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Cherry
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.
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.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published August 16, 2016
65 people are currently reading
5604 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
August 24, 2016
Cherry is a book about four friends who make a pact to lose their virginity during their senior year of high school. It could have been dumb, annoying or message-driven, but instead it was honest, sensitive, sex-positive, diverse, and a whole lot of fun.
I like Kelly's idea for a pitch the best: AMERICAN PIE with girls. That's a great way to describe this book.
It's a touch more serious - or maybe important is the better word - than AMERICAN PIE, but it's not a dark, "woe is me" tale about the horrors and pains of losing your virginity. The four girls have very different experiences, but ultimately, sex is portrayed as something fun - as long as you play it safe and use protection, of course.
Unlike most stories featuring girls and virginity, this isn't really about boys, love or romance at all. Friendship, supporting your girlfriends, and not hating on other girls or slut-shaming are all the most important things in this novel. There's frank and open discussion about masturbation, as well as positive LGBT representation.
It's HONEST - and here that means not sparing any details. It is so refreshing to see a book tell it like it is for teen girls, allowing them to have sexual desires, as well as all the usual fears. I, for one, thought it was great that the author showed the girls talking openly about masturbation - a word that usually only conjures images of horny teen boys jerking off (that makes me sound kinda creepy, but you know what I mean).
As I said, in the wrong hands this could have gone so wrong, been childish and silly, and read like a PSA. Fortunately, Rosin weaves some wonderful characterization to make each girl - Layla, Alex, Emma and Zoe - painfully human, and each of their stories funny and memorable. There's a lot of great family/sibling dynamics to go alongside the main plot, and Rosin deeply considers why each girl might act the way they do in their different situations.
It is not a serious book. Truly, it is full of laughs and friendship and warm fuzzies. But it is just serious enough to be mature as well as lighthearted, touching as well as hilarious, and thoughtful as well as enjoyable. I liked it very much.
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I like Kelly's idea for a pitch the best: AMERICAN PIE with girls. That's a great way to describe this book.
It's a touch more serious - or maybe important is the better word - than AMERICAN PIE, but it's not a dark, "woe is me" tale about the horrors and pains of losing your virginity. The four girls have very different experiences, but ultimately, sex is portrayed as something fun - as long as you play it safe and use protection, of course.
Unlike most stories featuring girls and virginity, this isn't really about boys, love or romance at all. Friendship, supporting your girlfriends, and not hating on other girls or slut-shaming are all the most important things in this novel. There's frank and open discussion about masturbation, as well as positive LGBT representation.
It's HONEST - and here that means not sparing any details. It is so refreshing to see a book tell it like it is for teen girls, allowing them to have sexual desires, as well as all the usual fears. I, for one, thought it was great that the author showed the girls talking openly about masturbation - a word that usually only conjures images of horny teen boys jerking off (that makes me sound kinda creepy, but you know what I mean).
As I said, in the wrong hands this could have gone so wrong, been childish and silly, and read like a PSA. Fortunately, Rosin weaves some wonderful characterization to make each girl - Layla, Alex, Emma and Zoe - painfully human, and each of their stories funny and memorable. There's a lot of great family/sibling dynamics to go alongside the main plot, and Rosin deeply considers why each girl might act the way they do in their different situations.
It is not a serious book. Truly, it is full of laughs and friendship and warm fuzzies. But it is just serious enough to be mature as well as lighthearted, touching as well as hilarious, and thoughtful as well as enjoyable. I liked it very much.
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June 5, 2020
“Their time felt like it was flying, dripping away, and there was nothing any of them could do to hold it or stop it.”
This book made me truly happy - cheeks hurting from smiling so much and everything - while getting to know each and every character. I just… I got this exciting feeling that I can’t quite explain. It was the kind of feeling that made me want to break into song, which, thanks to my throwback playlist, I did.
In Cherry 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.
This review contains *spoilers*.
The crew:
• Alex (my favorite) Campbell:
Alex’s on the track team and wants to break the state record.
• Zoe “Ohmigod” Reed:
Zoe considered herself to be very plain & vanilla compared to her best friends.
• Layla “to-do list” Baxter:
Layla started the sex pact and didn’t do much of anything without giving it a great deal of thought.
• Emma “don’t-talk-about-graduation” O’Malley:
Expectation-less Emma - the photographer - likes to keep things interesting, but she didn’t feel the need to stray too far from the status quo.
In their second semester of their senior year, Layla is determined to have sex for the first time. 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.
To be completely frank, I wasn't expecting this book to be so much fun. But it was simply everything I wanted in a contemporary. Everything and so much more.
Each subject was handled with such precise knowledge and expertise, I felt like the author was in my head.
And to top it off, this book featured incredible songs and artists:
“Zoe felt like you could tell a lot about a person by the music they listened to. It was like a window into their soul. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to stop Joey from shuffling through all the songs on the mix, but she couldn’t help but feel like he and Alex were sitting inside her head—and heart and soul and all that—as they listened to the music Zoe loved so much: “Man in the Mirror.” “Walking in Memphis.” Andy Grammer’s “Kiss You Slow.” Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun.” “Wait for It” off the Hamilton Broadway cast album. And of course “Wonderwall” by Oasis.”
I appreciated Zoe 100% more after seeing Hamilton in her favorites. I still can't believe a book mentioned it. So. Much. Yes.
The characters in this book felt so damn realistic, it is ineffable. The friendship is incredibly dynamic and fleshed-out. And I'm still waiting to read more from their group chat even after closing the book.
“Caring for a friend’s emotions as if they were your own could be muddled—and difficult and confusing. Sometimes, even the togetherness could be overwhelming. Especially since there were four friends involved in The Crew dynamic. All the emotions felt exponential.”
There were so many great moments that I related to and loved. It also opened up my mind to a few things I hadn't thought about before and just AHH, it's so good.
Speaking of... Alex was absolutely brilliant even in serious times of distress.
And in this case, I'm talking about Oliver and how Alex put him right where he deserved to be:
“You’re actually crazy,” Oliver said when Alex still hadn’t spoken to him.
“And you’re actually an asshole,” she finally replied. “You’re welcome,” she added, echoing the text message he’d sent the boys. “For the Photoshop skills.”
Oliver’s face turned instantly pale. He was so cocky and stupid; he thought he was actually going to get away with the whole thing. Not just the picture. Not just the embarrassment and all the ache he’d caused Alex. But the bragging, too. He thought he could get away with that. And that was the worst part, Alex decided. Oliver asked her if she was going to tell on him. He sounded like a small, sad, sniffling child.
“No,” Alex said, making the decision as the word came out of her mouth. “What’s that going to do? Make your life miserable? Maybe, but I don’t need that. You know what you did. And I know who you are. So. As far as I’m concerned I’ve already won. Forever, I get to be me—and you have to be you—and I feel incredibly good about both of those things.” Before Oliver could respond, she added, “And I’m glad you had so much fun jacking off to my knees . . .”
Alex turned triumphantly and walked away with her head held high.”
She’s a literal queen. I love her.
And I'm so damn glad she found her happy ending with Joey:
“Hi,” she said as she walked into Joey’s room.
“Hi,” he replied, standing up to greet her.
Before she knew it, they were only a few inches apart.
That magnetism.
A spark from Joey’s deep brown eyes slid down his face and parted his smile, and in one fluid movement he pulled Alex toward him, pressing his lips—firmly, sweetly, perfectly—against hers. The kiss was so natural and so obvious and so necessary, that it was actually the pulling apart afterward that felt strange. All she wanted to do was kiss him again.
But before she could, her phone buzzed. It was the girls, getting anxious.
“They’re waiting for me—to watch your porn collection,” Alex explained.
Joey smirked and then pulled her in for another soul melding, mind crushing, body bursting kind of kiss.
Alex’s phone buzzed again.
“Ugh. Okay.” She smiled. “To be continued . . .”
“Please stay?” Joey said as if the words had escaped through his lips without permission.
“I can’t,” she said. She wanted to, but she couldn’t. Not right now. “Chicks before dicks,” Alex added with a little laugh, knowing it would drive him crazy.
It did. And she liked that.
“All right, fine . . . ,” he said with an adorable shake of his head. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Me and my ‘dick’ are gonna go take a cold shower.”
The “chicks before dicks” killed me.
As the story progresses, the crew continues to grow, both together and apart. But the sooner graduation nears, the sooner they realize that their days as a group are few and far between.
“The Crew would always be friends.
Best friends.
But being best friends and being “together” would not always mean the same thing as it did right now.”
Like I said, the friendship is so damn brilliant.
Also speaking of brilliant, I was so satisfied with Layla and Logan's character arcs. I feared for a second there that she would return to the jackass, but she stayed strong and loved herself.
“Layla walked away—back to the party and away from Logan—and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that not doing her very last bullet point was actually the most important thing she’d done all year.”
I’m so damn proud of her. Is this what motherhood feels like??
To sum up, I simply did not want to put Cherry down. This book held the perfect balance between playful and honest and sincere all at the same time. And I still truly miss everyone.
“The story started in a froyo shop, and that’s effectively where it ended, too.”
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Cherry, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog.
This book made me truly happy - cheeks hurting from smiling so much and everything - while getting to know each and every character. I just… I got this exciting feeling that I can’t quite explain. It was the kind of feeling that made me want to break into song, which, thanks to my throwback playlist, I did.
In Cherry 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.
This review contains *spoilers*.
The crew:
• Alex (my favorite) Campbell:
Alex’s on the track team and wants to break the state record.
• Zoe “Ohmigod” Reed:
Zoe considered herself to be very plain & vanilla compared to her best friends.
• Layla “to-do list” Baxter:
Layla started the sex pact and didn’t do much of anything without giving it a great deal of thought.
• Emma “don’t-talk-about-graduation” O’Malley:
Expectation-less Emma - the photographer - likes to keep things interesting, but she didn’t feel the need to stray too far from the status quo.
In their second semester of their senior year, Layla is determined to have sex for the first time. 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.
To be completely frank, I wasn't expecting this book to be so much fun. But it was simply everything I wanted in a contemporary. Everything and so much more.
Each subject was handled with such precise knowledge and expertise, I felt like the author was in my head.
And to top it off, this book featured incredible songs and artists:
“Zoe felt like you could tell a lot about a person by the music they listened to. It was like a window into their soul. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to stop Joey from shuffling through all the songs on the mix, but she couldn’t help but feel like he and Alex were sitting inside her head—and heart and soul and all that—as they listened to the music Zoe loved so much: “Man in the Mirror.” “Walking in Memphis.” Andy Grammer’s “Kiss You Slow.” Paramore’s “Ain’t It Fun.” “Wait for It” off the Hamilton Broadway cast album. And of course “Wonderwall” by Oasis.”
I appreciated Zoe 100% more after seeing Hamilton in her favorites. I still can't believe a book mentioned it. So. Much. Yes.
The characters in this book felt so damn realistic, it is ineffable. The friendship is incredibly dynamic and fleshed-out. And I'm still waiting to read more from their group chat even after closing the book.
“Caring for a friend’s emotions as if they were your own could be muddled—and difficult and confusing. Sometimes, even the togetherness could be overwhelming. Especially since there were four friends involved in The Crew dynamic. All the emotions felt exponential.”
There were so many great moments that I related to and loved. It also opened up my mind to a few things I hadn't thought about before and just AHH, it's so good.
Speaking of... Alex was absolutely brilliant even in serious times of distress.
And in this case, I'm talking about Oliver and how Alex put him right where he deserved to be:
“You’re actually crazy,” Oliver said when Alex still hadn’t spoken to him.
“And you’re actually an asshole,” she finally replied. “You’re welcome,” she added, echoing the text message he’d sent the boys. “For the Photoshop skills.”
Oliver’s face turned instantly pale. He was so cocky and stupid; he thought he was actually going to get away with the whole thing. Not just the picture. Not just the embarrassment and all the ache he’d caused Alex. But the bragging, too. He thought he could get away with that. And that was the worst part, Alex decided. Oliver asked her if she was going to tell on him. He sounded like a small, sad, sniffling child.
“No,” Alex said, making the decision as the word came out of her mouth. “What’s that going to do? Make your life miserable? Maybe, but I don’t need that. You know what you did. And I know who you are. So. As far as I’m concerned I’ve already won. Forever, I get to be me—and you have to be you—and I feel incredibly good about both of those things.” Before Oliver could respond, she added, “And I’m glad you had so much fun jacking off to my knees . . .”
Alex turned triumphantly and walked away with her head held high.”
She’s a literal queen. I love her.
And I'm so damn glad she found her happy ending with Joey:
“Hi,” she said as she walked into Joey’s room.
“Hi,” he replied, standing up to greet her.
Before she knew it, they were only a few inches apart.
That magnetism.
A spark from Joey’s deep brown eyes slid down his face and parted his smile, and in one fluid movement he pulled Alex toward him, pressing his lips—firmly, sweetly, perfectly—against hers. The kiss was so natural and so obvious and so necessary, that it was actually the pulling apart afterward that felt strange. All she wanted to do was kiss him again.
But before she could, her phone buzzed. It was the girls, getting anxious.
“They’re waiting for me—to watch your porn collection,” Alex explained.
Joey smirked and then pulled her in for another soul melding, mind crushing, body bursting kind of kiss.
Alex’s phone buzzed again.
“Ugh. Okay.” She smiled. “To be continued . . .”
“Please stay?” Joey said as if the words had escaped through his lips without permission.
“I can’t,” she said. She wanted to, but she couldn’t. Not right now. “Chicks before dicks,” Alex added with a little laugh, knowing it would drive him crazy.
It did. And she liked that.
“All right, fine . . . ,” he said with an adorable shake of his head. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Me and my ‘dick’ are gonna go take a cold shower.”
The “chicks before dicks” killed me.
As the story progresses, the crew continues to grow, both together and apart. But the sooner graduation nears, the sooner they realize that their days as a group are few and far between.
“The Crew would always be friends.
Best friends.
But being best friends and being “together” would not always mean the same thing as it did right now.”
Like I said, the friendship is so damn brilliant.
Also speaking of brilliant, I was so satisfied with Layla and Logan's character arcs. I feared for a second there that she would return to the jackass, but she stayed strong and loved herself.
“Layla walked away—back to the party and away from Logan—and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that not doing her very last bullet point was actually the most important thing she’d done all year.”
I’m so damn proud of her. Is this what motherhood feels like??
To sum up, I simply did not want to put Cherry down. This book held the perfect balance between playful and honest and sincere all at the same time. And I still truly miss everyone.
“The story started in a froyo shop, and that’s effectively where it ended, too.”
*Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Cherry, just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!*
This review and more can be found on my blog.
