I'm going to go with what a lot of other reviewers are saying and tell you that the cover is kind of misleading. I was expecting a book that was mocking "High School Musical" and it's...well to me it's not. It's just a more perverse version. Did I enjoy the book? Yes, it's a quick read. But I found myself thinking that I must have been quite a prudish teenager, and that somewhere along the line I must have missed what guys "really talk like" because there was a LOT of sex talk. It definitely wasn't as graphic as it could have been, and I did like that not just the guys were sex hounds, but I don't remember acting anything like these kids until I was in college. But again, maybe I was just really really prudish. ( )

After catching her father cheating on her mother, Olivia has sworn off the male population. She intends to write a musical at Yale’s summer arts camp titled Castration Celebration. Too bad Max comes along, and he’s a ladies’ man who knows exactly what to say, which buttons to press…and he wants Olivia. Can this unlikely twosome, with the help of their mutual friends, make it?

I am still giggling and shaking my head weeks after reading this book. CASTRATION CELEBRATION is bawdy and offensive if it’s not your kind of book. Luckily, I enjoyed every minute of it.

In CASTRATION CELEBRATION, witty sexual innuendo is the name of the game. The characters’ repartee is so fast that if you don’t watch out, it might give you whiplash. Flirtatious teasing and suggestive comments fly back and forth, almost without stop. Even when Olivia and Max weren’t flirting, the characters’ dialogue was just so entertaining. They speak the way I always wanted to but was never brave or clever enough to do back in high school.

Some of the supporting characters are admittedly stereotypical “supportive friend” types, and sometimes I can even see that Olivia and Max are not all that well-rounded. However, they were just so successful at being entertaining that I didn’t even mind. I think that their role isn’t necessarily to be understood, but rather to entertain without resorting to tasteless, over-the-top antics, and they succeed.

CASTRATION CELEBRATION is not for everyone, but if you enjoy the occasional dollop of teenage boy humor, then this will make for an uproarious read. ( )

My favorite parts from Castration Celebration were the scenes from Olivia's script, which included some lyrics that I really wished had been accompanied by music. If it resembles anything like Avenue Q, then it sounds like a winning musical to me. :) I think she captured the essence of girls AND boys in her scenes, and it was amusing to see how she would banter with Max and use that in her writing.

Maybe I missed it, but I wish that Olivia's "sordid" past had been explained more. I was not sure if she had sworn off boys primarily because of what her father did (which, I must admit, is a doozy!) or because she also experienced a terrible relationship. Now that I think about it, it probably is related to her father's disgusting behavior - but from certain scenes of her musical, it felt like there might have been an underlying relationship-gone-wrong story that she never tells.

I felt that Jake Wizner captured the teenage voice fairly well, especially the boys. It was not too raunchy, but I definitely had moments when I thought "This totally sounds like boy-speak" :) I always love the bantering done between girls and boys, and Castration Celebration has it done to an art! :D If you're looking for a good laugh with a side of ridiculous, then I think you'll like this one :) ( )

** spoiler alert ** This review will be short and simple. I loved this book. That’s all I have to say. It was disgusting, lewd, perverted, and “holy cow” worthy. Don’t believer me? Here are some quotes then:

“‘Menstruating Mandy,” Callie said. “Wind her up and watch her squirt.”

Or how about this one, it might look familiar:

‘“You know the book Twilight?” asked Max.

“I’ve heard of it.”

“It’s about this vampire who hooks up with a teenage chick. They never do more than kiss, but I was thinking if he ever went down on her while she was having her period it would be like winning the lottery.”’

Fun enough for you? This book is not the most politically correct book, or one with the best plot (heck I didn’t even care about the plot!), it was just downright hilarious. Would I recommend this for everyone? Absolutely not. There are things in there that probably offends everyone in this country but that does not mean it cannot be enjoyed.

If you have a slightly twisted humor, you will love this book. It you have a more sane humor, read it still! Grab it from the library, your friend, or stay in borders for 3 hours! I don’t care, just read it!

Overall: Wow. ( )

Imagine "High School Musical" recast as a raunchy teen comedy and you have some idea of the tone here. You may be relieved that no character is actually castrated. Olivia weaves themes and problems from her own love life as she writes a musical during a summer arts program for high school students at Yale University. ( )