Release Date: February 2, 2016
Publisher: Simon Pulse/Beyond Words
Genre: Young Adult, Non-Fiction, Contemporary, GLBT, Feminism, Sexuality
Summary
An honest and poignant collection of essays by women about losing their virginity in their teens. The V-Word captures the complexity of this important life-decision and reflects diverse real-world experiences. Includes helpful resources for parents and teens.
Losing it. Popping your cherry. Handing in your V-card.
First time sex is a big unknown. Will it be candlelight and rose petals or quick and uncomfortable? Is it about love or about lust? Deciding to have sex for the first time is a choice that’s often fraught with anxiety and joy. But do you have anyone telling you what sex is really like?
In The V-Word seventeen writers (including Christa Desir, Justina Ireland, Sara Ryan, Carrie Mesrobian, Erica Lorraine Scheidt, and Jamia Wilson) pull back the sheets and tell all, covering everything from straight sex to queer sex, diving-in versus waiting, and even the exhilaration and disappointment that blankets it all. Some of their experiences happened too soon, some at just the right time, but all paint a broad picture of what first-time sex is really like.
Funny, hot, meaningful, cringe-worthy, gross, forgettable, magnificent, empowering, and transformative, the stories in The V-Word are never preachy, but provide a map for teens to chart their own course through the steamy waters of sex. With The V-Word girls can finally take control, learn what’s on the horizon, and eliminate the fear and mystery surrounding this important milestone. -Goodreads Description
The Rundown
WHERE WAS THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER?!?!
This is a really great resource for teens and parents alike. The short stories are very real, honest, and really challenges readers to think about how we view virginity as a society, and women's virginity in particular.
While the short stories had me feeling everything from laughter to tears, it was the Beyond the Stories section filled with great information for teens on a variety of topics relating to their sexuality such as health, education, sexual assault, the dangers of sexting in our social media age, conversation points for parents, and so much more!
The conversation between Keyser and Kelly Jensen (a teen librarian) that concludes the book is just wow! I can't tell you how many times I said "YES! Exactly!" while reading their dialogue. They talk about everything from language to rape culture to how sex is represented in YA literature. I liked that Jensen was able to list several titles that I have in the YA collection at my library where female characters are shown taking charge of their sexuality by saying yes, saying no, having conversations with their partners, and not feeling shame in enjoying sex...or not feeling shame in not having sex.
There's even a great note for parents who pick this up that both reassures and encourages parents to establish positive conversation about sex and sexuality with their children early. Wait, WHAT? Yes. We have to talk with our kids. Openly and honestly. Hey, I'm a mom (right now to a wild child toddler, but I know I'll blink and she'll be a teenager) and in my head I'm like, "Oh God how will I ever talk about this?" But I will. My daughter has a voice (right now it's very loud...like ridiculously loud) and I want her to always use it. I want her and all young women to know and embrace theirsexuality without fear or shame. I want to see change in our school's dress codes by stopping making young ladies feel like they have to apologize for their bodies or that they are little more than distractions for young men. I couldn't have agreed more with Jensen when she said we need to stop teaching girls how to not be rape victims and start raising boys to be gentlemen who would never sexually assault anyone. This book made me cheer for change!
Rating: 5 Stars! You totally must read this book!
**Note to public librarians: I highly recommend this as a great addition to your collection! In an age where school sex education programs focus primarily on abstinence, teens are typically turning to less informed sources (the Internet, friends, movies, and pornography) to get their info. Unless a teen is lucky enough to have a healthy dialogue about sex with a parent or another trusted adult, what better place for them to seek accurate information than the library?!
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