(3) YA Teens of different ethnicities and sexual orientations share their thoughts about romance, which are as multifaceted as love itself. Blunt or coy, funny or bittersweet, tender or biting, these free-verse poems about sex, lust, jealousy, being gay, betrayal, and other topics reverberate with energy, raw emotion, and sometimes explicit language. With authenticity and honesty, the memorable pieces speak directly to teens.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) YA Photographs by Nina Nickles. Several striking entries in this compilation of poems and prose lift it above the majority of such offerings; all of these writers take on issues of family, love, body image, drugs, and sexuality with clarity and insight. The black-and-white photographs are neither literal illustrations of the pieces nor portraits of the writers; they reflect the emotional currents of the writing and provide further expression of a diverse group of young women.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2001

(4) YA The poems and occasional brief essays in this volume--all written by boys aged twelve to twenty--concern issues of identity; relationships with parents, friends, and girlfriends; sexuality (often frankly described); and emotional maturation. Though some of the frequently downbeat poems are well written, many are amateurish or self-consciously "literary." Still, teenage poets may find the book inspirational.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta