The Making of Dr. Truelove

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Coming-of-age tale filled with sex -- lessons too.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this book made Young Adult Library Services Association's 2008 Popular Paperbacks Nominations list in the "Sex Is a Touchy Subject" category. And yes, the story revolves around relationships and sexuality. This story includes examples of first love and talk of virginity loss, and there are descriptions of male orgasms, simultaneous sex with multiple partners, public sex, and some homophobic remarks. Characters in the story also use heavy profanity.

  • Characters have sexist views of women, there are some homophobic remarks, and unsafe sex is discussed.
  • Two school fights, one with actual punches, the other with a threat of violence.
  • First scene in the book is a graphic heavy-petting scene in which characters are nude and trying to have sex for the first time. Throughout the book there is talk of sexual activity including threesomes. Sexually transmitted diseases are passed from one character to another as well as oral sex descriptions. Fantasy, role playing, and public sex are also depicted.
  • Graphic sexual talk that goes along with the sexual content of the book. Swearing with some homophobic remarks (i.e., "looking gay"). F-bombs are dropped regularly.
  • Designer clothing, cars, and shoes are often discussed.
  • J loves his "mary jane," so do some other characters. Alcohol is used by both teens and adults. Some mention of ecstasy use by a rap star. Adults are described smoking cigarettes.

What's the story?

Lovable Diego's attempt to lose his virginity with the girl of his dreams doesn't go as planned. The rest of the book deals with the repercussions of that night. Diego decides to go along with his best friend J's wacky idea to make him the man of Roxy's dreams.

Diego wants to leave his math-loving, jazz historian identity behind him and adopt a smooth, player vibe. His friend J gets into all kinds of wild and kinky situations with "shortys" of every type, leaving Diego to wonder if he's created a monster. How is he going to keep it together and get the girl?


Is it any good?

 

Mature teens will be excited to read this hilarious story about Diego, his friend J, and their attempts to make Diego a super lover and superstar to win his girlfriend back. This coming-of-age tale features wild sexual escapades, designer duds, and outrageous situations. Parents may not enjoy the crude hip-hop teen language or the multiple sexual situations, they'll like the core message.

The story comes to a surprisingly sweet conclusion that gives parents and teens the opportunity to talk about positive romantic relationships, the importance of being comfortable with who you are, and setting boundaries. Derrik Barnes tells a funny, sweet, outrageous, sexy, and hip story while keeping his characters real, honest, and likable. And he includes key messages about the importance of communication, integrity, and respect for oneself and others.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about sexuality, responsibility, self-acceptance, and maintaining relationships. Why did Diego push his girlfriend away? Who did Diego have to talk to about his problems? Who do you have to talk with about your problems? How do you feel about the use of name brands in the book? Did it help or hurt the book?


This review was written by Terreece Clarke
Teen, 15 years old
September 20, 2011
 
i luv thus book....!.
i luv this book so much it tells me whadd not 2 do in my future

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 10 years old
May 14, 2011
 
i think theres to much adult content. and it was in my library but it was very good

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
August 22, 2010
 
Not good, no need to be describing sexual activities to teens.

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Terreece Clarke
Author:Derrick Barnes
Book type:Fiction
Genre:Coming of Age
Publisher:Simon Pulse
Publication date:October 10, 2006
Number of pages:240
Paperback price:$7.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):16 - 16
Read aloud:16
Read alone:16

This review was written by Terreece Clarke
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you read The Making of Dr. Truelove?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it