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3.23 AVERAGE
3.23 AVERAGE
I received an ARC copy of the Anti-Virginity Project from Netgalley and I was so thrilled to check out Katie Wismer’s debut novel. I’ve been a viewer of hers for a while so it was a book I was anticipating to read
This review was also posted to my blog- tiggysbooks.com
Review:
The Anti-Virginity Pact was an enjoyable read. Katie has a distinct writing style and there wasn’t a single chapter in the book where I felt like it was tough or boring to get through.
We are first introduced to Meredith, the Pastor’s daughter. Seemingly quiet and shy, she is also an atheist having to keep this a secret in her religious household.
Meredith is a nobody in high school. But one drunken night, she makes a pact with her best friend Jo to lose her virginity before the end of the school year. They set out to fulfill the pact but not encountering a lot of drama and terrible situations along the way.
I was hooked from the beginning. I ended up finishing the whole book in less than a day. If you are in the mood for a hard-hitting contemporary novel then this is it. It’s been a while since I’ve felt such intense emotions reading a book. I was taken on a journey, from what seemed like a harmless, teenage pact to enjoy the last few weeks of high school to something deeper and more disturbing. A rollercoaster for sure!
In the first half of the book, we get to know the main characters. I adored Jo, Meredith’s best friend. She is feisty and fiercely protective. Sam, the love interest is sweet. The epitome of a good kid. I didn’t particularly like Harper, Meridith’s younger sister. But I appreciated her character development and how the two sisters got closer throughout the story.
One thing to mention is that although both Meredith and Jo were fun and relatable characters, I didn’t understand aspects of their friendship. There were times when something serious would happen to one of them, but their first instinct was to keep it private and not confide in each other. Usually, they would wait until the next day at school (or even longer) to reveal something they were keeping to themselves. I found this peculiar as I am usually an open book about my problems with my best friends.
Another character that I felt like could have been written better was Ashley. She is portrayed as one of the villains in the book, a bully without a cause, but I like that she redeemed herself towards the end. She gets brownie points for that!
Religion is a huge factor in this book. Early on, we learn of a type of “camp” that unruly teens are sent to, to see the light and rediscover God. I found this fascinating as I have never heard of this before. The author does a fabulous job of touching upon sensitive topics in a respectful way, and I enjoyed the religious aspect of the book.
One feature of the story, which I felt could have been written better was the teacher/student relationship. It ends very abruptly and doesn’t bring much into the main story. I would have liked to delve deep into this in more detail.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It’s the first YA novel I’ve picked up in a long while and it got my emotions flowing. It’s not perfect, but the author has a lovely writing style. It’s easy to read and connect to and the plot is interesting and gripping. The author has a long and successful career ahead of her as a writer and I will be picking up anything else she publishes in the future.
Rating:
4/5 stars
Memorable Quotes:
"Because when you're quiet, you learn to speak in short, fast sentences, because you're not sure how long people will listen to you. You get the words out as quickly as you can - sometimes so quickly, they start to slur and trip over each other, just so you won't have to be the center of attention for too long."
This review was also posted to my blog- tiggysbooks.com
Review:
The Anti-Virginity Pact was an enjoyable read. Katie has a distinct writing style and there wasn’t a single chapter in the book where I felt like it was tough or boring to get through.
We are first introduced to Meredith, the Pastor’s daughter. Seemingly quiet and shy, she is also an atheist having to keep this a secret in her religious household.
Meredith is a nobody in high school. But one drunken night, she makes a pact with her best friend Jo to lose her virginity before the end of the school year. They set out to fulfill the pact but not encountering a lot of drama and terrible situations along the way.
I was hooked from the beginning. I ended up finishing the whole book in less than a day. If you are in the mood for a hard-hitting contemporary novel then this is it. It’s been a while since I’ve felt such intense emotions reading a book. I was taken on a journey, from what seemed like a harmless, teenage pact to enjoy the last few weeks of high school to something deeper and more disturbing. A rollercoaster for sure!
In the first half of the book, we get to know the main characters. I adored Jo, Meredith’s best friend. She is feisty and fiercely protective. Sam, the love interest is sweet. The epitome of a good kid. I didn’t particularly like Harper, Meridith’s younger sister. But I appreciated her character development and how the two sisters got closer throughout the story.
One thing to mention is that although both Meredith and Jo were fun and relatable characters, I didn’t understand aspects of their friendship. There were times when something serious would happen to one of them, but their first instinct was to keep it private and not confide in each other. Usually, they would wait until the next day at school (or even longer) to reveal something they were keeping to themselves. I found this peculiar as I am usually an open book about my problems with my best friends.
Another character that I felt like could have been written better was Ashley. She is portrayed as one of the villains in the book, a bully without a cause, but I like that she redeemed herself towards the end. She gets brownie points for that!
Religion is a huge factor in this book. Early on, we learn of a type of “camp” that unruly teens are sent to, to see the light and rediscover God. I found this fascinating as I have never heard of this before. The author does a fabulous job of touching upon sensitive topics in a respectful way, and I enjoyed the religious aspect of the book.
One feature of the story, which I felt could have been written better was the teacher/student relationship. It ends very abruptly and doesn’t bring much into the main story. I would have liked to delve deep into this in more detail.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It’s the first YA novel I’ve picked up in a long while and it got my emotions flowing. It’s not perfect, but the author has a lovely writing style. It’s easy to read and connect to and the plot is interesting and gripping. The author has a long and successful career ahead of her as a writer and I will be picking up anything else she publishes in the future.
Rating:
4/5 stars
Memorable Quotes:
"Because when you're quiet, you learn to speak in short, fast sentences, because you're not sure how long people will listen to you. You get the words out as quickly as you can - sometimes so quickly, they start to slur and trip over each other, just so you won't have to be the center of attention for too long."
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm struggling to decide how I felt about this book....the summary gave me a different impression than what I read. That being said, I think the book deals with a lot of great topics.
Meredith is the preacher's daughter. She's extermely shy and introverted. Her best friend Johanna is the opposite. Johanna decides that they should vow to lose their virginity before graduation. What's the harm? Ha ha ha ha....you'll have to read about that for yourself.
There are some pretty heavy topics in this book. Meredith has been struggling to maintain the facade of being a dutiful daughter and maintaining her religious beliefs. She's also trying to handle the backlash for the pact being found and the extreme bullying that ensues. Another is the typical awkwardness of dating as a teenager. Also, very briefly there is the issue of animal abuse.
I really loved the intention behind all of the thought provoking, conversation starting topics, I just feel as though they were rushed in the ending to the book. The pace at the beginning was great at establishing who Meredith is and what her life is like, but the last 20% of the book is all of issues that I feel were crammed in and rushed through.
A special thank you to NetGally and Katie Wismer for providing me with an ARC.
Meredith is the preacher's daughter. She's extermely shy and introverted. Her best friend Johanna is the opposite. Johanna decides that they should vow to lose their virginity before graduation. What's the harm? Ha ha ha ha....you'll have to read about that for yourself.
There are some pretty heavy topics in this book. Meredith has been struggling to maintain the facade of being a dutiful daughter and maintaining her religious beliefs. She's also trying to handle the backlash for the pact being found and the extreme bullying that ensues. Another is the typical awkwardness of dating as a teenager. Also, very briefly there is the issue of animal abuse.
I really loved the intention behind all of the thought provoking, conversation starting topics, I just feel as though they were rushed in the ending to the book. The pace at the beginning was great at establishing who Meredith is and what her life is like, but the last 20% of the book is all of issues that I feel were crammed in and rushed through.
A special thank you to NetGally and Katie Wismer for providing me with an ARC.
I really dislike the FMC's best friend. I thought she was very judgy and treated her best friend pretty bad even though the FMC doesn't really see this way. However I did like the FMC and the MMC.
This book is now a new favorite of mine! At first I was skeptical of this book since people often said it was dark but after reading it I disagree. Although it did touch on some tough topics I think the way the author wrote them made it easier to read. I loved the romance in this book and also loved how the characters made the story instead of the characters molding to the plot. Overall, The Anti Virginity Pact by Katie Wismer is like nothing I’ve ever read before and is definitely one of my new favorite book. Words can’t describe this novel. I highly recommend you to read it once it becomes available on June 16th 2020!
Also a big thanks to NetGalley for giving me and ARC!
Also a big thanks to NetGalley for giving me and ARC!
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love the way Katie Wismer writes, but I didn’t love this ending. Still would recommend! I read the Anti-Relationship Year first and absolutely fell in love, so I will definitely be reading more from this author!
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this book through the author's YouTube channel and figured I've trusted her book recommendations, let me give her writing a chance. The book was overall okay, I liked some aspects, didn't like others, some aspect were just not for me. I had a lot of the same issues with this book that other reviews had, but let me start with what I liked.
I really liked the characters, I found them real, honest, well developed, the type of characters that make you want to keep reading to find out how their story plays out and ends. I also enjoyed how the story ended, but it definitely ended in a way that won't sit well with everyone. All loose ends are tied up, but it's also vague and incomplete. Like this is the end of this part of the story but there is more to it you as a reader don't see. I could be fine leaving Mare here at this point in her story, but there is also room for the author to return to Mare's story at another point in her life and I think I would enjoy returning to her story.
