GIRLTALK ABOUT GUYS

Writing for teen-agers since she was one herself, Weston was prompted by fan letters in response to her Girltalk to write here on girls' favorite subject: boys. She approaches boy-girl relationships at all stages: arousing interest, functioning as a couple, after a breakup--as well as with friends, parents, and each other. The book is mostly in question-and-answer format; the multifaceted, detailed questions have depth and authentic feeling. Weston's responses take the form of friendly discussion with lengthy, useful suggestion lists (e.g., if your boyfriend asks you to have dinner with his family, get him to brief you on them). There are also self. quizzes (e.g., if you are considering sex, have you discussed what you'd do if you got pregnant?). Stories about the author's own romances lend further credibility. Her tone is bright and snappy, even in the well-researched sections on sexually transmitted diseases (""Avoid anal sex [it probably wasn't on your to-do list today anyway]""). Incidentally, Weston states that she is against sex for young teens. Full of empathetic wisdom, common sense, and knowledge, this is sure to be passed around and reread. Hotline and organization list; index.