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The V Girl: A Coming of Age Story
Romance set in a dystopian future
In post-apocalyptic North America two emerging nations are at war and sexual slavery is legal. Lila Velez desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend. Lila does not love him, but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute for love.
Lila hides a secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey Fürst, a foreign, broody man who she distrusts because of his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. He offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself.
With threats looming at every turn and no way to escape, Lila fears that falling in love will only lead to more heartache. The consequences of laying down her arms for Aleksey and welcoming hope might destroy more than her heart. They might force her to face the worst of her nightmares becoming a reality. Is love possible in a world that has forgotten what the human touch is?
In post-apocalyptic North America two emerging nations are at war and sexual slavery is legal. Lila Velez desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend. Lila does not love him, but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute for love.
Lila hides a secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey Fürst, a foreign, broody man who she distrusts because of his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. He offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself.
With threats looming at every turn and no way to escape, Lila fears that falling in love will only lead to more heartache. The consequences of laying down her arms for Aleksey and welcoming hope might destroy more than her heart. They might force her to face the worst of her nightmares becoming a reality. Is love possible in a world that has forgotten what the human touch is?
340 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 20, 2015
About the author
Mya Robarts
5 books681 followersMya Robarts is a bookaholic who regrets nothing. She aspired to be a contemporary dance choreographer when she discovered a pull for expressing her choreography ideas in written form.
After years of writing short stories. Mya will release her debut novel "The V girl" in two languages.
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After years of writing short stories. Mya will release her debut novel "The V girl" in two languages.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,701 reviews
February 3, 2020
The V Girl is possibly the most heart-wrenching, stomach wrenching and, if that even makes sense, steamiest panty-wrenching book I read in years, possibly ever.
It’s brutal, sexy, addictive and completely unique. Imagine getting a mix of the feelings of despair and love of Hopeless
with a brutal future like The Handmaid’s Tale,
with a war setting where romance will blossom like The Bronze Horseman
with the gut-wrenching angst of The Hunger Games,
, with the slow sexual tension of The Captive Prince series,
the feelings of Wait for You,
healthy anti-rape messages like
,
the disgust of a crime novel (and I dare male readers to read certain "Saint Agatha" scene and still tell me that new adult romance is a silly gender) and as a cherry on the top a little bit of Young adult dystopia fun romance in the style of Delirium and Angelfall.
.
Behold the handsomeness and fierceness of Aleksey FÜrst.
Meet Lila, a heroine you might love or hate depending in how you feel you'd act if facing her problems
Is it acceptable that a girl takes matter in her own hands to avoid a life of slavery? Should she try with different guys or should she accept Aleksey’s proposal and his “quirks”? Justify your answer. What would you do if it was you the one in danger of being taken by the soldiers if you don’t lose your virginity first?
That’s the basic premise. Lila is 18 and wants to lose her virginity and feel at least for once, that she’s safe in the sexual department. There are a lot of events, some violent, some funny, some sweet that all revolve around Lila’s basic need of connecting to another person through sex. This will save her from recruitment A.K.A. rape.
I love the romance, the messages, the poems between chapters, the world building. I can explain the Second civil war as well as I can explain the first one. I stayed up late last night to finish this book and I’m captivated. Perhaps it’s because I’ve had my own story with the theme of this book, but I love it. I think that only a handful of new adult authors can handle the topic well and make it heart-wrenching, romantic, entertaining and thought-provoking without making it preachy nor boring. Mya Robarts is one of those authors. She delivers a story that keeps the reader laughing, raging, hating, loving, thinking, cringing applauding, and when it ends you are free to take the messages with you as food for thought, or think about this book as a love story. A brutal love story but romantic nonetheless.
The V Girl contains graphic scenes that might shock some readers, but let me assure you that this graphicness is reserved to consensual acts of sex and a horrible depiction of torture. Although rape is a reality in this world we don’t get to witness it. We know it more from backstory and the way the author showed us the feelings of the characters. Lila’s fears became mine as I was reading and that’s to the credit of the world-building and writing. The prose is simple, unadorned, straight to the point, and that makes the situations believable. Even the romance.
As far as the dystopian genre goes, this isn’t the typical story where the circumstances are tweaked to make the protagonist the leader. No rebels, no special powers, no arms are handled to the protagonist in a silver plate so she’ll lead the rebel forces against the oppressive government. Lila will find that if she has to lead a rebellion she’ll have to:
1) learn how to drive in a place where this is forbidden for her people
2) stir her gang to become stronger, because they suck.
3) Learn to fight with her own hands because the guns of her resistance gang are primitive.
4) Become a leader herself when she would prefer not to become one. But the current leader of the rebellion sucks at it.
This is refreshing. Not every YA dystopia (or more like NA dystopia) character has to be Katniss nor Tris. Katniss struggled to become a leader, but still she got people eager to make her a symbol and Tris didn’t seem to find any difficulty in getting guns. Lila will have to learn how to use everyday objects as guns and will have to do what she can to become stronger. I admire her so much because of this. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to go out of my house ever. I'd live in hiding.
Aleksey is fantastic... I could predict from the first chapter that he’d be a love interest, but other than that I couldn’t see where the relationship would go. You'll find what I'd call an I-want-to-use-you triangle here. Lila wants to use her best friend, but she doesn’t want a relationship with Rey, nor anyone. Rey, the best friend, wants to save Lila “from sin” but he wants to be in love with his dead ex-fiancé forever, and Aleksey wants to deflower Lila, but he doesn’t think he’s capable of love and he knows he won’t be around for her. Aleksey doesn’t want to fall in love but he will and that is one of my favorite parts of this book.
In terms of steamy scenes, I think that they were well written and sexy. Some are rough, some are sweet, some are graphic but all are realistic and vital to the plot or the overall message of the book. I enjoyed them all!
For example this quote
Why does it have to hurt only me?
It’s true! Why sexuality is always more difficult for women than for men? Not fair. But as I said, the messages are there hidden between the characters actions if you want to see them, but if you don’t, this is still a very compelling story of fighting for love and against love.
I recommend this book to 17 plus readers, because some topics here are disturbing, but any reader that can handle the heavy subject will enjoy the book. Read this if you want something different.
It’s brutal, sexy, addictive and completely unique. Imagine getting a mix of the feelings of despair and love of Hopeless
with a brutal future like The Handmaid’s Tale,
with a war setting where romance will blossom like The Bronze Horseman
with the gut-wrenching angst of The Hunger Games,
, with the slow sexual tension of The Captive Prince series,
the feelings of Wait for You,
healthy anti-rape messages like
,the disgust of a crime novel (and I dare male readers to read certain "Saint Agatha" scene and still tell me that new adult romance is a silly gender) and as a cherry on the top a little bit of Young adult dystopia fun romance in the style of Delirium and Angelfall.
.Behold the handsomeness and fierceness of Aleksey FÜrst.
Meet Lila, a heroine you might love or hate depending in how you feel you'd act if facing her problems
Is it acceptable that a girl takes matter in her own hands to avoid a life of slavery? Should she try with different guys or should she accept Aleksey’s proposal and his “quirks”? Justify your answer. What would you do if it was you the one in danger of being taken by the soldiers if you don’t lose your virginity first?
That’s the basic premise. Lila is 18 and wants to lose her virginity and feel at least for once, that she’s safe in the sexual department. There are a lot of events, some violent, some funny, some sweet that all revolve around Lila’s basic need of connecting to another person through sex. This will save her from recruitment A.K.A. rape.
I love the romance, the messages, the poems between chapters, the world building. I can explain the Second civil war as well as I can explain the first one. I stayed up late last night to finish this book and I’m captivated. Perhaps it’s because I’ve had my own story with the theme of this book, but I love it. I think that only a handful of new adult authors can handle the topic well and make it heart-wrenching, romantic, entertaining and thought-provoking without making it preachy nor boring. Mya Robarts is one of those authors. She delivers a story that keeps the reader laughing, raging, hating, loving, thinking, cringing applauding, and when it ends you are free to take the messages with you as food for thought, or think about this book as a love story. A brutal love story but romantic nonetheless.
The V Girl contains graphic scenes that might shock some readers, but let me assure you that this graphicness is reserved to consensual acts of sex and a horrible depiction of torture. Although rape is a reality in this world we don’t get to witness it. We know it more from backstory and the way the author showed us the feelings of the characters. Lila’s fears became mine as I was reading and that’s to the credit of the world-building and writing. The prose is simple, unadorned, straight to the point, and that makes the situations believable. Even the romance.
As far as the dystopian genre goes, this isn’t the typical story where the circumstances are tweaked to make the protagonist the leader. No rebels, no special powers, no arms are handled to the protagonist in a silver plate so she’ll lead the rebel forces against the oppressive government. Lila will find that if she has to lead a rebellion she’ll have to:
1) learn how to drive in a place where this is forbidden for her people
2) stir her gang to become stronger, because they suck.
3) Learn to fight with her own hands because the guns of her resistance gang are primitive.
4) Become a leader herself when she would prefer not to become one. But the current leader of the rebellion sucks at it.
This is refreshing. Not every YA dystopia (or more like NA dystopia) character has to be Katniss nor Tris. Katniss struggled to become a leader, but still she got people eager to make her a symbol and Tris didn’t seem to find any difficulty in getting guns. Lila will have to learn how to use everyday objects as guns and will have to do what she can to become stronger. I admire her so much because of this. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to go out of my house ever. I'd live in hiding.
Aleksey is fantastic... I could predict from the first chapter that he’d be a love interest, but other than that I couldn’t see where the relationship would go. You'll find what I'd call an I-want-to-use-you triangle here. Lila wants to use her best friend, but she doesn’t want a relationship with Rey, nor anyone. Rey, the best friend, wants to save Lila “from sin” but he wants to be in love with his dead ex-fiancé forever, and Aleksey wants to deflower Lila, but he doesn’t think he’s capable of love and he knows he won’t be around for her. Aleksey doesn’t want to fall in love but he will and that is one of my favorite parts of this book.
In terms of steamy scenes, I think that they were well written and sexy. Some are rough, some are sweet, some are graphic but all are realistic and vital to the plot or the overall message of the book. I enjoyed them all!
For example this quote
Why does it have to hurt only me?
It’s true! Why sexuality is always more difficult for women than for men? Not fair. But as I said, the messages are there hidden between the characters actions if you want to see them, but if you don’t, this is still a very compelling story of fighting for love and against love.
I recommend this book to 17 plus readers, because some topics here are disturbing, but any reader that can handle the heavy subject will enjoy the book. Read this if you want something different.
October 27, 2016
Literally one of the most unique novels I have ever read.
It took me half a month to read because i was savouring every moment of this reading experience.
It was intense, romantic, dangerous and touching.
A coming of story novel that will knock you side ways.
It took me half a month to read because i was savouring every moment of this reading experience.
It was intense, romantic, dangerous and touching.
A coming of story novel that will knock you side ways.
April 12, 2017
When I started this book, I knew it would deal with some pretty "heavy" subject matter. After all, the blurb is pretty forthcoming about the fact that rape is commonplace in this futuristic world that Mya Robarts created. While it proved to be every bit as gut-wrenching as I expected, there were also more moments of simplistic beauty than I had anticipated.
Given the dark, gritty and downright gloomy existence that the heroine lives, these few exquisite moments provided her with the inspiration necessary to keep living another day. For the reader, they served to keep the story from becoming so depressing as to not be enjoyable. Even in the darkest of times, there is light to be seen if you look hard enough. Finding that light is the essence of the human drive to survive against all odds.
Lila Velez was a girl that managed to find the light in a very dark world. Coming of age in her town meant being eligible for recruitment by the army. While this sounds deceivingly honorable, don't let the fluffy language fool you. "Recruitment" is really a nice way of saying "rape" that is completely legal and sanctioned by the government. There is nothing nice about it or this life that Lila was born into. It is raw, brutal and horrific.
If you can picture that, then you can imagine the morose feeling that pervades this book. The vast majority of this book takes place in the months preceding the recruitment ceremony. (Yes, they actually have a big ceremony to celebrate these traumatic, and very public, mass rapes.) There was a strong sense of impending doom and the clock ticked down to the time that Lila would face a certain and brutal rape.
Fully aware of what the future holds in store for her, Lila is determined to take control of her own first sexual experience--to the extent that she can when she is faced with an ever-shortening timeline. She sets out to lose her virginity before it can be taken from her. She has no illusions of romance, but refuses to let the soldiers take that part of her. At least she can be sure that her first time will be with someone that she cares about, even if it isn't with someone that she is in love with.
When Lila's best friend, Rey, first turns her down, she is disappointed but not deterred. She is certain that she will be able to convince Rey before the troops arrive in their town. If she can't she is sure that she can find somebody. After all, anyone would be better than the soldiers.
General Aleksy Furst immediately takes notice of Lila when he arrives in town. An awkward, rather comical, first meeting ensures that he won't soon forget Lila. Despite her initial protests, Lila eventually comes to consider Aleksy's offer to rid her of her virginity.
While reading this story, it was easy to draw many parallels between this fictional futuristic dystopian America and factual past and present war crimes of the world. This book forces readers to evaluate their values and sheds light on many unpleasant truths that are not discussed in polite society. From homophopia, rape, government-sanctioned war crimes, genetic modification, gender-specific roles to hypocrisy, this book touches on so many controversial topics that I couldn't begin to list them all.
That is really what makes this book so moving and memorable. Of course, I enjoyed the love story that evolved between Lila and Aleksey. However, the beauty of this book was in it's ability to make readers think about these controversial topics. The best books are those that force us to reevaluate our beliefs and behaviors, sculpting us into better, more compassionate, individuals. This is one such book.
While this book certainly isn't a feel-good type of story, I highly recommend it. Like '1984' and other dystopian classics, 'The V Girl' is a thought-provoking social commentary. I especially liked the questions for discussion that the author included at the back of the book.
Given the dark, gritty and downright gloomy existence that the heroine lives, these few exquisite moments provided her with the inspiration necessary to keep living another day. For the reader, they served to keep the story from becoming so depressing as to not be enjoyable. Even in the darkest of times, there is light to be seen if you look hard enough. Finding that light is the essence of the human drive to survive against all odds.
Lila Velez was a girl that managed to find the light in a very dark world. Coming of age in her town meant being eligible for recruitment by the army. While this sounds deceivingly honorable, don't let the fluffy language fool you. "Recruitment" is really a nice way of saying "rape" that is completely legal and sanctioned by the government. There is nothing nice about it or this life that Lila was born into. It is raw, brutal and horrific.
If you can picture that, then you can imagine the morose feeling that pervades this book. The vast majority of this book takes place in the months preceding the recruitment ceremony. (Yes, they actually have a big ceremony to celebrate these traumatic, and very public, mass rapes.) There was a strong sense of impending doom and the clock ticked down to the time that Lila would face a certain and brutal rape.
Fully aware of what the future holds in store for her, Lila is determined to take control of her own first sexual experience--to the extent that she can when she is faced with an ever-shortening timeline. She sets out to lose her virginity before it can be taken from her. She has no illusions of romance, but refuses to let the soldiers take that part of her. At least she can be sure that her first time will be with someone that she cares about, even if it isn't with someone that she is in love with.
When Lila's best friend, Rey, first turns her down, she is disappointed but not deterred. She is certain that she will be able to convince Rey before the troops arrive in their town. If she can't she is sure that she can find somebody. After all, anyone would be better than the soldiers.
General Aleksy Furst immediately takes notice of Lila when he arrives in town. An awkward, rather comical, first meeting ensures that he won't soon forget Lila. Despite her initial protests, Lila eventually comes to consider Aleksy's offer to rid her of her virginity.
While reading this story, it was easy to draw many parallels between this fictional futuristic dystopian America and factual past and present war crimes of the world. This book forces readers to evaluate their values and sheds light on many unpleasant truths that are not discussed in polite society. From homophopia, rape, government-sanctioned war crimes, genetic modification, gender-specific roles to hypocrisy, this book touches on so many controversial topics that I couldn't begin to list them all.
That is really what makes this book so moving and memorable. Of course, I enjoyed the love story that evolved between Lila and Aleksey. However, the beauty of this book was in it's ability to make readers think about these controversial topics. The best books are those that force us to reevaluate our beliefs and behaviors, sculpting us into better, more compassionate, individuals. This is one such book.
While this book certainly isn't a feel-good type of story, I highly recommend it. Like '1984' and other dystopian classics, 'The V Girl' is a thought-provoking social commentary. I especially liked the questions for discussion that the author included at the back of the book.
November 23, 2019
Wow, The V-Girl is one hell of a book. What a punch it throws to the heart and soul! There are so many amazing things about this story that this review will be a bit lengthy.
But... since I don’t want to make it cover 20 pages like an analytical essay, here’s a quick bullet list of some great things:
• Lots of anti-rape messages (yes!)
• Pro-consent messages (yes!)
• Anti slut-shaming messages (yes!)
• Healthy relationship choices/behaviors (such as being honest about expectations/wants, defining boundaries, accepting and working with obstacles like PTSD, respecting partner’s wishes, and lots more)
• Properly executed alpha male (i.e. is all the thrill and sensuality of power and control without any of the physically or emotionally abusive behavior you so often see with supposed “alpha” characters in books)
• Recognition that men can be raped (by either sex)
• Healthy, supporting view of sexuality that encourages people to take control of it, know their bodies, explore their desires, and to not be ashamed to be a sexual being and have these types of feelings.
• Exploration of these topics in a way that’s deep but easy to connect to and understand
• Supportive father figure who wants his daughter to be happy and embrace her sexuality and doesn't demonize her whatsoever (and a supportive brother and sister too though Azzy does have a few moments, but seeing as she’s like 11 this is excusable)
• Recognition that virginity is not a legit biological thing (it’s basically just “a person who hasn’t had sex” which doesn’t define anything really essential since a virginal and not virginal body have no real differences outside of the very temporary damage that might be inflicted by penetration) and that the hymen is just a useless piece of tissue that can break even if you’ve never had sex and can stay intact even if you have sex every day.
• And probably lots of other stuff I should have taken notes but I was really into reading this so I didn’t think to. I might go back someday to better elaborate and all the specifics that made me go “Yes! Yes! Fuck yes!”
This is a powerful story that tells the story of an 18 year old girl working hard to keep living from day to day who is exploring her sexuality and herself in a world where there’s war and the recruitment (which is a showy ceremony of legalized rape) looming above her. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing many horrible things—and has developed her voyeurism kink from the trauma—yet still yearns to be loved and have a consensual, trusting sexual relationship, especially since recruitment is fast approaching and Lila cannot bear the idea of being raped by soldiers like her mother was and experiencing sexual contact for the first time under such horrible circumstances. She wants to lose her virginity to protect herself and to have a bit of control over her body in a world that doesn’t think anyone has that right—the right of autonomy. It’s very easy to relate to Lila; her fears, her wants, her hopes, her turmoil. She’s everything an 18 year girl is—full of complex feelings and desires, a blend of childishness and maturity that is on the cusp of true confidence and ownership of self—but she is also so much more: a survivor, a fighter, a dreamer, someone who expects the worst but deep down wishes and hopes for the best. I loved Lila. Not once did I feel unsatisfied with her character; I could understand her very well and thought she was a great choice of a heroine.
This is where Aleksey comes in; he’s actually super well written too. He embodies the “alpha male” archetype, but in a way that removes him entirely from being abusive. He heavily values consent, is open and forthcoming about his wants with Lila and the constructs of their relationship as it progresses from sexual connection to deep romantic love (so, for example, he doesn’t lie to her about wanting a romantic relationship with her at first and is honest about wanting to be just about a sexual connection and human touch), doesn’t blame Lila for her PTSD or try to force or coerce her into doing something she doesn’t want to, is willing to fulfill the things Lila needs in order to have with him (like consent, trust, and understanding), and always has a firm control over himself with Lila so he doesn’t hurt her—even accidentally. He’s not perfect, of course, he’s suffering from a kind of emotional ignorance and detachment from his hard life, but he slowly learns with Lila and becomes better and better with how to love her and express it, just like how Lila slowly becomes better at trusting and being comfortable with sexual intimacy after her ordeals and fears.
Although, one thing I want to address is that Aleksey’s kink is rape roleplay or as the book calls it “consensual non-consent”; which while, like Lila, that makes me personally a little uncomfortable just because the nature of this is a little complex to define in terms of morality and when it goes to far or is no longer safe/healthy, I think the author handles this in a good way by having Aleksey understand the boundaries of it and that he has to be aware of his partner’s feelings and be sensitive to when consent is withdrawn or a line is drawn. If this was just your average story, I’d say it was unnecessary to add in, but usually the people who have this kink and who are very clear about the boundaries of it either exist in a society that warps sex or they have had a traumatic experience with sexual assault; for example, survivors of rape often engage in rape roleplaying because it’s a way for them to regain a sense of control over their bodies and cope with their trauma (though it can manifest in other people for other reasons). While we’re not given a backstory of how Aleksey got this kink, I’d say it’s safe to assume it manifested from the world he’s in and the things he’s seen, much like how Lila’s voyeurism developed as a result of seeing others get raped and is her coping mechanism.
Also, there’s a seven year age gap between our leads, but since we’re in a situation where Lila wasn’t really allowed to be like your average teenager and mature at her own pace, she is presented as a much more mature and competent person than what we see in your average contemporary novel, I’m not being as harsh as I’d usually be. Yes, she’s 18, but generally a 25 year old is a lot more mature and experienced so this creates a power imbalance which is a problem. In this case, even though Aleksey is more experienced and mature, he doesn’t present anything in his behavior that speaks that he would abuse this gap in power and Lila is intelligent and experienced enough to not easily fall prey to being in that situation or be the kind of person someone would target if they had such power-abusing tendencies in mind.
We get to watch their relationship develop slowly, understand their individual feelings, their turmoil, and we see how them opening up to each other deepens and intensifies their connection with one another as it grows from one thing into another, so you get a feel that this relationship is real and legitimate, making it quite a realist romance that speaks to readers on deep levels, all while the story somehow makes time to be a platform for discussion and thought regarding the morals of relationships and sex and autonomy at the same time as this epic story of dealing with emotions and sexual desire between two people not quite sure how to merge the two work to find the answers together one clumsy step at a time.
As for the writing, the author does a superb job. The style was simple, yet heartfelt and appropriate to the setting. The messages are coherently conveyed, the story soundly weaved, the characters very well fleshed out, and outside of a few errors in my Kindle edition I could find no grievous flaw to the prose. Thumbs up from me!
All in all, if you aren’t very sensitive to the topics surrounding rape and aren’t triggered by the topic easily, this is a great read that’s as equally moving for the heart as it thought provoking for the intellect. Though since the book contains a lot of mature subject matter and a few detailed sex scenes, I would definitely say this is new adult, though I think perhaps it’d be worthwhile to have a mature 16 or 17 year old read it because it has such a healthy romance/relationship and offers very sound, good messages regarding some very sensitive issues that are paramount to your average young person and young women especially.
(I wrote this kind of fast right before heading out somewhere so I’ll likely return to it at a later date to proofread and maybe add some more stuff! All in all, five star book! Thanks for the recommendation, Veronica!)
But... since I don’t want to make it cover 20 pages like an analytical essay, here’s a quick bullet list of some great things:
• Lots of anti-rape messages (yes!)
• Pro-consent messages (yes!)
• Anti slut-shaming messages (yes!)
• Healthy relationship choices/behaviors (such as being honest about expectations/wants, defining boundaries, accepting and working with obstacles like PTSD, respecting partner’s wishes, and lots more)
• Properly executed alpha male (i.e. is all the thrill and sensuality of power and control without any of the physically or emotionally abusive behavior you so often see with supposed “alpha” characters in books)
• Recognition that men can be raped (by either sex)
• Healthy, supporting view of sexuality that encourages people to take control of it, know their bodies, explore their desires, and to not be ashamed to be a sexual being and have these types of feelings.
• Exploration of these topics in a way that’s deep but easy to connect to and understand
• Supportive father figure who wants his daughter to be happy and embrace her sexuality and doesn't demonize her whatsoever (and a supportive brother and sister too though Azzy does have a few moments, but seeing as she’s like 11 this is excusable)
• Recognition that virginity is not a legit biological thing (it’s basically just “a person who hasn’t had sex” which doesn’t define anything really essential since a virginal and not virginal body have no real differences outside of the very temporary damage that might be inflicted by penetration) and that the hymen is just a useless piece of tissue that can break even if you’ve never had sex and can stay intact even if you have sex every day.
• And probably lots of other stuff I should have taken notes but I was really into reading this so I didn’t think to. I might go back someday to better elaborate and all the specifics that made me go “Yes! Yes! Fuck yes!”
This is a powerful story that tells the story of an 18 year old girl working hard to keep living from day to day who is exploring her sexuality and herself in a world where there’s war and the recruitment (which is a showy ceremony of legalized rape) looming above her. She suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing many horrible things—and has developed her voyeurism kink from the trauma—yet still yearns to be loved and have a consensual, trusting sexual relationship, especially since recruitment is fast approaching and Lila cannot bear the idea of being raped by soldiers like her mother was and experiencing sexual contact for the first time under such horrible circumstances. She wants to lose her virginity to protect herself and to have a bit of control over her body in a world that doesn’t think anyone has that right—the right of autonomy. It’s very easy to relate to Lila; her fears, her wants, her hopes, her turmoil. She’s everything an 18 year girl is—full of complex feelings and desires, a blend of childishness and maturity that is on the cusp of true confidence and ownership of self—but she is also so much more: a survivor, a fighter, a dreamer, someone who expects the worst but deep down wishes and hopes for the best. I loved Lila. Not once did I feel unsatisfied with her character; I could understand her very well and thought she was a great choice of a heroine.
This is where Aleksey comes in; he’s actually super well written too. He embodies the “alpha male” archetype, but in a way that removes him entirely from being abusive. He heavily values consent, is open and forthcoming about his wants with Lila and the constructs of their relationship as it progresses from sexual connection to deep romantic love (so, for example, he doesn’t lie to her about wanting a romantic relationship with her at first and is honest about wanting to be just about a sexual connection and human touch), doesn’t blame Lila for her PTSD or try to force or coerce her into doing something she doesn’t want to, is willing to fulfill the things Lila needs in order to have with him (like consent, trust, and understanding), and always has a firm control over himself with Lila so he doesn’t hurt her—even accidentally. He’s not perfect, of course, he’s suffering from a kind of emotional ignorance and detachment from his hard life, but he slowly learns with Lila and becomes better and better with how to love her and express it, just like how Lila slowly becomes better at trusting and being comfortable with sexual intimacy after her ordeals and fears.
Although, one thing I want to address is that Aleksey’s kink is rape roleplay or as the book calls it “consensual non-consent”; which while, like Lila, that makes me personally a little uncomfortable just because the nature of this is a little complex to define in terms of morality and when it goes to far or is no longer safe/healthy, I think the author handles this in a good way by having Aleksey understand the boundaries of it and that he has to be aware of his partner’s feelings and be sensitive to when consent is withdrawn or a line is drawn. If this was just your average story, I’d say it was unnecessary to add in, but usually the people who have this kink and who are very clear about the boundaries of it either exist in a society that warps sex or they have had a traumatic experience with sexual assault; for example, survivors of rape often engage in rape roleplaying because it’s a way for them to regain a sense of control over their bodies and cope with their trauma (though it can manifest in other people for other reasons). While we’re not given a backstory of how Aleksey got this kink, I’d say it’s safe to assume it manifested from the world he’s in and the things he’s seen, much like how Lila’s voyeurism developed as a result of seeing others get raped and is her coping mechanism.
Also, there’s a seven year age gap between our leads, but since we’re in a situation where Lila wasn’t really allowed to be like your average teenager and mature at her own pace, she is presented as a much more mature and competent person than what we see in your average contemporary novel, I’m not being as harsh as I’d usually be. Yes, she’s 18, but generally a 25 year old is a lot more mature and experienced so this creates a power imbalance which is a problem. In this case, even though Aleksey is more experienced and mature, he doesn’t present anything in his behavior that speaks that he would abuse this gap in power and Lila is intelligent and experienced enough to not easily fall prey to being in that situation or be the kind of person someone would target if they had such power-abusing tendencies in mind.
We get to watch their relationship develop slowly, understand their individual feelings, their turmoil, and we see how them opening up to each other deepens and intensifies their connection with one another as it grows from one thing into another, so you get a feel that this relationship is real and legitimate, making it quite a realist romance that speaks to readers on deep levels, all while the story somehow makes time to be a platform for discussion and thought regarding the morals of relationships and sex and autonomy at the same time as this epic story of dealing with emotions and sexual desire between two people not quite sure how to merge the two work to find the answers together one clumsy step at a time.
As for the writing, the author does a superb job. The style was simple, yet heartfelt and appropriate to the setting. The messages are coherently conveyed, the story soundly weaved, the characters very well fleshed out, and outside of a few errors in my Kindle edition I could find no grievous flaw to the prose. Thumbs up from me!
All in all, if you aren’t very sensitive to the topics surrounding rape and aren’t triggered by the topic easily, this is a great read that’s as equally moving for the heart as it thought provoking for the intellect. Though since the book contains a lot of mature subject matter and a few detailed sex scenes, I would definitely say this is new adult, though I think perhaps it’d be worthwhile to have a mature 16 or 17 year old read it because it has such a healthy romance/relationship and offers very sound, good messages regarding some very sensitive issues that are paramount to your average young person and young women especially.
(I wrote this kind of fast right before heading out somewhere so I’ll likely return to it at a later date to proofread and maybe add some more stuff! All in all, five star book! Thanks for the recommendation, Veronica!)
July 31, 2015
SO SO SO SO Soooooo good! You know that scene in Pride and Prejudice? The 2005 version where they share that beautiful heartwrenching moment beside the rising sun and a part of you just dies?
Well this book did that to me. Admittedly a lot of my death has to do with Aleksey Furst, but it was also how well this book is written!
The heroine, Lila Velez, is kick-ass and Aleksey Furst is beyond unbelievably wonderful. Rather than summarize the plot as some reviews have already done nicely, I want to note a few things.
Punto numero uno. The world Miss Robarts created is haunting and a bit scary at times, but it's filled with adventure, and most of all it's original.
Next pointer. I love how strong and capable Lila is both physically and mentally. Despite her preconceived notions of others (namely a certain someone whom she catches the eye of), a result of the tragedies she grows up with, she never annoyed me, which is a huge plus in my book. Sure, there were times I wanted to yell at her: JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY, but for what I got in the end, I wouldn't trade all that waiting for anything.
Need I remind you:
Which of course brings me to...ALEKSEY! Absolutely gorgeous man. In every way. I would read any book that he's in granted that Miss Robarts writes it! She is able to capture his self confliction, passion, and generous heart (even though he isn't much of a talker ) through glances and gestures. In fact, it seems as though all the words she has chosen serve a purpose, whether that is to unfold the plot or shed light on a character. I love this book so much I re-read it a second time the next day and it had me grinning like a fool.
Disclaimer! This book is NOT like Pride and Prejudice! I simply related it to this book due to emotional similarities because Aleksey has the ability to make me both die and smile uncontrollably.
Well this book did that to me. Admittedly a lot of my death has to do with Aleksey Furst, but it was also how well this book is written!
The heroine, Lila Velez, is kick-ass and Aleksey Furst is beyond unbelievably wonderful. Rather than summarize the plot as some reviews have already done nicely, I want to note a few things.
Punto numero uno. The world Miss Robarts created is haunting and a bit scary at times, but it's filled with adventure, and most of all it's original.
Next pointer. I love how strong and capable Lila is both physically and mentally. Despite her preconceived notions of others (namely a certain someone whom she catches the eye of), a result of the tragedies she grows up with, she never annoyed me, which is a huge plus in my book. Sure, there were times I wanted to yell at her: JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY, but for what I got in the end, I wouldn't trade all that waiting for anything.
Need I remind you:
Which of course brings me to...ALEKSEY! Absolutely gorgeous man. In every way. I would read any book that he's in granted that Miss Robarts writes it! She is able to capture his self confliction, passion, and generous heart (even though he isn't much of a talker ) through glances and gestures. In fact, it seems as though all the words she has chosen serve a purpose, whether that is to unfold the plot or shed light on a character. I love this book so much I re-read it a second time the next day and it had me grinning like a fool.
Disclaimer! This book is NOT like Pride and Prejudice! I simply related it to this book due to emotional similarities because Aleksey has the ability to make me both die and smile uncontrollably.
September 19, 2017
You can see this and other reviews on my blog: Book Nerd Paradise
At first, I was very cautious to try out The V Girl. It sat on my TBR shelf for months as I went back and forth on whether to read it or not. I didn't know how much violence there was, or what kind of violence, and it made me hesitant. The blurb isn't very clear as to how explicit the book is, or if it's more along the lines of bdsm/erotica.
In the end, I took a chance, figuring that I could just set it aside if it made me too uncomfortable. After I closed the final chapter, I took a few moments to gather my thoughts and feelings. This book is very different that what I normally read and the conclusion I came to boils down to one word: thought-provoking.
Not only does The V Girl have the typical elements of a traditional novel - there's a story line, character building, world building, romance - but it also takes a look serious subjects and makes the reader think about them. What happens to society when rape is legal and everyone has been affected by it in one way or another?
There's a scene in the book where our MC, Lila, talks about how it's best to dress so as not to attract the attention of men. This really got me thinking about how relevant this is to society today. Girl are sent home from school because their outfits are a distraction to their male counterparts. Instead of teaching boys to respect a woman's body and that no really does mean no, we're putting the blame solely on girls dressing too provocatively. It's the old ignorant argument of "she deserves it if she dresses like that."
It also takes a look at the line between consensual and non-consensual. Is it really consensual if your only other option is to be raped in front of an audience? What do you do when the world is so messed up, it's almost beyond repair? These are the kinds of deep thoughts I had while reading The V Girl.
But on top of all that, The V Girl is the story of one girl's survival and journey to love in this dark and sinister world. It's exceptionally written; all of Lila's thoughts and fears became mine as I was reading. I was rooting for her and Aleksey the whole time as they fought to find a solution.
Lastly, for those who might be uncomfortable with this topic, while there are instances of rape in this book, they are not explicitly graphic.
** I was provided a copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review
At first, I was very cautious to try out The V Girl. It sat on my TBR shelf for months as I went back and forth on whether to read it or not. I didn't know how much violence there was, or what kind of violence, and it made me hesitant. The blurb isn't very clear as to how explicit the book is, or if it's more along the lines of bdsm/erotica.
In the end, I took a chance, figuring that I could just set it aside if it made me too uncomfortable. After I closed the final chapter, I took a few moments to gather my thoughts and feelings. This book is very different that what I normally read and the conclusion I came to boils down to one word: thought-provoking.
Not only does The V Girl have the typical elements of a traditional novel - there's a story line, character building, world building, romance - but it also takes a look serious subjects and makes the reader think about them. What happens to society when rape is legal and everyone has been affected by it in one way or another?
There's a scene in the book where our MC, Lila, talks about how it's best to dress so as not to attract the attention of men. This really got me thinking about how relevant this is to society today. Girl are sent home from school because their outfits are a distraction to their male counterparts. Instead of teaching boys to respect a woman's body and that no really does mean no, we're putting the blame solely on girls dressing too provocatively. It's the old ignorant argument of "she deserves it if she dresses like that."
It also takes a look at the line between consensual and non-consensual. Is it really consensual if your only other option is to be raped in front of an audience? What do you do when the world is so messed up, it's almost beyond repair? These are the kinds of deep thoughts I had while reading The V Girl.
But on top of all that, The V Girl is the story of one girl's survival and journey to love in this dark and sinister world. It's exceptionally written; all of Lila's thoughts and fears became mine as I was reading. I was rooting for her and Aleksey the whole time as they fought to find a solution.
Lastly, for those who might be uncomfortable with this topic, while there are instances of rape in this book, they are not explicitly graphic.
** I was provided a copy of this book through NetGalley in return for an honest review
December 14, 2016
**UPDATE 12/10/16**
So this book has apparently been revised and re-edited to fix all the glaring errors that I had problems with before. I decided to give this story another chance because it had a lot of potential to be great... and it is! Whereas before, I was so distracted by all the grammatical errors that I just couldn't fully get into the story, now I was completely immersed in Lila's world. Even though I read this book a while back, and ultimately knew what happened, I found myself staying up late in the night to finish it. I finished this book within 24 hours! While I still wholeheartedly agree with my review below, I'm still in love with Aleksey's character and still found Lila to be way too immature for her age and the environment she grew up in, I found that my response to the newly revised edition was greater than when I initially read it. And again, I already knew what was going to happen! Which is why I'm going to be changing my 3 star rating to a 5 star rating. Not only was I unable to put down the book, but I wanted to backtrack just to keep the story alive a little longer.
Original review...
Lila lives in a cruel world. A world where recruitment isn't just for military but rather for the military's sexual services. The soldiers go from town to town and recruit young men and women to be their own personal sex slaves. That's not the worst part, during the recruitment process, the soldiers can choose anyone to rape on a ceremonial stone. The soldiers will be coming to Lila's town next and she's of age to be recruited. She refuses to have her first time be against her will. So, she tries to get her best-friend to sleep with her. However, she wasn't expecting the protection and love of a certain neutral cop.
This story reminded me a lot of The Bronze Horseman. You have Lila who is in a place of need. Her father and brother have medical conditions that make her family the town pariahs. Lila is a very inexperienced girl when it comes to love, relationships, and sex. So, when Aleksey shows up and takes a sudden interest in her by offering her family protection, giving them his food rations, and ultimately taking care of them as best as he can without raising suspicion among the other cops. So many things reminded me of The Bronze Horseman but at the same time, the author added so many new elements to it that I didn't feel like I was reading the same story.
My one major complaint about the book was the fact that it felt like the book had never graced the desk of an editor. There were words missing, sentences that were jumbled up, and sometimes it took me a few tries to figure out what the author meant. I generally tend to overlook them as long as they don't interfere with the flow of the story but there were so many of them that it became a big problem for me. I think once this goes through the editorial wringer it will be great.
Aside from that though I though the story was great. I fell for Aleksey immediately. I mean, here he is, new to the area and all of a sudden he's saving Lila's family left and right. Once during an air raid when the person at the bunker entrance wouldn't let them enter because of her father and brother's disabilities. Aleksey could have just turned a blind eye and let them continue on their way to a new hiding spot but instead he marches up to that bunker and rains hell and fire down on the guy who didn't let them in. He doesn't stop there though, when their home is destroyed in the air raid, no one is willing to take them in even though they've been ordered to take in those who need a place to stay. Again, he could have just let the towns people figure it out on their own, but not Aleksey. Nope. He shames them all for their behavior and then takes Lila's family to the building where he tends to injured soldiers since his position is sort of like a doctor. There were just so many sweet things he did for Lila that really melted my heart.
"I've put my life at risk for others ever since I joined the Army. It'd be a nice change to risk my life for something I want for me. I crave you."
While I loved Aleksey, I couldn't stand Lila. She was supposed to be eighteen years old but the way she behaved made me think she was closer to fourteen. I mean, she keep trying to sleep with her friend who doesn't want to sleep with her. Meanwhile, there's Aleksey who's taken care of her from the day he arrived and has offered his services to her but she refuses him. Not only that but knowing about the dangers leading up to the recruitment, she does stupid things like leave her house at night to try to seduce her friend. Mind you, there are patrols going on with soldiers and cops around who wouldn't hesitate to take privileges with a teenage girl who's out at night. Heck, one guy had already assaulted her already in broad daylight with people around. Those people just turned a blind eye. So tell me why, why would you go out at night knowing the dangers?! She really frustrated me.
The V Girl was nothing like I expected. It was dark, gritty, but at the same time very romantic. I know those things shouldn't go together but they did. I think the sweet romance between Aleksey and Lila helped balance out all of the darkness. I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to what the author has in store for readers next.
Favorite quote...
"You usually can't recall all the people you've shared laughs with. But you rarely forget the people you've shared your tears with."
So this book has apparently been revised and re-edited to fix all the glaring errors that I had problems with before. I decided to give this story another chance because it had a lot of potential to be great... and it is! Whereas before, I was so distracted by all the grammatical errors that I just couldn't fully get into the story, now I was completely immersed in Lila's world. Even though I read this book a while back, and ultimately knew what happened, I found myself staying up late in the night to finish it. I finished this book within 24 hours! While I still wholeheartedly agree with my review below, I'm still in love with Aleksey's character and still found Lila to be way too immature for her age and the environment she grew up in, I found that my response to the newly revised edition was greater than when I initially read it. And again, I already knew what was going to happen! Which is why I'm going to be changing my 3 star rating to a 5 star rating. Not only was I unable to put down the book, but I wanted to backtrack just to keep the story alive a little longer.
Original review...
Lila lives in a cruel world. A world where recruitment isn't just for military but rather for the military's sexual services. The soldiers go from town to town and recruit young men and women to be their own personal sex slaves. That's not the worst part, during the recruitment process, the soldiers can choose anyone to rape on a ceremonial stone. The soldiers will be coming to Lila's town next and she's of age to be recruited. She refuses to have her first time be against her will. So, she tries to get her best-friend to sleep with her. However, she wasn't expecting the protection and love of a certain neutral cop.
This story reminded me a lot of The Bronze Horseman. You have Lila who is in a place of need. Her father and brother have medical conditions that make her family the town pariahs. Lila is a very inexperienced girl when it comes to love, relationships, and sex. So, when Aleksey shows up and takes a sudden interest in her by offering her family protection, giving them his food rations, and ultimately taking care of them as best as he can without raising suspicion among the other cops. So many things reminded me of The Bronze Horseman but at the same time, the author added so many new elements to it that I didn't feel like I was reading the same story.
My one major complaint about the book was the fact that it felt like the book had never graced the desk of an editor. There were words missing, sentences that were jumbled up, and sometimes it took me a few tries to figure out what the author meant. I generally tend to overlook them as long as they don't interfere with the flow of the story but there were so many of them that it became a big problem for me. I think once this goes through the editorial wringer it will be great.
Aside from that though I though the story was great. I fell for Aleksey immediately. I mean, here he is, new to the area and all of a sudden he's saving Lila's family left and right. Once during an air raid when the person at the bunker entrance wouldn't let them enter because of her father and brother's disabilities. Aleksey could have just turned a blind eye and let them continue on their way to a new hiding spot but instead he marches up to that bunker and rains hell and fire down on the guy who didn't let them in. He doesn't stop there though, when their home is destroyed in the air raid, no one is willing to take them in even though they've been ordered to take in those who need a place to stay. Again, he could have just let the towns people figure it out on their own, but not Aleksey. Nope. He shames them all for their behavior and then takes Lila's family to the building where he tends to injured soldiers since his position is sort of like a doctor. There were just so many sweet things he did for Lila that really melted my heart.
"I've put my life at risk for others ever since I joined the Army. It'd be a nice change to risk my life for something I want for me. I crave you."
While I loved Aleksey, I couldn't stand Lila. She was supposed to be eighteen years old but the way she behaved made me think she was closer to fourteen. I mean, she keep trying to sleep with her friend who doesn't want to sleep with her. Meanwhile, there's Aleksey who's taken care of her from the day he arrived and has offered his services to her but she refuses him. Not only that but knowing about the dangers leading up to the recruitment, she does stupid things like leave her house at night to try to seduce her friend. Mind you, there are patrols going on with soldiers and cops around who wouldn't hesitate to take privileges with a teenage girl who's out at night. Heck, one guy had already assaulted her already in broad daylight with people around. Those people just turned a blind eye. So tell me why, why would you go out at night knowing the dangers?! She really frustrated me.
The V Girl was nothing like I expected. It was dark, gritty, but at the same time very romantic. I know those things shouldn't go together but they did. I think the sweet romance between Aleksey and Lila helped balance out all of the darkness. I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to what the author has in store for readers next.
Favorite quote...
"You usually can't recall all the people you've shared laughs with. But you rarely forget the people you've shared your tears with."
December 9, 2019
♥♥Update 12-08-2019♥♥
NEED TO REREAD!!!!!
GUUUUUYYS what I said in my reviews of
RED WINTER,
THE BIRD AND THE SWORD, and
MAKING FACES
Applies to THE V GIRL, too.
This book is so so good, I recommend, if you are overly negative with this masterpiece I'll ...BLACKLIST YOU!!!
Be careful with the version you get!!! Some versions are really really bad 'cuz the only good versions are the paperback and the KU book. That's super important 'cuz the revised version has NO OW DRAMA... no cheating, no typos, great writing it's so so good.
I'll post pics later!!
♥FIRST THOUGHTS AFTER READING BACK IN 2016♥♥
I love everything about this book. The heroine, the setting, the writing, the raw quality of it. I love Lila she's unique, never met anyone like her in books. Lila and Aleksey together are perfection, they deserve happiness love and the human touch.
I demand a sequel. People this is a #mustread. Even the titles are beautiful: "The Accord Prince" "The human touch" "Hope and Love" "His one and only" and the quotes are so beautiful. I highlighted the hell out of this book.
NEED TO REREAD!!!!!
GUUUUUYYS what I said in my reviews of
RED WINTER,
THE BIRD AND THE SWORD, and
MAKING FACES
Applies to THE V GIRL, too.
This book is so so good, I recommend, if you are overly negative with this masterpiece I'll ...BLACKLIST YOU!!!
Be careful with the version you get!!! Some versions are really really bad 'cuz the only good versions are the paperback and the KU book. That's super important 'cuz the revised version has NO OW DRAMA... no cheating, no typos, great writing it's so so good.
I'll post pics later!!
♥FIRST THOUGHTS AFTER READING BACK IN 2016♥♥
I love everything about this book. The heroine, the setting, the writing, the raw quality of it. I love Lila she's unique, never met anyone like her in books. Lila and Aleksey together are perfection, they deserve happiness love and the human touch.
I demand a sequel. People this is a #mustread. Even the titles are beautiful: "The Accord Prince" "The human touch" "Hope and Love" "His one and only" and the quotes are so beautiful. I highlighted the hell out of this book.
March 23, 2017
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/im...
Sebastian Rolli as Aleksey Fürst. (Thanks Michelle for telling me the name of this hot dude)
Re-read: Amazon sent me a letter to update the book. Love it EVEN more the second time.
First and foremost. I DON'T WANT IT TO END! I WANT MORE PLEASE!!!!!
Thank you Mya Roberts for writing this beautiful, epic LOVE STORY.
Now the theme itself is so HORRIFYING that for a while I debated whether I wanted to read the book or not. Usually rape is not something I want to read. In fact I read the reviews of the V girl first before reading and most of them were accurate, rape is not something that we get to see graphically . I can't stand rape. I just can't. But the INTELLIGENT, MATURE, ALMOST POETIC approach the author used to tackle this difficult topic was brilliant. There's rape, the blurb says as much but it's more than a menace, a threat to the people who live in this world. 90% of the book the story is more about the Heroine's fight, about her feelings, not about rape for the sake of bringing drama. Nothing like game of thrones style.
It's sad to think that The V girl society is very realistic. I think our own society has come to accept rape and abuse as something that can't be avoided. From where we stand as society where rape culture is fed on us daily to the moment a society like this becomes a reality...i'm sad to think about it but it may happen. it seems like whenever there's war there's crime. Looting, Murder, torture, rape, slavery. Honestly just see what Hitler did. I'm sure his high comanders had green card to do whatever they wanted to the people they oppressed. Countless of TV shows, movies and books talk about torture and murder during war. They never talk about rape and that's sadly the reality every women of every country that has been invaded has to live. For them or for someone they know.
There's PLOT
YOU HEAR ME PLOT
and subplots too. There's a good story here that made me cry, laugh, throw my kindle to the garbage (literally) swoon REPEATEDLY.
Swoon? why?
Because ALEKSEY FURST! A SOLDIER WHO DOES WHAT'S RIGHT! what the other soldiers should do. PROTECT PEOPLE and he wasn't expecting to fall in love with Lila but he did. It's a very difficult situation for this couple. On the one hand she FOR OBVIOUS REASONS hates soldiers. On the other hand IT'S PROHIBITED TO HAVE A FOREIGN AND AN AMERICAN getting married and the punishement is torture. (rape? no problem. Love? heaven forbid! how come?)
But aleksey fights his way to get Lila's heart, he changes for her, he risks everything for her, and little by little she'll find that Aleksey is not her enemy. He's there to LOVE HER not to take advantage of the situation.
Would he gain her heart and have the honor to be the one who deflowers the heroine?
There's plenty of sex. yes but it's portrayed in a way that fits the plot perfectly.
And when you reach the 85% mark you'll be ready to cry and soak your kindle. Its that dramatic. And what comes next is horrifying.
But thanks god there's something that Roberts had in store for us that we weren't expecting. just when things looked to be going for the worst, just when I thought happiness wasn't possible, I learned that there's hope and I ended up smiling. It was so beautiful.
Now a warning. The book is BRUTAL, HORRIFYING AND NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. It's super dark and for your sake if you're squimish I suggest you skim or even avoid chapters 53 and 54. I'll repeat AVOID CHAPTERS 53 AND 54 if you're squimish. They're brilliant but not for the faint of heart. Even so I think Roberts did a great job in presenting a scene like that only when was needed. She didn't overuse the horror of the situation to bring more drama. I think it was beautifully handled.
I'm a fan and I'm recommending this book to everyone on my list.
June 19, 2015
Thank you, Mya for the e-book copy in exchange for an honest review! I fucking loved it!!
The V Girl by Mya Robarts.
Has a gif ever been more accurate? 'The V Girl' by Mya Robarts is Brutal yet Brilliant.
Set in post apocalyptic America, The V Girl illustrates a society where rape is not only legal, but excepted. In her awesome debut, Mya Robarts crafts a unique story with unforgettable characters and tackles heavy topics effortlessly and with maturity.
At times, 'The V Girl' is difficult to read. Not because there are graphic scenes (which there are...so, beware) but because of the world these characters that you come to know and love live in such a brutal society where consent is something of the past. And always in the back of my head as I was reading this is that this, this life is the norm for these people. There is something disillusioning about that and frankly terrifying.
We follow Lila, our heroine, who is a:
as she is racing against the proverbial clock to lose her virginity before the Recruitment Ceremony-a legal ceremony where soldiers can come and terrorize towns-where she will be forced to give it up without her consent in what will be a violent filled and humiliating experience.
Lila is a extremely unique character. A Gem in fact. She is complex and made mature for her age by circumstance. She literally has no choice but to grow up and be an adult. (We see this especially in her younger sister, Azzy, who is a child but mental is most definitely not a child)
Lila is not the innocent heroine I was expecting, at all. She goes far and beyond all my expectations. One of my favorite aspects of Lila is that
Lila sees and goes through a lot of things that I don't think I could have handled. She's a strong heroine who literally fights her way through life.
Throughout the book, Lila attempts to lose her virginity leading to awkward and sometimes funny situations where you honestly feel for the girl cause C'mon!I can totally understand her desperation and I found myself stressing for her for most of the book because the soldiers believe that if they 'bed' a virgin all their sexually transmitted diseases etc with be vanquished. Thus on the night of recruitment, if you are a virgin you will be on high demand.(as if it wasn't horrifying enough)
Then Lila's world is turned up side down when she meets, Alexsey (YAS!), an ex-solider who turns her for a loop, defying everything she thought soldiers were. He tempts her like no one has before making her want someone she really shouldn't want.
Alexsey is perfect. Long blonde hair, intense blue eyes, he is sexy, adorable and brooding. What else could a girl ask for?
Honestly, Alexsey is also thrown for a loop when he meets Lila and finds himself, unexpectedly/unbelievable in love. Once again, Mya wrote a really unique character that exudes magnetism.
'The V Girl' has so many twists and turns and they had me going crazy and threatening Armageddon. I was basically a mess a certain parts. It was a whip lash of emotions, I shit thee not:
Then finally:
Lila's 'emergency deflowering' is not the only aspect of this book. 'The V Girl' has many different aspects to it: War, fighting for your freedom, love, the society of the world. It's utterly addictive and I want more.
'The V Girl' is about changing your own destiny, fighting for your rights, falling in love in such desperate times and what it means to be human.
It's dark, unique and addictive. I demand more, Mya!
Playlist:
IAMX - Oh beautiful town
IAMX&Imogen Heap - My Secret Friend
Stefano Sciascia, Max Reger Romanza double bass
Hozier - Take Me To Church
Agnes Obel - Riverside
David Guetta - Titanium ft. Sia
Linkin Park - BURN IT DOWN
Kidneythieves - Before I'm Dead
The V Girl by Mya Robarts.
Has a gif ever been more accurate? 'The V Girl' by Mya Robarts is Brutal yet Brilliant.
Set in post apocalyptic America, The V Girl illustrates a society where rape is not only legal, but excepted. In her awesome debut, Mya Robarts crafts a unique story with unforgettable characters and tackles heavy topics effortlessly and with maturity.
At times, 'The V Girl' is difficult to read. Not because there are graphic scenes (which there are...so, beware) but because of the world these characters that you come to know and love live in such a brutal society where consent is something of the past. And always in the back of my head as I was reading this is that this, this life is the norm for these people. There is something disillusioning about that and frankly terrifying.
We follow Lila, our heroine, who is a:
as she is racing against the proverbial clock to lose her virginity before the Recruitment Ceremony-a legal ceremony where soldiers can come and terrorize towns-where she will be forced to give it up without her consent in what will be a violent filled and humiliating experience.
Lila is a extremely unique character. A Gem in fact. She is complex and made mature for her age by circumstance. She literally has no choice but to grow up and be an adult. (We see this especially in her younger sister, Azzy, who is a child but mental is most definitely not a child)
Lila is not the innocent heroine I was expecting, at all. She goes far and beyond all my expectations. One of my favorite aspects of Lila is that
Lila sees and goes through a lot of things that I don't think I could have handled. She's a strong heroine who literally fights her way through life.
Throughout the book, Lila attempts to lose her virginity leading to awkward and sometimes funny situations where you honestly feel for the girl cause C'mon!I can totally understand her desperation and I found myself stressing for her for most of the book because the soldiers believe that if they 'bed' a virgin all their sexually transmitted diseases etc with be vanquished. Thus on the night of recruitment, if you are a virgin you will be on high demand.(as if it wasn't horrifying enough)
Then Lila's world is turned up side down when she meets, Alexsey (YAS!), an ex-solider who turns her for a loop, defying everything she thought soldiers were. He tempts her like no one has before making her want someone she really shouldn't want.
Alexsey is perfect. Long blonde hair, intense blue eyes, he is sexy, adorable and brooding. What else could a girl ask for?
Honestly, Alexsey is also thrown for a loop when he meets Lila and finds himself, unexpectedly/unbelievable in love. Once again, Mya wrote a really unique character that exudes magnetism.
'The V Girl' has so many twists and turns and they had me going crazy and threatening Armageddon. I was basically a mess a certain parts. It was a whip lash of emotions, I shit thee not:
Then finally:
Lila's 'emergency deflowering' is not the only aspect of this book. 'The V Girl' has many different aspects to it: War, fighting for your freedom, love, the society of the world. It's utterly addictive and I want more.
'The V Girl' is about changing your own destiny, fighting for your rights, falling in love in such desperate times and what it means to be human.
It's dark, unique and addictive. I demand more, Mya!
Playlist:
IAMX - Oh beautiful town
IAMX&Imogen Heap - My Secret Friend
Stefano Sciascia, Max Reger Romanza double bass
Hozier - Take Me To Church
Agnes Obel - Riverside
David Guetta - Titanium ft. Sia
Linkin Park - BURN IT DOWN
Kidneythieves - Before I'm Dead
September 18, 2017
FINALLY a well written book with a seemingly simple yet disturbing plot.
I know. NO one likes or should like to read about rape. But this book doesn't focus on the actual "rape". . It focuses on the fighting, mentally & physically which totally awed me.
The love story is so real. It's built so slowly (totally luvvvv, u feel everything, bit by bit. makes you appreciate instead of thinking "wtf, that doesn't make sense", which I usually feel with those books that a insta-luv), intense, confusing. I'm sooooooo in luv with Aleksey. Hot Hot Hot alpha ....
mysterious.... strong..... gentleman....a lil perverted.... hero!!!
This book kept me up late reading. It's one of those books that you can't put down once you've started it. And if you really do put it down your mind is constantly on it, thinking "omg what's going to happen next.... I want to know .... I need to know". There's always something happening, never a dull moment that makes you wana skip the page.
BEST of all.... it has a lovely well deserved HEA ~ phewwww, I would've flung my phone & pulled my hair out if the ending was anything but a complete HEA.
Defo my 2017 FAVE book!!
MUST READ!
I know. NO one likes or should like to read about rape. But this book doesn't focus on the actual "rape". . It focuses on the fighting, mentally & physically which totally awed me.
The love story is so real. It's built so slowly (totally luvvvv, u feel everything, bit by bit. makes you appreciate instead of thinking "wtf, that doesn't make sense", which I usually feel with those books that a insta-luv), intense, confusing. I'm sooooooo in luv with Aleksey. Hot Hot Hot alpha ....
mysterious.... strong..... gentleman....a lil perverted.... hero!!!
This book kept me up late reading. It's one of those books that you can't put down once you've started it. And if you really do put it down your mind is constantly on it, thinking "omg what's going to happen next.... I want to know .... I need to know". There's always something happening, never a dull moment that makes you wana skip the page.
BEST of all.... it has a lovely well deserved HEA ~ phewwww, I would've flung my phone & pulled my hair out if the ending was anything but a complete HEA.
Defo my 2017 FAVE book!!
MUST READ!
June 21, 2017
Mya Robarts’ The V-Girl: 3 “50 Million Shades of the Rainbow” Stars.
In a free society, sex doesn’t come in fifty shades of grey, but fifty-million shades of every color in the rainbow. Unfortunately, Lila Velez doesn’t live in a free society. Where she lives, sex is mostly mean red. Rape is a government-sanctioned activity, and most 18 year olds are publically defiled. For Lila, the question isn’t if she should lose her virginity, but to whom?
“I need a partner who cares for me, even if it’s only a little. Nothing of that ‘use and discard’ nonsense. And the boundaries should be well drawn beforehand. What is acceptable and what is not.” ~ Lila
To find the right partner, Lila embarks on a odyssey of sexual observation, introspection, and exploration. She examines and evaluates every nuance of her own sexuality, as well as that of others. The end result being: A vibrantly beautiful sexual awakening that changes her life in a spectacular way.
Lila is a remarkable heroine: she isn’t ruled by social norms, emotions, or hormones; she fights to control her own destiny; and, she refuses to let gender or sexuality determine her self-worth. She is, as her father puts it:
“Her own best-friend.” ~ Dr. Baron Velez
But the person most deserving of notice is Mya Robarts herself. In a time when most authors mass produce poorly written romances about virginal heroines who lose their hearts (and panties) to emotionally stunted manwhores with borderline personality disorders and multi-orgasmic (albeit robotic) sexual techniques; Robarts produced a ground-breaking commentary on the polychromatic nature of sexuality, and a heroine who not only knows where the consensual prism stops and the non-consensual mean-reds begin, but intellectualizes the physical, emotional, and psychological ramifications of both schematics.
In short, Mya Robarts is purple. If you don’t notice her, God will be pissed!
Blue may indeed be sneaky, but The V-Girl is sneakier: It’s genuineness is there, until it’s not. While Lila Velez is very “Herself”, Aleksey Fürst is very “Christian Gray”. He’s dominant, aloof, secretive, kinky; and, he changes for the first woman who says “No”:
“ ‘I wish you weren’t afraid of me.’
‘But I am. That’s the reason I can’t accept your training proposition.’
His grave expression speaks louder than words. Aleksey isn’t used to the word no.
‘I think it’d feel better with my friend. I know him well, trust him, and it wouldn’t be a one-night stand. Nothing against casual sex, but I have expectations, and I won’t settle for less.’
‘Fine,’ he says curtly. ‘Tell me what your expectations are and I’ll adapt.’ "
~ Aleksey & Lila
The fact that too much time is spent on Lila’s growth and not enough on Aleksey’s render the FSOG similarities extraneous. Not until the very end are his secrets revealed. Thus, Aleksey’s development feels insubstantial, his “kinks” inorganic, and his behavior erratic.
The couple’s HEA is also problematic, as Lila’s "recruitment” gives Aleksey too much control over her future. Considering her independent nature and pro-choice stance, her happiness with the arrangement rings false.
Despite the story's imperfections, there are many moments of great linguistic lyricism and beauty:
“Most girls prefer flowers over trees. Flowers blossom quickly. They speak of passion. Of beauty. But they wither so easily. A tree doesn’t speak of passion but sturdiness. It grows higher. Lasts longer. Some trees have been here before I was born and they’ll be here when I’m gone. Real love ought to be more like a tree and less like a flower.” ~ Lila
Ultimately, it’s Mya Robarts’ eloquence, creativity, and unique philosophy that make The V-Girl as compelling as a sea green abyss. Were I you, I would not be afraid to succumb to it.
To Veronica, who recommended this book to me:
For information about my rating system, see my profile page.
GIF QUOTES:
Capote, Truman. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. Random House. 1958.
Walker, Alice. “The Color Purple.” Harcourt. 1982.
Moore, Christopher. “Sacre Bleu.” Harper Collins. 2012.
Robarts, Mya. “The V-Girl.” 2014.
In a free society, sex doesn’t come in fifty shades of grey, but fifty-million shades of every color in the rainbow. Unfortunately, Lila Velez doesn’t live in a free society. Where she lives, sex is mostly mean red. Rape is a government-sanctioned activity, and most 18 year olds are publically defiled. For Lila, the question isn’t if she should lose her virginity, but to whom?
“I need a partner who cares for me, even if it’s only a little. Nothing of that ‘use and discard’ nonsense. And the boundaries should be well drawn beforehand. What is acceptable and what is not.” ~ Lila
To find the right partner, Lila embarks on a odyssey of sexual observation, introspection, and exploration. She examines and evaluates every nuance of her own sexuality, as well as that of others. The end result being: A vibrantly beautiful sexual awakening that changes her life in a spectacular way.
