Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) by L.C. Rosen

337 pages | Contemporary | Little Brown | Release Date: 10/30/2018

17-year-old Jack Rothman loves sex and finds his reputation as the school slut somewhat amusing. When he uses his experience to write an advice column he’s prepared for more gossip and judgment but nothing prepares him for an anonymous stalker leaving little pink notes in his locker.

This book has a pretty high bar to clear. It has to give advice about sex and sexuality to minors in a way that is safe, inclusive and frank, explore the multiple facets of being a gay teen and build a thriller-like stalker plot. Somehow, L.C Rosen (the pen name of SFF author Lev AC Rosen) manages to do it all and more in this gem of a YA contemporary. 

I’ll admit as some who is *mumbles* *mumbles* years old I was clutching my pearls at how explicit the advice column sections were, but I think it’s ridiculous to think teens aren’t talking and thinking this way. Especially gay or lesbian teens who don’t have a lot of models for love and romance for people their age. The columns go beyond just sex advice and also talk to teens who don’t feel like they want to have sex or straight boys who feel like they don’t fit into the way media portrays their desires. I will say the Jack in the advice column seems a lot more mature and worldly than the one in the story but I think it’s a conceit that makes sense for the book.

My favorite part of this book has to be the stalker plot. As Jack and his friends (who were also great) scheme to figure out how to catch the stalker and start interrogating their fellow classmates I got some serious American Vandal vibes. Rosen did an amazing job slowly heightening the stakes and building a mystery. This book is set in the world of the privileged New York City rich kids and it really worked because it took away a lot of the barriers and it didn’t have to explain why they never had jobs or responsibilities and  had access to just about anything they wanted.

I feel like Gen Z and younger are growing up with this new genre of teen sex comedy that are just more interesting and nuanced than what Millenials and Gen X had.  Things like this book, the show Sex Education, Chewing Gum and movies like Cockblockers give the perspective of sexual desire to women and non-straight people without making them the butt of a joke and I think that’s really great.

Jack of Hearts was a random pick from my library and I’m really glad a book like this is sitting on the shelves. Jack of Hearts is a modern and engaging take on the teen sex comedy.