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Bass Ackwards and Belly Up

(2007, Fiction - Friendship, Written by Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 17; suggested age 15.

  • Is it any good?

    2.0

  • Common Sense says

    Girls take a year off for plenty of iffy behavior.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–17

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Three of the young women eschew college for a gap year. Kate believes a man she just met holds "the key to who she really was." At a restaurant, Becca shouts that she hates her mom, that her step-mom is a "self-centered bitch," and that her step-father has "no f--king spine" and his kids are "little s--ts." Characters spend a lot of time making sure they're "hot." Kate connects with her adopted sister. Harper's parents make her pay rent for living in their basement while writing her book.

  • Violence:

    In Greece, Kate is mugged, beaten, and nearly raped (she blacks out, but a passerby calls the police before anything more happens). She is fearful after the traumatic experience.

  • Sex:

    Sophie replaces Becca's packed underwear with thongs. Kate hopes she and her boyfriend will make "mad, passionate love on the beach." Harper kisses her former high school teacher. Sophie jokes that if her acting career didn't work out, she could consider "porn queen." Kate sleeps with a man she just met in a Paris bar. Sophie's first sexual experience in high school left her "let down and more than a little hollow" so she decides not to have sex again until she is in love. Becca drinks at a party, makes out with a guy, and then loses her virginity to him because she just can't figure out how to say no (despite thinking of her boyfriend the whole time). Harper realizes she is the last virgin in the group and "that's so sad."

  • Language:

    Some cursing, including "pissed off," "f--king," "bitch," "ass," "s--t," "asshole," "bulls--t."

  • Consumerism:

    Product references are woven throughout the narrative, including food, cosmetics, and fashion brands, bands, TV shows, Ivy League schools, cars, electronics, and magazines. Sophie, especially, believes name-brand clothes and accessories are vital.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    The girls drink wine to celebrate and drink at parties. Despite being on an athletic team, Becca gets upset with her parents and says, "Screw training. I need a drink." She gets so drunk she makes out with a stranger, vomits, and hardly remembers what she did the previous night. Becca wishes she drank more at a party so she would be more relaxed having sex for the first time.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Bass Ackwards and Belly Up

Parents need to know that this book follows three best friends as they "commit the ultimate suburban sin" and forgo college in favor of a gap year. (A fourth friend sticks with higher education, mainly to be on the ski team.) There is a strong emphasis on looks and fashion, with many mentions of high-end brands such as Seven jeans. Product references are ubiquitous; for example, characters don't drink bottled water; they drink Fiji water. One young woman has a one-night stand but this is presented as OK because "for whatever reason, she felt safe" with him. A character confronts her fears after being mugged and beaten.

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about what it means to follow one's dreams. Some teens feel like they are on a conveyor belt, doing what is expected rather than what they really want. Should parents support a year off, or push for college because they know that is beneficial for the future? Did parents want to do something different before they chose the career they are in? Families can also talk about expectations for sexual experiences. Why were two of the young women in the book disappointed by their first time having sex?
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