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The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation's Fight Over Its Future
A NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE WEEK PICK
Equal parts investigative reporting and cultural criticism, this is a look at the sex lives of young adults in post-Roe v. Wade, post-#MeToo America—and how the challenges they face are harbingers of what’s coming for the rest of us.
As a college student, award-winning journalist Carter Sherman, along with several members of her sorority, was interviewed by a writer looking for salacious details about their sex lives. But the sex the girls were having—or the lack thereof—seemed disappointing, and their stories didn’t make the book’s final cut. A decade later, young Americans are having less sex than past generations, and the sex they are having is infinitely more complicated. Sherman, who has spent years traveling the country reporting on gender and sexuality, wanted to find out why.
Based on more than one hundred interviews with teenagers and young adults, activists, and experts, The Second Coming reveals how (mis)education, the internet, and politics have not only reshaped relationships but also unleashed a nationwide power struggle over the future of sex. From abortion clinics crowded with young patients, to “Dating with Dignity” seminars at the National Pro-Life Summit, to school board battles over what students should read, think, and feel, we meet folks from both sides of the aisle who are well-informed, empowered, and active (even if not always sexually). And as measures are taken to limit Americans’ access to rights and resources, they are fighting back.
In the tradition of Rebecca Traister and Lisa Taddeo, The Second Coming explores how the ballot box has infiltrated the bedroom, and the breaking point as a nation we’ve reached as a result.
Equal parts investigative reporting and cultural criticism, this is a look at the sex lives of young adults in post-Roe v. Wade, post-#MeToo America—and how the challenges they face are harbingers of what’s coming for the rest of us.
As a college student, award-winning journalist Carter Sherman, along with several members of her sorority, was interviewed by a writer looking for salacious details about their sex lives. But the sex the girls were having—or the lack thereof—seemed disappointing, and their stories didn’t make the book’s final cut. A decade later, young Americans are having less sex than past generations, and the sex they are having is infinitely more complicated. Sherman, who has spent years traveling the country reporting on gender and sexuality, wanted to find out why.
Based on more than one hundred interviews with teenagers and young adults, activists, and experts, The Second Coming reveals how (mis)education, the internet, and politics have not only reshaped relationships but also unleashed a nationwide power struggle over the future of sex. From abortion clinics crowded with young patients, to “Dating with Dignity” seminars at the National Pro-Life Summit, to school board battles over what students should read, think, and feel, we meet folks from both sides of the aisle who are well-informed, empowered, and active (even if not always sexually). And as measures are taken to limit Americans’ access to rights and resources, they are fighting back.
In the tradition of Rebecca Traister and Lisa Taddeo, The Second Coming explores how the ballot box has infiltrated the bedroom, and the breaking point as a nation we’ve reached as a result.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2025
59 people are currently reading
1125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 8, 2025
This was a really bracing read that kindly, but firmly takes the reader by the hand and shows us exactly where we’re at in regards to how sexual conservatism is threatening our country. It’s not without charm and humor by any means, but the bleakness of the situation as a whole makes the read pretty depressing by the end. Still, there’s a real satisfaction to seeing the problem laid out, organized, and systematically discussed, especially through the lens of Gen Z’s experience.
I remember the utter despair when Roe was overturned. I turned thirty that summer and finally pulled the trigger and dug into our savings to get electively sterilized to protect myself. It’s painful, but somewhat healing to read a book that takes the monumental loss of Roe seriously and is willing to reckon with how we got here and what more we have to lose.
Also, it was just damn interesting to hear folks a little younger than me talk about their experiences of sex and gender. Overall, a really interesting book that validates a lot of the big emotions I’ve been having about reproductive rights, relationship trends, and progressive communication over the last few years. A really comprehensive and important read.
I remember the utter despair when Roe was overturned. I turned thirty that summer and finally pulled the trigger and dug into our savings to get electively sterilized to protect myself. It’s painful, but somewhat healing to read a book that takes the monumental loss of Roe seriously and is willing to reckon with how we got here and what more we have to lose.
Also, it was just damn interesting to hear folks a little younger than me talk about their experiences of sex and gender. Overall, a really interesting book that validates a lot of the big emotions I’ve been having about reproductive rights, relationship trends, and progressive communication over the last few years. A really comprehensive and important read.
