READY FOR IT

An exhaustive guide for teens about sex and relationships written by Spanish vlogger Chusita.

From the start, readers are primed for a frank approach to the topics on offer. These include descriptions of basic anatomy, proper terminology related to sexual attraction and gender expression, and discussions about consent, emotional readiness, masturbation, and preventing STDs and pregnancy. The final sections address and explain sexual practices, fantasies, and sex toys. Each section is boldly headed with its subject and is briefly but clearly explored in a conversational tone. Highly stylized illustrations and short comic strips depict various trendy young people who appear relatively ethnically and gender diverse in pen-and-ink drawings that are washed in tones of black and red. These are eye-catching, lend a fashionable flair to the guide, and are refreshingly explicit in their presentation of sexual positions and body parts, but they don’t completely reflect the reality of variances in body size, shape, and ability—for example, there is no representation of teens who are overweight or who have a physical disability. Sidebars and stand-alone graphics include lists of slang, statistics, and questions posed by teens to Chusita; a short glossary is featured in the backmatter.

Concise and easy to read, with advice that is sex-positive and straightforward—it’s a shame the illustrations lack inclusivity.