Virgins, by Caryl Rivers

Growing up Catholic girl can be a little trying, as Peggy is able to prove.  Not only does she have to worry about the trials of her all girls high school, but her main squeeze is someone who plans to be a priest.  How will she ever lose her virginity this way?  Add to this a sudden loss, a change in her closest friendships, and the upcoming high school graduation, and you will see that coming of age, while uproariously hilarious, can also be a bit painful.

I really enjoyed this book, and found myself able to relate to parts of it.  While I grew up Catholic, I never attended Catholic school, and I came of age after Vatican II, but at the heart of things, all Catholic girls, to some extent, were a little like Peggy.  I think that is why I related to her character so well.  I dated a few boys who considered the priesthood, and trust me, it is pretty trying.

While the story is set in an unfamiliar era, so much of the things at the heart of the story are quite familiar.  The main focus of the story is Peggy's ability or inability to resolve the changing relationships in her life, with her family, friends, and boyfriend.  She is stuck in an awkward place between little girl and grown woman, and throughout the story we watch her slowly cross the divide.  

While there is a lot of discussion of sexuality in the book, I did not find it smutty, nor did I think it inappropriate for older teen readers.  While some teens may find the story a little hard to relate to, due to the timeframe of the setting, I still think many would enjoy this book.

I received a review copy of this book courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest opinion.  You can view the rest of the tour here.

 

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