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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review
I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. The premise sounded interesting, a little outside of what I would usually read but i like to be surprised and usually will read any contemporary book. This book, however, missed the mark for me. The first half of this book was quite slow, and not much happened, which isn't a bad thing necessarily but it is when you compare it to how much happened in the second half. It almost feels as if the author was worried she was running out of time to fit the entire story in, but this book is only 240 pages and i think had it been longer, some of these issues could have been resolved.
Furthermore, I felt as if the actions and choices made by the characters were very young for their age, this story would have been better if Meredith and her friends were 16 and harper was maybe 13/14, although her being 15 is not unbelievable.
I thought the religion aspect of this story was interesting, and had the story focused more on Meredith and the pact she signed and how that contrasts the beliefs she was raised on, this could have been incredibly interesting. However, the inclusion of the dog fighting ring, her almost sleeping with Ashley's boyfriend even though she has a boyfriend, her getting assaulted by Derek; it felt as if the author was trying to do too much in a short book.
Finally, for a book called the anti-virginity pact, the actual pact felt very much like a sideplot, almost as if it was forgotten about until about halfway through, when suddenly everything started happening in Meredith's life.
I really wanted to like this book, but I didn't. The premise sounded interesting, a little outside of what I would usually read but i like to be surprised and usually will read any contemporary book. This book, however, missed the mark for me. The first half of this book was quite slow, and not much happened, which isn't a bad thing necessarily but it is when you compare it to how much happened in the second half. It almost feels as if the author was worried she was running out of time to fit the entire story in, but this book is only 240 pages and i think had it been longer, some of these issues could have been resolved.
Furthermore, I felt as if the actions and choices made by the characters were very young for their age, this story would have been better if Meredith and her friends were 16 and harper was maybe 13/14, although her being 15 is not unbelievable.
I thought the religion aspect of this story was interesting, and had the story focused more on Meredith and the pact she signed and how that contrasts the beliefs she was raised on, this could have been incredibly interesting. However, the inclusion of the dog fighting ring, her almost sleeping with Ashley's boyfriend even though she has a boyfriend, her getting assaulted by Derek; it felt as if the author was trying to do too much in a short book.
Finally, for a book called the anti-virginity pact, the actual pact felt very much like a sideplot, almost as if it was forgotten about until about halfway through, when suddenly everything started happening in Meredith's life.
I really wanted to love this book. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
One thing I loved about this book was that the two love interests don't end up together in the end. I think it's important to show the main character as independent. "Getting the guy" was not the most important plotline of the book. That being said, there were more things that I had a problem with. Also, the writing was not bad. Katie is clearly a good writer. The book overall was well written, the plot, pacing, and characters were the part that made this book not for me. (Of course, feel free to have your own opinions.
1. Mare comes across as "not like other girls". She's quiet, not popular, doesn't wear makeup, and doesn't date boys. They even refer to the popular girls as the "Pretty Committee" which was what the popular girls were called in The Clique series which is for middle schoolers. There is so much detail about how Ashley and her friends wear high heels and lipstick and Mare hates when her mom makes her wear dresses. It reminded me of that part of You Belong with Me where Taylor Swift said "She wears short skirts, I wear tee-shirts". It felt juvenile to me, policing what is cool and attractive for girls to do.
2. All the characters in this book were incredibly immature. I can't imagine these girls being 12 never mind 18. These popular girls remind me of the girls you see in teen movies made by people who no nothing teenagers. I could believe this story more if they were in middle school. The fact that one of the girls wants to get with her teacher shows how immature they are. I can't imagine most 18-year-olds would actually believe they had a chance to get with their teacher. And then she flips him off at the end, like not being a sexual predator is a bad thing?
3. There were several subplots that the book didn't need. The sexual assault plot and the animal abuse plot didn't need to be in the book. It doesn't add anything or contribute to any character development. You could have taken the whole animal shelter/dogfighting plot out of the book and it wouldn't have changed the story.
