Castration Celebration (by Jake Wizner)
common sense media says
Crass, explicit novel tries to be provocative, ends up lame.
parents & educators say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know this book is full of crass sexual language and attitudes that are degrading to women (albeit by characters portrayed as dim-witted at best). It mentions sex with sheep, oral sex during menstruation, and finding "a wart you know where." It features constant swearing and several scenes of characters smoking pot and drinking to excess.
Positive role models:
When Zeke asks if Max would date Trish, Max says she is a little overweight but "she's got big t--s." Boys in Olivia's play are disrespectful of girls, saying such things as
"Drunk girls rule" and "Go bag some chicks." They discuss how they
"slam," "bang," and "screw" chicks. Max gets drunk and has sex with an
older college student he met one time; he confesses this to Olivia to
prove his honesty. Olivia forces Max to pass a "test" but later admits
it was rigged to force him to prove he would fight for her. On the positive side, Dick promises to be loyal and faithful to Jane at the end of the play. Unfortunately, the message is he can't do this without the threat of castration.
"Drunk girls rule" and "Go bag some chicks." They discuss how they
"slam," "bang," and "screw" chicks. Max gets drunk and has sex with an
older college student he met one time; he confesses this to Olivia to
prove his honesty. Olivia forces Max to pass a "test" but later admits
it was rigged to force him to prove he would fight for her. On the positive side, Dick promises to be loyal and faithful to Jane at the end of the play. Unfortunately, the message is he can't do this without the threat of castration.
Violence:
In Olivia's play, a group of lesbians at a meeting sing a song called "Castration Celebration," saying "Every boy in this nation/ is subject to castration . . . Take a knife, drop the mop,/ All is takes is just one chop." One girl suggests "trashing" the boys' locker room but none of the others go for it.
Sex:
Sexual innuendos and talk about sexual acts of all kinds pervade the novel. Olivia walks in on her father "being blown" by one of his graduate students. There are several discussions about castration, penises, and genital-related toys. There is an ongoing riff about having sex with sheep. Two boys dare each other to "jack off" on a desk during class. Max says midgets' mouths "are a perfect height" and finds Pat the Bunny "highly erotic." Max writes a song about Twilight's Edward "going down" on Bella during her period. Sluggo notes that lining up Wilt Chamberlain's "p---y" would stretch to China. They sing a song about "wackin' off," mentioning STDs, threesomes, and "pornos." Jane loses her virginity to Dick. Biff sees his parents having sex, "riding her like a horse." Two boys kiss; one says gay sex "hurt a little in a good way." Olivia and Max sleep naked but don't have sex because he doesn't have a condom. Girls gossip about a teacher hitting on students and sleeping with one. Characters turn "Shakespeare" into "baby, shake my spear."
Language:
Frequent swearing, including" "f--king," "f--k," "s--t," "holy s--t," "bulls--t," "p---y," "faggot," c--ksucker," "t--s," "asshole," and "Oh my God."
Consumerism:
The novel is set at Yale. Some product mentions, such as Barbie, iPod, Sour Patch Kids, and Pringles. Several celebrities are mentioned by name. Max goes shopping at J. Crew and Urban Outfitters.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
Olivia jokes about getting drunk and taking painkillers. With a fair amount of detail, Zeke and Max get high on pot several times (Zeke brings a half-ounce stash to last him through the summer); they get caught by the police once. Max says (with admiration) that Zeke "is like a professional pot smoker." One of Zeke's friends dies from substance abuse (vaguely mentioned). Max gets drunk at a party and has sex with a young woman he met on the train.
More on Castration Celebration
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Most useful reviews by all members
Dad from Virginia
parent of 16 year old
parent of 16 year old
Teens will love this book - and will get the message
When teens are treated badly by members of the opposite sex, parents' explanations often sound preachy. This novel gets at both the angry emotions and how kids make better choices next time - in a funny, summer-camp-for-aspiring-writers-and musicians story. The message "think before you hurt the other person" comes through loud and clear.
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ispeakthetruth95
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
teen read only
if you dont believe your child should be reading this than make a note about that but dont completely bash the book. i was a students of the author of castration celebration last year and i have read all of his books. jake's books basically have the same theme whats on the minds of teens
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