I love Molly E. Lee. Her writing is so heartfelt. I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading this book, but after I read only a couple of chapters I was hooked. Tackling the issues teenagers have isn't an easy thing to do, but she discussed some of the most relevent topics in an honest fashion.
Amber and Dean are the two best hackers in the high school they attend. He has secretely wanted her for awhile, but she had a boyfriend and then after they broke up she didn't seem like the same girl, so he gave her space. Her last relationship didn't end well, so she constructed walls around her heart and decided to focus on college.
When Dean gets blackmailed by the one person in high school that he should be able to trust, he is forced to start a Code Club, which Amber is the only other member. They decide to make a competition out of finding a way to shed light on some of the things that are going on within the school.
As they spend more time together, they realize how much they have in common and how much they like each other. She feels safe and appreciated and he is happy to finally have his "Pixie" in his life. While they work on their projects, they also spend a lot of time together and end up becomming boyfriend and girlfriend.
She starts up the "Ask me anything" blog on the dark web and is truly trying to help people. Their school is so archaic that they can't even talk or ask questions about sex without recriminations. She keeps him out of it because she doesn't want him to get in trouble if anyone ever finds out who is behind the anonymous blog. What she doesn't know, is Dean is being forced to find out who is behind the blog so he or she can be made an example.
When the truth is revealed, my heart broke for both Dean and Amber. She ends up breaking up with him becasue of something that occurs (she blames herself because of the blog) and she doesn't think he will ever forgive her. He gets upset when he finds out what happened and that she was behind the blog. They both throw accusations at the other and everything seems over for good.
I really thought the questions that the other studens asked and the answers that Amber gave were spot on for the world we live in today. I am sure there are some blogs/websites a person could go to for the information that Amber provided, but to read it in a book and have it be so emotional and honest was refreshing. I also loved how Dean appologized and her relationship with her parents.
A wonderful book that I gladly provided an honest, voluntary review for.

Review can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

Amber appreciates the fact her school encourages hard work and has stimulating classes, but the way the school and her terrible principle treat sex education like a disease drives Amber insane. Why not be honest with the teens ans maybe give real advice to be helpful instead of the "abstinence is the only way" school assembly? When someone takes matters into their own hands and ruins the school approved slide show with some racy clips, an idea triggers in Amber's head. It also doesn't hurt that she is having a personal wager with a cute fellow hacker to keep her on her toes. But if anyone finds out what she has planned, it could ruin her life.

I was first drawn to this book because the cover caught my eye, with the direct eye contact from the girl on the cover and the coding language over everything, and we all know how much of a cover snob I am. Anyway, once I discovered this was about a girl secretly education her class about proper sex education, I was so on board to read this. I personally feel like sex education is lacking for teens. Sure, nobody is excited about kids having sex but wouldn't it be better to give them all the facts and open up an honest dialogue?? In case you can't tell, this topic is one I feel very strongly about and I was interested to see what Molly would say about the subject.

There was some code speaking going on that completely went over my head (and that is coming from a girl who had to learn everything on the fly to create a blog) when Amber and Dean where in their zones. I understood the gist of what was going on but I do not speak the language of hackers.

I loved the relationship dynamic between Amber and her parents, especially her erotica writing mother. The ease and comfort that Amber can discuss anything with her mom is so perfect, completely what I hope to achieve in the future with my imaginary children. Actually in general, both main characters have great families, with support and actual interaction and conversation, something I personally think we need more of in YA.

Overall I found this to be a good read that had a way of keeping a light tone while dealing with some serious and potentially dark subject matter and a super important topic. AND let's not forget how sweet, romantic and swoon-worthy this story is- I would recommend it based on that alone. I can't wait to see what Molly wants to write next because I will most certainly come back for more.

3.5 Stars

I love Molly's writing and her books. This one's different than the others I've read of hers so far since it's Young Adult and about two teenagers that love all things computer. I loved how the characters had a bond due to their same interest in technical stuff and that they had their own private code. 

