how boldly it tackled it all – although did it sometimes go too far the other way? I’m undecided.  I liked the dialogue too, mostly. Really, for the most part I liked how these teenagers talked like teenagers which will be what gives this book its appeal I think – it feels like it’s written by someone who gets it, by a peer.

What didn’t I like. The overuse of the word fuck. Or rather, perhaps not so much that – I don’t take offense at the word itself, it’s probably one of the most used words in the English language, and sometimes no other word will do, but I do perhaps object of the overuse of the word fuck to describe sex here in this book. And I know that actually that’s what the word is, it is a verb to describe having sex but – and wow perhaps I’m just massively naïve here, and perhaps I live in a bubble and perhaps it’s one of those Across the Pond, things - but I’m not sure it’s used in that context to the extent it is here? Jack uses the word fuck or talks about fucking a lot, a lot a lot, to the point I was really aware of it and it really drew away from the story for me. I’m not saying we have to be all sensitive and treat readers like delicate flowers and talk about making sweet sweet love, I just don’t think it was realistic; have sex with, sex, shag, sleep with, hook up with, screw, there’s probably a million other words that could be used not in place of but alongside fuck that would have made me feel a little bit less like somebody was trying to show off a little bit. It was too much. Which is how I felt about some points of the story if I’m honest – the fourway that Jack did-or-didn’t have, the drinking til you pass out, some of it was a bit too much, a bit try hard and whilst I get and I LOVE what this book is trying to do, I did roll my eyes a little sometimes because it felt like LOOK HOW I CAN SAY FUCK AND TALK GRAPHICALLY ABOUT SEX AND GETTING OFF YOUR FACE DRUNK I’M SO COOL AND SEX POSITIVE WHICH MEANS IT’S OK TO DESCRIBE SOMEONE’S FIRST TIME AS ‘RAPEY’ AND GLOSS OVER IT and it at times I did feel uncomfortable. But then, I’m old. But still, it made me feel weird and kind of a little bit like it was undermining its own excellent messages.

Then there’s the end. OH MY GOODNESS. I hate when I am all invested in a story only for the end to feel like it’s laughing in my face and that’s what happened here. Basically, there’s this big reveal about the stalker which CAME FROM NOWHERE and then wasn’t properly resolved. The whole build up of this storyline is so good and so suspenseful and the whole way through you want to know who it is and it’s just….such a let down and I don’t like how that happened or how the story went from there and it wasn’t handled well at all and I was so grumpy because that, the whole stalker thing was so much more important than anything else that happened in the book and it could have been addressed in a much better way than it was and I was waiting and waiting for nothing and actually I am laughing at myself because I thought I’d quite enjoyed this book until I started writing this review and now it seems it actually rather annoyed me.

I think it’ll do well though, and I think books like this need to exist, I just think this one didn’t quite reach it’s potential. It makes me sad when things don’t reach their potential.

I had kind of mixed feelings about this book. On the whole, I liked it, but there were distinct parts of it I was less keen on. Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) is a story about Jack, a gay teen at high school, who is roped into writing a sex advice column for his friend's blog. But, in the process, someone makes it known that they have been stalking him. (P.S. the stalking storyline does get pretty damn creepy, so like. Just a warning.) 

THE GOOD 

- All the talk about sex positivity and safe sex. The whole premise of the book, that Jack gives sex advice, is somewhat leery for me, given the ages of the characters, but the actual advice given is (on the whole) really good, and focuses well on sex positivity and having safe sex and consent, which I really liked. As the main character is gay, there is more focus on sex in that context, though also some more general things that apply to straight couples too (less on lesbian sex, but that's kind of understandable in this case...). There were occasional things that I thought veered a little too close to some particular tumblr discourse for comfort, but, for the most part, it was really refreshing to see a YA book that's so open and frank and positive about it all (especially with gay sex because that's still seen as pretty dirty). One thing to note, while there are discussions of sex, the sex scenes in this are all fade-to-black. 

- It's ownvoices, and there's huge value in books by mlm about mlm and things like sex that might otherwise be hard to find anything on. Basically, it's really important. 

- In one article, Jack calls out these straight girls who are busy fetishising him, and it is truly glorious. I can think of a few books that might benefit from just reading that one chapter. 

