This is a funny book that talks about teens and sex. I liked our characters and how they developed and changed as the whole town argues about what teens should know about sex. Very much similar to how groups of different people are today. The book is about sex, but it’s done in a way that makes the reader feel empowered and not shameful. I would recommend this book to teens aged 15 and up. I think teens need to read this one, but I know it's probably going to get some backlash.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

What a fricking awesome, sex-positive book. This is one of my favourite reads so far this year.
Phoebe Townsend is a teenage girl from a small town in California, and she writes an anonymous, sex-positive blog called The Circle in the Square (yes, that’s a condom reference). Phoebe has been interested in the scientific aspects of sex since a memorable experience at a summer camp made her realize that everything she thought she knew about human anatomy, and about sex, was wrong. 

The Circle in the Square gains popularity when a conservative woman from Phoebe’s town expresses her concern with this blog all over Twitter about how inappropriate it is to “tell kids it’s okay to have sex”. The people who find Phoebe’s blog so upsetting are the people who think “abstinence only” is the best method of sexual education, and Phoebe has seen that herself in her own high school sex ed classes.
What started as a personal interest in the scientific aspect of sex quickly became an online platform to help educate people, specifically teenagers, about human anatomy, bodily functions, safe sex practices, consent, and provided a Q&A where people can anonymously ask questions that they may otherwise feel uncomfortable asking adults in their lives.

The characters in “On the Subject of Unmentionable Things” have well written, strong personalities that shine through in the way they all interact with one another. Phoebe, Cora, Jorge, and David are such a fantastic group of teenagers. They feel so real and just so much *more* than a lot of superficial teenage characters in YA fiction.
I wish everyone had parents like Phoebe’s. The way they support her and are eventually open with her about their own issues is really important; it made me happy to read such a strong family dynamic, and such strong defense of a teenage girl talking about things that some may find controversial. 

“OtSoUT” made me laugh out loud numerous times, made me anxious and hopeful for the best, and made me smile like a fool at the simple sweetness in the quieter moments of the book.
This book is so sex-positive, so fun, and well worth the read.
Author, Julia Walton, has clearly done her research on the best way to write this book in a way that is accessible, factual and information, inclusive, and makes the topic of sex comfortable to read in a light YA fictional format.



“Why did I become Pom?
Scientific curiosity?
Wishful thinking?
Or maybe I wrote the blog because I believe it wasn’t something I was supposed to write. 
Those might all be true in part, but now I would also have to add:
Because I enjoy sex. 
Which might be even more scandalous.”

What parent and child doesn’t want to have the sex talk? I mean, its not at all awkward.  Wouldn’t it be easier if they could talk to someone else about it? Well, in this laugh out loud tale, our teen protagonist Phoebe knows more about sex that most adults; but, she’s not a pervert! Her goal as an adult is to become a sexologist and although she’s only 16, her commitment to her research is unparalleled and she has chosen to share that knowledge with others via a blog. Everything goes just fine until her blog catches the attention of a local politician hell bent on keeping her town pure. What will happen when these two come head to head, just read to see.
I LOVED this book and devoured it in one sitting. Although the ENTIRE book is about sex, it’s done in a way that makes the reader feel empowered and not shameful. I would recommend this book to teens aged 15 and up. I’m not sure it would make its way into a classroom, but I would recommend it my own children. *Sigh* so good!

My favorite book so far of 2022. This one centers around teenage Phoebe, who anonymously writes a blog about sex that is aimed at teens. In it, answers all of the questions that everyone wants to know, but are too embarrassed to ask. While it is a wealth of information, some folks in her small town want to banish the blog and expose the writer as a pervert. SUCH a good story and with so many important facts thrown in. It's the type of book I wish I'd had as a teen, back when parents would rather avoid the topic of sex altogether.

Phoebe Townsend is your typical high schooler. Living in a small town in California, Phoebe is exposed to both closemindedness and the ever present reach for social change. However, when it comes to teenagers and sex education, no topic could be more taboo. Until Pom makes her debut with her blog, The Circle in the Square. The blog touts itself as a helpful guide for teenager that coaches understanding one's own body, how to stay safe and utilize boundaries when sexually active, and how to have mature communication with sexual partners. When word gets around that Pom actually resides in Phoebe's town, she starts to feel the walls of her anonymity caving it.

Then Lydia Brookhurst, a social and political conservative who is vying for mayordom of the town, begins a witch hunt for Pom, determined to bring the blog writer to task. Will Phoebe be able to continue her crusade for spreading sexual awareness to her woefully ill-informed peers? Or will Lydia tear her apart, with the whole world as witness?

I enjoyed this book. One, because I love the anonyms blogger aspect. It gives a layer of juiciness to the plot when there's a secret only the main character knows. Two, because Lydia Brookhurst is one of those characters you just love to hate. It's hard to find any redeeming quality in her, so there's no real question of whether or not she's truly awful. She just is. I will say the theme of a lack of sexual awareness might be a bit off. I think teenagers today are much more informed and empowered to make smarter decisions in regards to being safe and utilizing precautions. But I don't think it hurts to reiterate that point in this book. Ultimately, I thought it was a good book and I would definitely recommend it to older students.

Someone who grew up going to private schools with literally no education on our bodies and health, this book really hit home in a funny but painful way.
,

This book is about a girl who secretly runs a blog where she informs about safe sex.
You should read it if you like:
- Sex positive books!
- Books about politics
- Fresh by Margot Wood

I enjoyed this. Loved the sex positive aspect of it and the whole safe sex blog. Also loved the love interest, BUT he was the only diverse ‘main character’, being Latino. I was expecting more representation. Especially LGBTQ+. 3.5 stars.

Rep:
- Latino love interest