The Teenage Guy's Survival Guide: The Real Deal on Girls, Growing Up and Other Guy Stuff (Paperback)

by Jeremy Daldry (Author) "They are just great..." (more)
Key Phrases: kiss good night

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Without being overly earnest or condescending, this American version of the 1997 British book Boys Behaving Badly is frank in both language and description as it tackles everything from asking a girl out to demystifying the emotional and physical minefield of adolescence--from pimples to pornography. Daldry's tone is irreverent and warmly sarcastic as he trashes myths about masturbation ("It won't make you go crazy or blind") and homosexuality ("It doesn't mean that you have to start wearing women's underwear") and helps readers cope with being dumped, having mood swings, the temptations of drugs, and finding out that their mothers know about their stash of porn magazines. Cartoon illustrations and the use of a variety of typefaces enhance both the humor and the message. Important phrases leap off the page, mimicking the exaggerated, emotional conversations that rocket through middle-school hallways, and the captioned remarks of the two cartoon teens--one jaded, the other naive--talk straight to Daldry, asking him questions and responding to his advice. Daldry also includes a list of helpful organizations. Expect to replace this every year as it's certain to disintegrate from furious use or simply vanish from the shelf. Randy Meyer

From Kirkus Reviews
This assemblage of glib advice and conventional wisdom tries too hard to be cool as it fills a few potholes on the adolescence autobahn. The first half covers dating, from first words to breaking up; the second, a sheaf of topics including body changes, emotional ups and downs, masturbation, fighting (``Simply walk away''), and the dangers of using (legal and illegal) drugs. The text is strewn with side comments in balloons, wisecracking cartoon heads, and randomexhaustingchanges of typeface. The book concludes with a digestible set of phone numbers and URLs. Daldry provides more reassurance than information, which may be just the ticket for readers with short attention spans but makes this no alternative to Karen Gravelle's What's Going On Down There? (1998) and like Baedekers. (Nonfiction. 12-14) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers; 1 edition (May 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316178241
• ISBN-13: 978-0316178242
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #142,593 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #33 in	Books > Teens > Social Issues > Dating & Intimacy > Nonfiction
  #35 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Boys & Men > Nonfiction
  #66 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Abuse

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is spectacular!, July 11, 2000

By	Amie Jackson (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews

My son has been experiencing a lot of anxiety with regard to the whole puberty/growing up thing. I reserved this book at the library (for myself) but the librarian thought it was for my son and gave it to him. He stuck his nose in the book and read the whole way home, laughing out loud (and he is not much for reading). I am now ordering him his own copy.

The book is wonderfully reassuring about all of the many changes a boy's mind, body and emotions are experiencing as they make the journey from being a boy to a young man. It helps him to know that while the things that are happening to him seem strange, they are perfectly normal.

I especially recommend this book to single moms! It has answered many of my own questions too and my son and I are both feeling relieved. Thanks to the author for your help and humor! This is a cool book!

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book for everyone regardless of age or sex!, August 24, 1999

By A Customer

If I had to choose only one book to give to/read with my sons, this could well be it. Not only does it cover all the REALLY cringy topics in great detail, it also explains everything clearly, in accessible language for this age group, and with HUMOUR. Catch the page on how to shave - very down-to-earth, extremely useful, and very funny. A huge portion of the book is dedicated to "Surviving Love and Sex" - judging by the amount of time pubescent boys spend fantasising on such topics, this chunk is very necessary. It also gives sensible advice on the whole deal. What makes the book so utterly readable from beginning to end? - the cool cartoon character that takes us through, cracking little asides the whole way; the changeable type face which is fun to read, grabs your attention (especially in the Very Important bits) and keeps the pages interesting; and last but not least, the information and the way it has been handled - never preachy, never dull, just practical. Brilliant. Teenage girls should be given a copy of this too.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must have, June 25, 2000

By	B. Purcell (ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Teenage Guy's Survival Guide: The Real Deal on Girls, Growing Up, and Other Guy Stuff (School & Library Binding)

I'm fifteen and this book has helped me alot on a few things that I was worried about. I especially liked the section on how to ask out a girl, something that I had no clue on how to do before I read this. It has all kinds of practical advice that is a must need for guys in their teens, and girls should get a copy of this also. The author has a somewhat corny aproach, like an adult trying to be cool; but the author pulls it off through most of it, he writes in a way that makes it easy and comftorable to read without coming across like a scientist.