Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

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This grittily provocative debut explores the horrors of self-harm and the healing power of artistic expression. Powerful, boundary pushing, and charmingly funny.”—Camryn Garrett, author of Full Disclosure and Off the Record

A compassionate novel that encourages teens to prioritize the control, safety, and comfort of their own bodies.” –Publishers Weekly (starred review) I can honestly say I’ve never read such a sex positive and inclusive YA fiction book before, and this was so pleasantly surprising. This is also the first time I’ve ever seen vaginismus recognised and discussed at length healthily in teen fiction - which is so incredible!! This is going to be so pivotal for so many young women who are going to finally understand themselves and their bodies for the first time, but also a myriad of other young people who have most likely never been told about the condition. The love triangle aspect was interesting but I have to say, the contrast between Monique’s ex-boyfriend Dom and Reggie was a really interesting one and proves that people’s perceptions of others aren’t always accurate. This is also the case for Sasha as well, who despite Monique’s initial judgement is actually pretty amazing. Joya Goffney, author of the acclaimed Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, delivers a powerful second novel about a preacher's daughter in small-town Texas and her journey toward loving herself and her body, filled with heart, humor, family drama, and a dynamic love triangle. Perfect for fans of Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles and Calling My Name by Liara Tamani.

Deeply empowering, sweet yet candid. A fearless story about the path to self acceptance.” —Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan, authors of Unpregnant and Save Steve Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is a captivating story about a girl discovering who she wants to be and reclaiming her body and her desires for herself, whilst learning what it truly means to have someone accept you for who you are. I honestly loved both Sasha and Reggie-who were two of Monique’s biggest supporters throughout and I’m soo glad she had them both, cheering her up and being there to confide in when she needed it the most. One of the characters I didn’t particularly like in the beginning does get a redemption arc that I enjoyed (don’t worry it’s not who you think) and I really appreciated that they owned up to their mistakes in the end and sought to actively help. After many failed attempts at sex, Dom breaks up with Monique. In trying to understand why, she discovers that a medical condition may be to blame.

Like with Goffney's debut, I enjoyed very much the character arc / growth of the main character as they explore their identity, everything that makes them feel uncomfortable, like an outsider, like they don't fit in, like they're too much or too little, and learn to be comfortable with themselves - and to learn how to be comfortable with the 'uncomfortable'. Monique is a preacher's daughter who detests the impossible rules of her religion. Everyone expects her to wait until marriage, so she has no one to turn to when she discovers that she physically can't have sex. A compassionate novel that encourages teens to prioritize the control, safety, and comfort of their own bodies.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review) This is the second book by @joya.goffney that I’ve read that solidifies how important it is to see your self in art because i enjoyed it sooo much! PDF / EPUB File Name: Confessions_of_an_Alleged_Good_Girl_-_Joya_Goffney.pdf, Confessions_of_an_Alleged_Good_Girl_-_Joya_Goffney.epub

Featured Reviews

A triumph in not just dynamite contemporary fiction but also in critiquing purity culture and the harm it can do.” —Buzzfeed Main character, Monique is a ‘Church Girl’; a girl with a preacher for a father who is expected to be perfect and live up to all the ridiculous standards that a supposed Child of God should adhere to. When her seemingly perfect church boyfriend Dom breaks up with her for her inability to have sex, Monique is forced to question everything shes ever known (or in this case not known) about her life and the choices only she can make for it. Powerful, boundary pushing, and charmingly funny. * Camryn Garrett, author of Full Disclosure and Off the Record * I read CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL hot on the heels of Lara Parker's VAGINA PROBLEMS, which is a memoir about living with the chronic pain and sexual difficulties of living with endometriosis, which also involves painful sex. I wish CONFESSIONS hadn't focused so hard on "fixing" Monique, or held up penetrative sex as the be-all, end-all. In Ms. Parker's memoir, she talks about some of the alternatives she sought out, and how despite her angst and misery about not being able to have sex normally, the focus is always on her physical and psychological well-being. Monique is clearly very uncomfortable with some of the treatments her friends find for her, but she forces herself to do them anyway because she sees them as necessary for the heteronormative sex she desires.

Deeply empowering, sweet yet candid. A fearless story about the path to self acceptance.”—Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan, authors of Unpregnant and Save Steve I loved everything about this book from the three dimensional characters to the super important and relevant topics of sex and religion and how those two things intersect. This is my first time reading from Joya Goffney but it won't be my last. -- Elli Freeman * NetGalley * This book had me hooked from the word go. Monique is the daughter of a pastor and as such, she’s expected to be a model of good virtues. The pressure from her parents to live the life they expect of her is becoming too much and while she wants to rebel against their strict rules, she’s also terrified of being cut out of the family the way her older sister was. Her boyfriend is pressuring her to have sex but her fear of breaking the rules is too great to overcome. Monique is a sweet girl and a compelling main character. I felt empathy for her. She doesn’t want to let her parents down but at the same time, she’s struggling with their expectations, the pressure put on her by society and the double standard that many girls still face. She finds herself trapped. Thank you to Rachel Random Resources and Hot Key Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A heartfelt, funny, and irresistible read…smart, sex-positive, and positively terrific.” —Kirkus (starred review) Once again, I am so glad this book exists. I think every teenage girl should read this because its such an important topic. Similarly to Monique, I’ve had a really unhealthy relationship with sex for most of my life and this book made me feel so safe and seen. Joya Goffney is now definitely one of my favourite authors. Both her books have been fantastic and important. The characters were all likeable, and those who weren’t (lets all take a guess who, harhar!) served their purpose. Monique embodied the fear and confusion many kids experience when growing and changing, whilst her friends, Sasha and Reggie, supported her with emotional support or comedy where appropriate. It was very satisfying to see her explore and embrace parts of herself which she felt pressured to correct or avoid as a result of peer and parental pressure. Furthermore, I really, really enjoyed the “don’t judge a book by its cover” contrast between Dom and Reggie. And, if Goffney has any notion to write a follow-up exploring Sasha’s story… I would be cheerleading for it, that’s all I’m saying! The diversity is wonderful, including different races, sexualities, even having a nod to gender pronouns. And, of course... the main focus of the book, her vaginismus. I'd heard of this condition before but not by name, and I think it's so important that a topic like this is the MAIN FOCUS of a YA book! Not only do you get a great story, but you get educated, too. Even better that it was based off the experiences of the author!