- The characters are funny and well-rounded (even though I did get irritated by them a few times), and actually it's a pretty compulsively readable book. 

THE BAD (OR LESS GOOD) 

- In a way, this links in with my first point in the good column. Yes, it was good having all this sex positivity, but I did feel just a bit skeevy reading about this all from a 16/17 year old. You: "Sixteen and seventeen year olds can be sexually active." Me: "Yes, but that doesn't stop me feeling fairly skeevy about it all." Maybe this is all because I'm not actually the target audience, true, but still. A point to bear in mind if you're reading this at somewhat older than sixteen. 

- Also, he said he started "three years earlier", which would make him 13 or 14. Like. I'd say that's too early but. You do you, Jack. So long as it's safe and consensual. 

- So, the characters are supposed to be about 16-17, but they read a whole lot older than that. I have genuinely never met a 16-17 year old who doesn't treat sex as something pretty funny, and is as mature about it as Jack was in this. It reads a little more like they're all college-aged. 

- The fact that both Jack and Jenna hook up with college guys. I really don't understand why authors can't see that this is borderline creepy. They're sixteen. People in college are at least two years older than that and, eighteen year-olds hooking up with sixteen year-olds? Creepy. (Also, his mum? Weirdly okay with it?) 

- While Jack's all "sex positivity!" and "not having a sex drive isn't a problem!" in his articles, he does make one comment in his narrative that I wasn't a particular fan of. It comes when he's discussing his best friend, Ben, who's "saving himself" for the right guy. And he references the fact that, in doing this, Ben is not having sex, not kissing boys, and just masturbating alone in his room. Which "must be miserable". So, he's all sex positivity, wait til the right time, in his articles, but in this? I don't know what's going on. It also never gets confronted, which was a bit sucky. 

- Personal dislike: this book did use the q-slur as a blanket term, but like I say. Personal. 

- When he uses femme to describe himself. As a cis gay guy. 

- "The idea of having to think, 'Wait, is this okay with my boyfriend?' before kissing some cute boy I just met at a party." Jack, that's called cheating. 

So, overall, I liked this book, though I definitely was not the target audience for it. But it's one of those ones that shows the importance of having ownvoices books about topics like this. It was a whole lot more engaging than yet another straight woman trying to tell me how gay boys/men feel.

This book is brilliant, and a really welcome addition to the current world of YA. This book is funny, and warm, and almost overwhelmingly relevant to today's teens. Its sex positive attitude and matter of fact approach to the lives of its characters makes it feel very fresh. I really liked the way it looked at society's attitudes as well, I think it will make a lot of readers think twice about some things. 

My only slight quibble with the book was in the way the secret admirer plot line is wrapped up. It's the one weaker moment in an otherwise very strong book.

A really interesting read, some great characters, the subject matter handled very well, a must read for every young man or lady struggling with their sexuality

DON'T READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE EASILY SEXUALLY OFFENDED.  Its an honest,  account of life as an high school student who is homosexual.  If you are expecting the usual angst ridden teen coming to terms with his homosexulaity, you might be pleasantly surprised.  Jack is loud and proud, he is confident in his sexulaity and its so refreshing. I am sure this book will be well received by Young Adult readers for its honesty, its portrayal of life as an affluent teen living in New York and the positive message it portrays of modern homosexuality.  It's a must read for any teen who is struggling with his homosexualiity or has friends that are homosexuals.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an open and honest review*

OK - the positives.

This YA novel is very pro LGBT+ (and as it should be in this day and age). It gives frank advice (and some of it is *very* frank) for a whole manner of do's and dont's in the minefield that is puberty and burgeoning sexuality. There is also a mystery element as Jack is stalked by an unknown 'admirer', which was quite effective as I was drawn into the whodunnit aspect of the story until....

And the negatives

the reveal of who is doing the stalking and why was just so random and a bit crap - I actually thought it was a red herring, but no, just a crap nemesis with a bad grudge. 

I can see the high sex content and the setting (artsy school in Manhattan) being a big draw and the book will probably be a huge hit with the target audience. I, on the other hand, sat reading it imagining that the author had overdosed on TV shows set in high school and decided to write their own version - I'm guessing that there have already been many talks to transfer this book to the screen - and it was hard for me as a reader not to imagine the author cynically plotting their own '13 reasons why'-style Netflix series.

