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