Porn Is Not Sex Ed! is a solid conversation starter and workbook‑style tool. Not exhaustive. Not advanced. Useful for early teens, but best deployed as part of a structured program with supplemental materials. Its strengths are interactivity, tone, and inclusion—but it skirts deeper complexities and assumes a supportive adult is in play.

If your goal is to foster critical thinking, emotional readiness, and real-world application around sex and porn, you’ll need to build on what Melendez started—with sharper tools and more context.

I work in this area, so I thought it would be interesting to check out this resource.
I'm not sure exactly what age it was intended for. I would think it was for tweens or young teenagers, but sometimes the language was a bit too high concept, and sometimes it felt a bit like talking down. I sometimes felt like the illustrations were a bit cringe and juvenile. BUT - I am a middle aged lady, hopefully this was all tested with young people in the right age group and they liked it!
Overall, I think this is a pretty good guide. It covers the key issues around porn and sex and relationships. Some things were not covered in depth, but it is a short book, so that's understandable.
Some of the best things about this book:
- It's inclusive! It didn't use gender-specific terms and can be given to anyone. There was diversity in the pictures too.
- Various activities. A few things that might appeal as a change from just reading info.
- Appropriate use of content warnings and suggestions to discuss with an adult.
The worst thing about the book is probably the title. It takes a negative start to the whole reading, which is unfortunate because generally the book isn't anti-porn or sex-negative. I don't think the title will relate to young people - they know that porn isn't sex ed and will just roll their eyes at this title.
Despite these minor criticisms, I think that it could be a helpful resource for parents to give to their kids.

This book is brilliant! It is so much more informative than I could've imagined, and answers so many questions in very simple terms. There's detailed diagrams and I love the inclusivity of having different characters interact throughout the book in the form of comic strip dialogue. The chapters are well sectioned and go over so many topics including and not limited to body image, safe sex, and stereotypes.


My sincere compliments to the author (who I assume also illustrated) for doing a fabulous job of creating images that are not vulgar, yet beautifully diverse to show different types of bodies and genitals, acknowledging how they are all normal. There's a good many anatomical diagrams that go in more detail (eg- the clitoris) than I recall from my very basic biology textbooks. Everything about this book is innovative and very entertaining, going as far as to show step by step instructions of how to use various barrier methods for safe sex. There's flowcharts, to help the reader visualise the words and processes better.

Alongside that, there are crosswords, word searches, and areas to create dialogue with the reader and encourage them to come up with their own insights. The vocabulary wall at the end is also amazing. I urge parents and schools to go through this book and read it to children and teenagers, using it as a reference to build healthy conversation about these topics. I hope there's more to come from this author in a series.

What a great book!

In this age where young kids are getting access to sexual content without their parent's knowledge, this is so important to put out. I really like how it was a work book so it encouraged the reader to really think through these questions, understand them better, and apply them to their own life. For a young person, the art and the tone was honestly so great, I am amazed that this book is going to come out. I think it'll really help many kids approach sex in a healthier mindset. Topics like anatomy, body image and even consent were also super important too.

In this political climate where important lessons that will help children grow are being censored, this book is so important.

Thank you for the chance to read it!

I would say this book covers the basics of sex education. The way all the information is presented is like “for the kids” but I liked it reading it as an adult, I think it will be preferable for the teen audience, compared to traditional just-plain-text way of presentation. It very much encourages the further conversations with an adult. I would recommend this book for the teens, as well as for the parents/guardians.

This book approaches sex in an open and honest way. While it’s not a graphic novel, it is highly illustrated, and it talks about important lessons. These lessons help frame what may happen in porn versus the real world. What things are truthful, what things are not, as well as talking about the human body in a way that middle school and high schoolers can understand. It also answers all the questions one might have whether embarrassing or not. I think this book does a very good job of giving a sex lecture that most parents won’t be able to, in a way that kids will find interesting. I do see this book getting banned so it’s going to join the shelf with “It’s all perfectly normal” because this book does a better job teaching kids about sex then porn or their parents.