The story itself was okay, but not something I would have picked up just reading the summary. The religious aspect of the story was just not for me, especially in the way they are presented in the book, it made me uncomfortable and anxious.
Now, what I didn't like - this book tried to do too much. The author tried to fit too many topics into the story and none of them are dealt with or explored. We just watch the characters experience something and that's it, there isn't too much exploration of the origins of the topics, how the different topics affect each of the characters, where it leads, consequences, etc. And ALL of the characters have at least one heavy topic they personally have to deal with. It all just makes the book feel like a little bit of a mess.
And the writing... was not great. This is the author's first book and I believe she mentioned that she started writing it when she was 18 and it shows. There seems to be a lot of telling not showing, a little clunky, and certain aspects feel forced. Like the fact that the mother is French, that did not come off on the page naturally. The only French words in the book are what you would learn in intro classes, and they are strangely scattered in conversations and thought. It did not feel like bilingual family conversations, at least not any that I've interacted with. Also the fact that Mare's inner thoughts include "mon Dieu" is ridiculous considering the girl is athiest?!? And that is the extent of the French vocabulary in her inner thoughts, it just bothered me.
I really liked the characters, I found them real, honest, well developed, the type of characters that make you want to keep reading to find out how their story plays out and ends. I also enjoyed how the story ended, but it definitely ended in a way that won't sit well with everyone. All loose ends are tied up, but it's also vague and incomplete. Like this is the end of this part of the story but there is more to it you as a reader don't see. I could be fine leaving Mare here at this point in her story, but there is also room for the author to return to Mare's story at another point in her life and I think I would enjoy returning to her story.
The story itself was okay, but not something I would have picked up just reading the summary. The religious aspect of the story was just not for me, especially in the way they are presented in the book, it made me uncomfortable and anxious.
Now, what I didn't like - this book tried to do too much. The author tried to fit too many topics into the story and none of them are dealt with or explored. We just watch the characters experience something and that's it, there isn't too much exploration of the origins of the topics, how the different topics affect each of the characters, where it leads, consequences, etc. And ALL of the characters have at least one heavy topic they personally have to deal with. It all just makes the book feel like a little bit of a mess.
And the writing... was not great. This is the author's first book and I believe she mentioned that she started writing it when she was 18 and it shows. There seems to be a lot of telling not showing, a little clunky, and certain aspects feel forced. Like the fact that the mother is French, that did not come off on the page naturally. The only French words in the book are what you would learn in intro classes, and they are strangely scattered in conversations and thought. It did not feel like bilingual family conversations, at least not any that I've interacted with. Also the fact that Mare's inner thoughts include "mon Dieu" is ridiculous considering the girl is athiest?!? And that is the extent of the French vocabulary in her inner thoughts, it just bothered me.
It took me a while to finish it, because I need to read it on my phone and I don’t like that.
Overall I like this book, it wasn’t something that I will get back, I like our main character, there where situations that I relate so much! I think the author described it really well. I can’t count how much times I felt like her when teacher were thinking who ask a question, I was so anxious in that moments.
What I don’t like was Jo and her “romance” with a teacher. Honestly think it could be done differently, plus I feel like the role of good friend is to say what she things and when it is a bad idea. So I didn’t get it when Jo was mad at Mare about it.
Next thing I like was Mare sister Harper, I like their relationship it was cool to watch.
The romance here was ok, I didn’t felt anything else.
What happened with the list it was predictable. Like the popular girl who they don’t like is going to the bathroom in Jo house and after that suddenly she need to go. I thought that will happen when, they supposed to do a project tougher.
I love a dogs descriptions, I just wanted to hug them I took them all to my house.
I really like the author, I watch videos in her YT channel and I was the part of it when she was editing this book, so I feel really special to read this book before it comes out.
Again thanks
Overall I like this book, it wasn’t something that I will get back, I like our main character, there where situations that I relate so much! I think the author described it really well. I can’t count how much times I felt like her when teacher were thinking who ask a question, I was so anxious in that moments.
What I don’t like was Jo and her “romance” with a teacher. Honestly think it could be done differently, plus I feel like the role of good friend is to say what she things and when it is a bad idea. So I didn’t get it when Jo was mad at Mare about it.
Next thing I like was Mare sister Harper, I like their relationship it was cool to watch.
The romance here was ok, I didn’t felt anything else.
What happened with the list it was predictable. Like the popular girl who they don’t like is going to the bathroom in Jo house and after that suddenly she need to go. I thought that will happen when, they supposed to do a project tougher.
I love a dogs descriptions, I just wanted to hug them I took them all to my house.
I really like the author, I watch videos in her YT channel and I was the part of it when she was editing this book, so I feel really special to read this book before it comes out.
Again thanks