First published: 2014
Pages: 304
Source: Harlequin UK via Netgalley, thank you!
Okay, I admit it…I didn’t do it. Yet. This is normal, right? I mean, just because everyone I know has talked like they’ve already done it doesn’t mean that they’re telling the truth…right? It’s not like I’m asking for that much. I don’t need the perfect guy. I don’t need candlelight or roses. Honestly, I don’t even need a real bed. The guys I know complain that girls are always looking for Mr. Right—do I have to wear a sign that says I’m only looking for Mr. Right Now? Sooooo…anyone out there want sex? Anyone? Hello? Just for fun? I am not going to die a virgin. One way or another I am going to make this happen. Hey, what have I got to lose? Besides the obvious.
Thoughts: Raw, honest and hilariously funny, Virgin, the first novel by women's writer Radhika Sanghani, addresses the concealed body issues and queries of all adolescent girls. Starting on the very first page, we meet Ellie who is diffident over her lack of sexual activity. Labeled a binge-drinking virgin by her doctor, Ellie decides that enough is enough: she is finally going to lose her virginity.
As an avid party girl and final year university student, Ellie not only feels the pressure of being a virgin from her doctor but also from her peers:
“It feels like ever since we hit sixteen… that everyone started this whole thing about losing their virginity. It was like… a competition. Then all the conversations were about sex, and I couldn’t join in. It’s lonely… and honesty? I want to fit in."
While her supportive and more experienced friends, Emma and Lara, admire that she is willing to wait for a man, Ellie can’t help feeling that she’s missing out - especially when playing drunk games like Never Have I Ever result in her lying about receiving anal sex. And truthfully, Ellie doesn’t know why she’s still a virgin; she’s not waiting for the right man, she’s not religious and she’s not exactly prude…
But Ellie hasn’t exactly had the best sexual experiences either. Flashback to her first encounter at seventeen years old where she was laughed at for her untamed ‘nether regions’ and gave the infamous and dreaded first ‘bite job’ (ouch). Scarred mentally with her first and awkward sexual experiences, Ellie is determined to show the next guy that she can perform like a porn star.
While covering sex (masturbation, genitalia, looks and body hair included) is the main priority of this novel, themes like forming new friendships, family, and finding yourself are not neglected. Ellie is a English literature student (which we also have in common) and even though she’s reaching the end of her era as a student, Ellie is still unsure which career path she wants to pursue but she does know that she wants to share her voice and what better topic to cover than her virginity and all things intimate?
I immensely enjoyed this novel; Ellie is a hilarious character full of raw curiosity, quirks and imperfections. As a late bloomer myself, I felt myself relating to what Ellie had to say on multiple occasions, many times I physically laughed at loud while reading this book. Similarly, growing up, I loved the Georgia Nicholson series by Louise Rennison but have recently found I’ve outgrown them; Virgin in this case is the perfect substitute for an older audience. Sanghani clearly is the honest voice of this generation and I very much look forward to any of her future projects.
My rating: ★★★★
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