Pornography is a topic that can be embarrassing to talk about and yet pretty much everyone knows exists. This no-nonsense guide looks at pornography within the context of wider sexual experiences and education, and gives the reader the chance to learn about, amongst other things: - What is consent - How our bodies are different - Why people might use porn - How to advocate for oneself The author doesn't preach, doesn't say we should ban porn, doesn't say it's a good thing either. But they do look at the differences between what porn says sex is/should be and what sex actually is/can/should be. The book does have some images (cartoon-like) drawings of genitalia, but obviously as it's a children's book they are not sexually explicit. For that reason I would say just have a flick through before handing it to a child, and make up your own mind as to whether you think it's ok. However seeing as most kids have smartphones and the ability to get online, then what they may be able to access on a screen is potentially going to be much more shocking than some well-drawn illustrations in a fact book. (Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC)

ThIS bOOK iS uReADabLEa: iT is ALl lIKe THis.

Literally.

I am a mother of a 13yo and an 11yo, so of course I was keen to see if this was a good book to explain porn to them, expecially to my eldest. But you can't READ this book. The random capitalization of the letters make it impossible!

DNF at 10%, which is a pity because, again, it is a solely needed book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Goodreads.

Very informative and touches on very important topical subjects . 4 stars given, due to very Americanised statistical information

Thank you to Hachette UK, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, the author and NetGalley for an DRC in return for an honest review

For a text that is aimed at youngsters 12+ I found the look of it to be very childish. I consider it very important for the younger generation to have informed discussions about sex and sexuality, but I found that this book just didn't deliver. I strongly suspect that my nephews, who are all under 12 or my son, back when he was 12, wouldn't have liked it either.

Positives: Some helpful questions are posed in the book. Such as "Do you think abstinence only will positively or negatively affect a student?". The affirmations were good and topics such as consent and boundaries were covered well and the glossary is a welcome addition.

Negatives: I don't like the layout, the language, the turn of phrase or the cartoons. A lot of the text was literally unreadable due to the colour pairing of the words and background. I have some very specific concerns as well. On page 61 there is a condom wrapper with a use by date that has already passed before publication of the book. Not very clever. I think the publishers made the wrong decision to show an illustration of a dark-skinned man with a large penis. In a book that aims to debunk myths about sex and porn, this risks reinforcing one of the oldest racial stereotypes in Western culture.

Overall I found the negatives outweighed the positives.

This book's information is based on the USA's current sex education policies, which were certainly an eye opener for me! I had to do further research after I read that there was such a vast amount of difference between states concerning this matter. I couldn't quite believe what I was reading. As someone from the UK, I find the following statistics quite shocking - There are 22 states where sex education is not federally mandated and in some states, even if schools do teach it, they can use abstinence-only or religiously biased content. To my mind, that is seriously messed up! It appears that in the US what a student learns depends heavily on where they live — some get comprehensive, inclusive lessons, while others are taught abstinence-only or receive no sex education at all! There are so many youngsters who can't learn about sex in school, it might be that they turn to porn to learn about their bodies and sex, which is clearly problematic.

Something else which is worrying is that this book is already out of date and it's not even published until 18th September! The law change in June 2022 with the overturning of Roe v. Wade has significant implications for the kind of sex education discussed in Porn Is Not Sex Ed! Individual states now set their own abortion laws. About half of U.S. states have banned or severely restricted abortion access. In many states, a pregnant teen may no longer have the legal right to choose an abortion. If the book encourages readers to “ask a trusted adult” about things like pregnancy options, but doesn’t mention abortion restrictions, that’s now incomplete or potentially misleading. In some states, adults or teachers can’t legally advise on abortion access. Schools are barred from teaching about it at all. They risk being criminalized for seeking or sharing info (especially online or across state lines). States with strict abortion laws tend to also ban or limit comprehensive sex education. This is a very worrying aspect.
This makes books like Porn Is Not Sex Ed! increasingly controversial or even banned in schools and libraries. In 2025, any sex education resource must now account for legal context — and this book, though well-meaning, is missing that crucial update.

#PornIsNotSexEd! #NetGalley

This is good, a few things to note. It doesn’t clarify that some condoms protect against pregnancy and STIs and some don’t which is a key distinction. Another element that’s missing that’s extremely important with the consent portion is handling rejection and explicitly naming the emotional and interpersonal dynamics that make open communication about what you do and don’t want with respect to sex difficult. I would appreciate a flowchart or question bank about “responding to rejection” that acknowledges the feelings that may come up and helps a person work through them in a healthy way, so they don’t respond explosively or by pressuring/humiliating the other person. Relatedly, expanding the section on boundaries and emotions- what kinds of reactions might a person have to setting boundaries? (Anger, sadness, moping, pressure) What do you do when someone you care about gets angry about a boundary you set, or tells you you’ve made them feel unwanted and sad?

