Take a photo of a barcode or cover
eleniwriting's review against another edition
4.0
A very funny book. I loved it because it took every embarrassing moment in discovering your sexuality and losing your virginity and made it hilarious and relatable. Ellie was only a little unlikeable at times, she obsessed about things that most people wouldn't care about (well, maybe I shouldn't say things aren't different in the UK than they are in America with the HPPAA laws). Who cares if your doctor has a file with your name on it that says, "VIRGIN" in it? I certainly didn't when I was younger. Are doctors in the UK so judgmental and mean or was that just Ellie being paranoid? I felt like more attention could have been paid to the ending, though, although I called it mid-way through.
rachelm5's review against another edition
4.0
“Virgin” is a laugh out loud novel about a girl named Ellie who is trying to lose her “v-card”. She enlists the help of close friends in order to learn more about sex and feels the heavy weight of societal and peer pressure that guide her to decide to lose her “v-card”. Her reason? Everyone else has already “done it”. Ellie feels like she’s always the outsider looking in, so this is what mainly motivates her to go on this quest.
I found this book to be hilarious, with many cringe worthy events that had me laughing throughout the entire novel. I found the novel also to be relatable to many of what some twenty-somethings may be going through. Though women at this age have passed the puberty years we still worry about things like growing up, asking real questions, and we are still trying to understand boys.
The novel also doesn’t just focus on sex, but it’s also a novel about trying to find yourself and being comfortable in your own skin. And through this quest Ellie ultimately becomes more confident about herself and her body. I think this book is a great novel that women should read. I also really enjoyed the fact that it talks openly about subjects in way that doesn’t make readers uncomfortable and rather opens up the table for discussion.
I found this book to be hilarious, with many cringe worthy events that had me laughing throughout the entire novel. I found the novel also to be relatable to many of what some twenty-somethings may be going through. Though women at this age have passed the puberty years we still worry about things like growing up, asking real questions, and we are still trying to understand boys.
The novel also doesn’t just focus on sex, but it’s also a novel about trying to find yourself and being comfortable in your own skin. And through this quest Ellie ultimately becomes more confident about herself and her body. I think this book is a great novel that women should read. I also really enjoyed the fact that it talks openly about subjects in way that doesn’t make readers uncomfortable and rather opens up the table for discussion.
connie_rea's review against another edition
2.0
so ummmm....I appreciate this book, because honestly, it's the first book I've actually been able to read in months without actually forcing myself to pick it up and finish it.
However, I can't decide if I like it or not....I see where it could have actually been a very good book. It just fell short in so many places. The main character just felt forced. The humour felt forced. All I could think of though out the entire book was that I was pretty thankful that I never had a friend that was so obsessed with her virginity...or better yet....so obsessed with *herself*.....Okay....let me rephrase that....of course as young girls we were all obsessed with our sexual journey to a certain point...however, I like to think that we weren't so self absorbed with it to the extent that nothing else mattered in our lives....and I should hope that those that made it to the age of 21...well....I certainly hope that they wouldn't had still been so focused on it....
I suppose I am just old fashioned without considering myself old fashioned....by that I mean...well....I guess I have issues with sexual relations with people that you aren't exclusive with and have no intent to be so....I suppose I also have issues with simply going out with multiple partners whilst having sexual relations with them.....
hey ho...I'm not passing judgement....I'm just saying I personally have issues with it and I really can't relate to it....so perhaps I am not the best person to rate this book....
I'm not a prune...I've enjoyed books where there might be a love triangle....I understand people can be confused....I suppose I don't even have problems with people have multiple partners if that's what they want....I guess I just have issues with people not putting a higher worth on something that can be so intimate. Don't misunderstand me...I'm not just referring to the main character here...This wasn't just a one person trait here...it was multiple characters....
And therein lies the rub....
That's why this book wasn't as wonderful as it could have been for me....it wasn't the actions of the characters that bothered me.....it's how those actions made me feel about how they valued themselves....or actually a lack of value. It cheapened the entire book for me. They were so occupied with themselves that they often overlooked what it meant to others....they selfishly took and then became offended when others seemed to be doing the exact same thing....if what you're concerned with in life is superficial and what you offer others is also done only for what you can get out of them and not what it can mean to someone....well....don't be surprised if you get the same type of behaviour in return....just saying...