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July 23, 2025honestly i was so depressed finishing this book
September 19, 2025
Gen Z is having less sex than previous generations, and Carter Sherman’s excellently reported book is here to shed some light on why! Through interviews with hundreds of young people, Sherman shows the myriad ways that growing trends of sexual conservatism have infiltrated the bedroom, proving that old adage: the personal is political.
I particularly enjoyed the chapters about Sex Ed programming and the billion-dollar lobby to vitiate it, the roles fanfiction and porn play in the construction of young adults’ sexual concepts, the rise of the “manosphere,” the assault against Title IX, and the aftermath of the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Sherman has spent years on the frontlines reporting in these spaces and her expertise shows! She identifies a frightening common thread: conservatives are using legislation concerning children as a (largely successful) beachhead to push for sexual conservatism and destroy reproductive rights across the board. They’re also masterfully twisting language to support this agenda: abstinence is “sexual risk avoidance” while traveling out of state to get an abortion is “abortion trafficking.”
I appreciated how current the reporting was, featuring incisive commentary on how the pandemic affected sexual trends, emerging technologies like the app “Covenant Eyes,” and the horrific and accelerating tactic of conservative fearmongering about transgender people. The perspectives of real teenagers and twenty-somethings are prioritized and the beating heart of the book.
This book is a grim portrait, but a necessary one, and Sherman’s writing is crisp, feminist, and urgent. You should read this!
I particularly enjoyed the chapters about Sex Ed programming and the billion-dollar lobby to vitiate it, the roles fanfiction and porn play in the construction of young adults’ sexual concepts, the rise of the “manosphere,” the assault against Title IX, and the aftermath of the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Sherman has spent years on the frontlines reporting in these spaces and her expertise shows! She identifies a frightening common thread: conservatives are using legislation concerning children as a (largely successful) beachhead to push for sexual conservatism and destroy reproductive rights across the board. They’re also masterfully twisting language to support this agenda: abstinence is “sexual risk avoidance” while traveling out of state to get an abortion is “abortion trafficking.”
I appreciated how current the reporting was, featuring incisive commentary on how the pandemic affected sexual trends, emerging technologies like the app “Covenant Eyes,” and the horrific and accelerating tactic of conservative fearmongering about transgender people. The perspectives of real teenagers and twenty-somethings are prioritized and the beating heart of the book.
This book is a grim portrait, but a necessary one, and Sherman’s writing is crisp, feminist, and urgent. You should read this!
June 30, 2025
4.75/5 stars
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK
but unfortunately the people who need it most will never dare to even skim it 🙄
this is a one stop shop for a look at the sexual experiences and political clusterfucks that zillenials (1997-2002) have been and are currently living through
for better or worse, not much of this was new info for me but that doesn’t detract from the importance of it
I would love for an open minded but moderately informed mom to read this and share her thoughts
extremely thankful to be living in a state that allows abortion access until fetal viability and am sickened by the fact that this accessibility is a privilege
FDT fr and FUCK THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION 🦅🇺🇸
EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK
but unfortunately the people who need it most will never dare to even skim it 🙄
this is a one stop shop for a look at the sexual experiences and political clusterfucks that zillenials (1997-2002) have been and are currently living through
for better or worse, not much of this was new info for me but that doesn’t detract from the importance of it
I would love for an open minded but moderately informed mom to read this and share her thoughts
extremely thankful to be living in a state that allows abortion access until fetal viability and am sickened by the fact that this accessibility is a privilege
FDT fr and FUCK THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION 🦅🇺🇸
June 1, 2025
Book Review: The Second Coming: Sex and the Next Generation’s Fight Over Its Future by Carter Sherman - A Public Health Practitioner’s Perspective
Carter Sherman’s The Second Coming is a provocative, deeply reported exploration of how Gen Z and younger millennials are navigating sex, power, and identity in a world where traditional frameworks are collapsing. As a public health worker, I found myself both energized and unsettled by Sherman’s unflinching examination of the gaps between progressive rhetoric and lived reality—especially in spaces like campuses and clinics where I’ve witnessed these tensions firsthand.
Emotional Resonance: Between Hope and Frustration
Sherman’s writing crackles with urgency. Her investigation into how young people are redefining (or rejecting) sexual norms—from “low-sex” sororities to digital activism—left me oscillating between hope and frustration. There were moments I wanted to cheer (her critique of exploitative media narratives!) and moments I had to pause (the eerie parallels between moral panics over youth sexuality and reproductive health censorship). Her portrayal of institutional failures—universities, public health systems, even feminist movements—hit close to home. How often have we, as practitioners, defaulted to one-size-fits-all solutions for sexual health while ignoring the complexities of agency, trauma, and systemic oppression?
Key Insights for Public Health
-Beyond Binary Frameworks: Sherman dismantles the false choice between “empowerment” and “risk” narratives around youth sexuality—a tension I’ve seen paralyze sex-ed programs. Her reporting highlights the need for approaches that prioritize autonomy without overlooking structural violence.
-The Myth of “Progress”: The book exposes how generational divides (even within feminism) can hinder solidarity. As part of organizations working at the intersection of HIV advocacy and abortion access, I recognized the dangers of assuming younger generations will “fix” what older ones couldn’t.
-Data vs. Lived Experience: Sherman’s critique of how institutions weaponize statistics (e.g., campus assault rates) to avoid accountability resonated deeply. Public health must stop hiding behind “evidence-based” jargon when communities demand transformative change.
Constructive Criticism
While groundbreaking, I wished for:
-More Intersectional Depth: The focus on predominantly white, college-aged narratives occasionally overshadowed the experiences of queer, disabled, and BIPOC youth—groups disproportionately impacted by sexual health inequities.
-Public Health Solutions: Sherman’s reporting excels at diagnosing problems, but I craved more examples of community-driven alternatives (e.g., mutual-aid STI testing, survivor-led consent workshops).
Final Thoughts
The Second Coming is essential reading for public health workers ready to confront the messy, beautiful future of sexual liberation. Sherman doesn’t offer easy answers—she demands we listen to a generation fighting for a world we’ve failed to give them.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5) – A catalyst for uncomfortable but necessary conversations.
Gratitude: Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy. In a field obsessed with “best practices,” this book is a vital reminder to center people over protocols.
Carter Sherman’s The Second Coming is a provocative, deeply reported exploration of how Gen Z and younger millennials are navigating sex, power, and identity in a world where traditional frameworks are collapsing. As a public health worker, I found myself both energized and unsettled by Sherman’s unflinching examination of the gaps between progressive rhetoric and lived reality—especially in spaces like campuses and clinics where I’ve witnessed these tensions firsthand.
Emotional Resonance: Between Hope and Frustration
Sherman’s writing crackles with urgency. Her investigation into how young people are redefining (or rejecting) sexual norms—from “low-sex” sororities to digital activism—left me oscillating between hope and frustration. There were moments I wanted to cheer (her critique of exploitative media narratives!) and moments I had to pause (the eerie parallels between moral panics over youth sexuality and reproductive health censorship). Her portrayal of institutional failures—universities, public health systems, even feminist movements—hit close to home. How often have we, as practitioners, defaulted to one-size-fits-all solutions for sexual health while ignoring the complexities of agency, trauma, and systemic oppression?
Key Insights for Public Health
-Beyond Binary Frameworks: Sherman dismantles the false choice between “empowerment” and “risk” narratives around youth sexuality—a tension I’ve seen paralyze sex-ed programs. Her reporting highlights the need for approaches that prioritize autonomy without overlooking structural violence.
-The Myth of “Progress”: The book exposes how generational divides (even within feminism) can hinder solidarity. As part of organizations working at the intersection of HIV advocacy and abortion access, I recognized the dangers of assuming younger generations will “fix” what older ones couldn’t.
-Data vs. Lived Experience: Sherman’s critique of how institutions weaponize statistics (e.g., campus assault rates) to avoid accountability resonated deeply. Public health must stop hiding behind “evidence-based” jargon when communities demand transformative change.
Constructive Criticism
While groundbreaking, I wished for:
-More Intersectional Depth: The focus on predominantly white, college-aged narratives occasionally overshadowed the experiences of queer, disabled, and BIPOC youth—groups disproportionately impacted by sexual health inequities.
-Public Health Solutions: Sherman’s reporting excels at diagnosing problems, but I craved more examples of community-driven alternatives (e.g., mutual-aid STI testing, survivor-led consent workshops).
Final Thoughts
The Second Coming is essential reading for public health workers ready to confront the messy, beautiful future of sexual liberation. Sherman doesn’t offer easy answers—she demands we listen to a generation fighting for a world we’ve failed to give them.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5) – A catalyst for uncomfortable but necessary conversations.
Gratitude: Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss for the review copy. In a field obsessed with “best practices,” this book is a vital reminder to center people over protocols.
September 23, 2025
The central claim of this book is that "sexual conservatives" are manipulating gen Z into having less sex, and that this is a manifestly bad state of affairs. There's very little argument for *why* this is bad, other than the author's own painful and alienating experience as an adolescent of being the last of her friend group to lose her virginity. The book reads like a naive relic from a bygone age that thought unlimited sexual freedom was a panacea. Ms. Sherman fails to see how Gen Z might actually be learning from the mistakes of prior generations.
Her assumptions have the effect of denying Gen Z any agency in choosing to opt out of the sexual economy of Gen X and Millenials. She fails to seriously consider whether Gen Z actually might be right: maybe having lots of (even "safe") sex with lots of partners beginning in adolescence is manifestly unhealthy? Maybe pornography actually is exploitative of its creators and damaging to its consumers? Maybe the best way out of cycles of sexual violence is a world in which people choose to only have sex with partners who have made a life-long commitment to love, honor, and cherish them?
The book is at its best when it sticks to stories and facts: there are some very interesting interviews and helpful perspectives in the book, but it drips so heavily in the authors narrow ideology to be largely unhelpful.
Her assumptions have the effect of denying Gen Z any agency in choosing to opt out of the sexual economy of Gen X and Millenials. She fails to seriously consider whether Gen Z actually might be right: maybe having lots of (even "safe") sex with lots of partners beginning in adolescence is manifestly unhealthy? Maybe pornography actually is exploitative of its creators and damaging to its consumers? Maybe the best way out of cycles of sexual violence is a world in which people choose to only have sex with partners who have made a life-long commitment to love, honor, and cherish them?
The book is at its best when it sticks to stories and facts: there are some very interesting interviews and helpful perspectives in the book, but it drips so heavily in the authors narrow ideology to be largely unhelpful.
June 26, 2025
I urge anyone and everyone to read this book, whether you are a parent of a Gen Z teen or young adult, or a Gen Z or millennial adult yourself. This book is a comprehensive look at how young people's (and the rest of our!) sex lives are impacted by factors outside of the bedroom, from access to sex ed to social media to bills being pushed in front of Congress. I read the NYT every day, but it was this book that made everything click for me: not only do I feel like I have a real, thorough understanding of the current political moment and how we got where we are today, but it also gave me so many new insights and understandings into my own experiences that, not exaggerating, were genuine eureka moments. This book doesn't shy away from the very real efforts conservatives are making to take away access to safe and informed sex, but it also left me feeling inspired and hopeful for the future. The next generation is highly engaged, curious, smart, and open. This book balances their stories and perspectives (over 100!) along with Carter's thorough research and smart, funny analysis. One of the most important books of the year.
August 12, 2025
really well-done book, wowza.
the reporting and research gone into this is phenomenal. the analysis is critical and urgent. sexuality and the internet have overlapped - there’s no backing out of this - but the violent efforts to revoke resources and information to educate people on safely navigating them is disgusting.
sherman is confident, yet concise when highlighting interviewees or divulging into lawsuit histories. i’m glad i read this because damn, shit is bleak. but even i (at 23 with my own experiences) have learnt quite a lot. this should be used as guides for sex-ed classes (well maybe not for students, since it’s fairly long)
the reporting and research gone into this is phenomenal. the analysis is critical and urgent. sexuality and the internet have overlapped - there’s no backing out of this - but the violent efforts to revoke resources and information to educate people on safely navigating them is disgusting.
sherman is confident, yet concise when highlighting interviewees or divulging into lawsuit histories. i’m glad i read this because damn, shit is bleak. but even i (at 23 with my own experiences) have learnt quite a lot. this should be used as guides for sex-ed classes (well maybe not for students, since it’s fairly long)
December 11, 2025
Should be required reading for all Americans upon turning 16
December 26, 2025
fan fiction continues to rule sex ed!
very insightful, half of the book were topics i was already well informed on but i think this would make a great introductory book for people who aren’t as educated on sexuality, gender politics, and abortion.
very insightful, half of the book were topics i was already well informed on but i think this would make a great introductory book for people who aren’t as educated on sexuality, gender politics, and abortion.
October 15, 2025
This would have gotten 5 stars from me, but it just felt slightly more dense than other books I've read about sex ed and abortion and things. I love seeing the work that the younger generation is taking up and I want to help in any way that I can! I also saw some stats I was shocked by, despite being pretty aware of this world.
Read
April 7, 2025dnf 🫣
July 19, 2025
"Good sex is impossible without equality."
--Carter Sherman, The Second Coming
Full disclosure: I probably wouldn't have read this book had I not been interviewed for it last year (a quote from me appears in chapter 9!), but boy am I glad I did.
I guess I probably would have thought I didn't have anything to learn from it. The Second Coming is about Gen Z's beliefs, attitudes and practices when it comes to sex, and as someone who is in Gen Z and has sex, and has read many books about sex, I probably would have skipped it. But there are three particular reasons I give this book five stars, and why I would recommend it to others regardless of age: one, the writing is excellent; two, the inclusion of so many Gen Z voices make the book stand out; and three, The Second Coming has many important things to say about consent.
Before reading this book, I never thought about consent being a crucial component of sexual education. That may sound bad, but hear me out. I, like many of the other people interviewed for the book, had a terrible sex education that prioritized abstinence above all else. Any inklings in my mind of the idea of consent were planted in the wake of #MeToo, which was definitely not discussed in any of my high school classes. But Sherman points out why this is such a problem in my favorite passage in the book: if your teachers only ever tell you to say 'no' to sex, what do you do when someone doesn't take 'no' for an answer?
In so many ways, the reasons the world has incels, and rape culture, and girls with body image issues, etc, etc, is because of the failure of sex education, and the people behind that failure. America is in dire need of its own cultural revolution, one which abolishes the conservative ideals surrounding sex. Young people are going to have sex despite conservative efforts to stop them. They need to learn about consent, they need access to birth control and abortion, and they need to understand that equality is the key to good sex. Conservatives in both political parties, whether they outwardly express it or not, want to control and dominate young people, and in particular young women. This domination has been the cause of so much misery and death in this country, and it is time for us young people to fight back.
--Carter Sherman, The Second Coming
Full disclosure: I probably wouldn't have read this book had I not been interviewed for it last year (a quote from me appears in chapter 9!), but boy am I glad I did.
I guess I probably would have thought I didn't have anything to learn from it. The Second Coming is about Gen Z's beliefs, attitudes and practices when it comes to sex, and as someone who is in Gen Z and has sex, and has read many books about sex, I probably would have skipped it. But there are three particular reasons I give this book five stars, and why I would recommend it to others regardless of age: one, the writing is excellent; two, the inclusion of so many Gen Z voices make the book stand out; and three, The Second Coming has many important things to say about consent.
Before reading this book, I never thought about consent being a crucial component of sexual education. That may sound bad, but hear me out. I, like many of the other people interviewed for the book, had a terrible sex education that prioritized abstinence above all else. Any inklings in my mind of the idea of consent were planted in the wake of #MeToo, which was definitely not discussed in any of my high school classes. But Sherman points out why this is such a problem in my favorite passage in the book: if your teachers only ever tell you to say 'no' to sex, what do you do when someone doesn't take 'no' for an answer?
In so many ways, the reasons the world has incels, and rape culture, and girls with body image issues, etc, etc, is because of the failure of sex education, and the people behind that failure. America is in dire need of its own cultural revolution, one which abolishes the conservative ideals surrounding sex. Young people are going to have sex despite conservative efforts to stop them. They need to learn about consent, they need access to birth control and abortion, and they need to understand that equality is the key to good sex. Conservatives in both political parties, whether they outwardly express it or not, want to control and dominate young people, and in particular young women. This domination has been the cause of so much misery and death in this country, and it is time for us young people to fight back.
November 3, 2025
“Good sex is impossible without equality”.
In a book like this, you might imagine that there is no one answer behind Gen Z’s seemingly sexless nature. Depressingly, there does seem to be a culprit: sexual conservatism. The kind that’s been stubborn enough to survive our boomer and Gen X parents, and has now started propagandizing the later generations (millennials and Gen Alpha included). This conversation goes beyond sex of course, but another thesis of this book is what starts with young people ultimately comes for everyone. We take away their rights, not just to abortion and contraceptives but to education and other essentials, and then the adults are next. There might be a light at the end of the tunnel, but this is the moment we’re living in now, and it’s hard not to feel exhausted and sad. We can only hope the tide changes soon. There is still a lot of work to be done before we’re truly comfortable in our bodies again.
If you came to this very well researched book thinking that Gen Z was uniquely averse to sex, I hope you’re able to deduce why that it is. If not, then you’re no better than any generation that comes before it complaining about “kids these days”.
In a book like this, you might imagine that there is no one answer behind Gen Z’s seemingly sexless nature. Depressingly, there does seem to be a culprit: sexual conservatism. The kind that’s been stubborn enough to survive our boomer and Gen X parents, and has now started propagandizing the later generations (millennials and Gen Alpha included). This conversation goes beyond sex of course, but another thesis of this book is what starts with young people ultimately comes for everyone. We take away their rights, not just to abortion and contraceptives but to education and other essentials, and then the adults are next. There might be a light at the end of the tunnel, but this is the moment we’re living in now, and it’s hard not to feel exhausted and sad. We can only hope the tide changes soon. There is still a lot of work to be done before we’re truly comfortable in our bodies again.
If you came to this very well researched book thinking that Gen Z was uniquely averse to sex, I hope you’re able to deduce why that it is. If not, then you’re no better than any generation that comes before it complaining about “kids these days”.
December 30, 2025
This was a disheartening read. Sherman makes a strong argument that legal, political, and cultural trends are driving young people into a retreat from sex, love, and relationships. She's skilled at delving into evidence and events to prove this point. What I feel this book is missing is a heartbeat. She's overly reliant on quick anecdotes and quotes from her Gen Z sources; but I was always left feeling that I didn't really know them--their stories were tightened and shaped to be good evidence, not moving portraits. I don't think she always gets the dimensions of her sources' vulnerabilities (and fear of vulnerability) and wariness of relationships and sex. At times, I got the sense that I was reading an extended magazine article instead of a book. Nevertheless, The Second Coming and its thesis are critical for our times.
August 5, 2025
First heard about this book through an interview the author gave on the Armchair Expert podcast.
Everything today is political, and yes, even sex. In western, American culture sex is not talked about openly or frequently enough. Yet it is increasingly depicted in media and easily available online. Curtailing sex ed doesn’t stop young people from having sex, it only means they are way less informed about all it entails. As the author states, “Everybody deserves information about sex, everybody should be allowed to talk about sex, and the more sex-related knowledge and resources people have, the better they are at having sex that is not only safe, but good.” Safe but good. Why is that seen as threatening to many in the political realm?
Everything today is political, and yes, even sex. In western, American culture sex is not talked about openly or frequently enough. Yet it is increasingly depicted in media and easily available online. Curtailing sex ed doesn’t stop young people from having sex, it only means they are way less informed about all it entails. As the author states, “Everybody deserves information about sex, everybody should be allowed to talk about sex, and the more sex-related knowledge and resources people have, the better they are at having sex that is not only safe, but good.” Safe but good. Why is that seen as threatening to many in the political realm?
September 21, 2025
Fascinating, sobering, insightful, harrowing, inspiring, and honest. Detailed research and citations are tied together with tons and tons of first-person accounts and interviews. For many of us outside of the generation of “young people old enough to have sex and think about it,” this is essential reporting. It’s not just “hookup culture” or “the sex recession” anymore, and just like Millennials experienced before them, Gen Z’s experiences are not being accurately and adequately captured by most media sources. Would definitely recommend. Also loved the Girls and Sex criticism - I remember reading that book and feeling like something was missing. Glad I was right.
December 13, 2025
Goddamn, this was depressing. Well written, full of (upsetting) insights into how Gen z is on the front lines of the neverending battles around sex - sex education, reproductive rights, birth control, rape culture online and in real life etc. it details the the many pronged ways that the sexual conservatism movement, although continually morphing and rebranding, is steadfast in its quest to assure that sex is only heterosexual, within a marriage and procreative. a comprehensive overview of the modern landscape with history for context and future looking (both dire and hopeful) about where we're headed.
August 14, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
This book revealed a lot that is not common knowledge but impacts society as a whole. Being of a different generation, I was especially surprised at how much the younger generation has had to deal with regarding shifts in sexual behavior and shifting norms with the rise of the Internet. It was sad to learn how much young people have to navigate in the absence of accurate or basic sexual education. A disappointing and disturbing commentary on how little support or guidance on sexuality we are providing younger generations.
This book revealed a lot that is not common knowledge but impacts society as a whole. Being of a different generation, I was especially surprised at how much the younger generation has had to deal with regarding shifts in sexual behavior and shifting norms with the rise of the Internet. It was sad to learn how much young people have to navigate in the absence of accurate or basic sexual education. A disappointing and disturbing commentary on how little support or guidance on sexuality we are providing younger generations.
January 14, 2026
The thing that struck me about this book was how relentless and thorough anti-abortion and sexual conservatism groups are in their attacks on fundamental rights, like the right to abortion. They look for legal weak spots and create lawsuits that exploit them, and they do it over and over again until whatever was in their crosshairs “crumbles, then collapses all at once.” That is how a regressive minority manipulates the system to go against the wishes of the majority. It gives a new sense of scale to what we are up against.
December 26, 2025
An unexpected 5 stars.
I picked this up expecting high-quality research but an overall light read. By the end, I was tearing up and recommending it to friends. It IS a fun read about late millennials and Gen Z’s culture. But the book also explores public education, rape culture, the internet and the manosphere, and a concrete argument for why birth control is the BEST advancement for women since we won the right to vote.
I picked this up expecting high-quality research but an overall light read. By the end, I was tearing up and recommending it to friends. It IS a fun read about late millennials and Gen Z’s culture. But the book also explores public education, rape culture, the internet and the manosphere, and a concrete argument for why birth control is the BEST advancement for women since we won the right to vote.
January 8, 2026
I saw this book at my local bookstore, and it called to me. This was such an I formative read for any generation, not just the young generations. There’s so many moving parts in our lives right now because of polio and society that it’s hard to grasp how we got to this point. This books dives into all the past and current aspects that show us how we got to where we are today and how it could affect the future.
September 10, 2025
Excellent deep dive into the current and historical status of the United States on sex education and how it impacts lives in many ways. It exposes the political decisions made by a very small, minor group of Americans that has negatively impacted the way we set up our education system, our rights and protections, and even our economy and individual economic values.
Well researched, well composed, and looking forward to learning more!
Well researched, well composed, and looking forward to learning more!
September 24, 2025
I work almost exclusivity with Millenials and Gen Z, so this book was super helpful at putting the things I've seen and heard about this generation and sex into a broader context for understanding. It is a very smart, well researched book; it's so good, in fact, that I went and got a hard copy of it for my office.
January 3, 2026
Important and insightful - critical reading if we’re to understand our future and the generations who will lead it. We are doing so much damage to our society and culture with right-wing imposed laws that in addition to pernicious social media have drastically harmed young people. But it’s not too late to take a better approach as this book shows.
August 22, 2025
The Second Coming is intelligent, enlightening and well written. Ms. Sherman’s ability to delve into such a controversial and complex issue with such grace and diplomacy is life changing. I wish my 16 year old self could have read this book.
December 20, 2025
excellent book talking about sex. how young generation having sex is the battlefield of cultural wars and how america has done very poor job at all levels of sexual literacy. very informative and thoroughly researched. must read!
July 24, 2025
Very interesting book about our culture
July 29, 2025
Very enlightening and informative…just a ton of good and quality information…really appreciate the time and effort put into the research for this book!
August 8, 2025
Looking forward to discussing with my book club :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews