This is a story about trusting the truth. Phoebe Townsend lives in small-town Linda Vista, California, where she is a good student, a reporter on the school newspaper, and a dutiful daughter. In her spare time, she is also Pom, the anonymous author of a sex education blog for her peers. The blog is a product of her obsession with research, and all her information is heavily footnoted with citations to medical journals and other authoritative sources.

The blog largely flies under the radar until Lydia Brockhurst, the heir to Linda Vista’s wealthiest family who has recently launched a mayoral campaign based on a return to “traditional values,” calls out the blog on her Twitter account. Brockhurst demands the blog be shut down and the author reveal themselves. Phoebe is undeterred — even as Brockhurst’s campaign gains traction among unexpected parts of the town, and seemingly even those Phoebe previously trusted. As Phoebe navigates her increasingly complex personal life while also maintaining her blog in the face of growing attention, she comes to realize that she is far from the only one with a secret … and the power of the truth.

This was a great book, often in unexpected ways. In many ways, it was a clever allegory for the 2016 election. Among other respects, it explored in an interesting way how social media can serve as both a positive resource for sharing facts and information that people may otherwise have trouble accessing and a toxic tool. It also offered an insightful look at the assumptions we make about each other, both those we know well and those we hardly know at all but assume we know well. This came through in many of the relationships in the book, but especially the one between Phoebe and Jorge.

Strongly recommended!

2.5 stars

This YA contemporary features Phoebe, a by-the-book high schooler who gets interested in sex and sexuality (mostly sex and anatomy), and starts a topical blog under cover. It's fascinating that she's able to keep this secret for so long, but for me, aside from that surprising fact, the magic dwindled a bit from there.

While Phoebe runs this blog mostly in peace for forever by the standards of her age group, the tables turn when a particularly traditional individual runs for office in her community. This adult woman begins terrorizing the blog and blogger and suggesting truly outdated and backward concepts about identity and sex education for 2015, but they are right in line with much of 2016 and beyond so far (pour one out for our basic human rights, Friends). The juxtaposition of these two forces is a nicely executed element of the novel, though if you were drawn to read this book in the first place, you'll likely also find one of side of this argument asinine and outrageous (which is the point).

What strikes me most about this book is that it's billed as somewhat provocative and inclusive, but there is very little content that matches this attempted vibe. There are so many great opportunities to get into sexuality, gender expression, gender identity, and a whole array of LGBTQIA+ issues and characters here. If these are supposed to be modern teens, related content should be coming in almost every letter to the blog. However, Phoebe's followers seem to be interested in pretty basic anatomical questions that they could easily Google. There was just never a strong enough tie for me to understand why these folks would write in to the blog when they could just get the answers themselves in seconds. Because Phoebe's identity is secret, there's no draw to the person (just the 'mystery'). There is almost no representation of queerness in any capacity here or of heterogenous identities overall. Having read and taught YA for a really long time, I find myself struggling to see how and where I'd find a place for a book that feels so limited in my classroom or list of strong recs. Being sexually inexperienced is not a novelty in this age group, and the plot and characters rely too much on this for my taste.

I enjoyed a previous book by this author, and I think the concept is intriguing here. The connections to Netflix's _Sex Education_ are misleading in the sense that the show is largely known for its inclusive (though there are also limitations in that example) representation. The characters are not all cis, het, and white. Here, that's almost exclusively the case, and in a book with this central concept and for this age group, that decision is somewhat confounding. I'll give this author more tries, but I'm left feeling like there are some important missed opportunities here. More importantly, I wonder how many readers will come to this book looking for mirrors of their own experiences and identities and be left - with the absence of those - feeling even more alienated.

A high school's journalist anonymous blog answering sex questions with factual, scientific information brings her into conflict with an ultra-conservative politician and her small town's "abstinence-only education" policies.