Review copy provided by Edelweiss for a honest review
www.randombookmuses.com
However, I can't decide if I like it or not....I see where it could have actually been a very good book. It just fell short in so many places. The main character just felt forced. The humour felt forced. All I could think of though out the entire book was that I was pretty thankful that I never had a friend that was so obsessed with her virginity...or better yet....so obsessed with *herself*.....Okay....let me rephrase that....of course as young girls we were all obsessed with our sexual journey to a certain point...however, I like to think that we weren't so self absorbed with it to the extent that nothing else mattered in our lives....and I should hope that those that made it to the age of 21...well....I certainly hope that they wouldn't had still been so focused on it....
I suppose I am just old fashioned without considering myself old fashioned....by that I mean...well....I guess I have issues with sexual relations with people that you aren't exclusive with and have no intent to be so....I suppose I also have issues with simply going out with multiple partners whilst having sexual relations with them.....
hey ho...I'm not passing judgement....I'm just saying I personally have issues with it and I really can't relate to it....so perhaps I am not the best person to rate this book....
I'm not a prune...I've enjoyed books where there might be a love triangle....I understand people can be confused....I suppose I don't even have problems with people have multiple partners if that's what they want....I guess I just have issues with people not putting a higher worth on something that can be so intimate. Don't misunderstand me...I'm not just referring to the main character here...This wasn't just a one person trait here...it was multiple characters....
And therein lies the rub....
That's why this book wasn't as wonderful as it could have been for me....it wasn't the actions of the characters that bothered me.....it's how those actions made me feel about how they valued themselves....or actually a lack of value. It cheapened the entire book for me. They were so occupied with themselves that they often overlooked what it meant to others....they selfishly took and then became offended when others seemed to be doing the exact same thing....if what you're concerned with in life is superficial and what you offer others is also done only for what you can get out of them and not what it can mean to someone....well....don't be surprised if you get the same type of behaviour in return....just saying...
Review copy provided by Edelweiss for a honest review
www.randombookmuses.com
jbradley's review against another edition
Ellie Kolstakis, an anxious twenty-something student at uni (college) in England, is on a mission to lose her virginity. She is also going through the kind of identity search that people face at this age—finding her voice and reevaluating her friendships. By the end, she has lost and regained a BFF, connected with a more supportive friend, found a new, gay BFF, solidified her career aspirations, and gained insight into herself and the value of the virginity that she was so eager to rid herself of.
The book is certainly quite…uh…clinical at times (for example, there are several detailed account of shaving one’s nether regions) but sometimes that is needed. As liberated as we supposedly are, we can be quite reluctant to get in to the what really happens with our bodies. People are open about having sex but not necessarily comfortable discussing it. At times, the characters seem to be vehicles for certain viewpoints on sexuality and society, as well as delivering mini PSAs on safe sex. Whether someone wants to see his or her own awkwardness to feel less alone or needs a fictionalized primer on what NOT to do when you find yourself sexually inexperienced in your twenties, this book that will tell lots you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.
The book is certainly quite…uh…clinical at times (for example, there are several detailed account of shaving one’s nether regions) but sometimes that is needed. As liberated as we supposedly are, we can be quite reluctant to get in to the what really happens with our bodies. People are open about having sex but not necessarily comfortable discussing it. At times, the characters seem to be vehicles for certain viewpoints on sexuality and society, as well as delivering mini PSAs on safe sex. Whether someone wants to see his or her own awkwardness to feel less alone or needs a fictionalized primer on what NOT to do when you find yourself sexually inexperienced in your twenties, this book that will tell lots you wanted to know but were afraid to ask.
yvalenz's review against another edition
3.0
Ellie is a 21 year old virgin who is desperate to a) eliminate her “V Card”, b) update the status on her medical records to “sexually active” and actually have a reason to take a chlamydia test, and c) fit in with the rest of her friends at the university. What the story really is about is a young woman who has been subjected to the stereotypes of beauty – thin, blonde, and perky – and is reminded daily that she is not that idealized woman. Instead, she’s voluptuous, has body hair like every normal woman, and at times, hilariously self-deprecating. This book really should be titled “Me and my hairy vagina” since most of Ellie’s dialogue is trying to deal with her woman parts.
“I realized I had to sort out my bush immediately”
From shaving, to shape, smell, texture, oh and that ever present status as a virgin, the author writes about the struggles of a young woman who’s trying to deal with body and her sexuality, or lack of.
