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111th out of 360 books
—
1,505 voters
Doing It
Now in paperback, award-winning author Melvin Burgess's daringly honest and often hilarious account of contemporary teenage life, and the ups and downs that surround "doing it."
The controversial book on which the cult favorite ABC television series Life as We Know It (now available on DVD) was based, Doing It introduces us to Dino, Jon, and Ben, three teenage best friends...more
The controversial book on which the cult favorite ABC television series Life as We Know It (now available on DVD) was based, Doing It introduces us to Dino, Jon, and Ben, three teenage best friends...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
May 2nd 2006
by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
(first published April 30th 2003)
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This book makes me angry every time I read it, but that is why it is so crucial to the Young Adult Literature course I teach. I always feel that Burgess is playing me, manipulating me, deliberately being both shocking and truthful.
And he is.
It turns out, however, to be a very moral book indeed.
And he is.
It turns out, however, to be a very moral book indeed.
Dec 01, 2008
Mackenzie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who like sexal stuff
Recommended to Mackenzie by:
no one
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
It's not very often that a book from a boy perspective goes as deep and as far as this book does. And the thing is, it's not just a book about having sex where the perspective has been superficially switched from a girl to a boy. It is a dense book plotwise, having three different main characters to follow around and their issues are fundamentally different enough to create tension and hold the story true to life. Also, Doing It explores the concepts of revenge, rape, when to see a doctor, and v...more
I loved this book.
Such honest insight into teen life and funny! :-)
It's not all pretty, though--the way these boys think at times is positively awful.
But it's great.
Such honest insight into teen life and funny! :-)
It's not all pretty, though--the way these boys think at times is positively awful.
But it's great.
Doing It starts with the three main characters discussing whom they would choose to shag, given two supposedly unappealing choices. This opening scene sets the tone of the book.
Dino is the It boy and wants to hook up with Jackie who is equally It. Jackie is supposedly a sensible, mature girl with an older boyfriend, who somehow falls under Dino’s spell. I found Jackie to be completely confusing and annoying. She goes back and forth between lusting after Dino and despising him. Jackie’s wavering...more
Dino is the It boy and wants to hook up with Jackie who is equally It. Jackie is supposedly a sensible, mature girl with an older boyfriend, who somehow falls under Dino’s spell. I found Jackie to be completely confusing and annoying. She goes back and forth between lusting after Dino and despising him. Jackie’s wavering...more
2Q, 4P
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I remember being in junior high and sneaking peeks at certain books in the library that I knew contained sex. It felt so scandalous! If this book had been in the library when I was 12 and I had come across it, I would have had my fill, been so shocked that I probably never would have looked for another sexy passage again.
I am perhaps not familiar enough with the inner workings of a teenage boy's brain, but I had difficulty following what...more
I was really looking forward to reading this book. I remember being in junior high and sneaking peeks at certain books in the library that I knew contained sex. It felt so scandalous! If this book had been in the library when I was 12 and I had come across it, I would have had my fill, been so shocked that I probably never would have looked for another sexy passage again.
I am perhaps not familiar enough with the inner workings of a teenage boy's brain, but I had difficulty following what...more
3.5 stars. With all the calls for this book to be banned in the UK due to claims of misogyny, I was curious to check it out. To some degree, I can see where the concerns are coming from. The female characters are either unrealistically sweet or frighteningly manipulative, and one of the boys is sexually coercive. And if you'd only read the first half of the book (which is easy to do, as the middle drags), it would be easy to describe this book as raunchy and disturbing and nothing more.
But ultim...more
But ultim...more
When I say "I couldn't put it down," I mean it. I was glued to the couch and read his book from start to finish, and was sorry when it was done. I laughed, I gasped in horror, I bit my nails with worry. Not many novels do that for me.
The book shares the mindset and voice of the incredible British TV show SKINS. So much so that I was convinced Burgess was a co-creator of the series, but this seems not to be. Like SKINS, DOING IT follows the lives of a group of Brit teens as they obsess about the...more
The book shares the mindset and voice of the incredible British TV show SKINS. So much so that I was convinced Burgess was a co-creator of the series, but this seems not to be. Like SKINS, DOING IT follows the lives of a group of Brit teens as they obsess about the...more
2 likes · like · see review
Three teenaged boys enjoy talking about, thinking about, and joking about sex. Dino finally establishes a relationship with Jackie, the prettiest girl in school, who will allow all sorts of sexual liberties, but draws the line at intercourse. He finds another girl whom he mistakenly thinks he can use for sex while keeping his relationship with Jackie viable. In the meantime, he witnesses his mother passionately involved with a man who is not his father, and must deal with the results of his own...more
GENRE: Fiction: Realistic fiction, sensual fiction, humor.
SUBJECT/THEMES: Friendship, relationships, sexuality, family problems, high school.
SUMMARY: Three high-school boys, Jonathon, Dino and Ben, are obsessed with sex. They think (and talk) about who will have sex with them, who they would rather have sex with, and how to make all of this happen. Each of their situations are a bit different, however. Gorgeous and popular Dino wants to seduce equally gorgeous and popular Jackie, though she want...more
SUBJECT/THEMES: Friendship, relationships, sexuality, family problems, high school.
