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bookishevy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"I hear your vagina is broken."
Poor Monique. Her father is a pastor, and her mother is more like a warden. All they do is restrict her freedom and knowledge about her body. Mo's been trying to have sex with her boyfriend Dom for two years, but she's physically incapable of having intercourse. Predictably, he breaks up with her. But Mo finds an unlikely resource in prim church girl, Sasha, who's surprisingly knowledgeable about sex. They team up with bad boy Reggie to help Mo find a cure for this disorder and win Dom back.
Every time Mo says her body or vagina is broken, I think about that Insecure episode where Issa tells Molly she has a broken p*ssy. Issa was joking, but it's no laughing matter. Mo is struggling with a psychological disorder that makes it hard for her lock to be opened with Dom's key. It all comes down to the fear her parents instilled in her and pressure to please Dom. This turns from a plan to get Dom back to Mo's education on sex and herself. Is sex something she even wants?
Mo learns a lot about her two new friends. Reggie's more than his bad boy reputation. He's a lot more understanding of Mo's condition than Dom, who is seen as perfect in Mo's father's eyes. And Sasha's not this stuffy church girl who judges others. She's open-minded, has a lot more freedom than Mo, and can therefore be her true self.
Mo's parents aren't who she thinks they are either. Her father is this misogynistic, domineering authority figure but is ignorant about a lot of things, including his own daughter, who's too afraid to open up. And there's a lot more to Mo's mother than the submissive wife who chooses her husband's happiness over that of hers or her children's.
Mo must learn to stand her ground and teach her parents and Dom that she is the owner of her body and should be able to decide what she does with it and with whom.
This is a fun read about the importance of sex education that I would also recommend to parents who need to know that they're doing more harm than good by not having "the talk" with their kids.
Poor Monique. Her father is a pastor, and her mother is more like a warden. All they do is restrict her freedom and knowledge about her body. Mo's been trying to have sex with her boyfriend Dom for two years, but she's physically incapable of having intercourse. Predictably, he breaks up with her. But Mo finds an unlikely resource in prim church girl, Sasha, who's surprisingly knowledgeable about sex. They team up with bad boy Reggie to help Mo find a cure for this disorder and win Dom back.
Every time Mo says her body or vagina is broken, I think about that Insecure episode where Issa tells Molly she has a broken p*ssy. Issa was joking, but it's no laughing matter. Mo is struggling with a psychological disorder that makes it hard for her lock to be opened with Dom's key. It all comes down to the fear her parents instilled in her and pressure to please Dom. This turns from a plan to get Dom back to Mo's education on sex and herself. Is sex something she even wants?
Mo learns a lot about her two new friends. Reggie's more than his bad boy reputation. He's a lot more understanding of Mo's condition than Dom, who is seen as perfect in Mo's father's eyes. And Sasha's not this stuffy church girl who judges others. She's open-minded, has a lot more freedom than Mo, and can therefore be her true self.
Mo's parents aren't who she thinks they are either. Her father is this misogynistic, domineering authority figure but is ignorant about a lot of things, including his own daughter, who's too afraid to open up. And there's a lot more to Mo's mother than the submissive wife who chooses her husband's happiness over that of hers or her children's.
Mo must learn to stand her ground and teach her parents and Dom that she is the owner of her body and should be able to decide what she does with it and with whom.
This is a fun read about the importance of sex education that I would also recommend to parents who need to know that they're doing more harm than good by not having "the talk" with their kids.
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny and Toxic relationship
fabell6's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wish I had something like this to read when I was a teen. It handled the topics of religion, sex, friendship, family, romance, race—so many things—in such a respectful and honest way while still being funny, entertaining, relatable, and believably from a teen perspective. It felt affirming to read, as if I could have a sense of closure and healing for my childhood wounds through Monique’s coming of age story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Chronic illness, Cursing, and Abortion
sleepycelly's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny and Toxic relationship
drtx_bwt's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Medical content
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma
Minor: Ableism, Racism, and Alcohol
lmcarr0314's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book, One because it showed a lot of what some people go through in the heart of the south especially in bible country. Inadequate sex-ed leads to a whole different problem in itself. This book tackles a lot of different topics, and I believe it has done it well.
This book was thoughtfully laid out and made the experience of reading it a lot less hard, but also super insightful into what felt like a similar teenage mind to many.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol
nat_montego's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexism, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Outing
marns20_'s review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Funny, wholesome and cute, whilst touching on deeper topics around sexuality, body image and consent. Essential read for any young girl, honestly wish i had read this when i was a teen. Another great read by Joya Goffney, i love her writing style, how she uses pop culture references and slang that i can identify with it just makes the characters more relatable
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny and Toxic relationship
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, and Sexism
bkyng313's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoyed this book! I love silly little rom coms and the bit of escapism they provide. Watching how Mo grew into herself and her body made me hopeful for other young black women to be able to do the same.
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship, Outing, and Alcohol
trashboatwinter's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
thatbookishwriter23's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"And just like that, with the emptiness on my finger, the literal weight lifted off my hand, I feel that much freer to make my own decisions. I feel less like I owe my daddy my word, less like I owe Dom my body, and more like I belong to me and only me." -Monique
Confessions of An Alleged Good Girl is a near perfect and uplifting letter for all soft girls but especially the soft black girls.
For All the soft girls that were labeled as good girls. For all the soft girls that had to grow up in strict religious homes. For the ones who had to discover things, like sex education and positive relationships, later in life.
This book is has some really good messages about purity culture and the harmful effects of not teaching about sex and how proper & accessible sex education is the solution. Plus, I like the SexEd facts that are sprinkled in, it really taught me more on what Vaginismus is, the condition that Monique has, & how important SexEd is.
I like how it always touches on toxic relationships and a bit of sexism. How our worth shouldn't be tied to someone and we should never be pressured into anything. The book always show what a good relationship looks like.
The only gripe I have is with Sasha's role in the book. I felt like she didn't have as much page time and development as Reggie did. I also think the blurb is a little misleading, Reggie's less of a bad boy, although he had done some bad things, and more of a class clown. Those are two completely different personalities.
Other than that, I loved Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl and having a soft black girl as the main character. We need more of them across all genres, including YA. This book had good message on SexEd and great awareness for Vaginismus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing and Sexism