ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.This was such a wonderful book that I wish every young girl could read; especially those who are contemplating having sex for the first time. This book tells the story of seventeen different women, and how each of them lost their virginity. And the spectrum of the narratives in this book is phenomenal. I think every woman could connect to at least one of these very different women's experiences. “Virginity isn’t a posse...

Back in Grade 4, a small group of peers asked me if I was a virgin.Not knowing what a virgin was, I said no. Well, that certainly got them laughing. And I got very upset.This incident has stuck in my memory (which is otherwise very much a sieve through which most details inevitably fall) for a few reasons. Firstly, it was one of the few times I ever felt bullied in school, despite being very nerdy and introverted and unapologetically individualist in my outward behaviour. And I don’t even really...

I have an incredibly personal essay in this anthology, as well as an additional piece about female sexuality in YA literature (and beyond). ____________________Obviously I'm biased in writing about this title, but I've finally had the chance to sit down and read it cover to cover and it's outstanding. If you're looking for the kind of honest book to hand to a teen girl about sexuality, virginity, and the social/political/psychological elements wrapped up in each, this is your winner. The essays

When I received an advance copy of this, I thought I'd keep it in my classroom. I was deluded into thinking the right student would find this book, at the right time, and start a dialogue about sex-related decisions and experiences that would prove fundamental to her development. What happened was a teenage boy found it in the middle of Speech class and wouldn't stop hee-ing and haw-ing over the word, "clit." I get it. For teens, sex is new, it's taboo, and it involves nudity. HILARIOUS. But it

Disclosure: I received a copy from the author/publisher, in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my review in any shape or form. What I loved most about The V-Word was the different perspectives of sex. You had the special first times, you had the decent first times, you had the crappy first times and the included both straight and queer sex. It gave the reader a chance to find a story that they could relate to. One where they could really understand and connect with the person...

Okay guys, I inadvertently took a hit for the team on this one. I had recently read a book written by Molly Bloom and, wanting to read more, I noticed that a Molly Bloom had contributed an essay to this compilation. Apparently we were dealing with a different Molly Bloom. Anyway, this is a compilation of essays contributed by women (or guys who think that they're women) in which the writer relates the manner in which she lost her virginity. There is nothing to titillate here; most couplings were...

While I like anthologies for me I usually love a couple essays/stories, like a few, and skip a few. Just seems to happen when there is a mix of writing/authors. In this case ALL the stories were really strong ranging from 3 stars to 5 stars and I didn't feel the urge to skip any of the stories. The best part of this anthology is how different all the voices are, the stories. We are brought up with such a weight attached to virginity, to this idea of it being lost/taken one day and that being a m...

As the librarian who purchased this book for the library, I really appreciate that they put the most salacious quotes on the back. :-/My actual review: Generally, I think this is probably a great resource for young women thinking about having sex for the first time. I'm sure this is definitely something I would have appreciated having when I was 17 and thinking about losing my virginity (instead, I had Stranger in a Strange Land). I like that all the stories covered a really wide range of experi...

Grades 8 up. This collection of short essays by women focus on the loss of virginity, but also the defining of virginity. An absolute must-read for teens entering sexual maturity, boys and girls alike.

I didn’t personally looooove the anthology, but this is an important resource for young adults who are just beginning to discover their own sexualities. The collection features a diverse range of first sexual experiences while deconstructing what “virginity” entails and why it’s such an arbitrary and incomplete way to gauge sex and sexuality. Puberty is such a time of turmoil and confusion––not only are you trying to figure out who you are, but you face incredible pressure from society and from

Publisher: Beyond WordsPublication Date: February 2nd, 2016Rating: 4 StarsSource: ARC from the publisherAdd it on Goodreads!Summary (from Goodreads):HAVING SEX FOR THE FIRST TIME IS A BIG UNKNOWN. LOTS OF PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU WHAT TO DO, BUT IS ANYONE TELLING YOU WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE?The V-Word pulls back the sheets on sex. Queer and straight. Relished and regretted. Funny and exhilarating. The seventeen women in this book (including Christa Desir, Justina Ireland, Sara Ryan, Carrie Mesrobian,

My sister gave this to me yesterday for Christmas and I started reading it about 10 minutes later. I've always had a secret (not so secret if you know me) dream of one day becoming a sexologist. This book will definitely be added to my growing sexology library. I really loved being able to read about the construct of virginity and how it has impacted many different people. I loved this book!

For the full version of this review as well as other reviews and features, go to SleepsOnTables.*I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*I want to start this review off by saying that I am not the biggest contemporary fan, lately I’ve found myself bored with them and reaching for the fantasies. However, there’s one aspect to contemporaries that I am a sucker for and that is the rea...

This book should be read by EVERY SINGLE teenage girl. I really wish this book had been published back when I was going through the hell that was my teenage years. Sex is treated like this dirty thing that everyone does, but nobody talks about. And the way it's talked about around girls is problematic: if she has a lot of sex (or worse yet, actually enjoys it), then she's a slut and if she wants to save herself for marriage, she's a prude. People don't want to acknowledge that young girls have s...

If you have a daughter or a niece or a friend that you want to have a really deep sex talk with, you know that talk probably won't go as smoothly as you hope. There's so much you want to tell them, but sometimes you're not the best person to say what they need to hear. This book is perfect to give to young women on the verge of love, romance, and sex. It has several honest stories about girls losing their virginity, from the planned and romantic first time with a long-time partner, to the haphaz...

Have you ever fallen down an Internet rabbit hole? Like, you start researching one topic, and then suddenly you’re reading about something completely different, and then you find yourself buying a book about virginity for teenage girls?Yeah. That’s what happened to me. I started out looking for lists of 2016 books that had been challenged in schools. After much clicking, scrolling, and getting distracted by Twitter, I came across The V-Word. The synopsis got my attention. When 11-year-old-me too...

Standard disclaimers about Advance Reader Copies, honest reviews, etc. apply.The whole time I was reading this book, I was thinking how wonderful it's going to be for all the teens who pick it up and read it. How they're going to learn so much. How it's going to make them feel less alone. How it takes something that teens and adults are afraid to talk with each other about and provides a bridge to say, "hey, we've been there too, and here's what I wish I had known."And then I realized...it was w...

The concept of this book drew me in, as well as some of the big names. I'm glad to have read it, I imagine it will be a useful resource for girls, and the stories were compelling. Jamia Wilson, Justina Ireland, Chelsey Clammer, Alex Meeks, and Carrie Mesrobian all had standout stories. At the same time, some of the writing itself was a little lackluster--either the tone got a little preachy and I lost the thread of story, or the writer was more interested in telling about the experience than in

I love that this book covers all different types of first-time sex and sexual experiences. It also includes reflections on the experience. The only thing that could have mad it better was if it also included male perspectives.

2-3. I can see the appeal for tween/teens, and there's good end matter (though not sure if the readers would read it, or access those resources). I feel like I'm supposed to love this book for its honesty, range, and sexual progressiveness, but maybe for me, it wasn't really a big range, or progressive enough. This is clearly a book marketed toward girls (all the stories are by women), but I also get the feeling that's inadvertently contributing to the ethos that only females have this thing cal...