Firsts Review

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

5 Stars

Firsts was the Better Read Than Dead Book Club pick of the month for May, yes this review is super late. Grace and I had chosen this book because we love sex positive reads and were hoping this would satisfy the lack we were feeling within YA. Unfortunately, Grace couldn't easily get her hands on a copy in Australia so she sat this one out. However, I very much enjoyed every second of it!

If you didn't already know, our main character Mercedes has sex with virgins so they can give their girlfriends the perfect first time that she didn't have. Also, her best friend, Angela, is saving herself for marriage. This is exactly what pulled me in. The actual synopsis lets you know there will be talk about sex, it will not be something that we tiptoe around, teenagers have sex, let's talk about it. I love that! We'll get to all of that later because I need to talk about it.

Right now, let's talk about the characters. Mercedes is smart, charismatic, confident, sarcastic, lonely, secretive, and many more things that most teenagers are. I found her to be very relatable. Angela is kind of our goody two-shoes, innocent character and I wouldn't have her any other way. Faye however, is someone that I was unsure about for the majority of the book, but she may surprise you. Saving the best for last, we have Zach. I just love him. He's so sweet and adorable and goofy. I just can't get enough of this guy!

*Singsong*

Let's talk about sex, baby.

Let's talk about you and me.

Let's talk about all the good things

And the bad things that may be.

Let's talk about sex.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system... This novel is so sex positive, it's insane! We talk about safe and unsafe sex, rape, pregnancy, and even abstinence. At one point even that age at which we lose our virginity is discussed. We get the awkward fumbling as well as the sureness that comes when you have the right chemistry. Maybe I'm reading the wrong books, but seeing all of this in just one YA made me so happy! If you're like me, I highly recommend.

Laurie wrote an amazing novel that is about friendship, love, acceptance of self as well as others, and so much more. I take back my previous statement. I recommend Firsts to absolutely everyone. I love it wholeheartedly and have even gone so far as to tell Laurie that should she decide to venture out and write a new adult companion novel, I would be all over it. Seriously. Go grab yourself a copy and join me to gush over its greatness!
Xoxo,
Gabriella