V Is for Virgin

by Kelly Oram

[Sam@WLABB]

Val is just a girl trying to hold fast to her beliefs, and all of sudden, her personal beliefs become public fodder. However, instead of wallowing in self pity, she champions the cause. Along the way, she makes new friends, loses some old friends, grows and finds new facets of herself, while still holding steadfast to her beliefs.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a simple story, but I am sure it could ignite some interesting discussions. As far as the topic of sex goes, I felt Oram presented arguments for all sides, those who wait and don't wait, but her message was the same -- it should be with someone special. That's a powerful message to send out to young women and I thought it was sent without being too preachy.

The best part of this book are the characters, though. Val is awesome, I would totally want to be her friend. She is smart, pretty, athletic, socially conscience, but also fun, flirty, focused, and forgiving. Her ability to not become angry and bitter and to give the gift of grace to those who had hurt her, was what I loved most about her. Additionally, I really like her friends. They were always so supportive and knew what Val needed even when she didn't.

The ending though, really threw me for a loop. It was not what I expected, but it made me look forward to reading the next book in this series.