251 reviews for:

V is for Virgin

Kelly Oram

3.51 AVERAGE


An interesting plot that was well thought out with twists and turns to keep things moving.

Val Jensen is a virgin, which in high school is not a huge surprise. The big shocker is that she has big plans to cash in her V-card on her wedding night and only on her wedding night. This spells doom for teenage relationships with boys whose hormones run faster than their brains, leaving Val dumped and heartbroken. Making things worse - a video of her declaring that very thing goes viral on the internet.
Fantastically strong character that she is, she decides to make lemonade with those lemons and start and movement that grows faster than she'd imagines and faster than she'd ready for. Before she knows it, she is branded as Virgin Val by those inside and outside of her school.
Not only does she become famous for that, she also becomes the recipient of the attentions of the sexy rock-star who takes her pledge as a challenge to make her break it.
Val is incredibly strong and resilient. When most would fall, she keeps going. It's not only what she does that is impressive, but how she does it. She manages to make this pledge and convince others to do the same without denigrating the ones who don't. There's no condescension or holier than thou attitudes in this book like would be expected. Any reader can appreciate that.
Kyle, the male lead, is not quite as likable. He wants one thing from Val and makes that overly obvious. The reader doesn't get the impression that he actually likes her or respects her. If there wasn't a second book, that'd be a bigger issue. But he has plenty of time to see the error of his way.
In the end, this is is highly entertaining and enjoyable story about a girl having the courage to stand up for what she believes in in a high school environment that doesn't doesn't always celebrate differences. Well done.

this review was posted here: http://silenttbookblog.blogspot.com/2012/12/review-v-is-for-virgin-by-kelly-oram.html


Ever feel pressured to do what is 'in' at that moment, even when you know you don't want too. Breaking up is hard, for Val its harder because she made a promise to herself and she wants to keep it. Being a virgin in this day in age stinks, Val knows what she wants and so she sets forth to making sure her stance is heard all over the place. Out of the blue Val goes viral and her stance becomes news worthy, next thing she is being asked out by the hottest musician, Kyle Hamilton, and also given a once in a lifetime opportunity to be the face of Not Everyone Is Not Doing It. But with stardom comes draws and the attention from angry fans Tralse and of course hate from fans on the chat forums set for those who want to talk anonymously. Life hasn't been easy for Val and things are just starting for her, who knew an idea can spark into a national news.

Of course the benefits is being able to talk about being a virgin and also having a jewelry line for 'Virgin Val', the only thing is what if the cause is too big for one person to take on all at once. Val realizes this and even though she doesn't enjoy the counters with Kyle she can't help but smile once in awhile. But to always at the center of everything, and of course Kyle making every move possible to get a reaction out of her, who can get used to the cameras. At least friends do help and since she started the in crowd has acknowledged her into their group and being popular and in helps. Who would have thought a girl would stand up for what she believes in and show her true self to everyone and not lose focus of her values.

This was such a joy to read because of the pressure a lot of high school students have to face each day. This day and age sex is every where and not like it used to be, guys can be either nice or hateful towards your decision. I liked the fact that her friends and school supported her and Val was able to share her side on things. I wish I had the guts to stand on a table and say what I want to say, Val showed her true self and stayed true to that. Virgin Val will definitely be one of my tops because the way it handle the issue at hand. This was so worth the read and I had a blast getting to know Val and how she was able to stay true to herself.

Because her birth mother had her when she was only sixteen and gave her up for adoption, Valerie Jensen made a decision to remain a virgin until marriage, and she’s sticking to it. When her boyfriend breaks up with her because of her decision, she tells him off publicly and the YouTube video goes viral. Val decides to do something positive with all of the publicity. She starts the V is for Virgin campaign, directed at helping others feel confident in their choice.

Virgin Val, as she becomes known, catches the eye of bad boy Kyle Hamilton, lead singer for the band Tralse. Kyle is determined to do everything in his power to get Val to give up her virginity to him, and publicity is off the charts every time the two of them are seen in public together. Val needs to stay true to herself and determine who is really on her side and who isn’t.

V is for Virgin is a mostly enjoyable read in the Young Adult genre. Val is a strong character who stands up for herself even when faced with doubts about whether she’s doing the right thing. She makes an impact on a lot of teenagers and sends a strong message that it’s okay to make your own choice and not be pressured by what everyone else is doing. The only place Val isn’t really confident is within her own love life. She thought she was happy with her ex-boyfriend until he dumps her when she won’t have sex with him. Then she dates popular athlete Isaac, and they’re very comfortable, but that’s about all there is to it. Even though Val and Kyle butt heads all the time, she has some strong feelings for him. I was happy to see that even with all the UST between Kyle and Val, Val didn’t give in on her beliefs.

