V is for Virgin - Review

V is for Virgin #1

By: Kelly Oram

Published: December 5, 2012 by Bluefields

200 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library

(Goodreads / Amazon)

Summary:

When Val Jensen gets dumped for her decision to stay a virgin until marriage, the nasty breakup goes viral on YouTube, making her the latest internet sensation. 

After days of ridicule from her peers, Val starts a school-wide campaign to rally support for her cause. She meant to make a statement, but she never dreamed the entire nation would get caught up in the controversy. 

As if becoming nationally recognized as “Virgin Val” isn’t enough, Val’s already hectic life starts to spin wildly out of control when bad boy Kyle Hamilton, lead singer for the hit rock band Tralse, decides to take her abstinence as a personal challenge.

How can a girl stay true to herself when this year’s Sexiest Man Alive is doing everything in his power to win her over?

MY REVIEW:
Bottom line - I LOVED this story! I loved its message! The writing was smooth. The character interaction was comical at times and witty. The MC girl was intelligent and purpose driven. The message of this story is one that teens NEED to hear. It's not necessarily a call for all people everywhere to stay a virgin until marriage but rather a call for teens and young adults everywhere to THINK before they act - to really stay true to themselves and not cave in to peer pressure. It's call to respect yourself first and EXPECT others, especially those who you enter a relationship with, to respect you and your limits. I went back and forth on my rating - but in the end I knew I had to give this one my top score. It was that touching and refreshing to me.

Valerie Jensen was adopted as a baby. Her mom was a 15 year old girl who didn't even know who the dad was because she was so drunk. Handpicking the parents who would raise Valerie, she left a necklace for her with a "V" on it and a letter explaining her hopes for her baby to make different decisions than she made. 18 years later Valerie has vowed to do just that. She has made the decision for herself to stay a virgin until she's married. Her current boyfriend doesn't exactly know about that vow so when she shoots him down after 3 months of dating his ego is crushed and he dumps her and immediately hooks up with the one girl she can't stand just to get back at her. Angry and hurt Val lets him have it at school - only to be videotaped by a lot of her classmates. The video goes viral on YouTube and she becomes known as "Virgin Val" overnight. What starts out as a joke on her by her classmates turns into a school wide campaign and mission with a purpose to reach others who are like her - or maybe someone who did have sex for all the wrong reasons and is living with regret.

This campaign explodes from the local scene to the national one when an LA local band meets Val and the lead singer, Kyle Hamilton, who also happens to be a very popular, very hot, very male 21 year old alumni from the same high school, falls for her - even more so when she shoots down his advances. He puts her in the spotlight way more than she ever dreamed of being. But he doesn't give up chasing "his favorite virgin". And Valerie is way more affected by him than she cares to admit. The challenge is on!

Favorite Quotes:
"Your ego is like ten steps too far ahead of you."

Someone had to stand up for these poor girls, and for anyone who was afraid to say no to sex. Afraid of being mocked. Afraid of being dumped. If that person had to be me, then so be it.

We shouldn't have to be ashamed or afraid to say no to sex. Becoming sexually active is a huge decision. It's not one we should let the world or even our own boyfriends make for us.

"You're like the Joan of Arc of virgins."

It was as if Kyle Hamilton's entire being was made of passion, and he was sending that passion straight into me.

"I want the person I finally share all of myself with to be someone I trust completely. Someone who understands me, and loves me, and who I love just as much."

"I think that if I truly found someone that loved me like that, he'd be willing to marry me. he'd be willing to wait for me. if whoever he is isn't willing to commit his life to me, then he doesn't deserve to share that experience with me."

Final Rating - 5 stars!