Hello, Groin

I was amazed at how well Goobie detailed the feelings of coming out to yourself as a woman who loves women. Even though I'm an adult, Goobie's descriptions were so poignant, real, and honest that they brought back my feelings to me in a huge rush. She dealt with the issues brought up by figuring out you don't belong at a time when belonging can feel like everything--and she did it with honesty, wit, and brilliantly crafted writing. I'm very impressed with this book--it's not only a fantastic way for anyone to understand how it feels to come to terms with a sexuality that isn't considered the "norm"--but it's also a wonderful novel about the freedom and happiness that come with walking away from your fear and into your truth. A must read for all ages.

I don't usually feel inspired to write reviews, but Beth Goobie calls for it. Her treatment of being a semi-popular teenage girl discovering her sexuality is not all that mainstream, and her depiction of how homophobia runs in present day was touching, funny, sad, maddening and excruciatingly real. I'd recommend her books highly to any teenager or those who care about them.

The title will make you laugh, the story will provoke you to think. Dylan lives the good life: great family, amazing boyfriend, and a best friend she can rely on. That is until she confronts her real identity, when she admits to herself that she prefers girls rather than boys. Beth Goobie, in a stellar effort, portrays the life of a lesbian teenager too afraid of the repercussions upon her life if and when she comes out to her friends and family. Dylan doesn't want to make her life any more difficult but her best friend, Jocelyn, has become presently absent in her life; she isn't able to give her boyfriend what he wants, no matter how hard she tells herself she can do it; and things only get more complicated when Dylan volunteers to design the new book display for the school library. HELLO, GROIN, along with a voicing out of the wrongness of such a social taboo as being [...], is a fight for freedom from censorship. The display Dylan creates says something important, both to her and to certain others, whether they were contributors of ideas or the understanding kind. But when the school principal decides to censor parts of the display, rumors begin to spread about Dylan, and she begins to let her secret take control of her life, in a negative way. Goobie does a fantastic job in portraying a character that is very much believable in her thoughts and actions. She speaks out against censorship and how hard it is on a person who, along with the regular angst and struggles of being a teenager, must also now ask herself who she is and whether or not self-sacrifice for the people around her is more important than making herself feel human and allowing herself to be, simply, herself. HELLO, GROIN is a thought-provoking novel that asks questions that are important to face in this day and age of social faux pas and suggests a few select answers which readers should certainly take upon themselves to consider wholeheartedly. HELLO, GROIN is well told story by a great novelist. Reviewed by: Long Nguyen