Jack of Hearts (and other parts)

July 1, 2018

Gr 10 Up-Contemporary sex advice meets mystery in this high school story of bullying and being true to oneself. Jack is out and proud, unashamed of his love of fashion or his voracious sexual appetite. When his friend asks him to write a sex-advice column for a blog, he is happy to help. Mysterious pink notes then start appearing in his locker, and soon they turn from playful to threatening. Jack begins to shrink into himself until he is barely recognizable to his friends and classmates. This sex-positive story is interspersed with the emails Jack's advice column receives, his responses to those questions, group chats among Jack and his two friends, as well as the eerie letters he gets in his locker. An upbeat, conversational writing style makes this story move quickly, and the understandably creepy atmosphere surrounding the unwanted notes is punctuated by his adventures with his friends, supportive relationship with his mother, and sexual exploits. VERDICT The dearth of sex-positive YA literature-particularly sex-positive queer literature-makes this book an essential addition to library collections that serve teens.-Jenni Frencham, formerly at Columbus Public Library, WI

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2018
When a secret admirer becomes a stalker, how much will Jack give up to make it stop?Everyone at 17-year-old Jack Rothman's private New York City high school knows he's gay and that he has a lot of sex (though the gossip is often far juicier than the reality). When Jack, a white boy, starts getting pink origami love notes in his locker, he and his besties, Latinx Jenna and African-American Ben (who is also gay), speculate on who they might be from; but they are far more focused on Jack's agreeing to write an "anonymous" advice column for Jenna's news blog and partying. Jack keeps subsequent notes a secret when they start threatening Jenna, Ben, and Jack's mom. Only when the stalker's threats become explicit does he tell, and the trio start investigating. As the creep factor rises and the investigation falters, Jack realizes he will have to do something drastic to save the ones he loves. The only weakness in Rosen's racy mystery-cum-sex manual is the deus ex machina discovery of the culprit. The characters are believable in their milieu of privilege. Jack's frank (and responsible) advice in his columns may not be for the easily shocked, but it's related as if from a peer. Booze, smoking, explicit language, and pot use make this one for mature readers. A sex-positive and thoughtful romp with humor and heart. (Fiction. 15-18)

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At 17 years old, privileged private school student Jack is an out-and-proud, makeup-wearing, gleefully promiscuous poster boy for sex positivity. He's not bothered by his slutty reputation, but after he starts writing a sex advice column for his friend's blog, he's disturbed by the unwelcome attention of an anonymous stalker. Narrator Drew Caidan allows Jack's authenticity to shine through, whether he's expressing warmth, humor, anxiety, or explicit candor. It's a performance that, similar to Jack's columns, educates without being preachy, reminding listeners that even the most flamboyant LGBTQ people are people, not merely entertainment to be consumed. R.A.H. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Starred review from September 15, 2018
Grades 10-1 *Starred Review* Tales get bigger in the retelling, but generally what people say about Jack is true: he gets laid a lot. His private New York high school is pretty liberal, but out gay kids are still the minority, and Jack is often the subject of his classmates' gossip and, occasionally, vitriol. When his friend convinces him to write a sex-advice column for her website, Jack reluctantly starts to get into it. But then the letters arrive. Initially, they're just creepy-ish fan notes, but soon they get threatening, demanding he change his lifestyle and tone down his persona. With the school unwilling to help (the principal suggests Jack was asking for something like this), it's up to Jack and his friends to find the blackmailer?or give in. This is a bold, inclusive exploration of teen sexuality that, propelled by Jack's brazen voice, never feels preachy. Jack doles out sex tips to teens of all orientations, but he also advises those who aren't sure about sex at all and checks a group of girls more interested in gay men as props than as people. Most sex happens off-page, although language and the prep-school party scene make this best suited for older readers. The mystery adds truly compelling drama, and if things wrap up too neatly, it hardly matters next to all that Rosen gets right. Fresh, sex-positive, and unabashedly entertaining.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)