Rachel Beamin''s Reviews > The V Girl: A Coming of Age Story

Huh? Who me?? YES. YES, I AM READY!

I know this review should focus on the rape and heart wrenching soul stopping incidents that occurred, but I can’t stop day dreaming about Aleksey. I would eat him for breakfast, if I could.

Aleksey.
He is alpha male rolled in a nice package of man muscle and broodiness. A man that you wouldn’t feel any shame just rubbing up against when he wasn’t looking.

This book is set during a war, where the Nationalist and Patriots are fighting each other for land. The genetically engineered soldiers are beefed up on meds altering their needs. One need in particular, sex, the Consensual, Non-consent kind. Meaning, women and young men don’t have a choice, the law is CONSENSUAL. With that they have recruitment parties, and shuffle all these people/kids (who aren’t married) into a room like chattel, then it is determined who is a virgin and whom isn’t. Of course all the drugged out soldiers want the unsullied ones. The few that are virgins are raped and forced to become vassals.

The main character, Lila aka LEEEE-LAAAAA, an 18 year old rebel (no, really, she is a rebel) is determined to shed her calling card as the V-Girl, she wants the power to decide whom and when she gives up that pesky hymen. Damn hymen always getting in the way of something. Lila also suffers from PTSD and pessimism.

Not only do you fall in love with Lila, you also fall in love with her family. The twins, Azalea (Azzy) and Olmo.
Azzy with the fierce and witty comebacks.

”Diarrhea is hereditary; it runs in your jeans.”

Olmo, who is suffering from a form of cystic fibrosis, is just as comedic as his counterpart. Leaving, Dad the gentle, honest doctor.

”We’ll become the lovers that never were.”

Red caped hotness, I mean Aleksey and Lila are destined for failure. Aleksey is forbidden to fraternize, Lila is a nobody struggling to survive the recruitment. She despises him, fights him, ignores him and ultimately, falls in love with him.
Their love isn’t insta, it is raw and beautiful. You watch a young girl struggle with identity issues, the loss of her mother and friends, unfairness in the world, grow and become strong. She rallies for the freedom of recruitment from consensual non-consent.
All Aleksey wants is her. He stands by her side, guides her through her PTSD, and gives her confidence and a choice.

”The life of a man, no matter how humble, no matter how powerful, can be condensed to a single moment. The moment he has found the woman he will love for life” – General Furst’s journal.

When Aleksey and Lila finally come to that pivotal moment in their relationship, I swear my Kindle sighed in relief. Honestly, thinking about getting my husband a red cape.
Great book! Sooooo glad this was recommended to me.