Rating: 
Summary: An Indispensable Guide to Adolescent Sexuality
Review: After reading the New York Times January 15th article on Dr. Ponton, I decided to read The Sex Lives of Teenagers: Revealing the Secret World of Adolescent Boys and Girls. I found it to be sensitive, even-handed, and clear. The stories themselves are frank, which may make some readers uncomfortable. However, I felt that this was an honest portrayal of adolescent sexuality, ranging the spectrum of 'typical' to extreme. At times touching, at times chilling, and always elucidating, I am very thankful, as a parent, to have discovered Dr. Ponton's work. I have often felt lost and uncertain about which role to assume as a parent of teenage children. Dr. Ponton modeled, in a very direct way, a more effective, respectful way of communicating with adolescents. The Sex Lives of Teenagers is a major step on the road to understanding what so many people simply dismiss as incapable of being understood - the teenage mind. I consider this book required reading for all parents of adolescents.
Rating: 
Summary: Unusual case studies illustrate exceptions
Review: Although there is much of value to be gained from this book, including the list of suggestions for parents and teens at the end, the majority of the case studies presented are unlikely to serve the needs of most readers, as they illustrate unusual situations rather than common problems teens and their parents might face in communicating about sex. One presents a boy who has been caught masturbating with a vacuum cleaner, another a girl who faints when she has sexual fantasies, and others offer equally odd examples of the issues faced by teens as they struggle with burgeoning sexuality. In addition, the author's psychoanalytic approach to counseling is off-putting to readers unfamiliar with the methodology and philosophy, and her references to dream analysis and like-minded Freudian therapies might not appeal to all readers, especially those looking for workable solutions to their own problems. Most parents are not going to have the time and finances to acquire psychiatric advice for their teens, and many of the author's approaches to dealing with teen sexuality offer this limited example of how it can be handled. Furthermore, the examples of her therapy sessions with teens and the recreation of their dialogues often seem a little self-serving, presenting her psychiatric talents in a semi-self-congratulatory way. Finally, there are many questions left unresolved. The chapter on masturbation does not offer many ideas for teens and their parents to communicate or deal with the issue, and the author herself seems undecided about how to counsel her clients and readers about this sensitive issue. My suggestion: read the lists of ideas she offers in the back and skip the rest.
Rating: 
Summary: Provocative topic, but not too original
Review: Everything that could have ever been written about teenagers and their sex lives has been written. This book proves itself to be very trite -- covering ground that has already been traversed, offering very limited insight, and looking at very little new reserach. Not only that, but it does not include an index, so there is now way for readers to thumb through and find relevant information.... Good organization could have saved this from the remainder pile -- it could have been another manual about sex. But alas, even that did not happen....
Rating: 
Summary: great stories about teens and parents
Review: I loved this book for its great stories about adolescents and their parents. The dialogue can be hilarious at times as these kids struggle to understand what's happening for them in the sexual arena, and Lynn Ponton seems to understand them at every turn where their parents can't. The subjects can range from "everyday" performance anxieties to questions about sexual identity, to wrestling with negative outcomes of sexual activity (pregnancy, disease), to finding oneself actually enjoying the pleasures of healthy sexual activity in the context of a healthy intimate relationship. Lynn Ponton is nonjudgemental about many loaded topics. I know my own kids will benefit from my having read this book.
Rating:
Summary: From a teenagers standpoint . . .
Review: Is it just me or is Dr. Ponton trying to give teenage sexuality a bad name? (Like we aren't looked down upon enough as it is!) Every chapter of this book is filled with sexual extremes, which many teens are smart enough to avoid. Dr. Ponton is not "revealing the secret world of adolestcent boys and girls," rather she is describing and analyzing the problems of unaverage teenagers that would need to see a doctor like her. The experiences in this book are uncommon to the average teen and therefore are hard to relate to. Parents gain no insight into teenage sexuality from this book either. I gave this book two stars purely for the entertainment value of the anecdotes Dr. Ponton's patients presents. I hope she's paying them royalties, because their stories are the only thing selling her book.
Rating:
Summary: A Terrific Book
Review: Lynn Ponton seems to have her finger right on the pulse of today's teenagers. Parents who want to know what is going on in a world they see but do not understand ought to read this book right away. It is a real gift to all of us.
Rating:
Summary: An indepth understanding of adolescents' sexuality
Review: Ponton offers an indepth exploration of adolescent sexuality. She captures the depth of conflicting attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that adolescents experience with respect to sexuality. Moreover, she provides clear vignettes to elucidate central psychiatric principles and public health implications of adolescent sexality. Her writing style is smooth, evenly paced, with a touch of the therapists' interpretative analysis. In addition, she mixes case studies with empirical research in adolescent sexuality as adeptly as anyone. The finished product is entertaining, informative and, at times, unnerving. However readers may view the book, it is a tour de force and a welcomed opportunity to shed some light on a subject that for far too long has been hidden. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: review from CA teen
Review: Reading "The Sex Lives of Teenagers", I recognized my own fears about sex. It is the first book that has talked about it like it really is, bringing up not only the fun parts, but the tough spots that I myself have been in. This book honestly discusses pregnancy, masturbation and questions about being gay. It has been really helpful to me and I recommend it to other teens.
Rating:
Summary: Honest and candid
Review: The Sex Lives of Teenagers is a book about how teenagers often lose their place in the world by trying to define themselves sexually. Lynn Ponton has always been very concerned about teenagers and their lives. She has dedicated her life to trying to understand them and their risk taking as a method of fitting into the world. Her very candid and poigant stories tap into the indecison in the world for teens and tries to make sense of it all, without being judgmental. This is something we all need to learn, at all ages and this book initiates a method for it. This book shows how sexuality is only a component of life and we shouldn't define ourselves by it, but rather define it and help our children to do the same. I recommend this book without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: A Book For All Teens
Review: This book has stories about real kids and sex that I found extremally informative and entertaining. It's usually difficult to discuss this topic with adults, but I was able to use this book as a starting point with my mother. I gave this book to a couple of my friends, and we all read it and talked about the importance of being open. Parents should get this book for their kids and for their own awareness on the subject.
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