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A review by farmills
Firsts by L.E. Flynn
4.0
I received this book for free from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalle in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
Summary (from the publisher): Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time-the kind Mercedes never had herself.
Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy - so far. Her mother isn't home nearly enough to know about Mercedes' extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won't even say the word "sex" until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn't bank on Angela's boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn - or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.
When Mercedes' perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her own reputation -and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn's Firsts is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.
When I began the novel Firsts, I thought that it was completely unrealistic. I have been working with high school girls for many years now and I don’t know that many of them would be willing to run a sex operation for charity case virgins out of their bedrooms. However, as I got to know the protagonist, Mercedes, I understood her need to feel in control and the need to have some sort of power over these teenage boys. As I began to read more, I felt like the book was breaking my heart, specifically when an instance of bullying occurs later in the novel.
This book is described as “funny” by the publisher, which leads the reader to believe it is a lighthearted story. This is not the case. Mercedes struggles in her relationship with both of her parents, her relationships with both teenage boys and girls, and with a dark event that happened in her past. While there are comedic moments, I think the adjective is misleading. I also feel that, considering everything that happens in the book, the ending is wrapped up a little too neatly. As a reader, I enjoyed the happy ending, but it wasn’t true to the story.
Yet, I really enjoyed this book and feel that it is a good read for girls close to the same age as Mercedes. So many times female teenagers put their trust in the wrong boy or girl and lose control over their reputation or identity. As a librarian, I would recommend this for students ages 14 and up, but not younger.
Summary (from the publisher): Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time-the kind Mercedes never had herself.
Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy - so far. Her mother isn't home nearly enough to know about Mercedes' extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won't even say the word "sex" until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn't bank on Angela's boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn - or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.
When Mercedes' perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her own reputation -and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, Laurie Elizabeth Flynn's Firsts is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.
When I began the novel Firsts, I thought that it was completely unrealistic. I have been working with high school girls for many years now and I don’t know that many of them would be willing to run a sex operation for charity case virgins out of their bedrooms. However, as I got to know the protagonist, Mercedes, I understood her need to feel in control and the need to have some sort of power over these teenage boys. As I began to read more, I felt like the book was breaking my heart, specifically when an instance of bullying occurs later in the novel.
This book is described as “funny” by the publisher, which leads the reader to believe it is a lighthearted story. This is not the case. Mercedes struggles in her relationship with both of her parents, her relationships with both teenage boys and girls, and with a dark event that happened in her past. While there are comedic moments, I think the adjective is misleading. I also feel that, considering everything that happens in the book, the ending is wrapped up a little too neatly. As a reader, I enjoyed the happy ending, but it wasn’t true to the story.
Yet, I really enjoyed this book and feel that it is a good read for girls close to the same age as Mercedes. So many times female teenagers put their trust in the wrong boy or girl and lose control over their reputation or identity. As a librarian, I would recommend this for students ages 14 and up, but not younger.