Review: Cherry - Lindsey Rosin

Summary

"In this honest, frank, and funny debut novel, four best friends make a pact during their senior year of high school to lose their virginities—and end up finding friendship, love, and self-discovery along the way.

To be honest, the sex pact wasn’t always part of the plan. 

Layla started it. She announced it super casually to the rest of the girls between bites of frozen yogurt, as if it was just simply another addition to her massive, ever-evolving To Do List. She is determined to have sex for the first time before the end of high school. Initially, the rest of the crew is scandalized, but, once they all admit to wanting to lose their v-cards too, they embark on a quest to do the deed together... separately.

Layla’s got it in the bag. Her serious boyfriend, Logan, has been asking for months.

Alex has already done it. Or so she says.

Emma doesn’t know what the fuss is all about, but sure, she’ll give it a shot.

And Zoe, well, Zoe can’t even say the o word without bursting into giggles.

Will everything go according to plan? Probably not. But at least the girls have each other every hilarious, heart-warming, cringe-inducing step of the way.

From debut author Lindsey Rosin, Cherry is a coming-of-age, laugh-out-loud tale of first times, last chances, and the enduring friendships that make it all worthwhile." (Goodreads)

What I Liked

I really wish I could go back in time and hand this book to 15 year old Michal Lynn. The thing is, sex becomes such a big deal when you're a teenager because the idea of it starts to become more realistic. The feelings are there. The attractions are there. People you know might be doing it (or things that lead up to it). Curiosity is at an all-time high. I know I was able to joke and chat about sex with my girlfriends to some extent, but it was definitely not as candid as the conversations in this book. To know that I wasn't alone in the way I thought or felt would've been really comforting.

This book handles sex in an informed and positive way. Writing a book about four teen girls who are interested in losing their virginity shouldn't be ground-breaking stuff (we know we've heard plenty about it from the guy's side) but it kind of is. For the most part, the world expects women to be dainty and perhaps a bit "prudish". The double standards are still very real. A teen boy and teen girl have sex and it's expected of the guy but the opinion of that girl often tends to shift, never mind the fact that it took two to make it all happen in the first place. And even if that girl doesn't have sex again for another few years, people love to keep that perception sullied. Put plainly, it sucks.

That's not how Cherry works. Each girl makes the personal choice of when they have (or, importantly, do not have) sex and who they have it with. That's not to say people don't talk, but it doesn't happen much and the girls don't really care what people say anyway because they know the truth. They also seek to find pleasure in their relationships. It's not a secret that the female "firework" (the code they use in the book) can be quite elusive. Regardless, they know that they deserve it and that there are many ways for it to be achieved. 

I think smart sex education and open conversation can help reduce the double standards, confusion, and issues with consent that people deal with throughout their lives. I also think it can help teens realize if they are truly ready. As someone who is nearly 30 and can't help but feel a little motherly about teens and sex, I also remember what being a teen is like. Having a book that not only talks about teen girls having enjoyable sex but also being smart about it (loved that Rosin made a point to throw the "pee after" tip in there) is really refreshing. 

What I Didn't Like

While sex is arguably the main focus of the book, it is also largely about the friendship between the four girls as well as their budding relationships with potential significant others and/or sex partners. At nearly 400 pages, you'd think that a lot of these feelings would bleed into the overall story. I didn't feel it.

I'm happy with the way everything concluded and with some of the relationship developments, but it's still a very "on the surface" novel. I don't feel like I really know the characters or where they are all coming from. It's just a snippet of their last semester of high school. Maybe that's what Rosin was going for, but I can't help but want more. 

Rating

This book is a solid 3 stars for me. It was tough to rate because a part of me doesn't think I'll really remember the characters or look back fondly on my reading experience, but I also think this is a book that should to be recognized for the way it handles female sexuality. That's pretty memorable on its own.