Jay's Gay Agenda

Jay's Gay Agenda was my favorite read of May. This is a book about Jay who struggles between following his hormones vs his heart when he moves from a small town where he's the only gay kid to Seattle.

A laugh out loud, genuine, fun, wholesome and sex-positive book that focuses on figuring out balancing sex, romance, and friendship.

There was so much I liked about this book. First of all, it was really funny. I laughed out loud so many times. So many highlights of all the bits that made me laugh. Jay's voice is so honest and humorous, it made for a delightful read! Jay feels like a real person, a real teenager. He's not perfect. He's selfish, messy, he makes mistakes, and he's very much driven by his hormones. It made it so much easier to relate and connect to him that he felt so real. You might wanna shake him to make better choices, but you might also admit that most other teenagers would do the same in his shoes.

This is easily the most sex-positive YA book I've read. I really appreciated all the conversations around sex, being ready, and especially consent. There was so much to take away in here. I loved how worried Jay was about his virginity thinking he's the only one, even though there were others around him. Also, the other topic that was handled very well was stereotypes and how damaging they can be.

I've been talking about how great Jay is, but all the side characters were great too. I loved that Jay's parents were so in love. It was great to read a YA where the parents aren't a major part of the problem. The friend group was amazing too. Max the Gay Guide, Lu the BFF, Albert the VSB (Very Sexy Boy) and many others. Even the smaller side characters had some great punchy lines, and played an important part in the book.

Speaking of the friend group, I loved how friendship was such a big part of this book. It wasn't only about the romance. Jay's relationships with his friends were just as important as his relationships with boys, if not more. And they play equal part in the book.

Overall, this was a great read on finding yourself, figuring out who you are in a new location, with newfound popularity. And in the end, it's all about being true to yourself, owning up to your mistakes and staying close to your friends.