Militantly sex-positive in the best possible way, Walton's novel includes a sprinkling of accurate information about taboo topics, including female masturbation, and a powerful call-to-action to fight for factual, science-based sex ed in high schools. By having her well-informed protagonist choose to wait to have sex until she feels emotionally ready, Walton provides a counter-example for anyone who worries that when kids learn about the existence of condoms they will immediately run out and have lots of promiscuous sex. That's actually the main thesis of her work: information doesn't lead to more sex. It leads to safer sex. Couched in an entertaining narrative with an unlikely heroine, repulsive villain, and tantalizing love triangle, Walton's message couldn't be more fun to read. I highly recommend this book to fans of YA Contemporary and any public and high school libraries who can get it past their gatekeepers. (Because yup, this book will be challenged. Oh, the irony.)

Phoebe is your average passing high-schooler. She goes to school, complains about her best friend's PDA with her boyfriend, and also writes an anonymous sex-ed blog. The blog blows up in her town when a local polticial candidate that Phoebe's parents work for blasts its factual presentation of sex instead of advocating for abstinence. Although the A plot of the book is very much the blog, the part that gets more focus is the daily aspect of Phoebe's life, her experiencing romantic life for the first time. You follow her first kiss with a guy at the newspaper and getting the ick about it and then her subsequent crush on a sweet, plant-obsessed football player.
Although reading the first chapter or so felt cringey because of the idea of a teenager writing a sex blog, the book itself struck a nice sweet tone about everything involved. Phoebe just seemed so genuinely interested about this stuff that it read easily. After attending a football team and getting injuries that necessitate a makeover, she begins to get attention from boys, including one she likes, which doesn't work out as is usual in contemporary. Much of the book was cliched from that perspective, but it read easily, was cute, and made sense as most people that age go through very similar experiences. The reveal was not that big of a plot point, occuring in the last fourth of the book and getting dealt with pretty easily. No one really ostracizes her, and the hate comments never really seem to phase her. I appreciated that aspect because often the main character gets overwrought and has to be pushed to continue, but in this case, it fit her character more that she had to make others realize why she ahd to continue despite the unpleasantness.
Overall, pretty enjoyable summer contemporary read.
Side note: this book felt perfectly written to become a movie. From the makeover to the feisty best friend to the mocking of the prude adults in the cafe when Jorge and Phoebe go on a date, it all seems written like movie scenes.

<i>A free e-copy of this book was provided in advance of publication by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

4.5 stars!

I loved this book! It's so sex positive and I feel like everyone between the ages of 16 and 18 should give it a read. I would compare it with the Netflix show- Sex Education, since it does teach us about the topic to some extent.

Plot:
Love the plot- it's actually what drew me to the book! I have a thing for anonymous stuff. Add that to the unconventional topic picked up, and that makes the plot 10/10! And the fact that the love interest actually wasn't who I thought it would be- amazing.
My only complaint was that the ending wasn't very realistic- I mean her parents being okay with everything, especially after how they had been portrayed, so yeah.

Characters:
I actually loved to love the characters that were supposed to be loved and hated to hate the characters that were supposed to be hated. No complaints there either!

Writing Style:
This was another plus and no complaints here either, except Phoebe felt like someone who wasn't 17 sometimes, but that can be overlooked!

Definitely a must-read!

Not even halfway through, I preordered a physical copy of this book because I loved it so much. As someone who went to a VERY religious and conservative school K-12, I appreciated THE HELL out of this book. I wish Pom’s blog was real and around when I was in school and told I’d go to hell if I had sex before marriage plus a whole barrage of other horrible things at school. Phoebe was AMAZING. I just loved her. She was strong and fierce and intelligent. Lydia, as awful and abhorrent as she was, was written so well. She’s legitimately terrifying because we know there are people in the world with those rigid, backwards beliefs. Also, this book was so funny. The football incident had me cackling and Cora distracting the librarian for Phoebe was amazing. And JORGE. What a man. Bless him and his garden. I also liked the tension between Phoebe’s parents about Lydia and working with her. That was an interesting look at complicity. This was not only a good book, this is an important book, especially with what’s happening in our world right now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an absolute must read. I struggle writing reviews because I don’t want to give anything away, but please read this. I could not put this book down and think that most everyone can take something from this. Love love love!!!

