Sex-O-S; The Tragicomic Adventure of an Italian Surviving the First Time (Italian Teens, novel 2, The Italian Saga) by Gaia B Amman – Review by Francis O’Sullivan

Sex-O-S: The Tragicomic Adventure of an Italian Surviving the First Time by Gaia B. Amman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sex-O-S is the second novel in the Italian Teens series, part of Gaia B. Amman’s Italian Saga. The saga follows Leda, a young Italian woman, as she grows up.
In Sex-O-S, Leda is in her mid-teens. The boys she’s dating (in particular, the seemingly ever-present Nico) want to have sex. She’s not sure she’s ready. With conflicting advice from her friends, the church, her family and everyone else who seems to want to butt into her love life, Leda struggles to make the right decisions and to trust her judgement.
There are some darker moments in this book, particularly relating to sexual abuse. These are handled sensitively, from the perspective of a young Leda coming to understand why people (especially Nico) behave in the way they do.
I really enjoy all the characters and places that become familiar over the course of the series. Leda’s summer routine, visiting her grandmother, feels particularly nostalgic to me by this stage! The Italian settings are wonderful to get to know, like going on holiday to the same place again and again.
For me, this is a four-star book. I’d recommend it to older teens and young adults – it’s not unlike Adrian Mole but with an Italian girl! I’ve read the books in slightly the wrong order – it’s still perfectly easy to follow the story as Amman reminds us of any important information and backstory as it comes up. That said, once I’m finished I will probably reread them in order!

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