OK I wasnt the target audience, and had I read this 25 years ago I would probably LOVE it, but as I say, it all felt a bit calculated and cynical for my taste.

Some will love this book and others will have very mixed feelings about it. I can understand why some would love it but I just found it too over the top and if it was dialled back a bit it could have been a better book. It will certainly divide opinion but not one for me. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy for review purposes.

What an amazing fabulous book. This book should be made available in ever high school 6th and 6th form college. Fantastic read. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Wished I had this type of book available when I was in college.
Thanks to both NetGalley and Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read Jack of Hearts in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion..

I would've loved to have access to a book like this in my teenage years, when I was full of questions about sex; about whether my being attracted to girls was just a typical teenage straight girl thing, and I am beyond thrilled that this book is out in the world for teenagers going through similar things. Jack Rothman (who I would die for) is so open about sex, so comfortable in his own skin and so shamelessly himself! I want to send a good few questions to Jack of Hearts, even now!

However, I noticed a lot of reviewers have big issues with this book and how freely sex is presented throughout, but I can't help but wonder what people really expected with a blurb like that. Sex amongst teenagers - especially 17 year olds - <I>really</I> isn't uncommon, but access to sex advice and sexual health information is very scarce for LGBTQ+ teens. Now, I'm not saying this book should be the holy book for gay kids looking for guidance by any means, but it's so refreshing to see such things in a YA novel, because it is happening!

Let me get personal for a minute: at 17 years old, I had a group of friends (very dysfunctional, but I had some of the best memories with them) in high school, consisting of at least 20 people, boys and girls. We had parties almost every weekend, we drank pretty often, and we had a lot of sex! Reading this book reminded me a lot of my time at high school, so reading all these reviews in which people don't think that threesomes, group sex and BDSM dabbling happens with some 17 year olds is quite surprising. It was at 17 that I realised a lot about myself sexually, and that knowledge came from actually having sex... and this was very much the norm!

I do understand that, for those who didn't have a similar high school experience, this book could be a little too much, but I personally loved it and I have never felt more validated about some of my questionable high school antics! I would've been such good friends with Jack, Jenna and Ben. I love them.

I did knock a star off because the Pinky plot wasn't interesting to me because I guessed who it was almost from the start, and then my suspicions were confirmed, so I didn't get a big satisfactory revelation at the end.

I love love LOVED this book! Foul-mouthed, honest, funny and unapologetically real characters, and an intriguing, sometimes terrifying, story woven through with fantastic, thoughtful advice about sex and love. I started out expecting a love story--pink notes arriving in a locker is everyone's dream meet cute, right?--and slowly became more horrified as the realisation hit that this was NOT a dream come true, but a total nightmare. I was left guessing who Jack's stalker was until the last possible moment, and I loved how the book challenged stereotypes at every step, with well-rounded, fully fleshed out characters. I can't recommend this book highly enough! If you're looking for a laugh, a chill, and some genuinely helpful advice, then this is the book for you.

This novel follows Jack, a gay high school student who is completely comfortable with his active sex life and sexuality. When Jack teams up with one of his best friends, Jenna, to create a sex advice column for people to send in their anonymous questions for answering, things start going south for Jack. While the column is, mostly, widely praised by everyone, someone out there has taken notice of Jack and seems to really hate his lifestyle. Jack starts finding little pink notes in his school locker, which get increasingly more threatening and terrifying. Does Jack have to give up his lifestyle, become a different person, just to meet the demands of his secret stalker?

Of the 75 other books I've read this year (excluding rereads of favourites), none of the others drew me into the story as quickly as this book. Jack and his friends, Jenna and Ben, aren't perfect ideal teenagers. They can be mean when they're frustrated, they fight, they drink - they smoke, which is something I'm never cool with - but I really enjoyed them. The flaws in these characters, regardless of how dedicated to their friendship they were, left an added bit of mystery to the story. What if it was them that sent the notes? I'm not confirming or denying anything, because figuring out the stalker's identity plays such a huge role in gripping the attention of readers, but I adored that you just can't be sure about anyone. Jenna is the daughter of a reporter and a lawyer, and she takes her blog seriously. She discusses important topics, and encouraged Jack to start his sex advice column (which I'll touch on more later). Ben is the shy peace-keeper of the group, and is also gay. He is such a sweet, wholesome character that sees the best in everyone, and I loved that the author acknowledged the difficulty he felt fitting in being both gay and black in high school.