Amber had sworn off guys altogether since her last heartbreak with her ex. But Dean was different not only because they'd been doing computer stuff together for months, if not years now. When they started to get closer, Amber's panic resurfaced but her connection and the pull towards Dean wasn't to ignore.
The bet they had going though could ruin their newfound friendship or even the opportunity of getting into the computer school she wanted to go to. 

This was a very sweet high school story with enough drama and depth to give the characters and their story volume. I adored this well written romance and liked how different it was to other YA novels that I've read so far. I haven't had computer nerds that weren't really nerds but shared the same passion for coding.
It was just a bit strange for me to read about a virgin high school student giving other teens sex and contraception advice. But all in all it was a very enjoyable and cute story.

I didn’t know if I was going to like this book when I first started it. There was the whole hacking thing but then it switched to kids not getting the sex education they needed and not having anyone to talk to freely without judgement.
I loved the idea of a blog where teens could go for advice without being judge. Teens could go for any kind of advice or just to be heard. Pixie feels guilty about several things through the book but I like how she starts to grow stronger and change. There was talk of sexual assault and I loved one of the blogs about it and girls coming together to support each other.
I like how Dean and Amber are friends and how they come together. This isn’t just a teen story about falling in love, it’s also about dealing with sexual assault and the trauma a girl or guy has to deal with after being assaulted.
This was a great book and it was different. I highly recommend it.

I'm much older than the young adults Ask Me Anything is aimed at - but I have to admit to absolutely loving this book!

Amber Henderson and Dean Winters are two of the best computer coders at their school. Circumstances bring them together at Coding Club, and they decide to go against each other in a hacking challenge, to see which one of them can rile up the Principal the most.

Principal Tanner is stuck in the dark ages and still operates an abstinence only policy at the school. This is when the idea of a website called ‘Ask Me Anything' comes to Amber! Inviting students to ask her any questions about sex they might have. And from that moment on things change dramatically for Amber, Dean and the other students at the school!

A fantastic book, I would highly recommend – a definite 5 star read!!

Ask Me Anything by Molly E. Leet is a great read.

I loved how the lead was a strong, independent, well-centered character who was not afraid to be herself. This book had a great message to stand up for what you feel is right for you and not to concave to the norm or what is expected.
I also loved the dynamics between both hackers and how there was a realness to it.
I also enjoyed the romance involved.

Overall this was a great read.

*4.25 Stars*

Ask Me Anything makes us dive into the hacking world with two main characters who love coding. Amber is a senior and just broke up with her boyfriend a few months ago. She barely mentions him by name and we know something happened. Dean has always been in awe of Amber but can tell something went down because she isn't as happy and open as she used to be.
When someone pranks the principal of their very private high school, he makes Dean, who was in charge of the equipment, host a "code club." Amber is the only one that shows up and they both decide to start a competition. They have to find a way to annoy Tanner, the principal, and not get caught. That's how Amber starts a hidden blog "Ask Me Anything" where students can ask questions about safe sex and contraceptive means and so much more since their school enforces an abstinence policy and refuses to answer any of those topics.

I really liked this book. It talked about important subjects like feminism and women friendship, and women supporting women in a great way. It also talks of assaults and so much more. It was pretty captivating and the characters were layered. I liked both Dean and Amber, as well as Amber's friends and parents. The dynamics between the characters were interesting and I also enjoyed the romance. I got really angry at times, but also laughed and swooned. It was a really nice read.

Great concept: high school girl seeing that her high school is suppressing important sexual health information decides to start a blog to provide the missing information. And in that regard, this book felt very much like an After School Special, including questions and answers. Of course, Amber's mom is an erotica author and able to provide all sorts of answers. And of course, Amber's dad is a teen psychologist and can provide the answers his wife can't. However, the book falls severely short in the actual personal story portion. I never understood the fear Amber had regarding her identity being uncovered. What would give a school the right to suspend or expel her for a blog? Why would her college not extend an acceptance letter based on the blog? This disconnect took the book from enjoyable and plausible to eye rolling and cliche, even before delving into her relationship with Dean. I think the author underestimated her audience.

