"Must-read guide for girls" books are everywhere. They are on the shelves in every bookstore, library and newsstand. Notices of new publications filter through the mail and jump out of every magazine or catalogue, screaming that they are the real deal. These books, guides yell out from the stacks, promise that this one will be the last one ever needed - that this is the key to figuring out everything a young woman needs to know.
So what exactly is the difference between all the other books and Amber Madison's guide? Why should this 21-year-old's book be the one chosen? It is possibly the contribution of her peer-level, ongoing knowledge and experience that has made her guide so effective. Madison's book is no lecture. There is no boring presentation of facts and she is anything but patronizing. "Hooking Up: A Girl's All-out Guide to Sex and Sexuality" is the very essence of the way every intimate conversation between a curious teen and an older friend should go.
While Madison's book is one of many in its genre, it is one-of-a-kind in presentation. Her book has a conversational flow that immediately puts the potentially anxious reader at ease. Every chapter begins with a personal story that relates directly to the topic about to be discussed. Madison also fortifies the chapters with various relevant anecdotes drawn from her own experiences. This approach develops an immediate connection with the reader. Everything from understanding the vagina to understanding men and from sexual relations to sexual orientation is discussed in a strictly uncensored, no-nonsense manner.
How could Madison not be telling the truth when she proves that she has had experience with every single topic she brings up? The book's success is due to the ease with which one can flip through the book, giggling at the recollection of Madison's first sexual encounter and blushing as she reexamines the embarrassment of her first trip to the gynecologist. She acknowledges the myths attributed to sex, and discusses not just how to use contraception but what to say and do when a guy refuses to do so. Just by scanning some of the pages it is clear that this girl has been there.
"Hooking Up" is reader-friendly for many reasons, including Madison's youthful voice and the large bold letters at the start of each chapter that state, for example, "Hooking Up and Having Sex: Did I Shave My Legs for This?" Readers are made aware of what the chapter will be getting into. This also makes it simple to skip over sections one might be uncomfortable with, such as "Pleasing yourself: Masturbation, the Big 'O' and Communication." Madison has made it easy to skip over any section for whatever reason.
Madison will be the first to admit that there is information in there that the most experienced young woman won't know. There are the basics about using a condom, but there are also the more intimate issues of sexually transmitted diseases and the harm of sexual stereotypes. Do not be fooled by the casual nature of her writing, though. Because one may not know all the symptoms of syphilis or just how much harm using the label "slut" can do to a girl's psyche, the information in Madison's writing is valuable. Furthermore, all of this makes the guide appeal to a wide age group, as each chapter is translated with relevancy. Reading about sex and sexuality becomes easier, especially when the author is speaking the language of her peers.