Jack's mother works long hours in a hospital, and yet their relationship is that perfect mix between mother and child, and friendship. His mother supports his sexuality and open sex life, and it was so refreshing to see the conversations that took place between them. Sexuality is, obviously, a prevalent topic throughout this novel.  Jack doesn't limit his beliefs and opinions on sex and the LGBT+ community just to his column. He has no problem correcting, arguing, or educating his friends and peers, which felt like a significant trait that we don't see enough in fiction or reality. The column itself opened a narrative with the public - anything from losing their virginity, consent, relationship advice, to specific sexual acts, and each subject was answered tastefully, truthfully, and without an ounce of judgement. Throughout this book we see experimentation with sexuality, erasure of sexuality, homophobia, bullying, and casual sex, and every time such a crucial topic was brought to light, it was an opportunity used to the fullest to both educate and entertain readers.

This book is pitched for fans of Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, which is one of my all time favourite books. While I completely agree with this comparison, Jack of Hearts is stands unique yet equally important next to that book. Simon covered topics of coming out, self-acceptance, friendship, relationships, and blackmail, and Jack of Hearts has all of that and more. However, I unfortunately imagine that Jack of Hearts, moreso than Simon, will be frowned upon by more close-minded individuals. We don't often see sex spoken of in such great and various detail in YA - which is honestly, unrealistic. Some teenagers have sex, and some don't. This statement is normalised on several occasions in this novel, which was fantastic to finally see, and made me proud to have read this book. As long as sex is safe and consensual then it's okay, and that's what this book points to over and over again.

One downside I will say about this book is the use of the "f" slur referring to LGBT+ members.  Jack uses this term to describe himself several times, and while it made me uncomfortable, I could see that it was a coping mechanism for this character. The word "slut" is also tossed about in this book, but again, is usually used by Jack to describe himself. How he uses the word seems to discredit the negative connotations associated with it, and reinforced the "you do you" message when it comes to sex.  Jack accepted, if not owned, the fact that he perpetuated some stereotypes of being gay. He wore his identity on his sleeve and never faltered - until, of course, the stalker came into the picture. The stalker, even as a plot device, was quite scary to witness. The thought that someone is paying such close attention to you and you have no idea who they are, or why they're singling you out and treating you this way is terrifying. Over time, as the stalking increased to worrying levels, Jack falls prey to anxiety, depression, and fear.

Bullying, whether in high school or at any other stage in your life, is completely unacceptable. While Jack and his friends work tirelessly to catch the stalker in the act, it was heartbreaking to see that certain adults took no responsibility for the stalker's actions. Instead, the situation was blamed on Jack - if only he didn't act on his sexuality, if only he didn't express himself, or spread information on his column. While it was horrible reading this, it wasn't at all surprising. As this novel stands by, the world has a long long way to go before we reach equal rights.  Everyone deserves to express themselves and live their lives in a way that makes them happy, so long as it isn't harming someone else.

Truly, I believe that this could potentially be one of the most important and impactful reads for teenagers and young adults today. We need to learn about sexuality, consent, coming out, self expression, bullying, safe sex, communication, and every other essential subject portrayed within this novel. I've talked a lot about these important portrayals in this book, but the humour and heartwarming moments can't be forgotten about either. Jack and his friends could be hilarious together, and even his romantic excursions were usually so relaxed and funny and utterly realistic. Despite the situation they're thrown into, this such an iconic group of friends and it was fun to live vicariously through them.

This book comes out on October 30th 2018 and if you want a non-scary mystery to read on Halloween, then I highly recommend you pick this book up or preorder. Already I'm set on preordering this wonderful book after reading the eARC! While I was sent this for review, please note that (as always) all thoughts and opinions of this novel are my own. This is a fast-paced, show-stopping read, and is one that I'm now counting the days before it gets huge!