Phoebe Townsend is your average high school teen. She has a fairly good relationship with her parents, is on top of her school work, and she loves writing, especially for the school's newspaper. But there's one more aspect to Phoebe that no one knows: she runs an anonymous blog and Twitter account all about sex.

But it's not quite what it appears to be. Phoebe is just naturally curious and loves research, so her blog posts just happen to be about all the things she learns (which is ALWAYS backed up with citations and unbiased sources!).

So what happens when the town mayoral candidate, Lydia Brookhurst (former beauty queen and outraged citizen), discovers that the author of this "scandelous" blog actually lives in their own town? It becomes a battleground between truth and misinformation, personal opinions and desires and facts. Will Phoebe manage to get through it all unscathed and maybe manage to also inform some of her peers while she's at it?

What I enjoyed:
- The writing overall was really well done and fast-paced.
- There was not any point when I found myself bored or felt that the storyline was dragging. Something was always happening!
- As a current junior high librarian working and living in a very politically-charged environment, I appreciated that so much of this book covered what feels like is my every day life. These are the conversations I'm having with parents, adults, other teachers, and kids. I felt like the content of this book was riduculously relevant, and I love how Julia Walton just calls it out for what it is.
- There were some hilarious laugh-out-loud moments especially in the first half of the book and I really enjoyed those moments (all the awkward teenage sort of stuff).

What I didn't enjoy:
- There wasn't anything I really didn't enjoy. The only downside to this one was that I felt it would be best suited in a high school setting and definitely a must-buy purchase for a public library! As a middle level public school librarian, I don't think it would be the best fit that I was hoping for (there is one particular scene that, while not too explicit, is still detailed enough that it would likely be hard to keep it in our library at this level).

Overall:
I really enjoyed this read. The first parts had me laughing out loud and trying to stay a little more quiet in public settings (those are the best kinds of books!). I enjoyed Phoebe's character and her desire to stick with the truth, even when it got hard. I loved the elements of romance that were incorporated, but Walton wasn't at all too heavy handed with those aspects. I especially loved the education approach to sex, how matter-of-fact it was, how informative it was, and how it essentially did everything that Phoebe's own blog set out to do. I think this would be a beneficial and straight forward read for any teen looking to find out more or to ask questions but through a fiction outlet, one that allows them to learn without embarrassment or judgment. I think for adults who enjoy solid YA realistic fiction (with some laughs!), you'll find a good one here!

A big thank you to Random House Children's / Random House Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for the e-ARC! This one publishes August 23, 2023!

I really enjoyed this book! So brave and so needed.. I wish this book had been around when I was a teenager.

Phoebe, a quiet, unassuming high school junior, has a secret life as Pom, the anonymous writer of a sex education blog. When a local politician makes it her mission to unmask Pom and get the blog taken down, <i>The Circle in the Square</i> goes viral. With everyone knowing about the blog, searching for the blogger, and debating the ethics of the case, it is just a matter of time before Phoebe is unmasked.

I found the book very predictable, but for me at least, that isn't a reason to stop reading. Of course Phoebe will get found out. Of course there will be repercussions and shaming. The best part <spoiler>was the way that her family and friends rallied around her. </spoiler> I don't typically like love triangles, but the "triangle with Neal, Jorge, and Phoebe felt a bit more realistic. Phoebe discovered that she didn't actually know Neal, and what she liked was the idea of him more than the reality. That's certainly how most of my high school crushes went! That aspect felt very realistic. Phoebe chooses to let go of her idea of Neal in favor of who Jorge actually is and what their relationship could be.

