Putting life and limb at risk, E&L sought opinions on a new booklet for teenagers about sex and related matters from members of the target audience.

Sam Lambert is a 13-year-old second-level student in Dun Laoghaire. "As far as marks go, I would give it seven out of 10." With merciless candour, he says "this is defintely not" for 13-and-a-half-year-olds. "From my experience, kids know a lot more than adults think they do. Boys and girls around 12-and-a-half would know all about this sort of stuff."

Lambert says that "although I think it provided me with quite a lot of information and I was satisfied with what I learned, I would most likely hear more from others and probably still be confused."

He found the book generally informative - "but I think it would leave the reader confused about certain things" such as bisexualism, homosexuality and being a teenager.

The 96-page, pocket-sized book, with colourful illustrations, cartoon strips and diagrams, deals with a range of issues - changing bodies, contraception, safe sex, orgasms, "ending a pregnancy" and "the truth about HIV." On the fly-cover it claims to be "your indispensable guide to your changing feelings and developing body, dealing with all kinds of situations, from breaking the ice to saying no, safe sex and contraception and - knowing who to talk to and how to get help." The list of contact addresses and phone numbers do not include any address from the Republic.

Kit O'Mahony, (15), a Transition Year student in Dublin, says "it was good, informative and well laid-out." But, he found that some of it was "a little too graphic. There was no need to show so much detail." He found that parts of the book were a bit "too funny. It's a serious subject, there was no need." The humour worked in places, he felt, but in other places "it was too much."

The book was suitable for primary or sixth class or, maybe, first-year students, but not really for 15-year-olds or older. "It's too comic in places, it's not serious enough for older teenagers."

Colette (15), another Dublin student, thought that the book would be more suitable for pre-teens rather than mid-teens. "I don't like the section on becoming mature and making friends," she says.

She was especially critical of "what friendship means to girls. This part was really stupid. It was so stereotypical and sexist. For girls the list includes going shopping, whereas for boys it was sports companions. It's a book your mother or father would buy you. It would be helpful for kids of 11, 12, 13."

The illustrations? "I'm not sure if these cartoons are trying to be serious or funny because they wouldn't work if they were serious. I think they are ridiculous." She is critical of the chatup lines - "Great hair! Really suits you."

Colette says that, in general, she knew all of this before she read it in the book. "That's because I'm 15 - if I was 11, then it would be different."

Caitriona (15), another Dublin student, found the book's "slightly patronising tone" off-putting. "It's not insulting but it's slighly condescending for people of my age group. At my age it's accepted that you should know everything and generally you'd be fairly familiar with anything that came up in the book."

Because of peer pressure, she says, people in first year "wouldn't be seen dead" with it but she's sure there are children who don't know this sort of thing and don't have the confidence to ask. "It would be good if the book was given to students in schools. They would learn and find it useful but otherwise they'd be too embarrassed to take it."

Caitriona found that some of the pieces were not factual - "the friendship pieces were frivolous rather than factual."

Teresa, also 15, is from Co Wexford. "It was very good, not patronising, but informative," she said. "Some of the cartoons were good but some were a bit stereotypical.

"On the whole there is a lot of information in it. It's better than most of them. The light-hearted style was good. The writer wasn't saying you can't do this, it was open and nonjudgemental."

Stephen Fitzpatrick , a 15-yearold student from Co Dublin, liked the book. "It has good information in it, good detail, it's well laid-out and easy to read. I'd say it's for my age group."

He is critical of the chat-up lines where the thought-bubbles show that young people are insincere. "You should be honest in a relationship, it sort of contradicted what you would think."

SEX ED. Growing Up, Relationships and Sex by Dr Miriam Stoppard is published by Dorling Kindersley stg£5.99