Lila is a remarkable heroine: she isn’t ruled by social norms, emotions, or hormones; she fights to control her own destiny; and, she refuses to let gender or sexuality determine her self-worth. She is, as her father puts it:
“Her own best-friend.” ~ Dr. Baron Velez
But the person most deserving of notice is Mya Robarts herself. In a time when most authors mass produce poorly written romances about virginal heroines who lose their hearts (and panties) to emotionally stunted manwhores with borderline personality disorders and multi-orgasmic (albeit robotic) sexual techniques; Robarts produced a ground-breaking commentary on the polychromatic nature of sexuality, and a heroine who not only knows where the consensual prism stops and the non-consensual mean-reds begin, but intellectualizes the physical, emotional, and psychological ramifications of both schematics.
In short, Mya Robarts is purple. If you don’t notice her, God will be pissed!
Blue may indeed be sneaky, but The V-Girl is sneakier: It’s genuineness is there, until it’s not. While Lila Velez is very “Herself”, Aleksey Fürst is very “Christian Gray”. He’s dominant, aloof, secretive, kinky; and, he changes for the first woman who says “No”:
“ ‘I wish you weren’t afraid of me.’
‘But I am. That’s the reason I can’t accept your training proposition.’
His grave expression speaks louder than words. Aleksey isn’t used to the word no.
‘I think it’d feel better with my friend. I know him well, trust him, and it wouldn’t be a one-night stand. Nothing against casual sex, but I have expectations, and I won’t settle for less.’
‘Fine,’ he says curtly. ‘Tell me what your expectations are and I’ll adapt.’ "
~ Aleksey & Lila
The fact that too much time is spent on Lila’s growth and not enough on Aleksey’s render the FSOG similarities extraneous. Not until the very end are his secrets revealed. Thus, Aleksey’s development feels insubstantial, his “kinks” inorganic, and his behavior erratic.
The couple’s HEA is also problematic, as Lila’s "recruitment” gives Aleksey too much control over her future. Considering her independent nature and pro-choice stance, her happiness with the arrangement rings false.
Despite the story's imperfections, there are many moments of great linguistic lyricism and beauty:
“Most girls prefer flowers over trees. Flowers blossom quickly. They speak of passion. Of beauty. But they wither so easily. A tree doesn’t speak of passion but sturdiness. It grows higher. Lasts longer. Some trees have been here before I was born and they’ll be here when I’m gone. Real love ought to be more like a tree and less like a flower.” ~ Lila
Ultimately, it’s Mya Robarts’ eloquence, creativity, and unique philosophy that make The V-Girl as compelling as a sea green abyss. Were I you, I would not be afraid to succumb to it.
To Veronica, who recommended this book to me:
For information about my rating system, see my profile page.
GIF QUOTES:
Capote, Truman. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. Random House. 1958.
Walker, Alice. “The Color Purple.” Harcourt. 1982.
Moore, Christopher. “Sacre Bleu.” Harper Collins. 2012.
Robarts, Mya. “The V-Girl.” 2014.
May 26, 2017
The threat of a life of slavery puts Lila in a harsh situation. She wants to take control over her sexuality. In the process to save herself from recruitment she meets Aleksey Furst, a hunky man who wears red cape and always scowls. Where, oh where I've seen a man like that?
Lila's feelings for Aleksey are extremely conflicted. Despite her physical attraction to him, she cannot make herself trust him. Aleksey's love for her was so obvious for me. I couldn’t wait to find out if they would end up together or not.
The V Girl is not the typical post-apocalyptic novel. It's brutal, sexy, captivating and ultimately thought provoking. Lila defends her right to make choices,she wants the decision of who will be her first partner to be hers and hers alone.,She makes several attempts to lose her virginity on her own terms and that opens the door for awkward, almost hilarious scenes. I laughed a lot with this book and that rarely happens when I read dystopia, but that's because the author wove the moments when Lila and her adorable siblings make us laugh with moments of horror, with moments of drama and romance. She also added extremely hot scenes that had me fanning myself. I thought I had read well-written sex scenes, but I was wrong, The V Girl steamy moments were seriously hot.
The V Girl is a lot more than a love story, more than the typical dystopia. It's a story of fighting for your rights, to take control of your life, to own yourself as a person. nThis book is already one of my favorites. If you can handle the topic you'll love it.
Lila's feelings for Aleksey are extremely conflicted. Despite her physical attraction to him, she cannot make herself trust him. Aleksey's love for her was so obvious for me. I couldn’t wait to find out if they would end up together or not.
The V Girl is not the typical post-apocalyptic novel. It's brutal, sexy, captivating and ultimately thought provoking. Lila defends her right to make choices,she wants the decision of who will be her first partner to be hers and hers alone.,She makes several attempts to lose her virginity on her own terms and that opens the door for awkward, almost hilarious scenes. I laughed a lot with this book and that rarely happens when I read dystopia, but that's because the author wove the moments when Lila and her adorable siblings make us laugh with moments of horror, with moments of drama and romance. She also added extremely hot scenes that had me fanning myself. I thought I had read well-written sex scenes, but I was wrong, The V Girl steamy moments were seriously hot.
The V Girl is a lot more than a love story, more than the typical dystopia. It's a story of fighting for your rights, to take control of your life, to own yourself as a person. nThis book is already one of my favorites. If you can handle the topic you'll love it.
November 21, 2019
Let's get this straight out of the gate. This book doesn't contain graphic scenes of rape. The more descriptive sex-scenes are all consensual.
This is my second time reading this book and as much as I try to find explicit rape scenes on this one to see if the scarce negative reviews have a basis of truth. I can't find them. Those reviews are written by people who probably didn't even read the book and posted comments that are factually incorrect. Thank God they're not telling the truth because I never finish a book thinking I need more rape scenes. In my opinion, this book isn't about rape, it's a book about coming of age and being human.
The author makes us readers feel the fear and horrific reality of sexual abuse in a way that it's at the same time a punch to your emotions and a subtle wake-up call while keeping us turning the pages eagerly anticipating what will happen next. This book is really fun, charming and entertaining despite some of the dark topics it covers because the most entertaining scenes are vividly described and make you feel as though you are there, while the most disgusting scenes require a conscious effort of the reader to get a clear picture of the situations. Not because the writing is bad, but because the author gives us the choice of filling up the blanks using our imagination. The way you use your imagination to fill the blanks will make these scenes a graphic vivid picture or a non-graphic situation you don't have to dwell in. It's on you.
For instance, the main characters' first kiss as a couple takes place in chapter 16 Laying down arms pgs 98-107 and it's so vividly described that I had to fan myself. I felt I was the one being kissed and Oh my God! That is a really hot kiss. Lila and Aleksey's "date", that BTW cleverly expands the brilliant world-building if you pay attention to other things that aren't just the romance, is covered in Chapter 33 Gyges Chapter 34 New Experiences Chapter 35 Exclusivity, and Chapter 36 Sex Training.
That's just the peak of the iceberg. I can give you many examples more of chapters that are descriptive in a way the cast of characters, the romance, the laughs develop the worldbuilding and plot in an incredible, enjoyable way. I can't help but feel I'm a fly in the wall following the Velez Family and Aleksey in their daily lives. The author made it easy to picture their lives in my head.
I wish I had time to describe all the heart-warming, enjoyable scenes, but I can't.I would have to describe the entire book.
On the other hand, the alleged rape scenes are not descriptive. They are featured in dreams, flashbacks, or descriptions of what Lila feels and sees. We rely on her 1st person narration to get an idea of the situation. I reread this book last night and it's fresh in my head and I have my paperback copy here with me as I'm writing this review so I can tell you many reviewers didn't get it. The V Girl has 58 short chapters a prologue and a wonderful epilogue. I couldn't find the graphic non consensual sex scenes a few reviewers mentioned. It makes me think they didn't read the book. Or they probably thought that The V Girl being an outrageously underrated book, nobody would notice their reviews are wrong.
That's not to say this book is totally free of sexual abuse. The plot is all about a country where sex offenders aren't punished when they are soldiers. All I'm saying is that the way the few instances of sexual abuse were presented, isn't descriptive. At least not in a way that makes the book unreadable. This is an enjoyable book.
I'll list and describe these few instances, for those who are afraid this book might be too dark in its approach to sexual abuse. I put off reading this book for a while after reading a few bad reviews, I was afraid it'd be too much. I regret not having read this book sooner and I hope my review can help you avoid making the same mistake . Not only because The V Girl is an entertaining book that is difficult to put down, but also because I think the messages of this book can change the lives of those who read it. This book touched me deeply and changed me in a positive way.
Chapter 9 Drawn - page 60
The chapter opens with Hero and heroine being drawn to each other and almost kissing. All this is fully described
Chapter 13 A V Boy - page 86
The chapter opens with Lila finding a man she can't recognize lying in an operating table
Chapter 24 Copulation without conversation -page 144
The chapter opens with Lila in the forest
Chapter 49 Losing a part of herselfpage 276
The chapter opens with Lila describing how a "monster in a hospital gown" is moving above a girl that is pressed to a hospital cot.
Chapters 53 Familiar voice page 293 Chapter 54Sacrifice page 295
These two are the most difficult chapters to read and potentially the most triggering, in my opinion, but they are also some of the shortest ones.
That's it. Out of 60 chapters, those are the only chapters that can be somehow hard to read but by no means what I described constitutes graphic non-consensual sex scenes unless you choose to focus only on that. You'd have to be a psycho person for you to focus solely on the sexual abuses when there's so much going on around with the plot and the characters. I chose not to ignore that this is a reality in this world. I also chose to take the option the author gave me of not making the darkest scenes vivid in my mind. I'm probably making these scenes sound worse than they really are because they aren't the focus of the book. This book is about Lila's survival, her attempts to save herself and her family, her romance with Aleksey, her coming of age journey. Even if you made the conscious choice of dwelling too much into these non-descriptive abuse scenes you'll know it was all worth it once you read the ending. This book left me with a smile on my face and a sense of gratitude that we don't live in war zones, that our soldiers aren't like that. I'm praying to God to protect us from war and to help our veterans.
You'd have to be a very disturbed person to say this book promotes rape in any way. That said, this book tells us that consent is sexy. This book is steamy in the best way possible. With a hero as sexy as Aleksey and with a badass no-nonsense girl like Lila sparks fly and that scene in chapters 27 and 28 page is so hot that I only recommend this book for 16 and up readers.
You definitely need to read this book. You can borrow using your Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited services and see for yourself that many reviews, even the positive ones aren't accurate. Caution: You may need to fan yourself.
This is my second time reading this book and as much as I try to find explicit rape scenes on this one to see if the scarce negative reviews have a basis of truth. I can't find them. Those reviews are written by people who probably didn't even read the book and posted comments that are factually incorrect. Thank God they're not telling the truth because I never finish a book thinking I need more rape scenes. In my opinion, this book isn't about rape, it's a book about coming of age and being human.
The author makes us readers feel the fear and horrific reality of sexual abuse in a way that it's at the same time a punch to your emotions and a subtle wake-up call while keeping us turning the pages eagerly anticipating what will happen next. This book is really fun, charming and entertaining despite some of the dark topics it covers because the most entertaining scenes are vividly described and make you feel as though you are there, while the most disgusting scenes require a conscious effort of the reader to get a clear picture of the situations. Not because the writing is bad, but because the author gives us the choice of filling up the blanks using our imagination. The way you use your imagination to fill the blanks will make these scenes a graphic vivid picture or a non-graphic situation you don't have to dwell in. It's on you.
For instance, the main characters' first kiss as a couple takes place in chapter 16 Laying down arms pgs 98-107 and it's so vividly described that I had to fan myself. I felt I was the one being kissed and Oh my God! That is a really hot kiss. Lila and Aleksey's "date", that BTW cleverly expands the brilliant world-building if you pay attention to other things that aren't just the romance, is covered in Chapter 33 Gyges Chapter 34 New Experiences Chapter 35 Exclusivity, and Chapter 36 Sex Training.
That's just the peak of the iceberg. I can give you many examples more of chapters that are descriptive in a way the cast of characters, the romance, the laughs develop the worldbuilding and plot in an incredible, enjoyable way. I can't help but feel I'm a fly in the wall following the Velez Family and Aleksey in their daily lives. The author made it easy to picture their lives in my head.
I wish I had time to describe all the heart-warming, enjoyable scenes, but I can't.I would have to describe the entire book.
On the other hand, the alleged rape scenes are not descriptive. They are featured in dreams, flashbacks, or descriptions of what Lila feels and sees. We rely on her 1st person narration to get an idea of the situation. I reread this book last night and it's fresh in my head and I have my paperback copy here with me as I'm writing this review so I can tell you many reviewers didn't get it. The V Girl has 58 short chapters a prologue and a wonderful epilogue. I couldn't find the graphic non consensual sex scenes a few reviewers mentioned. It makes me think they didn't read the book. Or they probably thought that The V Girl being an outrageously underrated book, nobody would notice their reviews are wrong.
That's not to say this book is totally free of sexual abuse. The plot is all about a country where sex offenders aren't punished when they are soldiers. All I'm saying is that the way the few instances of sexual abuse were presented, isn't descriptive. At least not in a way that makes the book unreadable. This is an enjoyable book.
I'll list and describe these few instances, for those who are afraid this book might be too dark in its approach to sexual abuse. I put off reading this book for a while after reading a few bad reviews, I was afraid it'd be too much. I regret not having read this book sooner and I hope my review can help you avoid making the same mistake . Not only because The V Girl is an entertaining book that is difficult to put down, but also because I think the messages of this book can change the lives of those who read it. This book touched me deeply and changed me in a positive way.
Chapter 9 Drawn - page 60
The chapter opens with Hero and heroine being drawn to each other and almost kissing. All this is fully described
Chapter 13 A V Boy - page 86
The chapter opens with Lila finding a man she can't recognize lying in an operating table
Chapter 24 Copulation without conversation -page 144
The chapter opens with Lila in the forest
Chapter 49 Losing a part of herselfpage 276
The chapter opens with Lila describing how a "monster in a hospital gown" is moving above a girl that is pressed to a hospital cot.
Chapters 53 Familiar voice page 293 Chapter 54Sacrifice page 295
These two are the most difficult chapters to read and potentially the most triggering, in my opinion, but they are also some of the shortest ones.
That's it. Out of 60 chapters, those are the only chapters that can be somehow hard to read but by no means what I described constitutes graphic non-consensual sex scenes unless you choose to focus only on that. You'd have to be a psycho person for you to focus solely on the sexual abuses when there's so much going on around with the plot and the characters. I chose not to ignore that this is a reality in this world. I also chose to take the option the author gave me of not making the darkest scenes vivid in my mind. I'm probably making these scenes sound worse than they really are because they aren't the focus of the book. This book is about Lila's survival, her attempts to save herself and her family, her romance with Aleksey, her coming of age journey. Even if you made the conscious choice of dwelling too much into these non-descriptive abuse scenes you'll know it was all worth it once you read the ending. This book left me with a smile on my face and a sense of gratitude that we don't live in war zones, that our soldiers aren't like that. I'm praying to God to protect us from war and to help our veterans.
You'd have to be a very disturbed person to say this book promotes rape in any way. That said, this book tells us that consent is sexy. This book is steamy in the best way possible. With a hero as sexy as Aleksey and with a badass no-nonsense girl like Lila sparks fly and that scene in chapters 27 and 28 page is so hot that I only recommend this book for 16 and up readers.
You definitely need to read this book. You can borrow using your Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited services and see for yourself that many reviews, even the positive ones aren't accurate. Caution: You may need to fan yourself.
