Hello Groin

December 1, 2006
Gr 9 Up-Wanting to be normal, 16-year-old Dylan Kowolski tries to hide her homosexuality and to have sexual feelings for her boyfriend, Cam. All her fears and feelings reach the boiling point when she kisses a girl from another school at a dance. Interspersed throughout the story is a subplot involving the school librarian and the censorship of a book display that Dylan created. When the teen finally tells her family members that she is gay, they show unconditional love and acceptance. When trick-or-treating that year, her sister even wants to dress up as a lesbian. Her best friend from grade school has had a similar awakening and Dylan and Joc now become partners. Even Dylans ex-boyfriend is understanding and accepting. The story seems a little too fairy-talelike at this point, with all of the loose endings tied up neatly. A small reality check is Sheila, the girl Dylan kissed, whose family is not at all accepting of her sexuality. The raw language and sexually explicit scenes are appropriate for these characters as developed by the author. Teens who are experiencing emotional upheaval themselves and who dont have supportive families will gain from the personal validation that the author provides. As in her previous novels, Goobie stresses the value of all individuals, and their right to their own space in this world."Sheilah Kosco, Bastrop Public Library, TX"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2007
After creating a controversial--and censored--display for her school's library, Dylan is dogged by public discussions of sexuality, which provide just the impetus she needs to finally come out (to herself and others). Though well-grounded in issues of intellectual freedom and overflowing with good intentions and sympathetic characters, Goobie's unfortunately titled tale is overly telegraphed and ultimately one-dimensional.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)