Starred Review ALA Booklist (Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Starred Review Wade, a professor at Occidental College, approaches "hookup culture" at American universities with a new set of questions in order to provide an engaging, thought-provoking, and accessible examination of current social behaviors. She asks how this new culture, defined by no-commitment sexual relationships, affects young adults: Who participates, and why? Who is excluded? Her work follows students of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and sexual orientations as they navigate hookup culture. As Wade gives a researched account of the historical evolution of dating and college social scenes, their unspoken rules, and the different expectations they create for men and women, she allows students to speak for themselves through journal entries and interviews. Many students desire better connections with their peers, yet hookup culture enforces an affected lack of caring that leaves many of them unhappy. The emphasis on an ideal college experience of parties, drinking, and sex produces complex expectations for students. Wade also addresses sexual assault and violence and the ways that hookup culture normalizes aggressive sexual behavior. Throughout the book, student interviews provide important context and nuance to Wade's excellent analysis of the benefits, challenges, influences, and impact of hookup culture, as well as the author's emphasis of its importance beyond the borders of college campuses.

Kirkus Reviews

How and why American college students are engaging in nonintimate one-night stands.Although students on college campuses profess to be having a lot of sex, according to Wade's (Sociology/Occidental Coll.; co-author: Gender: Ideas, Interactions, Institutions, 2014, etc.) research, "today's students boast no more sexual partners than their parents did at their age." The difference is the culture surrounding the intimacy, a topic the author thoroughly and perceptively explores. Using in-depth research and multiple surveys from hetero, bi, trans, and queer students of all ethnic and economic levels from colleges across the country, Wade delves into the new hookup culture, which allows students access to sex but can leave them feeling anxious, depressed, and overwhelmed. It comes as no surprise that drunkenness and sex often go hand in hand, that many students feel they would not be able to have sex with just anybody without the alcohol, and that the hookup often starts on the fraternity party dance floor. What is surprising is the intentional lack of emotions allowed after the sexual encounter has taken place, with students deliberately acting cold toward each other after sex. Since no one wants to be tied down or viewed as clingy, needy, or desperate, all partners act as if the other person doesn't exist, which leads to doubts about why the hookup happened in the first place. Wade does a solid job explaining the pros and cons of this new culture and includes historical data that shows how it evolved from the shift in family dynamics following the Industrial Revolution. The most interesting perspectives come from the journal entries written by students, in which they admit to wanting an emotionally charged relationship with someone but don't want the stigma of being "uncool" or of losing the opportunity to "live their sexual lives freely." An eye-opening, conversation-starting examination of sex on the American college campus.

School Library Journal (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

The transition from high school senior to college freshman signifies far more than academic accomplishment. Moving from the constraints of the teen years to the seemingly unbounded freedom of de facto adulthood can be a precipitous adjustment. This shift is perhaps most evident in the increased opportunities for sex or, more specifically, within the casual sexual encounter known as the hookup. As Wade describes, hookup culture permeates recreational activities at campuses across the country. Citing examples from doctoral dissertations, popular magazine articles, and the journals of her students, the author explores the rules and rituals of hookups as well as the emotional impact these encounters may carry for participants. For example, young people often attempt to hook up with someone considered "hot," or risk ridicule from friends, and pretend that the hookup never happened when seeing their sex partner the next time. Wade notes that participants are mostly white, heterosexual, and from money, although the predominance of hookup culture affects nearly all students. Teens will probably be less shocked than adults by the accounts of emotionless sex, since these activities frequently begin in high school. But the deeper, hidden aspects of the experiencethe way it deliberately avoids committed relationships and focuses narrowly on sexual desirabilityare important insights for adolescents as they embark on their own college adventures. VERDICT College-bound young adults will be better prepared to navigate hookup culture on their own terms after reading this informative, empathetic account.Diane Colson, City College, Gainesville, FL