4. The pacing of the book is off. It wrapped up was too fast. Everything happened at the end of the book and it felt a bit rushed to me.
5. There were several scenes that were simply not realistic. The Jesus camp people coming in Black SUVs?? I cannot believe that ever happens. Of course I've heard about abuse at camps for religious families or kids with special needs. I don't believe that they come in Black SUVs in the middle of the night. It was too fantastical to believe. Not to mention the kidnapping plot? A group of girls steal Mare's keys, shove her in the trunk of her car OUTSIDE the school?? And no one saw anything. I don't believe it. Honestly, it felt like this was added for shock value. It was too sensational to be real.
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
One thing I loved about this book was that the two love interests don't end up together in the end. I think it's important to show the main character as independent. "Getting the guy" was not the most important plotline of the book. That being said, there were more things that I had a problem with. Also, the writing was not bad. Katie is clearly a good writer. The book overall was well written, the plot, pacing, and characters were the part that made this book not for me. (Of course, feel free to have your own opinions.
1. Mare comes across as "not like other girls". She's quiet, not popular, doesn't wear makeup, and doesn't date boys. They even refer to the popular girls as the "Pretty Committee" which was what the popular girls were called in The Clique series which is for middle schoolers. There is so much detail about how Ashley and her friends wear high heels and lipstick and Mare hates when her mom makes her wear dresses. It reminded me of that part of You Belong with Me where Taylor Swift said "She wears short skirts, I wear tee-shirts". It felt juvenile to me, policing what is cool and attractive for girls to do.
2. All the characters in this book were incredibly immature. I can't imagine these girls being 12 never mind 18. These popular girls remind me of the girls you see in teen movies made by people who no nothing teenagers. I could believe this story more if they were in middle school. The fact that one of the girls wants to get with her teacher shows how immature they are. I can't imagine most 18-year-olds would actually believe they had a chance to get with their teacher. And then she flips him off at the end, like not being a sexual predator is a bad thing?
3. There were several subplots that the book didn't need. The sexual assault plot and the animal abuse plot didn't need to be in the book. It doesn't add anything or contribute to any character development. You could have taken the whole animal shelter/dogfighting plot out of the book and it wouldn't have changed the story.
4. The pacing of the book is off. It wrapped up was too fast. Everything happened at the end of the book and it felt a bit rushed to me.
5. There were several scenes that were simply not realistic. The Jesus camp people coming in Black SUVs?? I cannot believe that ever happens. Of course I've heard about abuse at camps for religious families or kids with special needs. I don't believe that they come in Black SUVs in the middle of the night. It was too fantastical to believe. Not to mention the kidnapping plot? A group of girls steal Mare's keys, shove her in the trunk of her car OUTSIDE the school?? And no one saw anything. I don't believe it. Honestly, it felt like this was added for shock value. It was too sensational to be real.
***Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE ANTI-VIRGINITY PACT by Katie Wismer in exchange for my honest review.***
2.25 stars
This book could've been a fun, slightly edgy, coming of age story. But it wasn't that, for the simple reason that the author decided to saturate this novel with so many different things, treating them all poorly.
The writing style is enjoyable, and the overall plot is not bad, it's just extremely juvenile.
For a debut novel, I think that this is a strong start: the story is gripping and it's easy to care about the characters.
The problem comes when we start talking about the contents.
This book tries to be "deep", it tries to comment on society, and it fails to do that, so if you are looking for that "eye opening", "life changing" story, this is not the book for you.
This is also not the book for you if you are looking for lgbt+ representation: it's a big plot point yet it's treated very poorly, with even the inclusion of slurs (which were not included in the trigger warnings at the beginning of the boo.).
In addition, at times the main character was absolutely childish and did not seem to act her age, which bothered me.
On the other hand, if you are not a picky reader, if you are not really aware of social justice issues and you just want a pleasure read about a high-schooler who wants to finally lose her virginity, this is exactly the book for you.
I see how some people might enjoy it, and I am looking forward to future releases by this author, but this was not the book for me.
2.25 stars
This book could've been a fun, slightly edgy, coming of age story. But it wasn't that, for the simple reason that the author decided to saturate this novel with so many different things, treating them all poorly.
The writing style is enjoyable, and the overall plot is not bad, it's just extremely juvenile.
For a debut novel, I think that this is a strong start: the story is gripping and it's easy to care about the characters.
The problem comes when we start talking about the contents.
This book tries to be "deep", it tries to comment on society, and it fails to do that, so if you are looking for that "eye opening", "life changing" story, this is not the book for you.
This is also not the book for you if you are looking for lgbt+ representation: it's a big plot point yet it's treated very poorly, with even the inclusion of slurs (which were not included in the trigger warnings at the beginning of the boo.).
In addition, at times the main character was absolutely childish and did not seem to act her age, which bothered me.
On the other hand, if you are not a picky reader, if you are not really aware of social justice issues and you just want a pleasure read about a high-schooler who wants to finally lose her virginity, this is exactly the book for you.
I see how some people might enjoy it, and I am looking forward to future releases by this author, but this was not the book for me.
While this was an enjoyable read in general and kept my interest, it certainly was not a well-written book. It glosses over many topics without actually delving into them in any real way which does these topics a serious disservice. It would have been better to select one or two. The characters were either annoying, childish or blah (all the characters, not just the main ones). The pacing was off. I'm not sure what the overall message of this book is... dog abuse is bad? Don't slut shame? Slut shame sometimes? Allow people to slut shame you? Support friends even when they want to have sex with their teacher? Bullies are mean but can sometimes be good after they hide their brother's sex-predator ways? Too many messages/no clear message.
I know I am not the target audience for this book, but I really wanted to read it because I enjoy the author's youtube channels.
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley.
I know I am not the target audience for this book, but I really wanted to read it because I enjoy the author's youtube channels.
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley.
I thought I was going to read a book about a girl taking control of her body I didn't think the biggest plot point would be about a Maltese at a pound that gets taken and used in dog fights, calling for a ridiculous escapade for the main character, her toxic best friend and the boyfriend she cheated on to sneak into a sketchy warehouse to save the dog.
emotional
tense
fast-paced
This book brought up so many feelings about high school. It reminded me how mean girls can be. It reminded me how lonely high school can be. It reminded me how magical that first love can be. It also reminded me that learning how to be true to yourself is the hardest lesson you will ever learn.
CW - bullying, sexual assault, animal abuse, substance abuse, anxiety, trauma, religion
CW - bullying, sexual assault, animal abuse, substance abuse, anxiety, trauma, religion
4.5
Though I recognize this book has its flaws i think this is one of my new favorites! The book was so relatable and i had never read anything that handle growing up religious as a nonbeliever in such a honest way.
The issue I had with the book was the student-teacher relationship. I am really not a fan of that trope and even though i can see why it was included it felt unnecessary.Now the discussions of religion in this book were done in a respectful way while still keeping how toxic religion can be in the book. I have never read a book that handles this topic before and i am so glad one is out there now. I don’t think this book is for everyone, however if you like hard hitting contemporary i think you will enjoy this!
Though I recognize this book has its flaws i think this is one of my new favorites! The book was so relatable and i had never read anything that handle growing up religious as a nonbeliever in such a honest way.
The issue I had with the book was the student-teacher relationship. I am really not a fan of that trope and even though i can see why it was included it felt unnecessary.Now the discussions of religion in this book were done in a respectful way while still keeping how toxic religion can be in the book. I have never read a book that handles this topic before and i am so glad one is out there now. I don’t think this book is for everyone, however if you like hard hitting contemporary i think you will enjoy this!
The Anti-Virginity Pact is a Young Adult debut contemporary novel by BookTuber Katie Wismer. The story follows Meredith Beaumont, a Preacher’s daughter who happens to be an atheists. When her best friend Johanna convinces her to sign a pact that states that they both won’t be virgins at the end of their senior year of high school things don’t go as planned and Mare must make the decision as whats more important her reputation and relationship with her parents or the person she wants to be.
