Giving Up the V
Grade 9 Up–For her 16th birthday, Spencer Davis gets her first ob-gyn exam and birth control pills, thanks to her progressive mother. Uninterested in losing her virginity, Spencer doesn't drink and is the responsible one in her group of friends, The Crew. Zach, gentlemanly romantic math nerd, is her special guy pal. Her best friend, Alyssa, Asian American and super thin, vows to lose her own virginity soon. Goth girl Morgan has regular sex with her on-again off-again boyfriend, Justin, who has sex with any girl available. Ryan, wealthy bad boy, gets drunk and hooks up with a different girl every weekend. When dreamy Ben moves to their western Washington town and joins The Crew, Spencer is surprised when he bestows his attention on her. Could Ben be the One, perfect for her first time? Spencer's character is satisfactorily developed, including her struggle with body image and the complexities of her friendship with Alyssa, who wants Ben, too. The other characters remain flat stereotypes. Justin and Ryan openly offer their sexual services to Spencer (So, Davis, who gets to pop your cherry?) and publicly brag about their conquests. Ben is just another egotistical, horny guy looking for hookups. Spencer does his chemistry homework and accepts his invitation to the Winter Formal, but by the middle of the book, readers will see what's coming. Terra Elan McVoy'sPure(S & S, 2009) covers similar ground with complex and interesting characters, realistic repercussions, and without crude conversations.–Joyce Adams Burner, National Archives at Kansas City, MOCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.