A review by jaz_gets_literary
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl by Joya Goffney

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

4.5

Growing up as a preacher’s daughter, 17 year old Monique, was taught absolutely nothing about sex other than that she should wait until she is married. If Dom, her boyfriend of 2 years, is the man she’s going to marry she feels like there no point in waiting. But after numerous failed attempts at completing the act, Dom breaks up with her. Heartbroken Monique tries to get to the bottom line of “what’s wrong with her” and maybe she’ll be able to win him back. With the help of 2 unlikely people, she finds about the reason why having sex with Dom had been so difficult for her. Will it be enough to win him back or will she even want to be with him anymore after her revelation?

I am so happy that the youth of today have so many diverse YA books that they can relate to. This story shows everything that can go wrong when you use religion to shield your children from the real world instead of being transparent and honest with them. This goes on in a lot of religious households including my own. Not as bad as Monique but I was still so uninformed all the same. As parents, we have to be open and honest with our children and trust that they hold onto the values we instill within them. Monique’s mother comes off as harsh and somewhat unloving in the beginning and all because she doesn’t want her daughter to make the same mistakes she did. But in the end, she realized that she’s failed her daughter by not talking to her about her past at all. <SPOILER>And let’s not get on them just up and ready to throw out their children over very petty and small disagreements. Like WTH! I wanted to throw my phone while listening to the audiobook lol. Parents have to stop trying to make their children live a certain life or live their life over through them. They are their own human beings and allowed to live their own life as they see fit. 

This is a heart-wrenching coming of age story filled with difficult family dynamics, sexual liberation, and an unexpected love triangle. I would recommend this book to all the young ladies in my life to allow them to go on the journey with Monique of finding out that you are more than just your body and that you are enough just as you are. 
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