The Anti-Virginity Pact is a story about relationship, religion, high school, and becoming the person you want to be. This hard hitting contemporary deals with many topics that some are afraid to tackle and sheds light on to aspects of toxic religions. The authors writing and characters sucked me in and made me root for Mare and what she stood for. Though fair warning this book does handled sensitive topics such as religion, rape, and animal abuse so its not for everyone. The emotions and events that Mare goes though not only speaks for her own situation but speaks to the emotions and even trauma that many high schoolers deal with every day.
Though young adult contemporary is not my favorite genre, Wismer’s writing accurately portrays the emotions and drama of high school so well that I brought back memories for me and I’ve been out of high school for ten years. This would be a great book for those who love young adult contemporary and young women in high school. I received an advanced copy to review through NetGalley.
The Anti-Virginity Pact is a story about relationship, religion, high school, and becoming the person you want to be. This hard hitting contemporary deals with many topics that some are afraid to tackle and sheds light on to aspects of toxic religions. The authors writing and characters sucked me in and made me root for Mare and what she stood for. Though fair warning this book does handled sensitive topics such as religion, rape, and animal abuse so its not for everyone. The emotions and events that Mare goes though not only speaks for her own situation but speaks to the emotions and even trauma that many high schoolers deal with every day.
Though young adult contemporary is not my favorite genre, Wismer’s writing accurately portrays the emotions and drama of high school so well that I brought back memories for me and I’ve been out of high school for ten years. This would be a great book for those who love young adult contemporary and young women in high school. I received an advanced copy to review through NetGalley.
*Thank you to the editor Ahimsa Press for providing an e-ARC copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Overall I enjoyed The Anti-Virginity Pact, but was expecting something more impactful.
Trigger warnings for sexual assault, bullying and animal cruelty. I mus also note that religion and discussion of beliefs are a main topic of the story.
While there were important topics talked about in the story, it felt like there were too many topics but too little time to actually explore them properly. The plot was a bit broken and all over the place for me, with to many threads that didn't intertwined harmoniously. The pacing was off for me too, the first half was pretty slow and in the second part everything happens all at once with very fast resolutions.
As for the characters, I found them all a bit superficial, I didn't really connect with any of them and felt like they lacked development and depth, which in turn made me not understand at all some decisions and behaviours. I did like the discussion on religion and I think that that part of the plot was well done, with an interesting progress. I also liked and found important the ultimate decision of the main character of coming forward and reporting on something that happens to her.
The writing was average, wasn't amazing or terrible. It's very simple (a bit juvenile for me at times) , with some repetitive expressions, and while there were some good lines, nothing really stood out to me.
All in all, The Anti-Virginity Pact was an easy contemporary read, with good discussion on religion and sexuality/virginity in high school!
Overall I enjoyed The Anti-Virginity Pact, but was expecting something more impactful.
Trigger warnings for sexual assault, bullying and animal cruelty. I mus also note that religion and discussion of beliefs are a main topic of the story.
While there were important topics talked about in the story, it felt like there were too many topics but too little time to actually explore them properly. The plot was a bit broken and all over the place for me, with to many threads that didn't intertwined harmoniously. The pacing was off for me too, the first half was pretty slow and in the second part everything happens all at once with very fast resolutions.
As for the characters, I found them all a bit superficial, I didn't really connect with any of them and felt like they lacked development and depth, which in turn made me not understand at all some decisions and behaviours. I did like the discussion on religion and I think that that part of the plot was well done, with an interesting progress. I also liked and found important the ultimate decision of the main character of coming forward and reporting on something that happens to her.
The writing was average, wasn't amazing or terrible. It's very simple (a bit juvenile for me at times) , with some repetitive expressions, and while there were some good lines, nothing really stood out to me.
All in all, The Anti-Virginity Pact was an easy contemporary read, with good discussion on religion and sexuality/virginity in high school!