by Tom Perrotta
First published 2008
Ruth Ramsey teaches sex education at Stonewood Heights High School. When she discusses oral sex with her students, parents from the Church of the Tabernacle react with outrage. They threaten to sue the school over her frank approach to sexual topics. The principal responds by hiring JoAnn Marlow, who promotes abstinence until marriage. JoAnn uses her physical attractiveness as a tool to sell her message to teenagers. Ruth watches as her comprehensive curriculum gets challenged by this new approach. The conflict forces Ruth to confront how communities handle teenage sexuality and education. Two competing philosophies clash in the hallways and classrooms of suburban America.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, social-issues, young-adult
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: clash-of-ideologies, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Stonewood Heights High School, Church of the Tabernacle
Period: 21st-century
400 pages · Paperback · Éditions de l'Olivier
Content warnings: sexual-content