SUMMARY: Three high-school boys, Jonathon, Dino and Ben, are obsessed with sex. They think (and talk) about who will have sex with them, who they would rather have sex with, and how to make all of this happen. Each of their situations are a bit different, however. Gorgeous and popular Dino wants to seduce equally gorgeous and popular Jackie, though she want...more
Dino, Jonathan, and Ben are Brit guys in their late teens with typical and not so typical problems relating to the other sex. Dino's in lust with the lovely Jackie who alternately gives him the green light and runs away from him screaming. Jonathan is attracted to "the fat girl" to everyone's horror and disgust. And Ben is lured into the bedroom by one of his teachers. Their stories are interlaced, and there's a fair amount of banter between them - a pretty good look at what goes on in the minds...more
The book Doing It is written in the point of view of several different high school students in Britain. Because the children are British the way they speak is different and at times a bit confusing. I liked the book because it something almost every teenager can relate to, the pressures of having sex.
In the book the teenage boys’ hormones are raging and the girls’ as well. There are several couples and relationships that are beginning to sprout. All of the characters in the book are being faced...more
In the book the teenage boys’ hormones are raging and the girls’ as well. There are several couples and relationships that are beginning to sprout. All of the characters in the book are being faced...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I was really irritated with how the characters are portrayed in this book. Throughout the story the characters discover things as they go a long through their journey. The point of view is really told from all the character's point of view, because the author made their voices alive and used very descriptive words to show how they are feeling and what they are saying. Dino, Jonathan, and Ben have got some problems, mostly with Jackie, Deborah, and Alison are the main characters in the book. The...more
This book was introduced to me during the Young Adult Fictions undergrad course which I studied in 2007.The original cover of the edition which I read depicted a young woman with her pants down accompanied by a title in bold yellow print - 'Doing it'. Pretty self explanatory.
The story focuses on a group of adolescent boys picking, and stumbling their way through girls, relationships, and life in general.
Burgess used strong language throughout the book, but it was not to my mind, overused. It see...more
The story focuses on a group of adolescent boys picking, and stumbling their way through girls, relationships, and life in general.
Burgess used strong language throughout the book, but it was not to my mind, overused. It see...more
This story its told through the perspective of three teenage boys, as they think about and experience sex. It also deals with issues of friendship, peer pressure, self-esteem and family/parental struggles. The three main characters of the story are best friends Dino, Ben, and Jonathan, three "typical" teenage boys with raging hormones who want more than anything to "do it." As the story progresses, each character narrates their storyline, sharing unique (often sex related) experiences. Dino atte...more
Oct 18, 2011
Ann
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
adultery,
books-for-boys,
coming-of-age,
england,
high-school,
realistic,
teachers,
young-adult,
sex,
friendship,
male-relationships
Reading a book called "Doing It" lead to no end of tasteless jokes from my friends (nearly as many as when I read "Ragged Dick"), but unfortunately, that was my favorite part of reading this. (It was for class, p.s. - you can think about my poor reading choices when it comes to culinary mysteries and vampire chick-lit, but not this.) I can see its value in its honest portrayal of the mind of the typical teenage boy, but I didn't enjoy reading it at all. I didn't find any reason why I should care...more
This was an interesting book. Not just about teenage thinking about and having sex like I thought it would be (not for lack of trying on the guy's part though). You get to see inside the boys' heads and see what really goes on in there when they're dating a new girl, do they like her or not (if not, why not), how they go about trying to get her into bed, etc. It was a refreshing change. Some of the parts in the book were downright funny and others made your cringe, but you wanted to see how the...more
Oct 04, 2012
Joan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who enjoys a well-written book
Shelves:
favourites,
young-adult
I work with teenagers, all rampant hormones and raging testosterone, and I have read quite a few YA novels that purport to be 'realistic'. This novel had my crying with laughter, but it also made me really think about what it must be like to be a teenage boy. A brilliant book, which has humour, laughter, sadness, friendship and hope. I won't spoil it for anyone who has not had the pleasure of reading this wonderful story, but suffice it to say.. the account of what happens in the doctor's surger...more
Hmm, *taps chin* what to say, what to say?
For starters, this book definitely talks about that three letter word a lot (the word is sex, if you didn't catch that), but I wouldn't allow anyone to shy away from this book simply because of that. Initially, I was gobsmacked at how it just jumped right into it, but it's not unbearable; you get past it. Plus, the male perspective is not something you find very often. The book alternates POV's.
About halfway through is when I probably got the distinction...more
For starters, this book definitely talks about that three letter word a lot (the word is sex, if you didn't catch that), but I wouldn't allow anyone to shy away from this book simply because of that. Initially, I was gobsmacked at how it just jumped right into it, but it's not unbearable; you get past it. Plus, the male perspective is not something you find very often. The book alternates POV's.
