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jahaan 's review for:
The Anti-Virginity Pact
by Katie Wismer
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."