Of all the wonderful things Molly E. Lee does in this book, my favorite is how she approaches teen curiosity about sex and relationships. She does so in an interesting way, too, which makes Ask Me Anything one of those books that will open not just the minds of teenagers but their parents’ as well.

Amber’s school is about as progressive as a tree stump (less, really) when it comes to the sexuality of its students. Lee shows you how the intent may be somewhat honorable (I think we can all understand that parents want to protect their child’s innocence as long as possible), the results can be unproductive, to say the least.

The daughter of a therapist who works with teens, Amber is full of ideas, so when fellow hacker Dean challenges her to create the perfect hack–something no one will be able to trace–she takes him up on it and creates a dark web advice column aimed at her fellow classmates. Kids come to her with questions about using birth control to oral sex to coming out. Lee is careful to show that Amber doesn’t come up with the answers all on her own; she relies on her parents to help guide her.

Meanwhile, Amber and Dean grow closer, yet you can feel that Lee is setting up a big fat conflict to pull them apart.

Amber is wholly likable. She isn’t too smart for her own good–she makes mistakes, and the guilt over those makes you like her even more–nor is she too precious. I liked Dean, too. He’s a good guy, someone whose head is so deep into coding that many girls likely bypass him. In Amber, he sees not just a fellow nerd, but someone who thinks like him and challenges him.

I liked what Molly E. Lee did with this book. There are occasional pacing lapses, and the school’s principal seems straight out of John Hughes’ Central Casting, but Lee has important messages that bear heeding. When you read this one, please come back, hit up the comments, and let me know what you think.

Ask Me Anything is good read. It's told in the dual POVs of Amber and Dean. They are both high schoolers that are really good at computer coding and hacking. I liked the computer hacking elements throughout the story. Amber has gotten out of an relationship with a jerky football player and she's not looking for a new boyfriend. Her and Dean have a lot of interests in common and they become friends. They are perfect together and I was so hoping that they would be more than friends. Amber has very open and supportive parents but some of the other kids at school don't. She starts this super secret blog to answer questions about sex. I liked that some of the blog posts were included in the book. At first glance of the blurb, I thought that the blog would be the only focus of the story but there are a lot of other interesting things going on too. I thought this was was nicely written and I truly enjoyed reading this one.

Amber goes to a high school where sex ed is treated almost as a joke. She has friends who sincerely want answers to their questions. She also has a mom who writes romance fiction and is not afraid to answer such questions.

Dean is a new friend that just happens to be hot. The fact the he is attracted to Amber is both a plus and a minus. She has sworn off dating right now, after the last creep she went out with. How can he convince her to be more?

This was such an interesting story. Right from the beginning, I was sucked in by the humor and compelling issues that surround the main characters and sets the tone. I loved the pace going nice and fast. I loved the fact that the nerds here are good looking and felt this story was quote original.



***This ARC copy was given by Netgalley and its publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a coder-friendly, patriarchy-smashing, advice-giving whirlwind of a book.  This book is absolutely perfect for many reasons, but I want to bring up two of them: STEM applies to girls, too!, and hallelujah for being sex-friendly.  Too many girls out there don't have access to answers to their questions, so what does Amber do?  She codes a blog on the dark web where they can send in their questions.  She's the best coder in the school, so there's no way she can get caught--right?

This book touches on so many topics that teens have questions about: What's the safest method of birth control?  How do you come out to your parents?  Are you ready to take the next step with your partner?  And--weaving itself throughout the entirety of the book--how do you tear down the walls you've built up post-trauma?  Do you even want to?  