About halfway through is when I probably got the distinction...more
3.5 stars
There is a difference between liking a book and seeing the value in it. Although this book was lower on the star meter, I did see the value in it and was actually impressed with it in the end. "Doing It" is about exactly what the title says. Three teens guys in Britain are all obsessed with doing it. Now, I thought the book, which was required reading for my YA lit class in the "controversial literature" genre, would be all raunchy and crude with a lot of bad humor. Now every page was f...more
There is a difference between liking a book and seeing the value in it. Although this book was lower on the star meter, I did see the value in it and was actually impressed with it in the end. "Doing It" is about exactly what the title says. Three teens guys in Britain are all obsessed with doing it. Now, I thought the book, which was required reading for my YA lit class in the "controversial literature" genre, would be all raunchy and crude with a lot of bad humor. Now every page was f...more
1 like · like · see review
Sex, Sex, Sex….it seems that is all that is on the minds of the three boys in this book. Dino, Ben, and Jonathan are great friends and all trying to find a way to lose their virginity. Dino is obsessed with Jackie, the most popular girl at school. Jackie doesn’t give Dino the time of day. She likes older boys and has had a serious boyfriend for a while. Finally, after a lot of convincing, Jackie agrees to go on a date with Dino. She finds that she can’t stop thinking about him and finally they b...more
2 likes · like · see review
Having never been a teenage boy myself, it's hard for me to say how much real insight into the male psyche this book offers. However, I though it was an honest and refreshing take on a teenage stereotype that doesn't often get discussed without blushes and looks of disapproval. (Although I admit I blushed and shook my head disapprovingly more than once.) As you can probably guess from the title, there's LOTS of sexual content. There's also a lot of language. Not for everyone, but as much as I wa...more
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about “Doing It,” by Melvin Burgess. I was really excited to start reading it, but once I got 157 pages in, I was fed up. It is hilarious and raunchy, but I feel like it kept dragging on. The problems that each individual character had kept me reading until the problems weren’t getting better. I also thought the author had too many characters to start. It’s not fun to read a book if you get confused by all the people and problems.
Another thing I didn’t like about...more
After reading this, I can say without a doubt that I will never recommend it for any of my future students. The only reason I'm putting it on my ya fiction shelf is because that is what it was classified as at the library. I'm not a fan of censoring books for kids or teens, but this one was so raunchy it took me by surprise. Even though I'm not familiar with a lot of British slang, it was pretty easy to guess who "knobby knobster" was right off the bat.
It takes over half the book, but there is...more
It takes over half the book, but there is...more
Let's just lay it out flat, much like the plot of this book: I didn't like this book. I was very much annoyed by the fat jokes and focus on popularity and image. I couldn't stand it past 100 pages for personal reasons. It was nice to read a book with a protagonist that wasn't a loser/recluse but I just couldn't read any more of the frivolous, self-centered comments of the main characters.
That being said, I suppose I can see the book as a tool to re-engage teens back into reading. The topic is r...more
That being said, I suppose I can see the book as a tool to re-engage teens back into reading. The topic is r...more
This guy, a British fellow, gets a lot of critical acclaim for his writing--it's honest and believable stuff about young adults (plus, this particular book was spawned into a short-lived series by the geniuses that brought up the other great short-lived series Freaks and Geeks). I decided to buy and read this book because, in my writing, I'm wondering if I got the teenage male voice right... not ever having been a teenage male, I wasn't sure that what I thought they were thinking about lust and...more
Once again, I don't like British books, especially written for the young sassy person. As advertised, this book is about sex.
I got about 40 pages through this. Just boring boy-centric horny sex stuff and not very clever.
I got about 40 pages through this. Just boring boy-centric horny sex stuff and not very clever.
This book reminded me a great deal of the television show, Skins. It was raunchy, realistic, touching, disturbing, and frustrating all at the same time. From primarily a male perspective, Burgess gives us all some frightening insight into the minds of seventeen year old boys. I think the book will resonate with a lot of teenage boys, but any librarians out there better know the parents of those boys before recommending the book. The book talks in detail about sex, drugs, and abuse. While I think...more
I actually really enjoyed this book. It literally puts you in the mind of teenage guys, and it's not very often I read a book from a guys POV. But even those that I have read don't go into depth on their innermost..or rather, raunchier thoughts, Lol. To sum it up nicely, the book is about relationships and basic teenage problems..but mainly just sex. Thinking about it, worrying about it, waiting for it, talking about it, and doing it, Lol.
The three boys, Jon, Dino, and Ben, each had different st...more
The three boys, Jon, Dino, and Ben, each had different st...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| What's The Name o...: YA 3 English Students/ one dates crazy teacher [s] | 4 | 111 | Sep 17, 2012 02:24pm |
Melvin Burgess is a British author of children's fiction. His first book, The Cry of the Wolf, was published in 1990. He gained a certain amount of notoriety in 1996 with the publication of Junk, which was published in the shadow of the film of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting, and dealt with the trendy and controversial idea of heroin-addicted teenagers. Junk soon became, at least in Britain, one of...more
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“Deborah felt his erection against her stomach and smiled up at him. She grabbed hold of his bum and moved him gently from side to side so that it rocked against her, twitching like Frankenstein's monster in an electric storm.”
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3 people liked it
“The thing that truly amazes me about myself is that I’m actually more scared of being embarrassed than anything else.”
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1 person liked it
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Feb 28, 2008 05:59am