Phoebe is the shy girl. The one that turns red when someone says anything remotely embarrassing. But she loves her best friend Cora and loves working on the school newspaper. Oh yes, she also loves secretly writing on her sex education blog. She helps teens where public schools fail them. So when the blog goes viral, not everyone loves it—especially the purity crowd and their local leader, Lydia Brookhurst. Phoebe needs to stay anonymous while trying to bring Linda down.

Scientific studies have proven that abstinence-only education does not work. What Phoebe is doing is a great service to teenagers. Especially because sex education isn’t universal, and it’s poorly lacking in the US. I read a lot of YA. This one is very geared to the YA crowd, and I think readers will not only enjoy the story but find benefit in the various Q&A that Walton, through Phoebe, incorporated into the book. This story includes many real-world issues as well, and on the whole, it’s going to help a lot of readers. Thank you, Random House Children’s, for sending this along.

The cover art for this is perfect! It immediately drew me (I do find myself judging books by their covers, which is an outdated saying since there are so many wonderful artists expressing their work these days). This book touches upon some very relevant topics such as censorship, racism, and sexism. Phoebe is a very relatable character, and I found myself rooting for her the whole book! I didn't foresee how her love triangle between Neil and Jorge would unravel, and was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering when "Pom" would be found out. The character of Lydia Brookhurst is also someone everyone likely knows. Hypocritical, and uses religious tomes to spread misinformation to rally the masses. I think this book in and of itself would be a wonderful addition to any teen or young adult section in public library, but as I used to work in a public library in the South, sadly I can say that I'm not even sure they would purchase this book because they are so behind in the times and worried about people exactly like Lydia Brookhurst. Luckily, I am friends with several of the collection development committee members, so I will definitely be discussing why this book would be amazing to add to their collections. This book reminded me of the movie Easy A, which had a strong message, but comedic elements as well. I devoured the book in a weekend, and can't wait to read more of Julia Walton!

I thought this book was extremely timely. It looks at small town politics and sex education in American schools. I felt the topics were well handled, nothing felt gratuitous. I think this book would serve teenagers well, especially those who need this sort of education and understanding.

This was a quick and lovely read, though somewhat antquated in terms of community beliefs. The main character is just interesting enough to keep reading. Some of the other characters were a bit cliche but still fun to read.

3.4⭐️

A huge thank you to Penguin Random House International for the e-ARC in exchange for the honest review.

Phoebe, she’s an A student who writes for her small-town school newspaper. But what no one knows is that Phoebe is also Pom, the anonymous teen who’s rewriting sex education on her blog and social media. She’s not a pervert she just want to talk about sex education. She also don’t want to reveal herself because of privacy especially like Ms. Brookhurst who’s against her blog. Cora was really into Pom’s blog but she doesn’t know that her best friend was behind that blog.

Mrs. Brookhurst, from the beginning she was against in Pom’s blog. She was saying that this Pom was a pervert. When one of the council member said that she can blocked the blog she knows that but she was concern for the young viewer. Mrs. Brookhurst was so annoying she always complains on twitter.
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Great book….schools need more literature like this on the shelves. Love the way so many topics are handled with class.

Sex Positive, informative, hilarious. I don’t know what it is about Walton’s writing, but I become utterly absorbed. There’s something about lowkey feeling like the main character as you’re reading because she doesn’t spend a ton of time describing our narrator. I love that it allows me to immerse myself more easily in the story. I loved Phoebe, I loved that she stood up for what she believed in. I love that she promoted sex education and that there were supportive adults in her life. I was indifferent about the mayoral race side plot, but I understand why it was included. I found this book extremely engaging and relevant to todays teens, and I can’t wait to recommend it to my students!