April 8, 2017
†“You usually can’t recall all the people you’ve shared laughs with. But you rarely forget the people you’ve shared your tears with.”†
Rarely I find myself irrevocably captivated and in love with such a brilliant book. Not only does this fantastic read transports you to another world, it takes you on a fucking journey like no other. One that makes you feel. I’ve shamelessly read this book twice, as well as my favorite parts a gazillion times, and each read felt as if it was the first. I don’t know what it was about this book. Maybe the fact that it was simply different which gave it a fresh taste that tasted bitter at times. The events in the book had me pausing with disgust, horror, but it was balanced out with the action, love, intimacy – I just couldn’t not love this read, even when at times I hated it.
Set in an alternative world where rape is legal, expected and enjoyed we get the pleasure of meeting Lila whose on an emergency mission that needs to happen before recruitment. To be a virgin is like having AIDs – it’s like a nuisance, and all Lila wants to do is get rid of that name people calls her: “V-Girl”. She’s got a plan, which involves her, her best friend, someplace secluded with them butt naked. But even that proves to be more difficult than one would expect. You’d think the hardest thing for a girl is to keep her virginity, but in Lila’s case, it’s the complete opposite and given the circumstances and the fucked up world she lives in?
That’s not a good thing at all.
I really enjoyed the pace of this book. The way the author gives you a chance to get to know the characters, to identify who they were the same way they were figuring it out for themselves. I didn’t feel like I was simply reading words put together. It was more like I was a fly on the wall, or the character’s shadow. Like a shadow I had no choice but to follow, and like a fly on that wall, I pried and invaded their thoughts and actions. Everything was set perfectly, and with patience you’d be greatly rewarded. ;)
I really grew to love and respect Lila. The only thing that pissed me off was how fickle she was with her feelings at time. But on the other hand I understood her because the reality of the situation was acceptable. Her fear of being taken clouded everything else, and even though it may hurt my man in the process she was adamant in her decision. After witnessing such a disgusting act at such a young age, she’d fight with nail and teeth to make sure that doesn’t happen to her. And in a twisted way I kind of respected her for that.
†"I’m a natural born pessimist"†
Lila would always think the worst, prep for it and deal with whatever outcome may arise. In that way she reminded me of me lol. Not to mention, again, that fucked up world she was in, forced to be the provider of the family – always putting them first without thinking about herself? That girl was far beyond her age and the struggles she went through, her confused heart, her sense of defeat and questioning her decisions? She never blamed them on anyone or whined about the circumstances. There were times when she and her 'too mature for her age' sister would be talking and the shit that little girl would say honestly fucking pissed me off and I was forced to give all my brownies to Lila because I’d have snapped more times than need be :P
**I forgot to mention that Lila's sister, no matter how old she may act. There was something that happened to her that completely shred her. The "adult" cape crumbled and she was that fragile girl beneath. But after being saved the chips slowly puzzled their way back together. That whole scene, as bad at it was it was tragically beautiful all the same.
But I’m rambling. I’m trying to sound all coherent and fuck when really as I type I’m drifting off to memories that I share with the awesome book :D
Her first meeting with Aleksey who I might add is fucking sexy.
In my mind…that man? That fucking god sent man?
Beautiful isn’t he? He was a sexual force, all man and domination encompassed in a powerful, strikingly beautiful body *_*
†“If as we see nightfall,
we become capable of accepting love,
let’s celebrate an alliance with our unbroken delusions.
Who ever knew we would say goodbye to oblivion?
Who ever knew we would accept hope?Ӡ
Dear author? If you publish Aleksey’s journal, I’d read it. Honestly…I would o.o
Aleksey? A poet? Gosh dammit. He’s brooding, mysterious, always got a scowl on his face that I just wanna kiss away. His awesomeness doesn’t end there. Not only does he have a filthy mouth that I love, he plays bass, he’s also good with his tongue (and no – I mean other than his dirty talking ;3)
I was intrigued from the moment I met him, and dear Lila was as well. :D
I was thirsting for their interaction between each other, and as the fire slowly burn into a blazing flame I was right next to that fucking flame *_* I wanted them to happen from the moment they met. I’m a forbidden whore and I knew they shouldn’t be together but they NEEDED TO BE. Aleksey had this dominant way about him that made me puddle where I sat. I dreamed about that man for DAYS and I still do!
The relationship like everything else flowed and built at a perfect pace. Their fight to deny each other – Aleksey’s fight for accepting what he feels it’s all he’s able to accept. Man, what he went through broke my heart, but he didn’t break. He was still strong and he was content. But Lila made him hope. I didn’t like how she treated him at times, honestly I just wanted to hug him forever and play a little CN with him. *Le chuckles*
†“He doesn’t make me feel like he’s kissing me. He makes me feel like he owns me.”†
Indeed he did. The first kiss – FINALLY – the long awaited kiss was like no other. Like damn – the author doesn’t just write words – she writes spells that hypnotizes the reader and then the fucking feelings. I’m becoming repetitive!
Everything they encountered, by themselves or together – with others… It was just mind blowing. The dangers Lila got into, the way Aleksey is always there –so aware…I loved it all. When they finally became one… I was envious of Lila. That I was lol
The sex:
This book was well crafted. You got to know the minors and the not so minors as well. Everyone had the right amount of page time and it was enough to make this book magical. Even those that I hated got some love from me. The good guys weren’t spared fuckery and I got teary eyed a couple times. The sacrifice at recruitment made me tsk in annoyance as I read on. Like, this book isn’t no walk in the park, it’s not simple bed of roses. The park is bumpy and full of unwanted obstacles, those bed of roses aren’t red from natural colors. But believe me when I tell you that at the end of the road, you’d be satisfied. Don’t look at this as something that’s supposed to be unrealistically….realistic. It gets to you, and with an open mind and a thirst for more, this read would be at the top of your fav list.
The end of the journey - Lila accept the V reference, but it wasn't for being a virgin. It was for something far more fitting for who she was now. And right beside her was the man she fell unexpectedly in love with... the one who deserves her and deserves happiness on a whole. I honestly love how they were portrayed. I could literally see their actions playing out before me.
This book was a moving slide show. :D
I’m happy.
I’m content.
And with that knowledge.
Fucking READ IT :D
ARC generously given to me by the humbly awesome author
P.S – I look forward to reading more of her works!
February 26, 2019
Mini review:
This was one of the most unique dystopian novels that I have ever read, in all honestly. I am also contemplating on doing a separate (mini spoilers) YouTube book review video as well because this book is super underrated, in my opinion. I know that many people are going to assume that this is just some smutty book with no real message etc etc blah blah blahhhh. But believe me when I tell you that it is so much than just that.
Trigger warning: Please note that this book touches on some pretty sensitive matters, so I've decided to copy the author's notes from the synopsis page just so you're aware.
Author's Notes:
* This is a book full of romance and anti-rape messages. I didn't write this book to romanticize violence against women but to tell the story of a girl who has to come of age under the most terrible circumstances.
* This full-length novel is a stand alone. No cliffhanger.
* Alpha male hero. No cheating. No slut-shaming.
* Includes a discussion guide for bookclubs.
* Possible triggers for abuse survivors.
This was one of the most unique dystopian novels that I have ever read, in all honestly. I am also contemplating on doing a separate (mini spoilers) YouTube book review video as well because this book is super underrated, in my opinion. I know that many people are going to assume that this is just some smutty book with no real message etc etc blah blah blahhhh. But believe me when I tell you that it is so much than just that.
Trigger warning: Please note that this book touches on some pretty sensitive matters, so I've decided to copy the author's notes from the synopsis page just so you're aware.
Author's Notes:
* This is a book full of romance and anti-rape messages. I didn't write this book to romanticize violence against women but to tell the story of a girl who has to come of age under the most terrible circumstances.
* This full-length novel is a stand alone. No cliffhanger.
* Alpha male hero. No cheating. No slut-shaming.
* Includes a discussion guide for bookclubs.
* Possible triggers for abuse survivors.
December 29, 2016
DNF at about 13%
Meet Lila. She is an eighteen years old girl who lives in a post-apocalyptic North America. She is attractive with light brown hair and slim good figure, and she is a virgin. Also she is a nymphomaniac. Yep, she thinks about sex all the time; her hobby is to watch other people have sex. She is obsessed with sex, and the whole book is dedicated to her fantasies and perversities.I can barely wait to have what—in my almost non-existent sexual expertise—has to be the best kind of sex there is.Consensual sex.
It’s been two days since the air raid. I’ve been so busy with the pills that I haven’t engaged in my favorite occupation.
***
What about when they have sex in the wild, knowing anyone can watch? On those occasions, I enjoy the show and feel no guilt about it. The glade where Divine and Joey always make a show out of their love is an almost perfect circle of old trees surrounding grass and orange flowers. Why should I say no to their invitations?I’ve come to terms with this part of my personality. I’m not hurting anyone, and I need a distraction from the horrors around me.
Also, she is incredibly stupid.
The razors serve the double purpose of defense and shaving instruments. I hesitate over whether or not to shave my pubic area. What would Rey prefer? Remembering his ex-fiancée and her spotless appearance, I opt to shave it all. Nobody wants to fuck an ape.
Um, really?
She can't stop repeating that she is a V-girl; I swear there's a mentioning of it on every page.Yes, I’m a girl with certain tendencies. Or some might call them perversions. I’m a V-girl with a kink.
There have to be other options to lose my V, but masturbation isn’t one.
I shake my head and return to my training. I haven’t lost hope of losing my V, so I exercise my inner muscles through Kegel exercises. I’ll clasp my partner’s penis so tightly that he won’t ever forget me. I just hope I won’t get raped before getting a partner.
You see, in this world soldiers rape virgins, because there is a minimum risk of taking illness from an inexperienced partner. But heck, is it written on every girls' forehead that she is a virgin? And what about contraception? Did they forget how to make ol' good condoms? I just don't believe in this V-crap.
You wanted post-apocalyptic North America? You won't get one. There's just talk about sex, stupid characters and more talk about sex. MC literally suffocated me with her fantasies. First, she had sex with bulky Alexey. No. It turned out she didn't and still has her V. Then she had sex with Rey. Nope. It was also her fantasy. Crap girl, I am tired of this shit.
Love interests - hello fucking love triangle - are just as sane as Lila, which means they are not sane at all. I read 5% of the book and was so tired, I don't know why I waited to DNF it till 13%? This book was getting only more ridiculous with every page.I kick him in his balls that are hard as steel. I do little damage. He’s inhumanly resistant.
The next one is the show-stopper:I’m terrified now. This has to stop.Using both of my hands, I grab his considerable length and twist. Forcefully. He doesn’t double his body, but I’m convinced he’s in pain. I free myself from his stone-like grip and escape as fast as the water permits me. Soon, I’m at the river’s edge.
The writing was terrible, the thoughts and actions are skittered; there's no order, no logic, just sick sexual fantasies. Why write a book about apocalypse when you could've just written an erotic novel instead? I expected to read about the world of death, slavery, starvation, sexual abuse and the danger of losing the people a person loves the most. I wanted dark, sad, desperate reading with mature, reasonable characters. The annotation promised me all of it. Now I am just frustrated and angry and want to tear this book apart (um, well, I might've done this already) and throw it away to never remember about it again. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU WANT YOUR SANITY SAVED. It is useless and you won't find anything good or even bad in it, just useless.His lower part draws my attention, and I notice something that takes me out of my trance. A bulging piece of veiny flesh, ready for action.No!I’m terrified now. This has to stop.
Yes, please, someone stop this nonsense!
January 11, 2021
this was just a wee bit too heavy on the romance and a little bit too light on the dystopia for me to fully enjoy this. not the books fault, i was just really in the mood for a dystopian read.
and i guess if i really wanted to nit-pick, i wasnt the biggest fan of the romance regardless. i found there to be too much back and forth (common with a love triangle trope) and i was honestly getting bored of lilas indecision for the vast majority of the book.
that being said, i think the concept of the story is really fascinating, in a terrifying way. definitely something isnt too far beyond the realm of possibility. it does give small glimpses to the dark nature of the world, i just wish there was more of that aspect to the book.
all in all, my personal preferences kept me from loving this and not because of something inherently wrong with the story itself.
↠ 3.5 stars
and i guess if i really wanted to nit-pick, i wasnt the biggest fan of the romance regardless. i found there to be too much back and forth (common with a love triangle trope) and i was honestly getting bored of lilas indecision for the vast majority of the book.
that being said, i think the concept of the story is really fascinating, in a terrifying way. definitely something isnt too far beyond the realm of possibility. it does give small glimpses to the dark nature of the world, i just wish there was more of that aspect to the book.
all in all, my personal preferences kept me from loving this and not because of something inherently wrong with the story itself.
↠ 3.5 stars
January 18, 2016
See this review in its natural environment, Dani Reviews Things.
Rating: 4.5 starsBefore I continue, I want to make this absolutely clear. This book could be potentially triggering for people who have suffered abuse and/or rape.
The V Girl is a deeply uncomfortable book to read, but I couldn't stop. Tackling hard issues such as war, abuse, rape, with a heavy mix of growing up and figuring out your own sexuality, Robarts told a story I am a little frightened to say I loved. Narrated by Lila, an 18-year-old girl in the fractured former United States, I was swept into a well-crafted, difficult and uncertain world that I believed existed entirely. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to squirm and hate and love and rage and scream within a few hundred pages.
Quote images kindly provided by the author :)
Best and worst
The best thing about this book: It both scared me and completely sucked me in.
The worst thing about this book: Sometimes it was a little too cryptic, but really I can't think of anything terrible that wasn't intentionally so.
First impressions
I don't know about you, but I think the cover is gorgeous in a dreamy sort of way. However, it doesn't entirely make sense until you start reading the book and find out what Lila considers the V to mean.
But the cover isn't the only reason I decided to read the book. I'm going to chalk that up to the synopsis, which appealed to the dark and twisty part of my brain. The synopsis scared me a little, and it promised a lot of emotion, including rage, disgust, fear and...love??? Yup, I had to read the book. Why is it that we seek out books that can make us feel such unpleasant emotions? (Not including the love, that is. Though I do seek out books that will make me giddy and swoon, too.)
Plot
Mounting danger and the surprises of war made this an exciting book to read, and I was hooked from the first page.
The book opens with Lila plotting to seduce her best friend into taking her virginity, as she doesn't want to lose it to a violent, genetically modified, doped up soldier when they come to town for Recruitment. What a way to start off, right? However, when things don't exactly go as planned and certain events shake up her already shaken town, she is saved by a member of the neutral Accords, cops sent by the United Neutral Nations Organisation (UNNO) to ensure civilians are not denied their human rights during America's second civil war.
She and Aleksey start to form a tentative and strange relationship based on a shared secret and a set of agreements, but Lila is reminded again and again just how dangerous their relationship is. And Aleksey, stern and intimidating as he is, is not the scariest man in town.
Robarts kept the mystery going by introducing terminology, events and exchanges without giving the full details, keeping the reader in suspense until said details were revealed. For example, Lila and Aleksey each made a proposition to the other, but it took several chapters for Robarts to share what terms of the deal were.
Ultimately, this was a romance novel, so while there was a side plot of rebel activity and sabotage, the main plot focused on Lila and Aleksy. Their growing attraction helped to pull me through the harsher parts of the book. Sure, the ending was almost a little too convenient compared to the rest of the book, but taking the genre into consideration, this was probably the most intense, crazy, scary and, in the end, redeeming romance novel I've come across, so I'm giving it bonus points for that!
World-building
I was completely absorbed into the war-torn American town and the lives and attitudes of the people who live there. What used to be the United States of America was split between the Patriots and the Nationalists, and the war was in its 21st year when Lila turned 18. Robarts built a world of turmoil, fear, bigotry, sadism and religion that I could believe and buy into without any qualms. I was there, and I didn't want to be. I did not want to experience Lila's life as much as I did, as it was infuriating and made me want to wash myself over and over.
