Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts)

Couldn't get enough of Love, Simon or Red, White and Royal Blue? This is the (slightly NSFW) book for you! 
 
'Jack of Hearts might be the most important queer novel of the decade' Gay Times 
 
'Jack of Hearts won my heart' Courtney Act 
 
'This book is filth' Julian Clary 
 
--------------- 
 
'My first time getting it in the butt was kind of weird. I think it's going to be weird for everyone's first time, though.' 
 
Meet Jack Rothman. He's seventeen and loves partying, makeup and boys - sometimes all at the same time. 
 
His sex life makes him the hot topic for the high school gossip machine. But who cares? Like Jack always says, 'it could be worse'. 
 
He doesn't actually expect that to come true. 
 
But after Jack starts writing an online sex advice column, the mysterious love letters he's been getting take a turn for the creepy. 
 
Jack's secret admirer knows everything: where he's hanging out, who he's sleeping with, who his mum is dating. They claim they love Jack, but not his unashamedly queer lifestyle. They want him to curb his sexuality, or they'll force him. 
 
As the pressure mounts, Jack must unmask his stalker before their obsession becomes genuinely dangerous... 
 
 
Praise for Jack of Hearts (and Other Parts) 
 
'The affirming, sex-positive, brilliant new book that puts the "adult" into young adult literature' Attitude 
 
'Humane, sex-positive writing of the funniest, filthiest and most heartening kind' The Guardian

Humane, sex-positive writing of the funniest, filthiest and most heartening kind.

Jack of Hearts might be the most important queer novel of the decade

Contemporary sex advice meets mystery in this high school story of bullying and being true to oneself . . . an essential addition to library collections that serve teens.

Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts) is the sex ed class you didn't get in high school - positive, frank and inclusive, but also hilarious, heartfelt and impossibly fun. This book is like a hug that also slaps you on the ass (in the consensual flirtatious sexy way).

Mackenzi Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

A fierce, frank high school thriller which depicts gay intimacy in a sex positive and unapologetic way.

It's the book about high school that gives you the sex ed class desperately lacking from high school education.

The affirming, sex-positive, brilliant new book that puts the "adult" into young adult literature

Readers will be talking about Jack for years to come

I know that when I was coming out I would have loved to have been able to pick up a book that did not ignore or demonise gay sex

Jack of Hearts' is a confidently queer story that breaks away from the stereotypes to create refreshing and relatable characters

The book I needed growing up as an isolated gay teen in a straight boy's world

Riyadh Khalaf, Presenter of Radio 1's Unexpected Fluids

A joyously sex positive exploration through teenage life with an unashamedly unapologetic queer hero

Calum McSwiggan, LGBTQ+ advocate and radio presenter

Dispenses sex advice that could be vital to young adult readers

Matt Cain, author of The Madonna of Bolton

Tackles subjects that many would rather bury and pretend teens don't want (or need) to talk about

Simon James Green, author of Noah Can't Even and Noah Would Never

A sex-positive and thoughtful romp with humour and heart

A bold, inclusive exploration of teen sexuality that, propelled by Jack's brazen voice, never feels preachy

Rosen (The Memory Wall) creates memorable protagonists and brings a fresh, frank voice to his YA debut

L. C. Rosen, also known as Lev Rosen, has written several books for adults and children, including the critically acclaimed Jack of Hearts (And Other Parts). He lives in New York City with his husband and a very small cat.

My first time getting it in the butt was kind of weird. I think it's going to be weird for everyone's first time, though. 
 
Jack Rothman is seventeen. A solid student with a talent for art, he likes partying, makeup and boys. Sometimes all at the same time. His active, unashamed sex life makes him a red hot topic for the high school gossip machine, but Jack doesn't really care too much about what the crowd is saying about him. His mantra is: 'It could be worse.' 
 
And then it is. 
 
When Jack starts writing a teen sex advice column for his best friend's website, he begins to receive creepy and threatening love letters. His 'admirer' is obsessed with Jack - they know who he's hanging out with, who he's sleeping with, who his mum is dating. And while they say they love Jack, they don't love his lifestyle. They want him to curb his sexuality and personality. And if he won't, they will force him. 
 
As his stalker starts to ratchet up the pressure, it's up to Jack and his friends to uncover their identity, before their love becomes genuinely dangerous.

L. C. Rosen

The gay summer camp romp of my dreams: a romantic summertime joyride and a thoughtful examination of gay culture. Gay teens or anyone who knows a gay teen should read this book.

Cale Dietrich, author of The Love Interest

Camp has everything you're looking for: a winning romance, a celebration of queerness, a reflection on what it takes to embrace your most authentic self, and answers to questions most queer boys often don't know how to ask in the first place.

