I first heard of this book because it was featured on the ASIF! blog. I already knew of, and enjoyed, Ellen Wittlinger’s book Hard Love, so I figured I would give this book a try.
While I understand that some people object to any mention of sex in a book for people under 18, I think that it is a bit crazy to suggest banning a book in which the character realizes that her early entry into sexual relationships was a huge mistake. Sandpiper, who later takes to calling herself Piper, now knows that she made a mistake when she started having casual oral sex, and she wants to figure out a way to get rid of her bad reputation. Who wouldn’t want young people (male or female) to see that this kind of a mistake can cause long-lasting social and emotional damage?
When one of Piper’s “ex-boyfriends” gets angry and starts to threaten Piper, and her family, she doesn’t know what to do. Her mom is about to get remarried and is, therefore, so stressed that Piper doesn’t want to bother her with her own problems. Her father is a womanizer who doesn’t know how to deal with Piper’s newly “developed” physique, and so she doesn’t know how to approach him with this problem either. Her younger sister’s own reputation has been tainted by Piper’s behavior, so she is not exactly sympathetic to Piper’s plight and refuses to believe that the boy in question is really dangerous. Talk about drama! While “real life” may not always be as dramatic as this book, it certainly goes to show that casual sex cannot be simply played off as “no big deal.”
Before I get off my soap box, just let me make one final comment to the teens who are likely to say, “Well, that isn’t what’s gonna happen to me!” … I realize that this exact scenario may not play out for you, but (to paraphrase Piper’s friend Walker): “You’re worth more than that.”
Happy Reading!