It’s always the quiet ones, right? Staff writer on the school newspaper by day, Phoebe Townsend moonlights as Pom, a blogger who writes about any and all sex questions a teen might possibly have. It’s sex ed for teens, by a teen. She doesn’t have followers, but she started it for herself so she doesn’t really care. At least until Lydia Brookhurst, a local businesswoman, finds her blog and starts tweeting about how awful and unmoral it is. Think of the children! Think of how much sex they’ll be having now! Next thing Phoebe knows she’s got thousands of followers, everyone’s debating the morality of a blog she meant only as a place to share her research (because no one else wanted to answer her questions), and most importantly, everyone in town knows that whoever the writer is, they’re a local teen.

Her editor wants to write a story on her alter ego, she’s been assigned to write the latest sports article (what team’s even playing right now?), and worst of all, the woman who started this all is not only on a campaign against Pom, she’s decided to run for mayor with a regressive platform. Phoebe just wants to keep her head down and get through the rest of her year, but if she’s not careful, she won’t have a choice about coming clean.

On the Subject of Unmentionable Things comes out August 23rd of this year and luckily enough I was able to get a digital review copy from Netgalley (“lucky” meaning Random House Children’s has me on the auto approval list…) Thank you Random House/Netgalley! While browsing for a book to review for this particular post, the cover caught my eye. When I read the description, I knew I’d found The One.

Reading about Lydia Brookhurst and her campaign felt like a nightmare reborn. The tweets, the focus on divisive hot-button issues to fire up a base instead of discussing anything meaningful or positive, just…I could go on and on. Brookhurst was the worst sort of conservative candidate and all too familiar. Phoebe as the POV protagonist added another layer of horror, because she was actively targeted as “being a pervert” trying to “corrupt children.” But while that’s going on in the background, you have a pretty typical teen just trying to live her life. She has a crush on her editor, her best friend has a boyfriend and Phoebe has to navigate the changes that’s brought to their friendship, and she’s juggling a large variety of mundane and not so mundane responsibilities.

Walton also has a deft touch with her secondary characters. I appreciate it when it feels like they are real, well-rounded people with their own lives going on outside any interactions with the protagonist. The scenes with her parents were well-written, and I deeply appreciate that Phoebe’s school rival was only infrequently brought up in the book. There was enough other stuff going on, and high school books don’t always need a bully/significant rival. Sometimes there’s just that one really annoying person in your orbit, and there’s nothing much to be done about it. At the end, Phoebe sees her doing something good and she essentially goes in her head, ‘Well…good for her. Cool she’s had a decent moment.’ and that’s it. It’s a tiny part of the story, but I really appreciate it. Character growth doesn’t always rely on the protagonist interfering in another’s life. People are more than what you see of them. It doesn’t excuse them, but it also doesn’t have to limit them.

Now, for a discussion w/SPOILERS!

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I think one of the most significant moments of this book for me was when Brookhurst won. It felt like 2015 all over again. Despite all the heavy stuff covered, the tone of the book remained light enough I was sure Brookhurst was going to lose. Brookhurst had inspired local vandals, she’d publicly outed Phoebe’s identity which lead to harassment and threats of violence/rape, and people were realizing how much of a legitimate threat she was. But it was too little too late. People hadn’t taken that threat seriously enough, figured she wouldn’t win, and meanwhile her supporters came out in droves. I felt kind of sick, honestly. But it was also a reminder (for me at least) of how important it is to not let people like that slide, to speak up, and to organize as a community. Brookhurst winning ended up motivating people to take action on their own and as a community, and I appreciated that. That something horrible can happen and it isn’t the end.

Past that, while it felt predictable that the first boy she has a crush on doesn’t end up being Mr. Perfect, I absolutely adored the boy that ends up being her love interest. Quarterback of the football team, he’s also obsessed with gardening. He has a stall at the local farmer’s market, and enjoys trying to create his own hybrids of fruit. He’s the one who was interested in her writing the sport’s article, and when she tries to get out of it with emailing over some questions, he calls her out on being lazy. He’s pro the blog beforehand, and while there’s some rocky waters after the big reveal (more due to the danger she’s in instead of the fact she’s Pom), things are fixed by the end of the story. Her best friend is great too—there’s a scene where Phoebe asks for her help to distract the school librarian, and while I’m still cringing imagining myself in the librarian’s shoes, the shameless lengths she went to cover for Phoebe was purely epic. (1) high school library and librarian will never be the same. R.I.P.

