A review by melissa_reads_books
XVI by Julia Karr

5.0

I loved this book. I think what drew me to it initially was the fact that was dystopian (I liked dystopian in 1984 before it was even trendy) but what made me stay was so much more. First of all, strong female characters. Nina was a strong female character, as were her mother and her little sister. I loved the larger questions it made me think about teenagers and the pressure to have sex and the way a society is (like maybe it’s more formal in this society – more spoken about, but is it really that much different now?). I loved the relationship between Nina and her little sister – it reminded me of the relationship between me and my little sister, even if I don’t have the same family situation. I love the hidden secrets and the things left under the surface. I love that Nina is written like a real character – you can see her struggle and I felt her feelings and emotions were very real. I think this is a must read book for anyone who is interested in these larger questions about sex and teenage girls in society in particular.