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sorceress_j 's review for:
Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without a Date
by Katie Heaney
I was excited when I first heard about this book. I had previously read an excerpt of it in a Huffington Post article and already had some expectations. Now that I've read it, I am a little disappointed that it wasn't quite what I was expecting and left somewhat cold at certain parts. Otherwise, I still found this to be a quick, light, and entertaining read.
I will say that I did relate to the author at first, being of the same generation as her and from the same part of the country, and really getting all those 90s pop culture references. I wasn't quite as into boys from the start as she was in comparison, but I certainly got the feeling. Like the author, I have also been single for a fair part of my life, and even the one time I did have a relationship, it was a technicality and one that didn't involve any dates. I've been a shy, awkward nerd for the most part, but from reading the author's college years, that's where the similarities pretty much end.
I'm a college commuter, so I really couldn't relate to the residential dorm life described in this portion. Also, even if I did live on campus, I could see myself actively avoiding the parties. The author talks about her experiences with guys, mostly at frat parties, and getting quite close with them. I thought this would be "Never Been Kissed" levels. Nope, that still applies to just me, it would seem. There are quite a few technicalities here in this book as well when it comes to that.
All in all, though, I still enjoyed the author's wry humor that is found throughout the book and her honesty about her unsuccessful attempts in finding a long-lasting boyfriend. However, I still felt that I was missing more introspective moments of realization and reflection here. Granted, there are some here, but I found them to be few and far between. At the relatively young age I'm at right now, I feel like I've been considerably quieter and more introspective in comparison. And I don't even have that much of a social life. So, it was hard finding things to relate to.
Nonetheless, I finish this review with one of my favorite passages in the book, because it was one of the most common sense parts and made me so happy to read:
"Guys who would make fun of girls for sexual inexperience are terrible people, and when girls do it to other girls it feels even shittier. Guys who shame girls who haven't had sex want them to feel like they aren't doing their job, which is to be sexually available and attractive to guys"
So much truth!
I will say that I did relate to the author at first, being of the same generation as her and from the same part of the country, and really getting all those 90s pop culture references. I wasn't quite as into boys from the start as she was in comparison, but I certainly got the feeling. Like the author, I have also been single for a fair part of my life, and even the one time I did have a relationship, it was a technicality and one that didn't involve any dates. I've been a shy, awkward nerd for the most part, but from reading the author's college years, that's where the similarities pretty much end.
I'm a college commuter, so I really couldn't relate to the residential dorm life described in this portion. Also, even if I did live on campus, I could see myself actively avoiding the parties. The author talks about her experiences with guys, mostly at frat parties, and getting quite close with them. I thought this would be "Never Been Kissed" levels. Nope, that still applies to just me, it would seem. There are quite a few technicalities here in this book as well when it comes to that.
All in all, though, I still enjoyed the author's wry humor that is found throughout the book and her honesty about her unsuccessful attempts in finding a long-lasting boyfriend. However, I still felt that I was missing more introspective moments of realization and reflection here. Granted, there are some here, but I found them to be few and far between. At the relatively young age I'm at right now, I feel like I've been considerably quieter and more introspective in comparison. And I don't even have that much of a social life. So, it was hard finding things to relate to.
Nonetheless, I finish this review with one of my favorite passages in the book, because it was one of the most common sense parts and made me so happy to read:
"Guys who would make fun of girls for sexual inexperience are terrible people, and when girls do it to other girls it feels even shittier. Guys who shame girls who haven't had sex want them to feel like they aren't doing their job, which is to be sexually available and attractive to guys"
So much truth!