And to wrap up the spoilers (and back to Brookhurst), Phoebe comes across information she could have used against Brookhurst. No one else would have had to know. If they did, few would have blamed her. But as she sits across from her, with Brookhurst planning on blackmailing her in turn, Phoebe says release the information. I don’t care. But whether you do or not, I’m not going to share what I know about you. Because that’s not what I’m here for. And leaves. That was such a powerful moment. Despite everything she’s gone through because of Brookhurst, she decides to be the better person. I loved it.

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End Spoilers

This is a great book, and there is so much left I could discuss about it. I really enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to getting it for my library. The sex ed element just feels like a matter of fact background element, one that comes up when it comes up, and otherwise isn’t a big deal. I’d still recommend further reading resources for anyone interested, but it’s not a bad starting point. Along those lines, Phoebe’s cis/interested in boys, but is pro LGBTQIA+. When asked a question about gay sex, she realizes her blog (as a personal research project she just happened to share online) is very focused on things from that point of view, and starts doing broader research to cover more topics as well as linking to more in-depth information. As a content warning, Phoebe is doxxed and she has to suffer some of the unfortunately normal crap that goes along with it. Walton doesn’t dwell on it, but there are threats of violence and rape along with other harassment. Her parents end up buying a new house to make it safer for her.

TLDR is: If it isn’t already on your list for August, I’d recommend it! I’d give it a 9/10.

Phoebe is known at school as a rule follower -she doesn't particularly stand out. But what people don't know about Phoebe is that she's also secretly Pom, the anonymous teen who started a blog called The Circle in the Square to teach teens all about sex. She loves to research and is particularly fascinated with the subject of sex - even if she's never had it herself. Naturally, the blog goes viral - especially when a mayoral candidate deems it an assault on morality and calls Pom a pervert. She vows to get to the bottom of who is writing the blog. But Phoebe won't back down so easily.

I loved the overarching message of this book. That teens should know about sex so that they can make smart, informed decisions. But I also loved that this book took on more intense topics like the divide between knowledge and morality, and how one community deals with a divisive topic. Not to mention the courage to pursue truth in the face of adversity. A lot of this book felt very relevant to the current topics we're dealing with in our world.

I loved the Phoebe character as well as the other side characters in her life. Particularly her best friend. And I think if a true young adult was reading this book, there would be a lot of really great information for them inside - there were so many sex facts packed into this book. It's a bit slow moving, but overall, a great book for young adults.

This book will be reviewed on an upcoming episode of the Reading Through Life podcast.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

On the Subject of Unmentionable Things follows teen Phoebe, a rule-following high school junior, as her secret blog offering well-researched and honest sex education goes viral.

Any book that speaks honestly about the importance of sex education in a sex-positive way is a win in my book, and this book is no exception. This book is honest and up front about the ways in which an honest sex education can benefit teens, as well as the detriments and pitfalls of more conservative, abstinence-centered approaches to sex education.

But beyond the lesson at its core about sex education in schools and the ways in which teens navigate sex in their own lives, this book holds up a mirror to our society in a way that I absolutely loved. Phoebe's blog's virality occurs against the backdrop of a mayoral election in her small California town, a mayoral election whose conservative, former beauty queen candidate represents many dangerous ideologies present in our own political climate beyond just abstinence-only sex education. Not only does this book get you thinking about sex education, but it also gets you thinking and reflecting on a lot of other things about life in the modern world.

Overall I loved this book, and I wish I had a book like this that spoke honestly about sex education when I was in high school. I'm so glad that there are teens who will have the opportunity to engage with sex education and its importance in this honest, relatable, and non-judgmental way.