The characters are amusing, but at times, found that casual focus on actually “losing it” was a bit much. No one in the book actually said “hey, it’s not that big of a deal and you’re fine (or more importantly, better than fine), with not having random sexual hookups.” As well, once she does actually give it up, and returns to the doc to change her status and take that STD test, blowing off of the results are a bit reckless. Not to get all preachy, but really? This isn’t something that should be taken so lightly. Deal with it more than ‘hey embrace any STDs you may or may not have’. Maybe that’s just the adult and counselor in me – because I see the emotional drama on the other end of these situations. I understand, it’s not real life, but this could, and likely should, have been handled in a better way.
Overall, it’s a good first novel for author Radhika Sanghani. I found that some of her lines were hilarious (Hello! Hitler pubes!!), others made me sad for the unappreciated beauty of being something other than a waif, and cringe at the careless conversations of sexuality and some tough emotional issues that could have made this a deeper read. The realization that Ellie is fine as she is comes at the end, but really, developing the emotional side of identity and body acceptance would have made this novel more than a comedic rant about a hairy vag.
*Advance copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
“I realized I had to sort out my bush immediately”
From shaving, to shape, smell, texture, oh and that ever present status as a virgin, the author writes about the struggles of a young woman who’s trying to deal with body and her sexuality, or lack of.
The characters are amusing, but at times, found that casual focus on actually “losing it” was a bit much. No one in the book actually said “hey, it’s not that big of a deal and you’re fine (or more importantly, better than fine), with not having random sexual hookups.” As well, once she does actually give it up, and returns to the doc to change her status and take that STD test, blowing off of the results are a bit reckless. Not to get all preachy, but really? This isn’t something that should be taken so lightly. Deal with it more than ‘hey embrace any STDs you may or may not have’. Maybe that’s just the adult and counselor in me – because I see the emotional drama on the other end of these situations. I understand, it’s not real life, but this could, and likely should, have been handled in a better way.
Overall, it’s a good first novel for author Radhika Sanghani. I found that some of her lines were hilarious (Hello! Hitler pubes!!), others made me sad for the unappreciated beauty of being something other than a waif, and cringe at the careless conversations of sexuality and some tough emotional issues that could have made this a deeper read. The realization that Ellie is fine as she is comes at the end, but really, developing the emotional side of identity and body acceptance would have made this novel more than a comedic rant about a hairy vag.
*Advance copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
breeunderhill's review against another edition
4.0
NetGalley offered this book to me for my honest review, and just by reading the little synopsis, I jumped on it.
At first, I thought it would be another silly chick lit book, which are fine in moderation. But then I kept reading and found that this was the type of book I should have read when I was a teenager. Virgin is one of those stories that are so brutally honest that you feel like you're best friends with the characters. Poor Ellie is twenty-one, attending university for English, and only cares about losing her virginity. She becomes so obsessed with it that it takes over her whole life and the reader sometimes forgets that there's anything else going on for this girl. Scenes of hilarity ensue, like when Ellie goes to the salon to get a bikini wax and ends up with a Hitler mustache on her vagina. Haven't we all had those painful experiences? They probably weren't so funny at the time, but now we can look back at them and realize how stupid we were. That's what Ellie's here for. To show us how stupid we were and to laugh about it now.
I think my most favorite part had to be when Ellie finally meets Mr. (Supposedly) Right and decides to lose her virginity to him. The pep talks this girl gives to herself are beautiful. For example: "If I could steer a wheel, I could let someone penetrate me."
Ellie is an every girl, the type that wants to be beautiful and interesting and smart and adored. We've all felt this way a time or two in our lives, I'm sure, and Ellie just happens to get it across in a funny, heart-warming way.
At first, I thought it would be another silly chick lit book, which are fine in moderation. But then I kept reading and found that this was the type of book I should have read when I was a teenager. Virgin is one of those stories that are so brutally honest that you feel like you're best friends with the characters. Poor Ellie is twenty-one, attending university for English, and only cares about losing her virginity. She becomes so obsessed with it that it takes over her whole life and the reader sometimes forgets that there's anything else going on for this girl. Scenes of hilarity ensue, like when Ellie goes to the salon to get a bikini wax and ends up with a Hitler mustache on her vagina. Haven't we all had those painful experiences? They probably weren't so funny at the time, but now we can look back at them and realize how stupid we were. That's what Ellie's here for. To show us how stupid we were and to laugh about it now.
I think my most favorite part had to be when Ellie finally meets Mr. (Supposedly) Right and decides to lose her virginity to him. The pep talks this girl gives to herself are beautiful. For example: "If I could steer a wheel, I could let someone penetrate me."
Ellie is an every girl, the type that wants to be beautiful and interesting and smart and adored. We've all felt this way a time or two in our lives, I'm sure, and Ellie just happens to get it across in a funny, heart-warming way.
ajkane's review against another edition
3.0
More like a 3.5
I had some general mixed feelings about this book but overall I thought that it was funny, well written and surprisingly educational.
Virgin is one of those novels that the more you read you think "THANK GOD SOMEONE ELSE HAS THOUGHT OF THIS!" I think it's important to show young women that the weird and wonderful things our bodies do are perfectly normal and there's a lot of that in this book. It's very critical of the media, the porn industry and the unrealistic standards that women are subjected to on a daily basis which was very interesting to read about.
I really liked the exploration of Ellie's (MC) insecurities and seeing how see overcame them and grew as a person.
However all of this being said, there is an awful lot of focus on sex. I understand that's the main premise of the book and that's what I should have been expecting; however some of it was very repetitive. The characters felt a little underdeveloped especially in terms of Lara and Emma.
Overall this novel is definitely worth reading. It has some moments that are laugh out loud funny and some genuinely interesting lessons in here. I'd recommend picking it up if you're even slightly curious about it.
I had some general mixed feelings about this book but overall I thought that it was funny, well written and surprisingly educational.
Virgin is one of those novels that the more you read you think "THANK GOD SOMEONE ELSE HAS THOUGHT OF THIS!" I think it's important to show young women that the weird and wonderful things our bodies do are perfectly normal and there's a lot of that in this book. It's very critical of the media, the porn industry and the unrealistic standards that women are subjected to on a daily basis which was very interesting to read about.
I really liked the exploration of Ellie's (MC) insecurities and seeing how see overcame them and grew as a person.
Spoiler
I really liked the way the Jack situation turned out. Mainly because I thought it was going to end in the way most chicklit books do, with the girl getting the guy, but I kind of like the fact that she got rejected? It felt more honest because that's the kind of situation that happens in real life.However all of this being said, there is an awful lot of focus on sex. I understand that's the main premise of the book and that's what I should have been expecting; however some of it was very repetitive. The characters felt a little underdeveloped especially in terms of Lara and Emma.
Overall this novel is definitely worth reading. It has some moments that are laugh out loud funny and some genuinely interesting lessons in here. I'd recommend picking it up if you're even slightly curious about it.
sam_inthestacks's review against another edition
4.0
Funny, refreshing and a nice change of pace from what I had been reading lately.
karinaram's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 Stars
Thought's from a 22 year old …
Like I said I'm 22, and this book didn't do it for me.
I can tell you exactly why Ellie is a 21 year old virgin (which let me tell everyone out there is nothing to be ashamed of) she's completely and utterly immature not to mention nieve.
I applaud the author for writing this, i think it was a great look into what most girls go through. With that being said if this book was written as a Young Adult novel it would've been a slam dunk.
But it wasn't. It was horribly unrealistic in my personal opinion. For her to be that dense and uninformed on the way a woman's body works and functions was just flabbergasting.
It was hilarious don't get me wrong, but I felt the character was a 15 year old girl no where near 21. I think it would've been a much better book if it was written in the Young Adult genre because New Adult rely didn't work for this book.
Had the main character been confident and self-empowering maybe the book would've been better, she just came across very immature which really got on my nerves.
Thought's from a 22 year old …
Like I said I'm 22, and this book didn't do it for me.
I can tell you exactly why Ellie is a 21 year old virgin (which let me tell everyone out there is nothing to be ashamed of) she's completely and utterly immature not to mention nieve.
I applaud the author for writing this, i think it was a great look into what most girls go through. With that being said if this book was written as a Young Adult novel it would've been a slam dunk.
But it wasn't. It was horribly unrealistic in my personal opinion. For her to be that dense and uninformed on the way a woman's body works and functions was just flabbergasting.
It was hilarious don't get me wrong, but I felt the character was a 15 year old girl no where near 21. I think it would've been a much better book if it was written in the Young Adult genre because New Adult rely didn't work for this book.
Had the main character been confident and self-empowering maybe the book would've been better, she just came across very immature which really got on my nerves.
littlelumi's review against another edition
4.0
A glorious and easy read! Nothing gets me more excited than debating and analysing sex! With a funny protagonist to boot!