I would have liked to see Val stand up for herself a little more with Kyle. Some of their interactions left me perplexed. But at the end of the day, behind closed doors she made the right decision for herself.

The end of the story left me in one of those places where I was happy for her but a bit heartbroken at the same time. Thankfully the author gave us a little taste of the future in the epilogue, letting the reader know that full happiness wasn’t totally out of reach for Val. The next book in the series, A is for Abstinence, is from Kyle’s point of view (a few chapters were included at the end of V is for Virgin), and I just might pick that up to see if they get more of a happily ever after.

For more of my reviews, please visit https://rachlawrencebooks.wordpress.com/.

Every teenager and parent of a teenager should read this book. Excellent message.

Well, I guess this had to end with such cliché. But overall, I enjoyed it a lot - there are some funny parts and it was an easy read, exactly what I need right now, having so little time due to studying. I had a bit difficulties putting this down at some parts though, so maybe not so ideal? :D
It's four stars - not more, not less.

"Virgin" Val es una chica que decide mantenerse virgen hasta el matrimonio por como terminó su madre (quién quedó embarazada a los 15), pero también por ser una promesa que se hizo a si misma. Al principio parece que la historia no va a dar para mucho pero es mentira. Val no es la única protagonista, tenemos a Zach, que es quién "encendió" todo el asunto de V es por Virgen, al cortar con Val porque ella no quisiera tener relaciones. También están los chicos de la "Lista A", los populares del instituto. Cara, la mejor amiga de Val. Robin, la chica encargada del diseño de periódico escolar. Y Tralse, un grupo de rock con Kyle Hamilton a la cabeza. Cuando Kyle se entera de quién es Val y de que es virgen se pone como objetivo acostarse con ella cueste lo que cueste. Pero Val tiene muy claro que va a esperar hasta el matrimonio y eso desespera a Kyle, que hace todo lo posible para hacer que cambie de idea. Cuando la prensa se entera del interés del líder de Tralse por la chica, hacen que sea el centro de todas las atenciones. Val empieza a colaborar con una especie de asociación que apoya a la gente que no quiere tener relaciones, su historia de conoce al rededor de todo el país...
Es una historia diferente, pero con algunos toques de los de toda la vida. Sigue teniendo un romance, unas mejores amigas que no son las populares del instituto y que están enfrentadas con ese grupo... Pero es un libro que merece la pena leer.

very cute.
funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Val is a virgin and she intends on staying that way until marriage. However, when her boyfriend of 3 months finds out it’s the end of their relationship. To add salt to the wound, he hooks up with one of the more ‘promiscuous’ classmates in no time at all. This leads to an awkward and very public argument in the middle of the cafeteria and Val’s self-declaration of virginity in front of all her class mates. Of course it’s all been captured on film and soon she skyrockets to internet stardom. With the nickname Virgin Val, and some of her classmates behind her, Val’s Virginity campaign begins.

“Telling someone you're a virgin isn't easy to begin with, but telling someone that you plan on staying that way is even harder.”

- Kelly Oram (V is for Virgin)

The slow burn, between Val and Kyle (the lead singer of a local band) was everything I expected from Kelly Oram. The lady knows how to write a hot romance… and there wasn’t even any sex. Kyle is arrogant, cocky, the stereotypical musician. He sees something he wants and pursues it. Unlucky for him Val is pretty steadfast in her beliefs, which makes Kyle work even harder for the thrill of the chase. While Val is trying to be the good girl and stand by her values, she isn’t completely unaffected by Kyle and the chemistry between them sizzles.

“It scared me how much he affected me, and I don't even think he was trying all that hard."

- Kelly Oram (V is for Virgin)

For me the ending was a bit rushed. The epilogue takes place 4 years later and you feel a bit thrown into it. However, it did leave itself open to another book, which is exactly what the author did. I can definitely say I’ll be reading the next book, it takes place where V for Virgin left off and is written from Kyle’s perspective. I can only imagine what naughty, steamy but completely innocent things may ensue.

All in all, I like that this book isn’t necessary pro waiting till marriage, but rather pro-choice and making the right decision for yourself at the right time for you. There’s no outright slut shaming despite Val’s strong belief in waiting till marriage. Despite the criticism and condemnation from her classmates, Val stays strong. I wish more young people today could stand up to peer pressure, and see beyond the typical “Everyone else is doing it, why shouldn’t I?” mind-set.



3.5 STARS