I enjoyed this book, but I probably would have stopped before reading if it hadn’t been an ARC that I wanted to review. The topic is so important - sexuality is such a complicated topic for young people, but especially women. And even a girl like Jo, who isn’t specifically raised in purity culture, can absolutely suffer the effects of it all the same. I love how the teenage girls in the book can open up about their different perspectives on sex, and I actually wish there had been a lot more of that.
I like how even without saying it, the author shows Jo experiencing the effects of a disorganized attachment style, caused by all the experiences she had to face so young: her parents’ divorce, mom’s remarriage and new child, dad’s death and her sexual encounters with the boys who were using her for practice. I also like how empowered she feels at the end to make different choices.
I think the whole thing just felt a little too contrite at times, the characters a little too shallow, but overall I think it’s a valuable message for teens and it may be really helpful to kids who are going through similar experiences.
I like how even without saying it, the author shows Jo experiencing the effects of a disorganized attachment style, caused by all the experiences she had to face so young: her parents’ divorce, mom’s remarriage and new child, dad’s death and her sexual encounters with the boys who were using her for practice. I also like how empowered she feels at the end to make different choices.
I think the whole thing just felt a little too contrite at times, the characters a little too shallow, but overall I think it’s a valuable message for teens and it may be really helpful to kids who are going through similar experiences.