Overall, I’d say this had the potential to be a good resource but missed the mark on a few things. I expect a sex education book to be factual, but there is a lot of gender ideology and queer theory in it. Also a fair amount of political statistics which don’t need to be included. Another potentially excellent book brought down by nonsensical ideology.

A book that I think we all needed when we were younger. I liked the tone throughout the book and throughout loved the reiteration of all genitals/fantasies.etc being normal. I’m a 27 year old woman and I leant something! I had no idea it was as recent as 1998 when scientists discovered the whole structure of the clitoris.
This book debunks myths and is both educative and inviting. The use of normal language, cartoon like pictures and colour make it an easy reading experience. It is not daunting like some sexual education books I read when I was younger. Most importantly the book was inclusive. I truly believe this book provides education for all and does not have a heteronormative focus.

It’s really educational, to be honest this was my first time reading a non fiction book, that is also educational. It was a good experience! :)

Sorry but I can't recommend this. I seem to be going against the grain but for me this effectively normalises porn and gives highly inappropriate instruction for the age group.

This book is a fantastic guide for both parents and older kids on sex education. Melendez covers many different aspects of sexuality, including biological structures, peoples behaviors and interests as well as consent.

This book can serve as a resource for parents who need some guidance on what topics to discuss with their kids. Melendez includes a workbook element to it, where the kids can write down their own thoughts and feelings, serving to empower them. This gives kids a chance to express themselves and think through things away from their adult. Sex education tends to be embarrassing, especially when it’s an adult telling you about it - this book gives information and then urges the kids to go to a trusted adult about any questions or feelings they have about it.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me and Arc of this book.

I absolutely loved this. I am a child and adolescent therapist and I think this is a wonderful resource because this is a more frequent conversation I am having with my clients families. One of the things I love most about this book is how normalizing it is, there are interactive pages, games, journaling prompts, assessments, questionnaires, and it's so engaging.

The blurb says it all and whilst designed to read on your own I wouldn't discourage teenagers reading it with a trusted friend or friends.

A useful tool for the teens of today with easy tools and handy tips to help navigate their evolving sexual selves. It's also a useful tool for parents/guardians of teens who want to encourage open dialogue about healthy and safe experiences and relationships.

It's factual, to the point and keeps it simple without skimping on details.

This should have a place in secondary school libraries alongside the series of books by Melissa Kang and Yumi Stynes. I'm sure there are plenty more as well that would aid school PSHE classes.

The only element that I would change is when it's published outside of America, in the UK for example, is that it uses the statistics relevant to that country. In my opinion it would make it more relatable. Perhaps add some in if it can't be changed when publishing.

I think this book is great for teens but maybe have parents read it with them. There was times I felt it talked down or was judgemental about things instead of just talking about the fact the reason I lowered it. The facts it did give however was accurate and informative. It also gave me things to talk to my teen about that inhadnt thought about because techinoigly and things have changed since I was a kid

I enjoyed this book. As someone who grew up in a strict religious household where sex was rarely discussed, I didn’t learn much about sexual health or identity until I moved out and studied gender and sexuality in college. I truly wish I had access to a book like this when I was younger.

One of the things I appreciated most was the sex-positive language throughout. The use of the term trusted adult instead of parent was especially thoughtful. It acknowledges that not everyone feels safe or comfortable talking to their parents, and it creates space for a broader support system.

I also found the safer sex checklist incredibly helpful. It encourages readers to check in with themselves and communicate clearly, which is so important when it comes to making informed and respectful choices about sex. The resources around STI testing were another highlight—clear, accessible, and non-judgmental.

There were just a few areas where I think the book could be improved. The repeated use of “your trusted adult” at the beginning of each chapter felt a little awkward. Saying “a trusted adult” might sound more natural and inclusive. I also felt that the “this chapter discusses...” phrasing in each chapter’s introduction became a bit repetitive. A heading like “Objective” or “Goal” followed by a direct statement could streamline this and improve the flow.

Overall, this was a thoughtful and empowering read. It fills a major gap in sexual education and offers information in a way that is both inclusive and approachable. I’ll definitely be recommending it.