Excerpts from speeches, passages from official documents and quotes from people within the story at the start of chapters added extra dimensions to the world, indirectly demonstrating the kind of life Lila's family had to live. For example:
"Sexual intercourse with dubious mutual consent is frequent among other animal species. Why deprive the soldiers of a natural inclination?"
Barnabus Kim. Co-Creator of the Patriot DNA Modification Program
The one thing I would have liked is more clarity as to who the Nationalists and Patriots were in today's world, or at the very least, what they stood for. However, I imagine that wouldn't have made a difference. In fact, it may have distracted from the story or swayed me to sympathise with one party or another, when the message of the book was that, in war, everyone was capable of unspeakable acts.
Characters and relationships
I completely understood Lila. She loved her family fiercely and would do anything for them. She hated and feared soldiers completely and would do anything to avoid them. She had a "kink", an act that she repeatedly did, that initially stunned me but was then explained in such a way that I could understand her. Her belief about sex –that it should be between two people who love each other– was so at odds with the reality she lived in. Her obsession with losing her virginity consensually was something I probably would have had as well if I were in the same situation. Robarts could have made her flat and single-minded, but instead, Lila was so human, uncertain of what to do and going through phases of confidence and fear that really drove her narrative forward.
Aleksey scared the hell out of me. He was also seriously alluring. I'm not usually into really big, muscular, brutish men, but Robarts did a hell of a job selling this guy to me while also freaking me out big time. As Lila was drawn to him, so was I. He was just so interesting, a complex character that I never felt like I could truly understand like I could Lila. The mystery surrounding him only added to the desire both Lila and I felt for him. Also, I'm pretty sure Robarts used Thor as a base for his character!
There was a strange sort of relationship triangle in this book that I hesitate to call a love triangle. Lila tried to seduce her best friend Rey, and this complicated their friendship, leading to a strange dance between them. Aleksey came in as a third dancer, and Lila had to make choices that I don't think she anticipated at all. Robarts walked the line between consensual and non-consensual acts, illustrating just how scarily blurred those lines can be every day. This is not a simple love story; instead, all three must struggle with what they want and what the world will do to them because of what they want.
Lila's family was completely lovable, especially her little sister Azzy. Azzy was so insightful for an 11-year-old, and so blunt, I couldn't help but wish she were my sister. I laughed at a lot of the things she said, as she was quite a witty thing. Despite some of the more adult things she says, I still believed she was 11, simply a clever girl in a world where you have to grow up quickly.
Writing
The story was told from the first person perspective of Lila. It was well written, with Lila's personality shining through and prose flowing smoothly. (Ok, fine, yes, I did find some typos and missing words, but, damnit, I was too absorbed to note them down.)
Robarts took no prisoners with this book. She wrote to challenge people's thinking and emotions. Through writing about an extreme situation, Robarts highlighted certain things that aren't all that uncommon in our current existence.
Firstly, she chose to set the tale in what used to be the United States. By setting the civil war and associated atrocities there, she brought current events to the doorstep of the common American (and other Western nationals). Suddenly, something that was happening "over there" (e.g. Syria, Sudan, etc.) couldn't be dismissed. It was no longer a foreign problem but a local one. The way the Accords acted to "protect" civilians made me wonder how so-called protectors and neutral parties are behaving in conflict areas in the real world.
Secondly, she spotlighted acts that happen already:
Male rape (and the devastating effects it can have, especially if it's particularly violent)
Rape and murder of women by soldiers when invading a new area
Objectification of both men and women by both men and women
Bullying
I think Robarts did a phenomenal job with The V Girl, as I have never been so desperate to keep reading something that made me feel so many variations of discomfort, rage and, most uncomfortable to admit, desire.
Overall
Look, this book mentions brutality. Rape. Murder. Actually, not just mentions – it describes these acts in detail. In between the violence is Lila's desperation for emotional connection and growing sexuality. It's an unnerving combination, and if you feel you can handle it, I strongly recommend reading this book. I am hesitant to say I loved the book, not because I didn't thoroughly enjoy it in a weird way, but because it seems iffy to say you love and enjoy a book that addresses the topics that it does. I'm still trying to process everything I've read!
January 31, 2016
**I received a copy of this book in exchange from my honest review**
The first word I thought of when I finished this book was:
...wow.
It was almost one of those speechless moments where you are pleasantly surprised by how good a book was.
I normally read dystopia books or romance books that are light reads and can easily be read quickly so I can then move onto the next book. However, I was unable to do so with this book.
This author has serious talent in making a world so realistic that I feared for Lila as if I was one of her close friends in the book. The author explores the topic of rape in a world where people accept it as part of their daily lives. However, Lila refuses to allow herself to be raped by the soldiers when/if they come while she is still a "V Girl." This sets the scene for a book where a young girl tries to figure out what qualifies for love and how to protect both herself and her family in such a cruel world.
Now, normally I do not like books that deal with rape, especially books that have this topic as one of the focal points. However, this book was different. The author was almost poetic in her descriptions and I never had a point where I thought she went too far. There were not as many sexual scenes as I thought there would be since the majority of the time is spent following Lila on her journey of discovery in this environment. I was highly impressed by the author's ability to discuss such an adult topic yet calm it down enough so that it was appropriate for 17 or 18+. There were so many ways this book could go wrong and yet everything flowed without error.
In addition the Lila the author developed Lila's friends Rey and Aleksey. Well, Alekesy is not really a friend but I am just going to describe him as such since he is such a complex character. The author made sure that the reader connected with not only the heroine but all of the characters. I did not want this book to end since I wanted to see Lila succeed in such a cruel world.
Another thing I appreciated about this book is that the main character mainly thinks only to protect herself and her family. It made the book seem more realistic as she was not trying to be a hero yet her characteristics made her a hero anyway.
I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who thinks they will enjoy this book. I will admit that this book may not be for the faint of heart but it was SO good. I will definitely be looking out for other books by this author.
The first word I thought of when I finished this book was:
...wow.
It was almost one of those speechless moments where you are pleasantly surprised by how good a book was.
I normally read dystopia books or romance books that are light reads and can easily be read quickly so I can then move onto the next book. However, I was unable to do so with this book.
This author has serious talent in making a world so realistic that I feared for Lila as if I was one of her close friends in the book. The author explores the topic of rape in a world where people accept it as part of their daily lives. However, Lila refuses to allow herself to be raped by the soldiers when/if they come while she is still a "V Girl." This sets the scene for a book where a young girl tries to figure out what qualifies for love and how to protect both herself and her family in such a cruel world.
Now, normally I do not like books that deal with rape, especially books that have this topic as one of the focal points. However, this book was different. The author was almost poetic in her descriptions and I never had a point where I thought she went too far. There were not as many sexual scenes as I thought there would be since the majority of the time is spent following Lila on her journey of discovery in this environment. I was highly impressed by the author's ability to discuss such an adult topic yet calm it down enough so that it was appropriate for 17 or 18+. There were so many ways this book could go wrong and yet everything flowed without error.
In addition the Lila the author developed Lila's friends Rey and Aleksey. Well, Alekesy is not really a friend but I am just going to describe him as such since he is such a complex character. The author made sure that the reader connected with not only the heroine but all of the characters. I did not want this book to end since I wanted to see Lila succeed in such a cruel world.
Another thing I appreciated about this book is that the main character mainly thinks only to protect herself and her family. It made the book seem more realistic as she was not trying to be a hero yet her characteristics made her a hero anyway.
I would 100% recommend this book to anyone who thinks they will enjoy this book. I will admit that this book may not be for the faint of heart but it was SO good. I will definitely be looking out for other books by this author.
January 4, 2018
This book is featured on Throwback Thursday @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2018/...
The V Girl by Mya Robarts is Disturbing, yet extraordinary. I really enjoyed the story, loved the characters, and stayed interested throughout the book. I did find it extremely hard to read at times due to the mutilation and rape. The fear is felt for many of the characters throughout the story, but mainly for Lila.
I was really happy with the last 20% of the book including the ending. I LOVE the discussion questions at the end which educate you on the statistics of rape, and mass rape during war. Also the epilogue was a wonderful addition with descriptions of the present and possible future.
4 ****
The V Girl by Mya Robarts is Disturbing, yet extraordinary. I really enjoyed the story, loved the characters, and stayed interested throughout the book. I did find it extremely hard to read at times due to the mutilation and rape. The fear is felt for many of the characters throughout the story, but mainly for Lila.
I was really happy with the last 20% of the book including the ending. I LOVE the discussion questions at the end which educate you on the statistics of rape, and mass rape during war. Also the epilogue was a wonderful addition with descriptions of the present and possible future.
4 ****
September 25, 2017
Huh? Who me?? YES. YES, I AM READY!
I know this review should focus on the rape and heart wrenching soul stopping incidents that occurred, but I can’t stop day dreaming about Aleksey. I would eat him for breakfast, if I could.
Aleksey.
He is alpha male rolled in a nice package of man muscle and broodiness. A man that you wouldn’t feel any shame just rubbing up against when he wasn’t looking.
This book is set during a war, where the Nationalist and Patriots are fighting each other for land. The genetically engineered soldiers are beefed up on meds altering their needs. One need in particular, sex, the Consensual, Non-consent kind. Meaning, women and young men don’t have a choice, the law is CONSENSUAL. With that they have recruitment parties, and shuffle all these people/kids (who aren’t married) into a room like chattel, then it is determined who is a virgin and whom isn’t. Of course all the drugged out soldiers want the unsullied ones. The few that are virgins are raped and forced to become vassals.
The main character, Lila aka LEEEE-LAAAAA, an 18 year old rebel (no, really, she is a rebel) is determined to shed her calling card as the V-Girl, she wants the power to decide whom and when she gives up that pesky hymen. Damn hymen always getting in the way of something. Lila also suffers from PTSD and pessimism.
Not only do you fall in love with Lila, you also fall in love with her family. The twins, Azalea (Azzy) and Olmo.
Azzy with the fierce and witty comebacks.
”Diarrhea is hereditary; it runs in your jeans.”
Olmo, who is suffering from a form of cystic fibrosis, is just as comedic as his counterpart. Leaving, Dad the gentle, honest doctor.
”We’ll become the lovers that never were.”
Their love isn’t insta, it is raw and beautiful. You watch a young girl struggle with identity issues, the loss of her mother and friends, unfairness in the world, grow and become strong. She rallies for the freedom of recruitment from consensual non-consent.
All Aleksey wants is her. He stands by her side, guides her through her PTSD, and gives her confidence and a choice.
”The life of a man, no matter how humble, no matter how powerful, can be condensed to a single moment. The moment he has found the woman he will love for life” – General Furst’s journal.
When Aleksey and Lila finally come to that pivotal moment in their relationship, I swear my Kindle sighed in relief. Honestly, thinking about getting my husband a red cape.
Great book! Sooooo glad this was recommended to me.
July 9, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley, Xpresso Book Tours and Mya Robarts for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it!
From its hypnotic cover and intriguing description, I knew I was in for an interesting read with The V Girl, the first novel from author Mya Robarts. What I didn’t expect was to unveil a stirring and horrifyingly accurate portrayal of rape culture, the decaying state of equality, and the brutality of war.
The V Girl should be required reading for anyone who thinks feminism is a bad idea. (If you believe that, get off the planet, but that’s another blog post altogether). It’s the tale of Lila Veraz, a young girl living in a future North America, where rape and sexual slavery are sanctioned by the government – even celebrated, in crude and terrifying “recruitment” ceremonies.
Desperate to lose her virginity before the troops arrive, Lila decides to ask her best friend Rey to help her. While she’s not in love with Rey, Lila does recognize that he’s conventionally good looking, gentle, and won’t hurt her. When she meets a visitor to their area, Aleksey, Lila’s plans are stymied by her immediate and searing attraction – and fear.
For Lila’s past is one mired in pain and grief over the rape and kidnapping of her beloved mother. Aleksey stirs memories that she’d prefer were buried deep. As they stumble toward each other, and away, Aleksey and Lila will uncover how it’s possible to love – and live – while surrounded by rape, torture, cruelty and the banality of evil.
Not to say it’s all pain, however. The relationships between Lila and her friends, family and Aleksey are well sketched, and often extremely moving. Her sexual awakening is also very lovingly done, with the choice of when, where and who with, so explicitly hers – despite the rape culture she lives within – that it made me want to cheer.
The V Girl isn’t perfect, of course. Some parts are mildly confusing, and I didn’t feel that Robarts ‘sense of place’ had evolved to its full potential, however, those are minor quibbles.
The V Girl is a brilliantly and beautifully told story of human endurance – in particular female endurance – in the face of deprivation, torture and sexual sublimation, and our ability to love, despite it all.
From its hypnotic cover and intriguing description, I knew I was in for an interesting read with The V Girl, the first novel from author Mya Robarts. What I didn’t expect was to unveil a stirring and horrifyingly accurate portrayal of rape culture, the decaying state of equality, and the brutality of war.
The V Girl should be required reading for anyone who thinks feminism is a bad idea. (If you believe that, get off the planet, but that’s another blog post altogether). It’s the tale of Lila Veraz, a young girl living in a future North America, where rape and sexual slavery are sanctioned by the government – even celebrated, in crude and terrifying “recruitment” ceremonies.
Desperate to lose her virginity before the troops arrive, Lila decides to ask her best friend Rey to help her. While she’s not in love with Rey, Lila does recognize that he’s conventionally good looking, gentle, and won’t hurt her. When she meets a visitor to their area, Aleksey, Lila’s plans are stymied by her immediate and searing attraction – and fear.
For Lila’s past is one mired in pain and grief over the rape and kidnapping of her beloved mother. Aleksey stirs memories that she’d prefer were buried deep. As they stumble toward each other, and away, Aleksey and Lila will uncover how it’s possible to love – and live – while surrounded by rape, torture, cruelty and the banality of evil.
Not to say it’s all pain, however. The relationships between Lila and her friends, family and Aleksey are well sketched, and often extremely moving. Her sexual awakening is also very lovingly done, with the choice of when, where and who with, so explicitly hers – despite the rape culture she lives within – that it made me want to cheer.
The V Girl isn’t perfect, of course. Some parts are mildly confusing, and I didn’t feel that Robarts ‘sense of place’ had evolved to its full potential, however, those are minor quibbles.
The V Girl is a brilliantly and beautifully told story of human endurance – in particular female endurance – in the face of deprivation, torture and sexual sublimation, and our ability to love, despite it all.
November 11, 2019
I must say it's been quite a while since I've read a book that managed to capture my full attention. This book is a must read. It really addresses some serious concerns in today's society, sometimes it feels like we’re not very far away from the violent dystopian that’s written in the V girl, I mean all one has to do is look at the news. The presence of rape culture is a bitter and unfortunate truth in today's world. This is a beautiful and wonderful book...in the end one must always remember everyone has the ability to be loved.
All in all....I simply ate this book up!
And as for Alexy....*sigh*
All in all....I simply ate this book up!
And as for Alexy....*sigh*
June 20, 2019
I read (some of) the reviews and didn't know what to expect. This book was mind blowing. OH MY GOODNESS. I read it in practically one sitting (except for several breaks to refill my cup of tea because some scenes are brutal and I needed to take a pause).
This book (as the summary indicates) has to do with a society that allows and, in fact, encourages rape on a designated day/event. Due to this, I think that readers should be older than the typical YA demographic. This is not necessarily a light-hearted fun read, but it is a *great* read.