With just the right amount of teen shenanigans, Loki-loving, and desire to forever be done with high school, Ask Me Anything is so important in this day and age.  It's fun, fast-paced, and filled with eagerness to share advice, connect, and build a community.  I can't wait for this to come out--I'll immediately be requesting this for my library!

The world of YA books has been changing for the better and Molly E Lee is at the center of it with her newfound progressive takes on teen life and what is deemed “appropriate” for a YA novel for high school-aged teens (maybe older HS teens). Ask Me Anything takes the essence of feminine empowerment we are teaching ourselves and our daughters and personifies is in this book with Amber Henderson, the heroine. It also tackles the on-going and current hot button topics, sex, and consent (specifically teenagers but anyone could take away from this novel). I also enjoyed having a sneak peek into the world of hacking. I love the originality.

Amber Henderson is a lot as a character. She is a survivor. She is a feminist. She is one hell of a hacker. She is a teenage girl trying not to smash the patriarchy, but instilling truth in her peers so that the patriarchy can change in the years to come. Okay, maybe she is smashing the current patriarchy a bit, but all for the better. Her passion to help her peers is admirable. Her ability to call out her own boyfriend for being chosen over her for being male is bold. Her heart. Her heart is pure and grows by the page despite her past experiences. She is an ode to the modern-day young adult, and I couldn’t love her more.

Dean Winters is what every young male should strive to me sans hacker, can’t have too many of those now can we? His ferocity matches Amber’s as they hack separately but side-by-side from the beginning. It also shows up when the ones he loves are threatened, hurt, etc. However, he always chooses to let them figure it out on their own. He is the perfect balance of protector and up-lifter.

Ask Me Anything pushes boundaries and is unapologetic in the right way. It encompasses the real modern-day high school/young adult female and explores current issues with brutal honesty and passion. This book will hack into your code and save to your hard drive

My Review: First off this is totally a book for those who love hacking. It brought back memories of that old movie Hackers that I fell so in love with I think it was in the 90's. It also is a great story about sex education and how important it is. I think this one would be an amazing story for teens of high school to read. It is just so important especially in our day and age for this story to be told.

Schools need to get away from thinking of sex as evil. Telling kids just don't do it and start accepting it for what it is. Sex isn't the enemy miss information and people being to embarrassed to ask questions is the issue. I love the parts in this where Amber is talking to her mom. They are open and honest about sex and they are both better for it. Have an open policy with your kids about this topic (really any topic). I love that my daughter's know that they can come to me and talk about sex and anything else. It's not taboo, or shameful, or nasty, its part of life and more people need to accept that. Your kids will be safer if they can come to you with their questions.

Another part of this book is about rape. So be warned, Amber goes through a lot of PTSD (lightish vs. other books about this topic.). But I think the author did a wonderful job with the micro flashbacks and Amber talking about it. Another great message in this story is that it doesn't matter if you are a girl or a boy rape is rape and no means no. My best advice about going out and parting is to always make sure your drink in moderation (if you drink at all). Know your limits!! And always do the this rule of thumb! It might sound lame but it will keep you safe.

Drink Rules: 1 Alcoholic Drink, 1 Glass of Water, 1 Snack or some kind of food, wait a minimum of 1 hour before you repeat this cycle. This gives your body enough time to to start breaking down the alcohol in your system.

One letter that Amber answered in this story is about a girl who is forced to change her shirt because she is showing to much skin. However the boys are allowed to go shirtless. This reminded me of an issue that was going on at a local high school here a few years ago. Girls were singled out and told that they could no longer show their collarbones. Which is so stupid. I totally agree with what Amber told the girl to do that to use her social media and her voice. Because we as women and girls are NOT a distraction.

The story itself was great. With all the elements it had the only one I kind of had an issue with was Dean. Don't get me wrong he was an awesome boy but I found myself just not enjoying his chapter as much as Ambers. By the end of the book I did warm up to his part of the story and it really started to unfold and made more sense since it gave us information that we wouldn't have known. So when it all went down we already knew who knew what.