Caleb Roerhig, author of Death Prefers Blondes

Camp is a divine treat. A subversive explosion of masc/fem stereotypes wrapped inside a sparkly, funny, heartstring-plucking romance. At once delightfully cynical and buoyantly hopeful, Rosen uses Camp to take aim at everything the LGBTQ community is currently wrestling with and needs to hear.

Packed with an amazing cast of unforgettable characters, Camp is the perfect read for anyone wondering if they're too much or not enough of their true self. It's the must-read book of the summer.

Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions

Camp is a pitch-perfect, joyfully queer take on the classic summer camp sex romp. With a loveable lead and a fabulous cast of supporting characters, it's the sweetest YA romance I've read in a long time.

Tom Ryan, author of Keep This to Yourself

Joyful, exuberant, incisive, and terrifically queer. Camp is a romcom with bite and heart, one that examines the walls we build around ourselves - and promises us we have the power to tear them down. This is literary wizardry.

Adib Khorram, author of Darius the Great is Not Okay

A powerful, yet nuanced, illustration of every queer person's struggle with identity, presented in Rosen's trademark blend of levity and wit. Charming and clever, this story simply sparkles.

Phil Stamper, author of The Gravity of Us

A drag act that plays with compassion and camp

Camp tells a story I wish a teenage me could have lived. It took me back and allowed me to explore a place where a younger, queer me would have been safe. I love how L.C. Rosen has intertwined small moments of LGBT+ education and history whilst telling an adorable, funny and relatable story. Sweet, meaningful and at points sassy, Camp is a book for young gay adults who are ready for exploration.

The trouble with being young and LGBTQIA is that you're trying to be yourself while the rest of the world is intent on turning you into someone else. With wit, warmth, and heart, Rosen deftly skewers stereotypes while acknowledging that, for some, conforming means safety. CAMP is a frank, funny and thoughtful look at teenage identity, sexuality and sensuality with vibrant characters you'll root for all the way. A bang up-to-date Judy Blume teenage rom-com for the inclusive, switched-on generation.

A super sweet LGBTQ+ romantic comedy . . . Great fun and left me with a warm smile

Take the judging panel from RuPaul's Drag Race UK, blend them up and spit out a novel and that is what Camp truly is. You have the camp theatrical aspects of Alan Carr, the smut of Graham Norton, the blurred lines of gender and conservatism of RuPaul, and the loving support of a parental figure in Michelle Visage.

Sixteen-year-old Randy Kapplehoff loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens. It's where he met his best friends. It's where he takes to the stage in the big musical. And it's where he fell for Hudson Aaronson-Lim - who's only into straight-acting guys and barely knows not-at-all-straight-acting Randy even exists. 
 
This year, though, it's going to be different. Randy has reinvented himself as 'Del' - buff, masculine and on the market. Even if it means giving up show tunes, nail polish and his unicorn bedsheets, he's determined to get Hudson to fall for him. 
 
But as he and Hudson grow closer, Randy has to ask himself how much is he willing to change for love. And is it really love anyway, if Hudson doesn't know who he truly is?

L. C. Rosen

Praise for Camp

The gay summer camp romp of my dreams: a romantic summertime joyride and a thoughtful examination of gay culture. Gay teens or anyone who knows a gay teen should read this book.

Camp has everything you're looking for: a winning romance, a celebration of queerness, a reflection on what it takes to embrace your most authentic self, and answers to questions most queer boys often don't k ...

Camp is a divine treat. A subversive explosion of masc/fem stereotypes wrapped inside a sparkly, funny, heartstring-plucking romance. At once delightfully cynical and buoyantly hopeful, Rosen uses Camp ...

The gay summer camp romp of my dreams: a romantic summertime joyride and a thoughtful examination of gay culture. Gay teens or anyone who knows a gay teen should read this book.

Camp has everything you're looking for: a winning romance, a celebration of queerness, a reflection on what it takes to embrace your most authentic self, and answers to questions most queer boys often don't k ...

Camp is a divine treat. A subversive explosion of masc/fem stereotypes wrapped inside a sparkly, funny, heartstring-plucking romance. At once delightfully cynical and buoyantly hopeful, Rosen uses Camp ...

The gay summer camp romp of my dreams: a romantic summertime joyride and a thoughtful examination of gay culture. Gay teens or anyone who knows a gay teen should read this book.

Camp has everything you're looking for: a winning romance, a celebration of queerness, a reflection on what it takes to embrace your most authentic self, and answers to questions most queer boys often don't k ...

Camp is a divine treat. A subversive explosion of masc/fem stereotypes wrapped inside a sparkly, funny, heartstring-plucking romance. At once delightfully cynical and buoyantly hopeful, Rosen uses Camp ...

Books by L. C. Rosen

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter