Lacey, Theo and Evita are best friends who are prepping for college.   In one of her classes Lacey realizes that the school is promoting abstinence but not tackling the fact that teens are having sex.   Lacey begins a fight for birth control as if that is not enough on her plate, she has been having feelings for  one of her friends which could lead to a big falling out.

I thought this was good but Lacey seemed much more mature then an average seventeen year old.  A bit angsty at times but overall the message is solid.  I thought it brought up some good points but ran on a bit.

Lacey is starting her senior year of high school and she’s hoping that maybe, just maybe, she’ll have her first kiss soon. Only problem, the one guy she wants happens to be one of her best friends (and he dated their other best friend AND he currently has a girlfriend). 

Lacey decides that it’s time to make a difference in her life; she speaks up about the curriculum for her health and safety class (teaching only abstinence doesn’t work folks!), and then she changes her internship from music to being a doula. She and her friends make it their mission to educate their fellow students about sexual health and consent with the hopes that if people actually talk about it it might help to make it such a taboo which leads to putting teens at risk. 

Things get real real quick though when their whole operation is at risk for getting them possibly expelled. Will all their hard work pay off? 

I wish I had a book like this as a teen. I didn’t understand consent as a teen, and I’m so glad that teens today have a book like this and you better be damn sure my children will understand about consent and sexual health. It isn’t the best plotted story, but the message is an important one. There is some explicit content. Recommend for libraries.

This book lacked any maturity or substance to make me want to read more than a few pages, unfortunately, just not the book for me.

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. 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. The Birds, the Bees, and You and Me is so prevalent right now, and offers a message that so many teenagers--and adults--need to hear about sex education.

A cute novel that shows how proper sex ed is so much more and so much more important than abstinence only education.

The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me is a young adult contemporary novel by Olivia Hinebaugh. There were a few things I didn't love about this novel, but overall I thought it was still a good read. The good certainly outweighed my few gripes. So let's start with the good. The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me is a novel that is both very educational and was a cute coming of age story. I really enjoyed our main character, Lacey( most of the time). And I loved her friendship with Theo and Evita. Her friend group was my favorite part of the story.

And now for the few things I didn't love. Lacey sometimes came off as a little whiny, which could be aggravating, but then again, one could also say it was pretty age appropriate. She did irk me sometimes, but I appreciated her overall message and journey. Speaking of the message of the novel, I loved that The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me was so informative and had such an educational message worked into the story. However; at times the book came off as a bit too clinical, and not so fictional. But I do love that there were good adult role models in the story, and that The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me encouraged such an open dialogue. That was simply fantastic. 

The story itself was funky and fun. I loved how much Olviia Hinebaugh worked music into the story, since it was such a big part of Lacey and her friend's lives. It helped lighten the tone of the story significantly, which really helped to balance out some of the heavier topics explored. Overall, this novel was a good balance of serious and fun. I enjoyed how different it was than so many high school contemporary novels out there.

Looking forward to reading more by this author. I loved this story, the characters, the pacing, and will gladly recommend it to my customers.

I enjoyed this book because it managed to deliver and important message while still maintaining a romantic edge.

This was such a fun, sex-positive book!
It is the kind of book that teens need to read and it should be available in every school library.
So many kids today need to read this real portrayal of teen-life. I wish I had it when I was younger.

Thank you so  much to the publisher for sending me this review copy!

I ended up not finishing this book. It felt very preachy in the beginning. It didn't grab my attention.

4.5 out of 5 stars! Fiercely feminist main character -- check, viola player -- check, ace BFF -- check! My daughter is a fiercely feminist, viola playing, asexual teen, so really there was almost no chance I wasn't going to loveTHE BIRDS, THE BEES, AND YOU AND ME, but it still surprised me. I was surprised by how much I loved Lacey, Theo, and Evita. The complex relationships explored and the bonds of friendship stretched were incredibly realistic. The choices that the three of them face as high school seniors are typical, but no less intense because of that. When Lacey pushes back against her school's archaic and factually inaccurate abstinence-only program that attempts to shame teens into not having sex, things go hilariously wrong. Lacey and her friends appoint themselves the sexperts, even though Lacey has never had sex, herself. They offer advice in the bathroom and provide covert access to condoms, until they get caught and suspended. But Lacey's no wallflower and she fights the system with her mother's support.

Plot
This is really a story of standing up for what you believe in and the enduring bonds of friendship more than a romance. There is a romantic subplot involving Lacey and Theo, but Evita's past relationship with Theo, before she realized she was ace, only complicates this. How the three best friends navigate their life goals, their determination to bring comprehensive sex education to their peers, and balancing loyalty is what drives this story and that's where it really shines. The romantic elements serve more of a supporting role. The author doesn't let her characters off without facing the consequences of their actions, making it believable. She weaves humor throughout the story, creating a lighthearted tale that could easily have taken on a darker tone.

The Characters
This is really a character-driven story more than anything else, and the characters are utterly delightful. While this is Lacey's story, all three have their own arcs and grow over the course of the book. Lacey's knowledge of sex, without any firsthand experience, is a breath of fresh air. I wish more teen girls were this comfortable with the topic. Evita, as the leader of the trio, is fierce, funny, and loyal -- everything you want in a BFF. Theo is a delightful third, the only boy in their close-knit group, who lends a little testosterone to all the estrogen flying around.

Top Five Things I Loved AboutTHE BIRDS, THE BEES, AND YOU AND ME
1. Representation. As the mother of an ace teen, I loved seeing such a strong ace character who was true to herself and didn't end up in a romantic relationship.

2. Comprehensive sex ed. Another topic near and dear to my heart handled, with a responsible, fact-based approach.

3. Music. A cello, a viola, and rock music. What's not to love?

4. Friendships. I love that the friendship is the primary focus over the romance. While romance plays a part, the enduring friendship is the glue holding everything together.

5. An honest portrayal of teen pregnancy. Nothing is sugar coated, but it's not presented as shameful either. Really well done.

Bottom Line
A book about friendship, personal responsibility, and the value of education, wrapped with humor and heart.

I enjoyed the feminism and voice of Lacey through dialogue. The humour and power was shown all the way through, and it definitely lived up to my hopes.

I am all about those feminist books, especially when they explore sex ed and sexism. Sex ed is so important, and yet schools never do a good job with it. When I heard about this book, I knew I needed to read it. You should too.

This book is so, so important. I love that Lacey stands up for herself and her peers when she becomes fed up with the school system failing them. It’s powerful, and relevant. Also, talking about how women are judged more harshly than men, and how women are often the ones left with the consequences of not knowing enough about safe sex, is vital. I loved that this book tackled such important topics in such an accessible way.

I also loved Lacey’s relationship with her mom. The fact that her mom was young when she had Lacey fleshes out both characters, and explains why Lacey understands so clearly why sex ed is so important. Her mom being a nurse means she also has more knowledge than many of her classmates do. Parents should be having open, informative conversations about sex - including protection and consent. But schools also need to ensure that their education system includes sex ed (and not just “don’t have sex it’s a sin”).

My only complaint is that the romance is a little cheesy and cliche. I was a bit frustrated with it because I found it very predictable, but not really in a positive way. It seemed like some unnecessary tension that the plot didn’t really need. But that’s just my opinion.

The Birds, The Bees, And You and Me is an important book, and I enjoyed that it tackled an important topic and features a healthy mother-daughter relationship. I liked the romance, aside from some unnecessary drama.

The title was a great choice by Hinebaugh, leaving it to the imagination of what exactly would this book be about. It opens up to us about Lacey who has no experience whatsoever, but because of how she was brought up, she knows much about the birds and the bees. Mixed in the changes in her own life, we know that she is going to be involved with someone. Also, we don’t find out who exactly it is Lacey will end up with until halfway through the book which I truly enjoyed.

Hinebaugh’s dialogue really moved the story along, giving us a taste of the characters, who were well-written and very real. This brings the reader a chance to relate to the characters. We’ve all been through the high school years and each character in the book is someone everyone could relate to at some point. What I did enjoy was the flow Hinebaugh wrote this story. It was at the perfect pace starting with the beginning of the school year. Unlike many other books where the school year seems to begin and end within the same novel, Hinebaugh didn’t rush time at all here. With her adding an epilogue, it didn’t leave us hanging on what happened to the students as they neared the end of the school year.

I would recommend this book for any high school students who feel lost in the world and that people don’t understand them for them to feel that they aren’t alone as well as anyone who wants to go back to a simpler time from their high school days.

Lacey Burke is a senior in high school. She plays the viola and is in a band with her best friends Theo and Evita. When her high school takes an abstinence approach to sex education, it's too much for her to handle. She feels her classmates should be educated about options they have when it comes to their sexual health. But Lacey is a virgin and even though she has never had sex herself, her mother has always been open with her about sex. Lacey soon becomes the resident expert on the subject at her high school, but not everyone is so happy about that. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Swoon Reads for the opportunity to read and review this book. 

When I saw this book I had to read it. As a person who was also taught that abstinence was the only way, I would have liked to have a friend like Lacey Burke in my life. Someone who I could talk to without judgement about what was going on in my sex life. I think that if I did, I might have made different choices in my life. 

Lacey really enjoys being in a band with her best friends Theo and Evita who also used to date. When their senior seminar class starts to discuss sex education, she has a different idea of what should be taught and she enlists their help in order to do so. Holding office hours in the girls bathroom during lunch and handing out condoms to classmates, Lacey is determined to make sure everyone in their school can be comfortable talking about sex and not stigmatizing it. When her actions get her in trouble with the administration and may jeopardize her future, her friends and family rally behind her to get things changed in their school. 

This is a great YA book that I think most teens will enjoy and get a lot of information from it as well.

This book was okay and dealt with sex education and rights of teens so I feel that teen readers would get something out of this. The characters were very whiney and irritating. It's been a while since I was in school but did we all whine that much? I think that teens will connect with this book and it's appropriate for that age group.

This book is about three High school friends by the names of Evita, Lacey and Theo. They all seem to go to this prestigious high school in their area. But this school promotes abstinence only sex education. This kind of thinking Prompts Lacey to really educate her school on Sex education. She believes there is one problem on her end and that is, that she has never dated a boy before let alone engage in Sex of any kind. So she sets out to educated her school and ends up learning a few things along the way. 

As for this book I rated it five stars. I love how much accurate sex education was put into this book by the author Olivia. Overall I think this is well informed filled book with real life emotions. The only thing is that i find this book reads more like an a New Romance than an Young Adult novel. This book is to me gear towards teenagers that are in 10 -12 grade or higher education. I do love these characters though. I was Lacey to a certain point all through high school, myself. I would also not hesitate to share this novel with my own children when they are teenagers almost adults. Great writing, real life filled reactions make this a great book for any other kid

I thought this was a super cute YA read. I’ve never read a young adult book that was as sex-positive as this, so this one was refreshing for a change. I have to say my favorite aspect of the book was the blossoming romance. My favorite trope is friends-to-lovers and this one was just so dang cute! I also adored Lacey and her friends Evita and Theo. I loved how it focused a lot on friendship.

The Birds, The Bees, and You and Me was such a sweet, swoony, entertaining and informative book. If this was Olivia Hinebaugh’s debut novel, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! I would highly recommend to all fans of young adult who are looking for something fresh and unique!

"demonizing and stigmatizing sex prevents everyone from getting information on safer sex" (chapter 1).

As someone completely fascinated by the correlation between literature and culture, I went into this story wanting to love it. After all, a book promoting teenagers fighting for sex education in their school and supporting the LGBTQIA community is something that is very relevant to our current culture. But the story was completely lacking. It felt like a sex education manual with the story in the sidelines only to give practical examples. Plus there was quite a lot of awkwardness and things that didn't add up.

The parents were very awkward and weirdly obsessed with talking about sex. While I do feel like parents should have open communication about sex so that their kids are aware and feel safe to ask questions, it really felt like sex was the only thing these moms wanted to talk about.

There is no way a teenager would be allowed to be a midwife for a hospital, nor would most people feel comfortable about that. Even with an independent study internship, there's no way a hospital would allow this. As soon as Lacey starts doing this, I had so much trouble connecting with her because it just wasn't believable.

Lacey and Theo's relationship exploded out of nowhere. This girl has never even been kissed or been a noticeable attraction to guys, and she has no hesitations with jumping Theo's bones and expressing her love for him literally the day he broke up with his ex. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but that's what it felt like.

The lack of character development in lieu of all the mindless sex education did not make many of the scenarios believable, nor did I develop any attachment to the characters. They actually kind of annoyed me. There wasn't much depth to them and their actions were sometimes confusing. I wasn't rooting for the romance, and I didn't connect with the characters' overall goals because the development was such a side venture to the real goal of educating the reader about sex.

I wish this book was more enjoyable because I feel some of the themes (more topics than themes, though) are ones that should be explored in YA in this culture. Overall, it felt like an over the top problem novel (the problem being abstinence only sex education in schools) where flat, forgettable characters tripped over their words the whole time to be politically correct.

The Bids, the Bees, and You and Me is an inclusive sex positive young adult novel, which is freaking awesome! This book would be a great resource to open up some dialogue about sexual health with its readers.

The main character Lacey is sweet and passionate. This is also such a small thing, but I was also so happy to see a teen MC play the viola! That never happens, and I used to play one as a teen! Anyway, Lacey is trying to figure out what she wants to do after high school. She loves playing with her friends in their band and is passionate about music, but she is also discovering her love of being a Doola and having frank discussions about sex and helping improve the school's sexual education curriculum. Does she want to focus on music or nursing after high school? That is the question.

While she is trying to figure out her future she is also juggling her feelings for her best friend Theo. There is just one big problem about that, her other best friend Evita used to date Theo so he is totally off limits. I adored Lacey and Theo's friendship, but I wasn't really caring if it turned into something more. That whole plot line just seemed like it was there because it had to be. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. However, Lacey's struggle with her feelings seemed authentic, if not predictable. Evita on the other hand was such a wonderful outspoken and fun character, and her and Lacey's friendship ringed true and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about. However, this book constantly pushes its message in your face, making the friendships and romance stories take a backseat, which was kind of a bummer.

The Bottom Line: The Birds, the Bees, and You and Me is an overall fun story with some great/important discussion-worthy scenes. I loved this line "Like, which is better for keeping us healthy: shame or information? It seems like a no-brainer."