Vanilla

Gr 10 Up—A novel in verse depicting three gay teens as they navigate life and love. Hunter and Vanilla have dated since middle school. Hunter really wants to have sex with Vanilla, who is less-than-excited at the prospect. The couple breaks up over Vanilla's unwillingness; they then have to learn how to navigate a friendship after a relationship. Angel, aka Clown, also narrates some of the chapters in this book, but serves only as a bystander and observer of Vanilla and Hunter's relationship. Vanilla is a romantic asexual, and once he understands this, he is relieved that he is not weird or wrong for not wanting to have sex. While the diversity of characters in this book is to be celebrated, its treatment of consent and asexuality is not. Hunter frequently states things like: "I think of Vanilla and how vanilla he is,/ and I want to hold him and tell him/ it's okay if he says he isn't ready,/ even if I don't believe him—/or that if he isn't ready,/ it's for all the wrong reasons." Hunter and many of the secondary characters continually pressure Vanilla to have sex even when he clearly isn't interested, and the message that there could be "wrong reasons" not to have sex is disturbing and potentially damaging. The acephobia throughout as well as issues with consent make this a difficult purchase to recommend.