Gert Garibaldi's Rants and Raves: One Butt Cheek at a Time
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know sex, masturbation, dating, sexually transmitted disease, condom usage, and gay relationships are talked about in this book. It's a coming-of-age story and deals with most topics in a frank and sometimes humorous way.
Families can talk about quite a bit here, especially related to sex and sexuality. Where would you go if you had questions about sex and relationships? How does anyone know if they are ready for sex? What are your thoughts on abstinence and safe sex? What does Gertie learn about herself throughout the book?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Terreece Clarke
Gert Garibaldi is traumatized by high school. She spends her days trying to navigate the awkwardness, the popular kids, the insane teachers, crushes, and dating. So she rants and raves through it all, in a voice that is very honest, real, and hilarious. Amber Kizer captures the feelings of being a 15-year-old girl with remarkable accuracy and compassion. What starts off as a somewhat conventional teen angst story grows into a tale about a girl becoming comfortable with herself. The pace is terrific and the ending, though great, will leave readers wanting more.
Readers will enjoy and commiserate with Gert's laments over being the third wheel on her best friend's dates and her parents' general cluelessness. They will understand her rants over boys, hypocritical teachers, and the effort of trying to fit into a world in which some kids seem to have gotten a guide book and others are left to fend for themselves. Parents will sympathize and remember what it was like to be 15; the awkwardness that gives way to self-awareness. Teens and parents will find much to discuss, and what better way to bridge the tough topics than through this frank and witty read.
From The Book
Okay, so here's the deal. My best friend's Adam. Adam Bryant. No, this isn't one of those disgustingly sweet stories about how best friends figure out by senior prom that they're deeply in love and can't live without each other. Yuck. Has that ever happened in real life? Uh, no. Anyway, Adam likes Tim, so it would never work. I'm a girl, he's a boy, we both like boys, you get the idea.
And no, we're not those two small-town teens who move to the big city to find ourselves at the bottom of a beer can, with an MTV sound track and tons of making out with strangers. We don't fit here, but honestly, can we fit anywhere? I don't know yet. I'll keep you posted.
Tangent: sorry.
Plot Summary:
Gert has some issues. Her crush Lucas doesn't really know she's into him, her best friend Adam keeps dragging her out on dates with his crush Tim, her eyebrows are bushy, and her parents are old. All she can really do is rant and rave about the despair that is high school -- and she does it well.
Related Books:
More Frank, Humorous Teen Reads:
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Slam by Nick Hornby
Related Web Site:
One Butt Cheek at a Time
Reviewed: 03/03/2008
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentEntire health class are encouraged to look at their vaginas with a mirror, main character describes hers. Characters talk about making out, sex, masturbation, erections, and Ernest Hemingway not having a penis. Two male characters are gay. |
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Violence |
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LanguageMild swearing, a discussion of names given to genitalia. Some discussion of terms referring to homosexuals or those who hang out with them. |
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Social BehaviorThe characters have good social connections, they share feelings, recognize when they've hurt one another, etc. There is discussion about gay characters being afraid to come out because they fear persecution. |
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CommercialismMild mention of products once or twice. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoHigh school students who are drug users are described in an unflattering light, including one who sells drugs. |
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