Hey friends, welcome back to my weekly book review. I’m digging into Welcome to Consent by Yumi Stynes and Dr. Melissa Kang.
This one is marketed as 10+ (10-14), but I’m going to be honest with you right up front: I think it should be rated 12+ (and for up to 18 even!). Some of what’s in here just isn’t going to land the same way for a 10-year-old as it will for a tween or teen.
That said, if your child has older siblings, if they’ve been part of ongoing conversations about bodies and relationships, or if you know your kid is more mature for their age, this can absolutely work earlier.
You know your child best. My own 12-year-old recently read it and gave me a great review of it.
A quick note before we get into it: Stynes and Kang also wrote Welcome to Sex, which drew some controversy when it came out. I’m not going to rehash why here, but I want to say clearly that this book is not that.
There’s nothing in here that raised a red flag for me.
It’s also written for a UK and European audience, so you’ll notice some UK-specific references (age of consent laws, emergency numbers, and so on), but the core content translates just fine no matter where you’re reading from.
[0:00] Introduction and age rating Why I think this book runs closer to 12+ than 10+, who wrote it, the UK audience context, and why the Welcome to Sex controversy shouldn’t scare you off this one. Also, my son wants it on record that he has strong feelings about how the noses are illustrated.
[4:47] The golden rules of consent The book lays out consent as needing to be communicated, specific, and changeable, plus enthusiastic, freely given, and a two way street. I read through a passage on what makes consent feel good when it’s done right, and we get into the first of many first-person quotes from teens and young adults sprinkled throughout the book, including one from 17 year old Luke on staying in “active mode” instead of assuming.
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