These topics are so relevant in society with the Me Too movement and current state of the world (politics, especially). A book that addresses consent is not something to brush off. Not only was the topic important, but it was *very* well executed! Two thumbs up for Mya Robarts. I have had this on my to be read list for a while. Now, I don't know what I was waiting for.
SPOILERS
I was so happy with who Lila ended up with (and how things ended). The love triangle (that was briefly a square) was satisfactorily tied up. Lila did in fact loose her "v" to a man who loved her.
4.25/4.5 stars rounded up.
This book (as the summary indicates) has to do with a society that allows and, in fact, encourages rape on a designated day/event. Due to this, I think that readers should be older than the typical YA demographic. This is not necessarily a light-hearted fun read, but it is a *great* read.
These topics are so relevant in society with the Me Too movement and current state of the world (politics, especially). A book that addresses consent is not something to brush off. Not only was the topic important, but it was *very* well executed! Two thumbs up for Mya Robarts. I have had this on my to be read list for a while. Now, I don't know what I was waiting for.
SPOILERS
I was so happy with who Lila ended up with (and how things ended). The love triangle (that was briefly a square) was satisfactorily tied up. Lila did in fact loose her "v" to a man who loved her.
4.25/4.5 stars rounded up.
December 26, 2016
This was a book recommendation and I took it. This is a so called coming of age story in a pre-apocalyptic era. I was drawn into this story immediately after reading the first chapter. I found myself intrigued reading deep into the back story of some of the characters. The lead female character is a strong and caring person. She is trying to D Flower herself by using her best male friend before she is legally gang raped. This is a Out of the box story when two individuals find each other and both fight the attraction. I enjoyed the way the Author gives us moments when they almost do it then stop. The forplay is hot and sexy. Be warned this can be a trigger for some about rape. The Author doesn't go in to too much detail but you know it's happened. I love the other characters as well. They are very well developed and believable. I will definitely read more from this author.
June 7, 2017
HOLY SHIT!
SOOOO THAT JUST HAPPENED!
I don't think that I have ever -in the history of reading books- come across something like this. I don't know if I could ever find the words to describe this book but one thing is for sure it was entertaining as hell!
SOOOO THAT JUST HAPPENED!
I don't think that I have ever -in the history of reading books- come across something like this. I don't know if I could ever find the words to describe this book but one thing is for sure it was entertaining as hell!
March 11, 2017
Honestly this book was great.
It deals with so many strong issues and the fact that rape is legal in this dystopian world makes it needless of further explanation. But honestly, as much as I hate this topic used as plot device (given that it traumatizes me depending on how it's dealt with) i have to admit that it made the book much more interesting, and the protagonist much more awesome and likeable for fighting it.
I am so sad about Tristan. I felt so bad for him, what they did to him broke my heart! but
It's been a while since I hadn't felt attached to a book and characters (especially the main ones) like I felt with this one. I love Lila and Aleksey and tbh this book just kept me interested all along, making me want to go back to reading every time I had to force breaks, so I'm honestly so happy it turned out this way.
It deals with so many strong issues and the fact that rape is legal in this dystopian world makes it needless of further explanation. But honestly, as much as I hate this topic used as plot device (given that it traumatizes me depending on how it's dealt with) i have to admit that it made the book much more interesting, and the protagonist much more awesome and likeable for fighting it.
I am so sad about Tristan. I felt so bad for him, what they did to him broke my heart! but
It's been a while since I hadn't felt attached to a book and characters (especially the main ones) like I felt with this one. I love Lila and Aleksey and tbh this book just kept me interested all along, making me want to go back to reading every time I had to force breaks, so I'm honestly so happy it turned out this way.
December 16, 2015
Let me start by saying this... This book is the most devastating, sexually frustrating, most arousing, absolutely horrifically beautiful book I've read in forever- or maybe just ever. I did not think I would like this book. I have my own tragedy from childhood so the mention of abuse and rape tend to steer me running in the opposite direction. Boy would I have regretted every word I didn't read of this book of I had passed on it. Now it's not light, short, or hollow. It's complex, terrible, haunting, tragic, and yet beautiful, loving, and magical all in one. This is a dystopian- but not a fantasy. That was my other doubt, as I strictly review paranormal/fantasy books. Let me make this clear before I go any further-- DO NOT PASS ON THIS BOOK!!!!! One more time- do not mistake a vague small blurb that you think you understand have you thinking that this book is not something completely magnificent. I did not think one should care so much about being a virgin, and thought I knew what was going to happen- no I was wrong. And I am both completely heartbroken and brilliantly captivated by the beauty of this book. Now- I will talk as much as I can about this book without spoilers because I think everyone should go into this book like I did- I never read a review for it on purpose- though I usually read a few before hand. I read the synopsis and went straight in and I was not only surprised, I was completely committed to every single word.
I had a very surprising amount of conflicting emotions throughout this whole book. I laughed, I cried, I loved, I hated, I raged, and I completely broke down because it's inevitable if you even read a few pages. I am not sure I can express things without saying something that will ruin something else but I'm gunna try really hard. With the US bit longer that- it's split in two- with each side warring each other- some of the rules have changed. Rape is legal and condoned and completely almost celebrated with ceremonies- dear God I said some prayers while reading this book. Because of this- recruitment is a ceremony where the soldiers will take what they want, how they want, with whom they want. And no one- nothing- can stop them nor can they run from it. Lila is set to have her recruitment ceremony soon- she's that age- and if she's a Virgin, she'll be forced to do things I never thought I could imagine. They call her V-girl like a derogatory name and she's desperate to make sure this first time, she has choices. So she is set to make her best friend sleep with her. But things don't always work out like we want- or even hope. Here and now- we want every girl to KEEP her v card for as long as possible. Lila lives in a world that if you possess that v card, it's a death sentence or pretty damn close to it. I will not explain this any more because you need to understand it from Lila. I think reading how she felt and what she thinks makes the world of a difference to get the full effect. But I will talk about Lila. She's 18, she's pretty but everyone thinks she's strange so they avoid her and her family. Her dad is a doctor but it's a complicated thing in this time. Her was gravely injured in trying to protect Lila's mother, and that's a whole different category I can't explain. She has twin siblings whom I completely adored and fell in love with. Her best friend Rey is almost her saving grace, but he's her best friend, and they struggle through a whole heap of things throughout the whole story. I liked Rey, I wanted to cheer for him, but come on- Aleksy just stole the damn show from the moment Lila laid terrified eyes on him. He's a beautiful disaster and one that was so welcome. And sometimes- Lila needed a swift kick in the ass because when it came to those two in her life- she was so damn see-sawed with her feelings! Lawd I almost slapped her lol. But it's hard to judge someone when what they have over their hang is a life or death decision and can directly effect every single person connected to you. When something so profoundly devastating happens to you- there's a lot of confusing things that will happen to you and your judgement too. And Lila won't be the only one who will have to deal with devastation in here.
Now with the amount of frustrations here, there's only one real romantic sex scene. Notice I said romantic. Do not mistake this for a swoon worthy sweet romance. It's a romance but I will repeat tragic and disastrous and hauntingly beautifully brilliant. I have never been so heartbroken for so many different people. And if I can say one thing- do not so drugs- yes this means a whole lot if you read the book. But back on topic- when that romantic sex scene finally happened-I swear I was at a football game- hooting and hollering and crying like I won the game... I'm from the south ok- football is almost a religion lol along with food lol!! But let me say that I pretty much feared every other sex scene for good reason. This author does not leave one soul untouched! I am completely dumbfounded at how this author weaved her words to take something horrible and turn it to what it became. And through it all- there was hope that hung on by a thread. And love that blossomed in the most hateful place of all. I freaking loved that part!!!!!! And most of all... Lila keeps her VGirl name- but virgin is not what it means, and I couldn't agree with her more!
One small thing... I have to say this, I just can't not... There's some memorable moments that though I will completely befuddle your brain with, I must talk about them. They almost times... There are several and I swear I almost hyperventilated. The almost love of a best friend- though it turns to love but changes. The almost downfall of her sister and the true downfall of her other great friend. The love shared by that other couple- yeah I cheered for them. The right hand man and best friend if Aleksy and his complete tragic sacrifice for Lila- Tristan- if I could I would scoop you up, though there's multiple reasons you can't. The first kiss... Yeah I can't not mention that because it about blew my mind!!
Ok enough- I think This may be the longest review I've ever written but I could go on- seriously-I have several more things I'd love to talk about. If you haven't noticed- the author has left an extreme imprint on me. That should say a lot to you about her skills of writing. I'm awed and amazed if you need a description. I don't know what else to say except read this. If only to show you that sometimes all you have is hope and you should hang on to it with every single piece of you that you have. And never let it go. Ever. And I will leave you with my 5 PAWs because this book should win awards- a lot of them.
I had a very surprising amount of conflicting emotions throughout this whole book. I laughed, I cried, I loved, I hated, I raged, and I completely broke down because it's inevitable if you even read a few pages. I am not sure I can express things without saying something that will ruin something else but I'm gunna try really hard. With the US bit longer that- it's split in two- with each side warring each other- some of the rules have changed. Rape is legal and condoned and completely almost celebrated with ceremonies- dear God I said some prayers while reading this book. Because of this- recruitment is a ceremony where the soldiers will take what they want, how they want, with whom they want. And no one- nothing- can stop them nor can they run from it. Lila is set to have her recruitment ceremony soon- she's that age- and if she's a Virgin, she'll be forced to do things I never thought I could imagine. They call her V-girl like a derogatory name and she's desperate to make sure this first time, she has choices. So she is set to make her best friend sleep with her. But things don't always work out like we want- or even hope. Here and now- we want every girl to KEEP her v card for as long as possible. Lila lives in a world that if you possess that v card, it's a death sentence or pretty damn close to it. I will not explain this any more because you need to understand it from Lila. I think reading how she felt and what she thinks makes the world of a difference to get the full effect. But I will talk about Lila. She's 18, she's pretty but everyone thinks she's strange so they avoid her and her family. Her dad is a doctor but it's a complicated thing in this time. Her was gravely injured in trying to protect Lila's mother, and that's a whole different category I can't explain. She has twin siblings whom I completely adored and fell in love with. Her best friend Rey is almost her saving grace, but he's her best friend, and they struggle through a whole heap of things throughout the whole story. I liked Rey, I wanted to cheer for him, but come on- Aleksy just stole the damn show from the moment Lila laid terrified eyes on him. He's a beautiful disaster and one that was so welcome. And sometimes- Lila needed a swift kick in the ass because when it came to those two in her life- she was so damn see-sawed with her feelings! Lawd I almost slapped her lol. But it's hard to judge someone when what they have over their hang is a life or death decision and can directly effect every single person connected to you. When something so profoundly devastating happens to you- there's a lot of confusing things that will happen to you and your judgement too. And Lila won't be the only one who will have to deal with devastation in here.
Now with the amount of frustrations here, there's only one real romantic sex scene. Notice I said romantic. Do not mistake this for a swoon worthy sweet romance. It's a romance but I will repeat tragic and disastrous and hauntingly beautifully brilliant. I have never been so heartbroken for so many different people. And if I can say one thing- do not so drugs- yes this means a whole lot if you read the book. But back on topic- when that romantic sex scene finally happened-I swear I was at a football game- hooting and hollering and crying like I won the game... I'm from the south ok- football is almost a religion lol along with food lol!! But let me say that I pretty much feared every other sex scene for good reason. This author does not leave one soul untouched! I am completely dumbfounded at how this author weaved her words to take something horrible and turn it to what it became. And through it all- there was hope that hung on by a thread. And love that blossomed in the most hateful place of all. I freaking loved that part!!!!!! And most of all... Lila keeps her VGirl name- but virgin is not what it means, and I couldn't agree with her more!
One small thing... I have to say this, I just can't not... There's some memorable moments that though I will completely befuddle your brain with, I must talk about them. They almost times... There are several and I swear I almost hyperventilated. The almost love of a best friend- though it turns to love but changes. The almost downfall of her sister and the true downfall of her other great friend. The love shared by that other couple- yeah I cheered for them. The right hand man and best friend if Aleksy and his complete tragic sacrifice for Lila- Tristan- if I could I would scoop you up, though there's multiple reasons you can't. The first kiss... Yeah I can't not mention that because it about blew my mind!!
Ok enough- I think This may be the longest review I've ever written but I could go on- seriously-I have several more things I'd love to talk about. If you haven't noticed- the author has left an extreme imprint on me. That should say a lot to you about her skills of writing. I'm awed and amazed if you need a description. I don't know what else to say except read this. If only to show you that sometimes all you have is hope and you should hang on to it with every single piece of you that you have. And never let it go. Ever. And I will leave you with my 5 PAWs because this book should win awards- a lot of them.
August 27, 2016
Update August 27th, 2016: For those reading this review after this date... a print edition is now available for purchase!
https://www.amazon.com/V-girl-Mya-Rob...
So apparently, I was thinking so much about this book long after finishing it, that I forgot to give my review!
So, without further ado. This book was amazing. I stumbled upon this while looking for something different and new to read. I had been in a bit of a reading rut and needed something that would really catch my attention. After reading the synopsis and many rave reviews about "V Girl" I had to read it. I was disappointed to learn a print copy was not available since that is really only what I read. I tend to have a terrible time reading anything on an e-reader due to migraine headaches. Woe be me. I usually just skip anything that is exclusively e-reader for that very reason. Glad I didn't with this one. I broke down and bought the e-reader version of this and if work and life wasn't an irruption… I would have read it in a day. In-between the times the book had to be put aside for work and such, I couldn't stop thinking about it. You know a book is good when you can not wait to get home and finish it.
Before I continue on with what I loved about the book, I do want to share this bit of information. Since I loved the book so much, I wanted to know if a hardcopy was going to eventually be available because 1.) I want to re-read it again sometime soon and 2.) it definitely deserves a spot on the bookshelf. A book this good can not sit it digital format alone. Anyways. I contacted the author and this is the reply I was given by her:
http://myarobarts.tumblr.com/post/129...
Back to the review.
You know when you pick up a romance, dystopia novel and you like the idea of the story, the characters, the setting, etc… but the writing stinks? Well, fear not my fellow booklovers… this is not one of those books that leaves you wanting more for all the wrong reasons. Mya is actually a really good writer and let me tell you… there are some great quotes from this book. There was multiple times I stopped and really reflected on what she wrote and went back and re-read it. It's that good.
Yes, this book is heavy on the sex scenes, but as mentioned above… it's not just the sexy scenes that make you pause to really soak them in. The scenes in-between the love scenes are just so well written. You are not just getting smut here. Which I love! I love my awesomely written sex scenes, but I also love a good plot and character development. Which is exactly what you get.
Lila, the main character just wants to hold on to one of the few things that she can actually call her own in a world where women are regarded as objects that are meant to satisfy men. All Lila wants is to lose her virginity to someone she can at least call a friend that she trusts. She will sacrifice love as along as she can be the one that decides whom she loses her virginity too before she comes of age when the soldiers patrolling the city she lives in takes it from her in whatever regard they want to. Her closest male friend just isn't willing to help out right away which complicates matters for Lila.
After running in to solider Aleksey Furst in what can be described as anything more then awkward things start to get complicated when she starts having feelings for him and visa versa.
I will only give that much to you in this review because this is one of those books that you really need to experience for yourself firsthand to really love it as much as myself and all the other readers. All I can say is if you want a good romance with some great sex scenes that are not cheesy and actually give you a good rush, then this book is definitely for you.
I would like all those reading this review to understand that I do not typically seek out story plots that come with strong ratings that mention that rape and sexual abuse are strong themes. I thought when first stumbling upon this book that such themes were leaning more towards being a fetish, but I can assure you that is not the case. This book is still not for a reader under 17 though. I do warn that triggers can be caused by this book so precede with caution if that is something that bothers you.
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