There is just so much to say about this important novel. But I just do not have the words to say it all here. This is just one of those stories that you need to read. Buy it for your daughters and sons and your schools and libraries!! Get it into the hands of teens because that is where it will do the most good.


Go Into This One Knowing: Dual POV, Sex Education, Hacking, Attempted Rape (PTSD Flashbacks), Doesn't Shy Away from Hard Topics,

A current and topical contemporary young adult book, Ask Me Anything by Molly E Lee is a positive and empowering story that I would absolutely recommend. Amber is a senior in a conservative private high school, counting down the last few months to graduation and eagerly awaiting an acceptance letter for MIT. She likes coding, coffee and Deadmau5 and loves hanging out with her best friend Hannah. She has really supportive parents and a slight crush on one of the guys in her computers class. So far, so good. When a silly prank goes wrong and the school principal goes on the warpath, her crush, Dean , is roped into creating an after school coding class, and soon the pair are getting closer, and betting on who has the best computer skills. Amber's idea to start an anonymous blog where she will answer student questions about sexual health and sexuality seems great at first, especially given the lack of support already available in the school, but it soon has parents on the warpath, and the principal on Dean's back to try to find out who is responsible.
I loved many things about this book, the first being that the author made Amber a coder, positive female representation in STEM is something I love to see in YA fiction. I also loved Amber's character, strong, determined and empathetic, and the supportive relationship she had with her parents. As the book progresses we learn more about a trauma from her past and how this still impacts on her abilities to trust men, and I liked that the author gives her blossoming relationship with Dean time to breathe and develop naturally into one of mutual trust and respect...and not a little lust of course. If I had to pick a fault with the book I would have to say that Principal Tanner is a pretty one dimensional villain character but in the grand scheme of things its a minor flaw in a very enjoyable book.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I loved the characters in this book, the writing style, and the plotline. My favorite part of the book just might have to be the fact that our female MC, Amber, is a hacker. It makes me so happy to see a female lead interested in something that is often dominated by males. I liked how Dean and Amber's relationship started as friends so they have a foundation. It was fun to read about their conversations, texts, IM, etc. It was addicting since their conversations are often hilarious and I live for silly banter between characters.

I also like the fact that Amber's parents are a huge part of the book. Often, parents in YA books just disappear and it was fun to see how they have such and easy-going and open relationship. You can tell how much Amber trusts her parents and how much her parents trust her. Lastly, another thing I liked about this book was the amount of life advice it had. Like Amber's blog isn't just about sex advice, she covers different topics as well.

I am so impressed with this book! It was a refreshing young adult talking about sex in an empowering way, with coding and hacking added in. It’s a super unique book in this genre and I really enjoyed how different it was.

Amber is a fierce, strong female dealing with a really bad breakup. She loved coding and hacking. Her parents were absolutely fantastic! Dean is the love interest. He was seriously the best guy; patient, kind, funny and sweet. He was living a bit in his brother’s shadow in the coding community. They decide to challenge each other to an epic senior prank. She decides to create an anonymous website answering questions from teens, that the school and parents don’t want to talk about. It's obviously quite controversial in the community.

It’s a dual POV, interspersed with chat boxes, and blog format throughout the book. I loved these characters and I thought the love story was beautiful. There are a lot of serious topics talked about throughout the book, including sex, rape, transgender, and pregnancy. But, these were all handled absolutely perfectly. The only thing I had an issue with was the pacing of the book. There were no details, yet huge jumps in time.

If you are looking for something refreshing and different in the young adult genre, you should definitely pick this one up!

* ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Another really good teen/YA title from Molly Lee. Amber and Dean are the two best hackers at their high school, and both have their sights set on acceptance to MIT. They end up being the only two who show up for Coding Club, and they challenge each other to a friendly competition to see who can pull off a better hack. Amber's project is a secret blog, "Ask Me Anything," where teens can write in with questions that will never be addressed by their school's abstinence only policy. As Amber and Dean spend more time together, they develop a true friendship and then more. The book dealt with a lot of circumstances I think teens face. There were a few elements I didn't love, but overall it was a good read and kept me interested.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amber is the best hacker in a school with the most obsolete concepts, especially about sexual education.
So, she had an idea, she created a blog to help all of those afraid to ask questions about sensitive topics.
First of all, let me tell you that this blog “Ask me anything” should be something real. Let’s face it, the reality is that no matter our beliefs or our ideas, teenagers are curious per nature, they need guidance and education especially on a topic so delicate like sex, and for me, the author nailed the subject brilliantly; the plot is unique, original and well done delivered. There are sensitive situations that the writer handled carefully and smartly.
I liked the characters, especially the protagonist and her parents. Amber is strong, determinate and sweet, a great combo, and Amber’s parents are great, for once I liked to read a story where the main character has a good relationship with mom and dad, and that they are good listener and supporter, bravo! Descriptions, scenes, setting, in my opinion, the author hit every right button when she wrote this book. Excellent!
Now, what I didn’t enjoy much as the rest.
Repetitions. The story is told from both main characters POV, and that is one of my favorites writing. However, they go on and on with the same inner thought which makes the story slower than what it should be.
We know there have to be secrets, if not what is the point of the story but, in this book, it’s ‘I have a secret, but I can’t tell you’ kind of thing. It would be much better if the reader walks the path without being told.
And every good part of the story is discovered because somebody walks behind the character and read something over their shoulder. It’s like everybody flies instead of walking. It’s too convenient. Once can be okay, but more than that, not so much.
Despite this minors’ things, I think Ask me anything should be read not just for a teenager but for everybody it has a good message and again it’s well-done delivery.
Note: I received an ARC from Entangled Publishing LLC through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A little over a month ago, I got an email from Entangled asking me if I wanted to share an excerpt of Ask Me Anything. A sex-positive YA book that features an awesome female hacker? SIGN ME UP. I shared that excerpt, which only made me more excited to read this book.

For the first half of the book or so, I was sure this was going to be a four- or even five-star read. I loved Amber and her friends. I loved Dean and his sister. I loved the Code Club and the whole idea of the competition between Amber and Dean. I loved the idea of the Ask Me Anything blog and I loved that the book gave reasonable, realistic advice in the form of blog posts. Simply put, I loved everything.

The second half, though? It’s not like it was bad or anything. It just wasn’t as good. Amber and Dean were cute together, but a few things happen that felt entirely unrealistic. Principal Tanner was a ridiculous character, completely over-the-top, and almost a caricature of a villain. There are also two points that I can’t really discuss without spoilers, so click below for that.

These are spoilers!
Alright, so the first thing I want to talk about is Amber and Dean’s first time. In general, this book is pretty realistic when it comes to sex. I expected Amber and Dean’s first time to be at least semi-realistic. I did not expect it to be complete and utter perfection, where Dean knows exactly how to make Amber “fly apart” (or whatever euphemism the author used for having an orgasm) despite it being both of their first times.

The second thing I want to address is Tessa’s pregnancy. As I said, the majority of the book is pretty realistic. Tessa’s pregnancy, though, felt contrived, almost like something out of a bad educational film they’d have made us watch in Catholic high school health class. (That’s right, kids, have sex and you’ll get pregnant, there’s no way around it.) It seemed to add a lot of unnecessary drama without really adding to the plot, other than giving Amber and Dean an excuse to have an argument.


Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. I think it’s timely and important and I wish something like it would have existed when I was a teenager.

Quick note: This book contains many descriptions of sexual assault. If that’s something you’re sensitive to, know that it’s handled well, but it’s still a definite presence and a fairly large part of the story.