Castration Celebration

Book review by Stephanie Dunnewind, Common Sense Media
Castration Celebration Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 16+

Crass, explicit novel tries to be provocative, ends up lame.

Jake Wizner Contemporary Fiction 2009
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Parents say

age 16+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 14+

Based on 1 review

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this book.

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.

Community Reviews

rowdy macfarlane
rowdy macfarlane Adult
November 29, 2013
age 18+

I am dissapointed in your review, because...

Would you ignore the obvious misogyny if a "funny" book entitled "Female Mutilation Celebration" were published? If the premise was a boy writing a play about female sexual mutilation, would you not notice the sheer, vile misogyny? If so, why do you not notice the sheer, vile misandry when the genders are reversed?
Dad from Virginia
Dad from Virginia Adult
July 10, 2009
age 14+

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.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Scarred by seeing her father cheating with a graduate student, Olivia swears off boys and throws herself into a summer arts camp, where she plans to write a musical, "Castration Celebration." A cute boy, Max, weakens her determination, but is Max willing to wait for her? As the characters in Olivia's play, loosely based on Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing, mirror her own experiences, the teens work through issues of sex, dating, and friendship.

Is It Any Good?

Everyone has heard a story that has the teller laughing but leaves listeners wondering what was so funny. "I guess you had to be there" is the common explanation. CASTRATION CELEBRATION readers will feel like that through much of the novel, as Wizner describes his characters falling into "a fit of hysterics" over things that simply aren't very funny. He works too hard informing readers that his shallow main characters are "witty" and their bantering "sharp," when authentic dialogue and an interesting plot arc would have gone a lot further.

There's plenty for parents to find questionable, but most of it is so lame that the real travesty is Wizner's bastardization of Shakespeare. The novel may appeal to readers who enjoy the crude humor of Judd Apatow movies (Superbad), but it can't carry off what centers those movies: a genuine heart.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Olivia's emotions come out through her writing. How does art help teenagers express themselves?

  • They can talk about Max's contention that "the penis has a mind of its own." Olivia wonders, "Is a whole guy's life just one big struggle between what he wants and what society says is okay?" Ask teens what they think.

  • Families can talk about whether the level of sexual talk is frank or potentially off-putting. For more tips about addressing sexual content in media, see Common Sense's parent advice.

Book Details

Our Editors Recommend

For kids who love coming-of-age stories

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