It Doesn't Have to Be Awkward: Dealing with Relationships, Consent, and Other Hard-to-Talk-About Stuff

by Drew Pinsky, Paulina Pinsky

Overview

From celebrity M.D. Dr. Drew Pinsky and his daughter Paulina Pinsky comes an entertaining and comprehensive guide to sex, relationships, and consent in today’s #MeToo era. Perfect for teens, parents, and educators to facilitate open and positive conversations around the tricky topic of consent.

When it comes to sex, relationships, and consent, establishing boundaries and figuring out who you are and what you want is never simple—especially as a teenager. What’s the line between a friendship and a romantic partner? How can you learn to trust your body's signals? And what if you’re not quite sure what your sexuality is? 

In this book, renowned celebrity M.D. Dr. Drew and his daughter Paulina Pinsky take on those awkward, incredibly important questions teens today are asking themselves and parents wish they had a better grasp on.

Filled with tangible and accessible resources, and featuring humorous and raw personal anecdotes, this is the perfect guide for teens, parents, and educators to go beyond “the talk” and dive into honest and meaningful conversations about sex, relationships, and consent.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780358439653
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Dr. Drew is a practicing internist and addiction medicine specialist, New York Times best-selling author and a prolific television, radio, and podcasting host. In addition to his 30 plus years hosting the iconic radio show Loveline, he has hosted numerous award-winning television shows including Loveline and the Teen Mom Reunion Specials on MTV, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew on VH1, and The Dr. Drew Show on HLN. Dr. Drew can also be found on his digital platforms which include the Dr. Drew Podcast, the Adam & Drew Show, Dr. Drew After Dark, and his two streaming shows #AskDrDrew and Dose of Dr. Drew.  

Dr. Drew received his undergraduate degree from Amherst College and his M.D. from the University of Southern California, School of Medicine. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Addiction Medicine, and a fellow with the American College of Physicians (FACP.) Find him online at DrDrew.com. 

DrDrew.com
Twitter: @drdrew
Instagram:@drdrewpinsky
Facebook: drdrew

Paulina Pinsky teaches comedy writing to high schoolers at Columbia University. But more importantly, she likes to write about female sexuality, feminism, and the discomfort of living. Paulina holds an MFA from Columbia University and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her tuxedo cat, Jack. You can find her on all social platforms @mizpiggy111 or at paulinapinsky.com.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Father/Daughter Team: Get to Know Us 1

Part 1 Trust, Compassion, Boundaries-Consent Style 11

Chapter 1 TCB: Tell Me More 15

Chapter 2 C-O-N-S-E-N-T 29

Part 2 Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall 45

Chapter 3 Me, Myself, and I(dentity) 49

Chapter 4 Gender Expression: Naming Is Claiming 69

Chapter 5 Sexual Attraction: He's Hot. She's Hot. They're Hot. You're Hot! 89

Part 3 You and Me and TCB 111

Chapter 6 Friendships: Making Them, Keeping Them, Letting Them Go 115

Chapter 7 The Big Bad Ones: Bullies and Enemies 145

Chapter 8 You're Not the Boss of Me: Parents and Other Adults 169

Part 4 Kiss, Kiss-Smooch, Smooch 193

Chapter 9 Awoooooga! Crushes! 197

Chapter 10 Dating: Do We Click? 211

Chapter 11 Ready to Put a Label on It 233

Chapter 12 Bow-Chicka-Wowow: Having Sex 255

Part 5 The Hard Stuff 277

Chapter 13 Big "T" and Little "t": Navigating Trauma with TCB 281

Chapter 14 Altered: Navigating Substances 297

Chapter 15 Something Happened to Me … Now What? 315

Chapter 16 I Think I Did Something … Now What? 331

Conclusion: We Know You've Got This! 349

Let's Talk About It 353

Resources and Recommended Reading 357

Editorial Reviews

★ "Using a combination of straightforward language, relatable examples, and realistic expectations, [the Pinskys have] created a user-friendly guide based on the principles of TCB: trust, compassion, and boundaries....This readable guide should make things easier for parents, counselors, and kids alike."—Booklist, STARRED review   "A useful manual for navigating relationships with friends and classmates, as well as grappling with one’s own identity.... With sensitivity and compassion, this father-daughter duo highlights consent, identity, and relationships."—School Library Journal   "Teens looking for real talk about real challenges will find this book offers a lot of encouragement."—Kirkus Reviews —

From the Publisher

04/01/2021

Gr 9 Up—Pinsky, a practicing internist and addiction medicine specialist who's also known on TV as Dr. Drew, teams up with his daughter to write a guide for teens that unpacks challenging topics. Each chapter focuses on a different aspect of teenage social life, including toxicity in friendships, dealing with bullies, consent in romantic relationships, and personal identity formation. There is extensive information on how race, gender, and sexual orientation influence how young adults think of themselves and relate to others, with positive, current information for LGBTQIA+ teens and teens of color. Short quizzes with example situations involving fictional characters are included throughout. This guide will be a useful manual for navigating relationships with friends and classmates, as well as grappling with one's own identity. Back matter features a list of online resources and recommended reading. VERDICT With sensitivity and compassion, this father-daughter duo highlights consent, identity, and relationships. A useful addition to YA nonfiction collections.—Madison Bishop, Forbes Lib., Northampton, MA

School Library Journal

2021-01-26
Media personality “Dr. Drew” teamed up with his adult daughter, an author and comedian, to write a relationship guide for teens.

The authors start with a bold claim: This book will teach readers how to appreciate and nurture TCB, or trust, compassion, and boundaries, in all their important relationships. The major topics covered include consent, identity, relationships (with friends, bullies and enemies, parents and other adults, and romantic partners), crushes, dating, sex, trauma, substance use, and coping with being a victim of sexual violence or recognizing that you were a perpetrator. They express a lot of faith in young people and offer support to LGBTQ+ people, including genderqueer and nonbinary individuals. They vary the material with quizzes, anecdotes from their own lives, hypothetical scenarios, and helpful summaries. However, the prose is wordy, and there are no illustrations to break up the text. The corny tone, outdated slang, and references to celebrities from far back in the last century may not speak to contemporary teens. Complex issues such as racial identity and coping with discrimination could have been further developed. The authors present TCB as a framework that provides insight in a broad range of situations, although its universal application at times feels forced. Teens looking for real talk about real challenges will find this book offers a lot of encouragement, but other titles cover the same territory more effectively.

A lukewarm addition to a crowded field. (resources, recommended reading) (Nonfiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews