Planet of the Dates
Book Club Picks

Book Club Picks: Planet of the Dates

Phil Corcoran is like any average, typical 16-year old boy; he has but one thing on his mind at all times - girls. Phil's innocent days of making movies with model figures and all male casts are over. Instead of wanting to dress up his only female friend, Stefanie, as an ape-woman for an independence version of Planet of the Apes, he now wants to dress her down. Actually, he'd dress any living, breathing female down if it meant being allowed to unlock the mysterious world of the female body.

So starts a thrilling summer for young Phil, on the cusp of his seventeenth birthday. From Cheryl, to Cassie, to Dee, to Stefanie, he'll stop at nothing to win the love (and physical intimacy) of one of these girls' hearts. Along the way he might even learn a thing or two about himself if he's not careful.

Book Club Picks: Planet of the Dates Opinion

Phil is obviously a male narrator which can be dicey in my book. The times I've truly enjoyed a man's voice as main character are few and far between. Imagine my surprise when Phil was able to immediately pull me into his world, without even working very hard for it!

At first I thought I wouldn't recommend the book to a book club because it is all about the conquests of a teenage boy. But as I read on and got to know Phil, I realized that it's actually a coming-of-age story about love and regret. There are more than a few themes available for discussion that would stir up passions in a reading group. The best thing about this story is that Phil is such a likeable guy. The author has done a beautiful job of using Phil as the vehicle to describe teenage male angst and also to shed some light on the age-old phrase, "he's only after one thing."

Women - consider this read a learning experience. Perhaps we can discover some reasoning behind why the male species behave the way they do. If we follow the author's train of thought here, it's simply innate and can't be helped!

Book Club Picks: Planet of the Dates Discussion Questions

1. Do all 16 year old boys think only about making out?
2. Was Phil a nerd? Do you think he cared or was fine being who he was?
3. How do you feel about the end of Phil and Stefanie's relationship?

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