February 14, 2017
"My Mom says that having a feeling of déjà vu means you're exactly where you're supposed to be."
Don't you hate it when you finish a book and just can't find the words to express what you thought about it? It's not because it was awful, no, quite the opposite - I loved this book. I just don't know how to do it justice. Where is a poop to gold machine when you need it.
The first 30 or so pages it looked like this would end up in the DNF pile. You're thrown into a scene with four girls and get all their inner 'voices' at once. It was confusing and rather off-putting. Thankfully after that initial intro we switch between their POVs clearly.
For a debut novel, this was impressive. It accurately portrays 4 different young women's experiences with friendship, love, heartbreak, sex, and the what-ifs after high school. They ask each other the questions most 16/17/18 years wonder and they talk about it without making fun of each other, whether it's embarrassing or not. Every girl could use friends like these 4.
This was such a positive example of everything surrounding sex at that age. It shows the pressure young girls can feel about sex, it has the questions that you want to know the answers to but are too afraid to ask.
When my daughter is older THIS is the type of book I want her to read. I cannot say enough just what a positive, honest and ACCURATE example this book is (even with the over cheesy ending).
And it makes me want to tell you about my first time, simply because it will make you laugh and cringe at the same time. There's no chance I'll ever forget it that's for sure. But panic not dear reader, I shall keep it to myself (for now).
Read
August 8, 2016I loved this to bits and pieces! The perfect pitch is AMERICAN PIE with girls. That tells you everything and explains why the book would make so many readers (those who are afraid of girls and female sexuality) angry.
More soon, but it's excellent. There is on-page lesbian sex, there is regular discussion of masturbation, and so many other things. There is, obviously, plenty of talk about protection and pregnancy, but the thing that makes this book outstanding is sex is presented as FUN. Sure, the girls have their worries and fears, but it's not a thing that will kill them.
Also? No girl hate. No envy. No backstabbing. Nothing gross or terrible. Friendship is the core of the story, as is respect for other girls. So great.
Full review here: http://stackedbooks.org/2016/08/fun-f...
More soon, but it's excellent. There is on-page lesbian sex, there is regular discussion of masturbation, and so many other things. There is, obviously, plenty of talk about protection and pregnancy, but the thing that makes this book outstanding is sex is presented as FUN. Sure, the girls have their worries and fears, but it's not a thing that will kill them.
Also? No girl hate. No envy. No backstabbing. Nothing gross or terrible. Friendship is the core of the story, as is respect for other girls. So great.
Full review here: http://stackedbooks.org/2016/08/fun-f...
December 10, 2016
Cherry is the peak of white feminism that tries very hard, but did not deliver. I would’ve probably liked it four years ago, but this is nothing new anymore.
We have a group of girls who made a pact to lose their virginity by the end of their senior graduation. In a inclusion scale, compared to its other YA counterparts – Cherry tried. One of the girls is half Japanese, but she was described in an exotic way. Tragic, while the other is wlw as well.
The only thing that I like about it is the exploration of teen peer pressure when it comes to having sex. Aside from that, Chery is a mess. The shifting point of view will make your head spin. It also bothered me how the only moc – black character who seems sweet and kind at first, was made into an asshole to make the other white guy seems heroic when he’s pretty much an asshole too. How subtle.
I’m not recommending this book to anyone. If you say, I want to read it for the racial inclusion… Don’t kid me. I have plenty recommendation here with stellar story and representation. Same goes with LGBT+ content, a lot of authors have been making a better stride here.
Feminism starring by a bunch of white girls isn’t revolutionary. I see that’s the reason this appeal to a large chunk of white readers despite its glaring faults.
We have a group of girls who made a pact to lose their virginity by the end of their senior graduation. In a inclusion scale, compared to its other YA counterparts – Cherry tried. One of the girls is half Japanese, but she was described in an exotic way. Tragic, while the other is wlw as well.
The only thing that I like about it is the exploration of teen peer pressure when it comes to having sex. Aside from that, Chery is a mess. The shifting point of view will make your head spin. It also bothered me how the only moc – black character who seems sweet and kind at first, was made into an asshole to make the other white guy seems heroic when he’s pretty much an asshole too. How subtle.
I’m not recommending this book to anyone. If you say, I want to read it for the racial inclusion… Don’t kid me. I have plenty recommendation here with stellar story and representation. Same goes with LGBT+ content, a lot of authors have been making a better stride here.
Feminism starring by a bunch of white girls isn’t revolutionary. I see that’s the reason this appeal to a large chunk of white readers despite its glaring faults.
Read
August 14, 2016I adored the hell out of this. Not only does it totally deliver on the promise of being a YA version of American Pie for girls (which is a premise I LOVE) but it does so with great friendships among girls, so much honesty and awkwardness, and in a not-completely-heteronormative fashion!! And it even acknowledges fear of the future and discusses what people are doing next instead of pretending high school is a vacuum! Seriously, if you are remotely interested in how sex is handled in YA, this needs to jump up to the literal top of your list - this one literally covers all the bases, solo, between girls, orgasmic vs. non-orgasmic...and never does it in a way that feels inappropriate for a teen audience, whatever that means to you. Whatever book the cis female teens in your life had to peek at to learn about sex before, I hope this one replaces it.
January 12, 2020
Wow. I just really was not expecting to love this book. I mean, yes, I was into the premise, but I’m a shallow person and I loathed both cover and title so my expectations were very low. While I know that you’re not meant to judge books by their covers, that’s literally what my blog is most famous for so um let’s just say that I’m not good at ignoring the cover art. Until I open the book and fall in love with the words, the characters, the plot, as happened here. Cherry captured my heart from the start and didn’t give it back.
Obviously, if you don’t like sex in fiction, particularly in YA fiction, you’re not going to be into this book. Really you should have seen that coming, since it’s about four girls who make a pact to have sex by the end of senior year. However, in case it wasn’t obvious, there’s quite a lot of sex in this book, as well as blow jobs, 69ing, cunnilingus, and fingering. You get the idea. There is a lot of sex in here.
If this book gets the attention it deserves, there’s going to be a conversation about whether sex in YA is appropriate, especially when it’s as graphic as it is in Cherry. Personally, I’m Team Write-About-All-the-Sex, not just because I like reading sexy books either. When I was a teen, I snuck into the family library and made off with my mom’s romance novels, mostly by Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught. Teens are going to learn about sex, one way or another unless you lock them in a bubble with no internet connection, and they’re going to get more realistic views from Cherry than from historical romances, for example.
In terms of the sexual detail, Cherry reminded me of Daria Snadowsky’s Anatomy of a Boyfriend and its followup Anatomy of a Single Girl (both of which I really liked btw). There are actual sexual detail. Though not quite as graphic as Snadowsky’s books, there is definitively no fading to black. The sexual experiences are a big part of it, and the girls share with each other what happened and how it felt, so you actually see the sexual activity happen and then the discussion with friends later.
Rosin does a really fantastic job with the sexual messages here. I was worried that the sex pact could be kind of creepy, and the opening scene made me more nervous about that as Zoe, for one, was kind of forced into agreeing to it. However, though the girls plan to have sex, there’s a clear message that it’s important to wait until you’re ready, which might mean waiting until you’ve fallen in love or found a boyfriend or might just mean a casual hookup. That varies for all of the girls and I’ll tell you that one of them ends up missing the “due date” of sex by graduation.
Cherry captures perfectly the way that sex is both a HUGE deal and completely anticlimactic. One of the reasons the sex here is good, imo, for teens to read is that it’s not romanticized like in romance novels. Every sex scene doesn’t end with the orgasms for all; in fact, many do not result in a firework display for the girls. Cherry shows that good sex is possible, but that it’s probably not going to happen with just d in the v. Actually, I’m pretty sure that none of them orgasms from penis in vagina action in the whole book.
Now, I mentioned the fact that Zoe was afraid of the sex pact and didn’t want to participate initially. That’s true. But, actually, the pact ends up being such a good thing for her. She didn’t want to join, not because she wasn’t interested in sex, but because she didn’t think she would find anyone who would want to have sex with her. Signing on to the pact actually helped her esteem and opened her up to the idea of maybe being a sexual being, which started bringing some boys to the yard.
The sex stuff is most overt and what will be discussed most probably, but I didn’t love this book just for the subject matter. Told in third person, Cherry jumps around between the different girls in short segments. This storytelling method is hard to get right, but Rosin did it. I was so completely invested in each girl’s story and character arc. Often, at least one POV is boring, but I loved all four girls and their journey into the sexual world. They all have adorable/hot romances, and it’s a thing of shippy joy tbh. Also, I love that all of the girls have more than one option, and that three of them get to tell off for doing something shitty and problematic. Oh and heads up, there is f/f in here, which I didn’t know but was thrilled to discover. And it’s good!
Shining above all of that is the friendship between these four girls. Alex, Zoe, Layla, and Emma are a bit afraid of the future as they all head off to college. Maintaining high school friendships when you all go off to different schools is a bit less hard than maintaining a romance but it’s still a bit perilous. The sex pact serves to make their friendship even tighter than it was previously, as they chat endlessly about their sex progress reports and cheer each other on in their relationships.
One of the things often missing from YA novels is that element of friendship, of the way that friends will discuss all the minutiae of an interaction between girl and crush. Rosin really captures that, and I think the dialog between the friends is completely perfect. They have fights sometimes, but they work through them. When the chips are down, they all support one another, and it’s really so lovely to see.
Cherry has all of the strong friendship vibes and feminism of The Revenge Playbook combined with the sex positivity of Anatomy of a Single Girl. It’s wonderful, and I urge you to read it as soon as you can.
Obviously, if you don’t like sex in fiction, particularly in YA fiction, you’re not going to be into this book. Really you should have seen that coming, since it’s about four girls who make a pact to have sex by the end of senior year. However, in case it wasn’t obvious, there’s quite a lot of sex in this book, as well as blow jobs, 69ing, cunnilingus, and fingering. You get the idea. There is a lot of sex in here.
If this book gets the attention it deserves, there’s going to be a conversation about whether sex in YA is appropriate, especially when it’s as graphic as it is in Cherry. Personally, I’m Team Write-About-All-the-Sex, not just because I like reading sexy books either. When I was a teen, I snuck into the family library and made off with my mom’s romance novels, mostly by Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught. Teens are going to learn about sex, one way or another unless you lock them in a bubble with no internet connection, and they’re going to get more realistic views from Cherry than from historical romances, for example.
In terms of the sexual detail, Cherry reminded me of Daria Snadowsky’s Anatomy of a Boyfriend and its followup Anatomy of a Single Girl (both of which I really liked btw). There are actual sexual detail. Though not quite as graphic as Snadowsky’s books, there is definitively no fading to black. The sexual experiences are a big part of it, and the girls share with each other what happened and how it felt, so you actually see the sexual activity happen and then the discussion with friends later.
Rosin does a really fantastic job with the sexual messages here. I was worried that the sex pact could be kind of creepy, and the opening scene made me more nervous about that as Zoe, for one, was kind of forced into agreeing to it. However, though the girls plan to have sex, there’s a clear message that it’s important to wait until you’re ready, which might mean waiting until you’ve fallen in love or found a boyfriend or might just mean a casual hookup. That varies for all of the girls and I’ll tell you that one of them ends up missing the “due date” of sex by graduation.
Cherry captures perfectly the way that sex is both a HUGE deal and completely anticlimactic. One of the reasons the sex here is good, imo, for teens to read is that it’s not romanticized like in romance novels. Every sex scene doesn’t end with the orgasms for all; in fact, many do not result in a firework display for the girls. Cherry shows that good sex is possible, but that it’s probably not going to happen with just d in the v. Actually, I’m pretty sure that none of them orgasms from penis in vagina action in the whole book.
Now, I mentioned the fact that Zoe was afraid of the sex pact and didn’t want to participate initially. That’s true. But, actually, the pact ends up being such a good thing for her. She didn’t want to join, not because she wasn’t interested in sex, but because she didn’t think she would find anyone who would want to have sex with her. Signing on to the pact actually helped her esteem and opened her up to the idea of maybe being a sexual being, which started bringing some boys to the yard.
The sex stuff is most overt and what will be discussed most probably, but I didn’t love this book just for the subject matter. Told in third person, Cherry jumps around between the different girls in short segments. This storytelling method is hard to get right, but Rosin did it. I was so completely invested in each girl’s story and character arc. Often, at least one POV is boring, but I loved all four girls and their journey into the sexual world. They all have adorable/hot romances, and it’s a thing of shippy joy tbh. Also, I love that all of the girls have more than one option, and that three of them get to tell off for doing something shitty and problematic. Oh and heads up, there is f/f in here, which I didn’t know but was thrilled to discover. And it’s good!
Shining above all of that is the friendship between these four girls. Alex, Zoe, Layla, and Emma are a bit afraid of the future as they all head off to college. Maintaining high school friendships when you all go off to different schools is a bit less hard than maintaining a romance but it’s still a bit perilous. The sex pact serves to make their friendship even tighter than it was previously, as they chat endlessly about their sex progress reports and cheer each other on in their relationships.
One of the things often missing from YA novels is that element of friendship, of the way that friends will discuss all the minutiae of an interaction between girl and crush. Rosin really captures that, and I think the dialog between the friends is completely perfect. They have fights sometimes, but they work through them. When the chips are down, they all support one another, and it’s really so lovely to see.
Cherry has all of the strong friendship vibes and feminism of The Revenge Playbook combined with the sex positivity of Anatomy of a Single Girl. It’s wonderful, and I urge you to read it as soon as you can.
September 11, 2017
This book is marketed as being about boys and boyfriends, but it's really about girls growing up. Cherry touches on nonstraight sexuality, the fact that the concept of virginity is inherently flawed, the fact that girls shouldn't have to lose their virginities to be valid, and even masturbation. It's surprisingly and happily feminist, especially for a book with this kind of blurb.
This so easily could've come off childish and silly, but through good messages and good characterization, Cherry stands out. It helps to have developed characters; Emma, Zoe, Layla, and Alex ALL come off as likable, flawed people. The fact that Lindsey Rosin gave all four points of view a good character arc speaks to her talent as a writer.
My favorite thing about the book was the major girl squad at the center. These four girls are so caring and loving to each other. It really is sad how many contemporaries don't even pass the bechdel test, but this one did with flying colors. The main friend group was so supportive that it warmed my heart.
Even the romance plots aren't annoying. Zoe's romance and Emma's romance, if I'm remembering right, were both really great. One of the girls even ends up without a boyfriend, but it's not a shameful thing – it's what she wants. Actually, two of them end up without a boyfriend because positive gay girl rep happened :')
VERDICT: A fun contemporary about growing up and finding yourself.
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This so easily could've come off childish and silly, but through good messages and good characterization, Cherry stands out. It helps to have developed characters; Emma, Zoe, Layla, and Alex ALL come off as likable, flawed people. The fact that Lindsey Rosin gave all four points of view a good character arc speaks to her talent as a writer.
My favorite thing about the book was the major girl squad at the center. These four girls are so caring and loving to each other. It really is sad how many contemporaries don't even pass the bechdel test, but this one did with flying colors. The main friend group was so supportive that it warmed my heart.
Even the romance plots aren't annoying. Zoe's romance and Emma's romance, if I'm remembering right, were both really great. One of the girls even ends up without a boyfriend, but it's not a shameful thing – it's what she wants. Actually, two of them end up without a boyfriend because positive gay girl rep happened :')
VERDICT: A fun contemporary about growing up and finding yourself.
Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Youtube
December 9, 2024
fun flirty high school bestie book about popping cherries 🤭😋🍒
August 31, 2016
Review can originally be found on Heart Full of Books
This is the story of four friends who decide that before they graduate high school they MUST lose their virginity. They call it ‘The Sex Pact’. The premise in general – the whole we need to have sex by a deadline thing – was the main issue we had with this book. But there are so many pros that make this a real must-read for teenage girls who don’t want to feel ashamed for enjoying sex or don’t feel comfortable talking about sexual content with their own friends. It’s going to give you a dialogue to help understand how you might be feeling about sex, and that in itself is a wonderful thing.
There’s nothing wrong with girls wanting to have sex. (Duh.) The only toxic thing about the premise is the deadline. Why did they feel the need to lose their virginity before college? If you think about it what’s society done to make girls think that if you haven’t had sex before you’re 18 then you’re…what? A freak? The connotations weren’t healthy and potentially damaging. I think if a lot of younger girls decide to start their own ‘Sex Pact’ this could have some serious emotional backlash that this book does not touch on AT ALL.
Lindsey Rosin does not shy away from anything. Literally any experimentation or sexual act is well discussed between the girls. And not in an awkward way. All of the sex scenes are realistic and not overly romanticised – at some points they are down right awkward – and consent is really a key thing, too. This kind of explicitness is exactly what YA books need. Metaphors and vagueness just make us roll our eyes now. Teens have sex. It’s not a weird thing and trying to disguise that with flowery language and the ‘…’ isn’t doing anyone any favours. Books are the perfect place to learn/discover these things in a safe environment. Basically, Cherry is going to be the best sex education you’ll ever get.
While the subject matter was important, the writing itself was a little lacking. The book starts out with super long and laboured descriptions of their frozen yogurt choices and how that reflects the girls’ personality. But the author doesn’t let you come to your own conclusions about Zoe having vanilla. That should be enough, but then Rosin feels the need to tell you that she’s a cautious, sensible, unadventurous character. Duh!
At the beginning it was hard to imagine the girls as 18. Sharing yogurt and giggling over boys seems a bit ‘middle school’ and the fact they’d gone through ten or so years of friendship without ever bringing up sex was the most unrealistic thing about this book.
We also felt like the story was lacking a bit of emotion. There were a few standout scenes but the girls weren’t really talking to each other about their feelings more than whether or not they enjoyed the sex they were having. Also, everything beyond sex wasn’t discussed – like Layla always wanting to plan things, and Emma’s fear of university – making the girls feel 2D with nothing but sex on the brain.
Cherry is a blunt, fresh perspective, but it’s not perfect by any means. What it lacked in character exploration it made up for in realism. It’s Sex and the City for 18 year olds, with froyo instead of Cosmopolitans.
This is the story of four friends who decide that before they graduate high school they MUST lose their virginity. They call it ‘The Sex Pact’. The premise in general – the whole we need to have sex by a deadline thing – was the main issue we had with this book. But there are so many pros that make this a real must-read for teenage girls who don’t want to feel ashamed for enjoying sex or don’t feel comfortable talking about sexual content with their own friends. It’s going to give you a dialogue to help understand how you might be feeling about sex, and that in itself is a wonderful thing.
There’s nothing wrong with girls wanting to have sex. (Duh.) The only toxic thing about the premise is the deadline. Why did they feel the need to lose their virginity before college? If you think about it what’s society done to make girls think that if you haven’t had sex before you’re 18 then you’re…what? A freak? The connotations weren’t healthy and potentially damaging. I think if a lot of younger girls decide to start their own ‘Sex Pact’ this could have some serious emotional backlash that this book does not touch on AT ALL.
Lindsey Rosin does not shy away from anything. Literally any experimentation or sexual act is well discussed between the girls. And not in an awkward way. All of the sex scenes are realistic and not overly romanticised – at some points they are down right awkward – and consent is really a key thing, too. This kind of explicitness is exactly what YA books need. Metaphors and vagueness just make us roll our eyes now. Teens have sex. It’s not a weird thing and trying to disguise that with flowery language and the ‘…’ isn’t doing anyone any favours. Books are the perfect place to learn/discover these things in a safe environment. Basically, Cherry is going to be the best sex education you’ll ever get.
While the subject matter was important, the writing itself was a little lacking. The book starts out with super long and laboured descriptions of their frozen yogurt choices and how that reflects the girls’ personality. But the author doesn’t let you come to your own conclusions about Zoe having vanilla. That should be enough, but then Rosin feels the need to tell you that she’s a cautious, sensible, unadventurous character. Duh!
At the beginning it was hard to imagine the girls as 18. Sharing yogurt and giggling over boys seems a bit ‘middle school’ and the fact they’d gone through ten or so years of friendship without ever bringing up sex was the most unrealistic thing about this book.
We also felt like the story was lacking a bit of emotion. There were a few standout scenes but the girls weren’t really talking to each other about their feelings more than whether or not they enjoyed the sex they were having. Also, everything beyond sex wasn’t discussed – like Layla always wanting to plan things, and Emma’s fear of university – making the girls feel 2D with nothing but sex on the brain.
Cherry is a blunt, fresh perspective, but it’s not perfect by any means. What it lacked in character exploration it made up for in realism. It’s Sex and the City for 18 year olds, with froyo instead of Cosmopolitans.
January 20, 2019
Super adorable! I loved the candid discussions on sex and intimacy, including masturbation, orgasms, sexual orientation. It was so cute and all four of the girls have such a wonderful friendship that they can be honest with each other. I found some aspects of the book a bit annoying, like some of the dialogue, but overall, would definitely recommend as a sex-positive, honest, romantic summer contemporary!
January 19, 2018
4.5 stars
So, reading the sysnopis for Cherry here in Goodreads, you get:
... and, really, I couldn't describe it better.
I've never read a YA book in which girls talked so openly about sex and understanding what made them feel good without judging and/or slut-shaming. The romance was also very cute and realistic - it never felt forced or cheesy.
However, what I appreciated the most about this book, besides the honesty and how much it made me laugh, is the strong girl friendship and the great GLBT representation.
This book sends so many good messages, I really wished we could see it more often in YA literature.
So, reading the sysnopis for Cherry here in Goodreads, you get:
"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."
... and, really, I couldn't describe it better.
I've never read a YA book in which girls talked so openly about sex and understanding what made them feel good without judging and/or slut-shaming. The romance was also very cute and realistic - it never felt forced or cheesy.
However, what I appreciated the most about this book, besides the honesty and how much it made me laugh, is the strong girl friendship and the great GLBT representation.
This book sends so many good messages, I really wished we could see it more often in YA literature.
October 19, 2017
"The Crew would always be friends.
Best friends.
But being best friends and being “together” would not always mean the same thing as it did right now."
Why does Cherry have such a low rating???
I think it's because by reading the summary, you immediately assume that the entire book is gonna focus on sex.
Well, you couldn't be more wrong because Cherry is all about friendship.
We have four amazing main characters: Layla, Emma, Zoe and Alex (my favorite). Thorough the story, we see their different approaches to sex, romance, school, parents etc.
But when they all come together, when they go to Bigg Chill to get ice cream, the chemistry between the four of them is so amazing, you just want them to be best friends forever and that's really all you need to know about this book.
Best friends.
But being best friends and being “together” would not always mean the same thing as it did right now."
Why does Cherry have such a low rating???
I think it's because by reading the summary, you immediately assume that the entire book is gonna focus on sex.
Well, you couldn't be more wrong because Cherry is all about friendship.
We have four amazing main characters: Layla, Emma, Zoe and Alex (my favorite). Thorough the story, we see their different approaches to sex, romance, school, parents etc.
But when they all come together, when they go to Bigg Chill to get ice cream, the chemistry between the four of them is so amazing, you just want them to be best friends forever and that's really all you need to know about this book.
July 5, 2016
*GASP!!!* Teens having sex? SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! Yeah, we know teenagers engaging in sexual behavior is nothing new and there are tons of really good YA's that deal with such a sensitive subject matter. Sadly, this isn't one of them!
I grabbed this galley because I wasn't sure if this is something we should order and put in the teen section of our store because it did deals with a controversial relevant topic of human sexual behavior. The premise seemed interesting of a group of girls wanting to lose their virginities by graduation and I hoped that the book would give a serious social commentary about consequences and the emotional aftermath of what happens after but unfortunately, this became more of a American Pie meets Losing It sex comedy that lost any real credibility. Plus, this really should be considered NA (New Adult) since it is a bit more graphic and explicit than the usual teen fare.
Let's see where do we begin with this debacle. We have four girls who make a sex pact to give up themselves and embark on an odyssey of promiscuity with no real direction or real purpose. In this book we learn all the methods of sex that is bit too much to expose young readers to from (I kid you not): blowjobs, handjobs, the 69 position, cunnilingus, sexting, and, of course, the orgasm. At this point, author Lindsey Rosin should've open the door to everything because apparently nothing is taboo. Hell, you might as well include anal and period sex and remember these girls are not "sluts" because "slut shaming" is wrong despite the fact that they treat sex so casually as if they're changing their underwear. In addition, there is no mention of the dangers of teen pregnancy, HIV or even STI's because that would send the wrong message that screwing a bunch of guys would be a positive thing.
Argh! These characters are vapid and shallow and, quite frankly, stupid. I'm not expecting a book about preaching about the dangers of teenage sexual behavior but I was hoping for something well written that take the topic seriously and sensitively.
This isn't that book! For now, leave it be and masturbate because the characters encourages that too!
Man, I need my brain to be bleached, laundered, and dry cleaned right now!
I grabbed this galley because I wasn't sure if this is something we should order and put in the teen section of our store because it did deals with a controversial relevant topic of human sexual behavior. The premise seemed interesting of a group of girls wanting to lose their virginities by graduation and I hoped that the book would give a serious social commentary about consequences and the emotional aftermath of what happens after but unfortunately, this became more of a American Pie meets Losing It sex comedy that lost any real credibility. Plus, this really should be considered NA (New Adult) since it is a bit more graphic and explicit than the usual teen fare.
Let's see where do we begin with this debacle. We have four girls who make a sex pact to give up themselves and embark on an odyssey of promiscuity with no real direction or real purpose. In this book we learn all the methods of sex that is bit too much to expose young readers to from (I kid you not): blowjobs, handjobs, the 69 position, cunnilingus, sexting, and, of course, the orgasm. At this point, author Lindsey Rosin should've open the door to everything because apparently nothing is taboo. Hell, you might as well include anal and period sex and remember these girls are not "sluts" because "slut shaming" is wrong despite the fact that they treat sex so casually as if they're changing their underwear. In addition, there is no mention of the dangers of teen pregnancy, HIV or even STI's because that would send the wrong message that screwing a bunch of guys would be a positive thing.
Argh! These characters are vapid and shallow and, quite frankly, stupid. I'm not expecting a book about preaching about the dangers of teenage sexual behavior but I was hoping for something well written that take the topic seriously and sensitively.
This isn't that book! For now, leave it be and masturbate because the characters encourages that too!
Man, I need my brain to be bleached, laundered, and dry cleaned right now!
September 4, 2016
I received this free from the publishers via NetGalley
Four girls – Layla, Alex, Emma, and Zoe – make a pact to lose their virginity before they graduate. Layla is determined to lose it to her boyfriend Logan, so she’s sure she’s got in in the bag. Alex has already done it, or she says she has. Emma is not seeing the fun or the fuss in the pact, but why the hell not? And Zoe can’t even say the word orgasm without turning red and bursting into giggles. But along the way they encounter new relationships, new loves, remember the importance of their friendship, and they are led on a path of self-discovery.
I’ve seen reviewers describe Cherry as American Pie for girls. I’ve never seen it, but I can totally see where the comparison comes from.
Anyway, I LOVED this. Cherry is honest, blunt and fun. Fair warning, Cherry does feature a lot of sex, foreplay, and talk of masturbation and orgasms, which they call ‘fireworks’, so if that isn’t your thing, I’d avoid this… BUT, it is very sex-positive & I would say suitable to older teens & the first time I’ve seen such sex-positivity in YA and I think it’s done really well. The girls never get shamed, and they support and lift each other up.
You would think because Cherry is a book about 4 friends trying to lose their virginity that there would be a lot of romance involved. But Cherry is a book that is heavily focused on friendship. Their friendship is really great – I love their conversations and they are HILARIOUS. Their dynamic is great, and each character feels well rounded and distinct individually but they also work so well together as well. Rosin showed the differences in the girl’s actions and approaches towards sex, and their different experiences, which was a really great insight. There is also a great f/f relationship, so that is also a positive.
Cherry openly discusses a lot of important sex-related questions and fears a lot of girls face, but sex is always treated as something fun and positive which I think is largely missing in YA.
Overall, Cherry is very sex-positive, very female driven and there is a lot of female empowerment, and a lot of girls supporting girls. Highly recommend.
Four girls – Layla, Alex, Emma, and Zoe – make a pact to lose their virginity before they graduate. Layla is determined to lose it to her boyfriend Logan, so she’s sure she’s got in in the bag. Alex has already done it, or she says she has. Emma is not seeing the fun or the fuss in the pact, but why the hell not? And Zoe can’t even say the word orgasm without turning red and bursting into giggles. But along the way they encounter new relationships, new loves, remember the importance of their friendship, and they are led on a path of self-discovery.
I’ve seen reviewers describe Cherry as American Pie for girls. I’ve never seen it, but I can totally see where the comparison comes from.
Anyway, I LOVED this. Cherry is honest, blunt and fun. Fair warning, Cherry does feature a lot of sex, foreplay, and talk of masturbation and orgasms, which they call ‘fireworks’, so if that isn’t your thing, I’d avoid this… BUT, it is very sex-positive & I would say suitable to older teens & the first time I’ve seen such sex-positivity in YA and I think it’s done really well. The girls never get shamed, and they support and lift each other up.
You would think because Cherry is a book about 4 friends trying to lose their virginity that there would be a lot of romance involved. But Cherry is a book that is heavily focused on friendship. Their friendship is really great – I love their conversations and they are HILARIOUS. Their dynamic is great, and each character feels well rounded and distinct individually but they also work so well together as well. Rosin showed the differences in the girl’s actions and approaches towards sex, and their different experiences, which was a really great insight. There is also a great f/f relationship, so that is also a positive.
Cherry openly discusses a lot of important sex-related questions and fears a lot of girls face, but sex is always treated as something fun and positive which I think is largely missing in YA.
Overall, Cherry is very sex-positive, very female driven and there is a lot of female empowerment, and a lot of girls supporting girls. Highly recommend.
April 13, 2018
Trigger warnings: slut shaming. I think that was all??
3.25 stars.
So here's the thing: I LOVED the idea of this. I mean, a group of teenage girls who make a pact to lose their virginities on their own terms by the end of senior year? Y.E.S. And from start to finish, this book is very sex positive. Which is GREAT.
However. The writing was...stilted. The dialogue was decidedly written-by-an-adult-who-thinks-they-know-how-teenagers-talk-but-really-don't. I honestly couldn't tell the four protagonists apart for like 75% of the book (although I can tell you that Zoe said "ohmigod" CONSTANTLY and it was infuriating). It was pretty effing white. I mean, one of the four protagonists is mixed race, but there's some joke about in there about how she's always found it funny that she's a quarter Asian and three-quarters Caucasian because Caucasian includes "Asian" in it. Like...???
Add in a healthy dose of predictability - each girl ended up with the person I predicted she'd end up with at the beginning of the book - and I...did not love this.
(I also question the frequency with which these kids were eating frozen yoghurt. Like...it seemed like they were meeting at the frozen yoghurt shop at least 2-3 times a week. These kids didn't seem to have jobs. How much of their allowance are they spending on frozen yoghurt each month?!)
3.25 stars.
So here's the thing: I LOVED the idea of this. I mean, a group of teenage girls who make a pact to lose their virginities on their own terms by the end of senior year? Y.E.S. And from start to finish, this book is very sex positive. Which is GREAT.
However. The writing was...stilted. The dialogue was decidedly written-by-an-adult-who-thinks-they-know-how-teenagers-talk-but-really-don't. I honestly couldn't tell the four protagonists apart for like 75% of the book (although I can tell you that Zoe said "ohmigod" CONSTANTLY and it was infuriating). It was pretty effing white. I mean, one of the four protagonists is mixed race, but there's some joke about in there about how she's always found it funny that she's a quarter Asian and three-quarters Caucasian because Caucasian includes "Asian" in it. Like...???
Add in a healthy dose of predictability - each girl ended up with the person I predicted she'd end up with at the beginning of the book - and I...did not love this.
(I also question the frequency with which these kids were eating frozen yoghurt. Like...it seemed like they were meeting at the frozen yoghurt shop at least 2-3 times a week. These kids didn't seem to have jobs. How much of their allowance are they spending on frozen yoghurt each month?!)
February 6, 2017
LOVED. American Pie for/with girls is really the most perfect description of this book. The sex positivity made me SO happy.
March 16, 2018
Cherry is a book about four friends who make a sex pact,their going to lose their virginity until they graduate.the whole story is about how they start thinking and talking about sex,when it's only six month to graduation from high school,in a way like they didn't even know ANYTHING about sex before!
fact is we are not living in the 19th century or some time like that,people learn about sex maybe even in middle school and then when you go to high school you may even read about it at least in a biology class.(seriously!!!not knowing about it overall until you're at your last year of high school?)
but these four girls are not like that,they actually act like this was never a question before and when they do have an agreement about the pact,they all start acting like "the universe" is just about sex!
how old are you?15???
that was ridiculous!they looked at every guy like a person who can help them reaching their goal.and seriously?you don't get a boyfriend just to have sex with him!!!!
I HAD ENOUGH!!!!
This book was a "two-star-rated" since chapter one.
the writing style wasn't that good and it was SO obvious what the end gonna be like,like you can guess who ends up with who from the very start.
and the characters were not THAT good written and explained(like when we read about the fact that one of the girls has a brother who has kind of a disability but we never read more,she always just TALKS about the fact that the brother has a problem but we don't KNOW the problem and every time we read from him he sounds normal)
the lgbt representation wasn't good either!!!!
but not being all negative,i liked how you can understand the problems they had finishing high school and the feelings about when close friends are going to get separated because YES PEOPLE THIS IS LIFE!(these parts were good written!)
**this review is one of that kinds that i'm gonna check month later and maybe(with a high possibility)find a lot of grammatical mistakes in it...but sorry people,i am toooooo angry about how much this book is superficial so if you don't understand this review it is not you.as always,it's me :D
fact is we are not living in the 19th century or some time like that,people learn about sex maybe even in middle school and then when you go to high school you may even read about it at least in a biology class.(seriously!!!not knowing about it overall until you're at your last year of high school?)
but these four girls are not like that,they actually act like this was never a question before and when they do have an agreement about the pact,they all start acting like "the universe" is just about sex!
how old are you?15???
that was ridiculous!they looked at every guy like a person who can help them reaching their goal.and seriously?you don't get a boyfriend just to have sex with him!!!!
I HAD ENOUGH!!!!
This book was a "two-star-rated" since chapter one.
the writing style wasn't that good and it was SO obvious what the end gonna be like,like you can guess who ends up with who from the very start.
and the characters were not THAT good written and explained(like when we read about the fact that one of the girls has a brother who has kind of a disability but we never read more,she always just TALKS about the fact that the brother has a problem but we don't KNOW the problem and every time we read from him he sounds normal)
the lgbt representation wasn't good either!!!!
but not being all negative,i liked how you can understand the problems they had finishing high school and the feelings about when close friends are going to get separated because YES PEOPLE THIS IS LIFE!(these parts were good written!)
**this review is one of that kinds that i'm gonna check month later and maybe(with a high possibility)find a lot of grammatical mistakes in it...but sorry people,i am toooooo angry about how much this book is superficial so if you don't understand this review it is not you.as always,it's me :D
June 29, 2016
Sex and the City meets American Pie with Judy Blume sprinkles on top. Loved it.
July 9, 2017
È un libro bello, dolce e sincero.
Si può definire il libro dell'altra medaglia. L'altra medaglia dei libri che ti propinano la prima volta come perfetta, magica e la cosa più bella del mondo. Questo libro ti da una panoramica sulla realtà della situazione, dove la prima volta può essere romantica e magica, ma anche disastrosa o impacciata.
Ho adorato tutte le protagoniste, soprattutto per le loro imperfezioni, perché è questo che le ha fatte sembrare vere.
Il libro affronta tutti i pensieri delle adolescenti di oggi, tutti i loro dubbi, i timori e le possibilità per il futuro. La scrittrice è riuscita in un modo fantastico a parlare di tutti i problemi con la giusta intensità e il giusto spazio, spazio che è riuscita perfettamente a suddividere per le quattro protagoniste senza mai lasciarne indietro una rispetto ad un'altra.
Un libro realistico che consiglio a tutte le adolescenti di oggi!
Si può definire il libro dell'altra medaglia. L'altra medaglia dei libri che ti propinano la prima volta come perfetta, magica e la cosa più bella del mondo. Questo libro ti da una panoramica sulla realtà della situazione, dove la prima volta può essere romantica e magica, ma anche disastrosa o impacciata.
Ho adorato tutte le protagoniste, soprattutto per le loro imperfezioni, perché è questo che le ha fatte sembrare vere.
Il libro affronta tutti i pensieri delle adolescenti di oggi, tutti i loro dubbi, i timori e le possibilità per il futuro. La scrittrice è riuscita in un modo fantastico a parlare di tutti i problemi con la giusta intensità e il giusto spazio, spazio che è riuscita perfettamente a suddividere per le quattro protagoniste senza mai lasciarne indietro una rispetto ad un'altra.
Un libro realistico che consiglio a tutte le adolescenti di oggi!
November 5, 2016
I received Cherry as a review copy and didn't really know what to expect. The main gist of it from the blurb got me curious and intrigued. It sounded like it was going to be a light and funny book, and in a way it was. Unfortunately, i had mixed feelings about it, but i still did enjoy some parts of it. I'm rating this 3 out of 5 stars.
I have to admit, I was actually quite shocked at how many sex scenes there were in this book, though this is mostly because I didn't think Young Adult books would have a lot of it with more detail compared to most YA contemporaries. The four best friends - Layla, Zoe, Alex and Emma - are extremely close and very open to one another about their sex life. I come from a pretty conservative country, where talking about sex even amongst friends doesn't happen often and not to everyone, so reading about how these four friends were very honest about their interest in sex was interesting. I'm not sure how representative it is of the American culture, but i liked comparing the cultural differences with my own experience.
I thought that the whole sex pact idea was absolutely ridiculous. Like, why do you NEED to lose your virginity before high school ends? I'll never understand it. But again, cultural differences. I didn't like the idea of it, but it did make an interesting story. It became a reason for these four girls to step out of their comfort zone and try out new things, and not just having sex. I saw a lot of character development in most of the main characters, which was good because it compensated for the lack of plot. Not much had actually happened, so it really is more of a coming-of-age/finding-yourself kind of book.
I adore the friendship between the girls. I had my own little group of best friends during high school, and some of their conversations made me reminisce the good old days. We were probably not as open as the girls were about sex and all, but their friendship reminded me of us going through so many things together and being there for one another. Everyone in the book was different from one another and had their own interests and distinct personality. I did find some of the characters immature and annoying, but ultimately I enjoyed everyone's point of view and story.
I didn't appreciate how almost all the characters in the story was described as being very attractive, especially the male characters. It was just too cliche and unrealistic. Everyone just wanted to have sex or go straight to "I love you" and it made me roll my eyes at how naive they were. But of course, a lot of us were naive in high school so even though it annoyed me, I like how honest it was. I think this book also explored the topic of sex in a somewhat educational way. Like, someone who is absolutely clueless about how these things work might actually learn a thing or two about protection or sexual preferences or having consent. Of course, you gotta be more open-minded about it and see it positively.
I have to admit, I was actually quite shocked at how many sex scenes there were in this book, though this is mostly because I didn't think Young Adult books would have a lot of it with more detail compared to most YA contemporaries. The four best friends - Layla, Zoe, Alex and Emma - are extremely close and very open to one another about their sex life. I come from a pretty conservative country, where talking about sex even amongst friends doesn't happen often and not to everyone, so reading about how these four friends were very honest about their interest in sex was interesting. I'm not sure how representative it is of the American culture, but i liked comparing the cultural differences with my own experience.
I thought that the whole sex pact idea was absolutely ridiculous. Like, why do you NEED to lose your virginity before high school ends? I'll never understand it. But again, cultural differences. I didn't like the idea of it, but it did make an interesting story. It became a reason for these four girls to step out of their comfort zone and try out new things, and not just having sex. I saw a lot of character development in most of the main characters, which was good because it compensated for the lack of plot. Not much had actually happened, so it really is more of a coming-of-age/finding-yourself kind of book.
I adore the friendship between the girls. I had my own little group of best friends during high school, and some of their conversations made me reminisce the good old days. We were probably not as open as the girls were about sex and all, but their friendship reminded me of us going through so many things together and being there for one another. Everyone in the book was different from one another and had their own interests and distinct personality. I did find some of the characters immature and annoying, but ultimately I enjoyed everyone's point of view and story.
I didn't appreciate how almost all the characters in the story was described as being very attractive, especially the male characters. It was just too cliche and unrealistic. Everyone just wanted to have sex or go straight to "I love you" and it made me roll my eyes at how naive they were. But of course, a lot of us were naive in high school so even though it annoyed me, I like how honest it was. I think this book also explored the topic of sex in a somewhat educational way. Like, someone who is absolutely clueless about how these things work might actually learn a thing or two about protection or sexual preferences or having consent. Of course, you gotta be more open-minded about it and see it positively.
August 16, 2016
I picked this book up at ALA in a whim because I thought it looked interesting and really unique. I thought it looked cool, but I never thought that I would end up loving a book about a sex pact as much as I did. Read on, fellow bookworms, because I have a lot of praise to shout about this book!
The plot focuses on the 4 girls and their lives, or mainly, their sex pact and all things relating to it. I was never bored, and I thought the balance between the 4 POVs was perfect. But despite it starting out as a sex pact, this book tackles other issues like friendship and the future and what happens as you approach graduation. It was a real and honest representation of all of these issues, and as a teenager quickly approaching graduation, I loved it.
The 4 main girls, Alex, Emma, Layla and Zoe, all had distinct personalities and while they were all friends, they also had their own separate problems and side characters. My favorite of the four was probably Alex (and not just because we share the same name) or Zoe. However, all the of the girls were fun to read about. Their friendship was definite goals, and I think a lot of girls with a friend group will relate to parts of it. Like we all know about that one group chat everyone has. You know what I'm talking about.
As you can imagine, a book about sex is going to have a good amount of romance. There are a ton of different couples in the book, and I'm certain that you'll fall in love with at least one of them. I had a few favorites, but they're spoilers, so my lips are sealed. The actual sex part was handled really, really well. It was graphic, but it was also a honest representation of sex--not like movies--so I think it's important for people to read this book.
I cried at the end of this book. Not because it was sad, but it was definitely bittersweet. I cried because I fell in love with these girls over the course of the book, and then to see them graduate at the end, after growing as much as they did, it made me cry. I hope that tells you how much I loved this book.
Overall, Cherry was an amazing debut that handles a hard issue perfectly. I felt like everything about it was real and honest--the sex, the friendships, the scariness but inevitable fact of the future. I believe everyone, especially teen girls, should read this book. I don't know how many ways I can say this, so I'll just lay it out straight: BUY THIS BOOK!
The plot focuses on the 4 girls and their lives, or mainly, their sex pact and all things relating to it. I was never bored, and I thought the balance between the 4 POVs was perfect. But despite it starting out as a sex pact, this book tackles other issues like friendship and the future and what happens as you approach graduation. It was a real and honest representation of all of these issues, and as a teenager quickly approaching graduation, I loved it.
The 4 main girls, Alex, Emma, Layla and Zoe, all had distinct personalities and while they were all friends, they also had their own separate problems and side characters. My favorite of the four was probably Alex (and not just because we share the same name) or Zoe. However, all the of the girls were fun to read about. Their friendship was definite goals, and I think a lot of girls with a friend group will relate to parts of it. Like we all know about that one group chat everyone has. You know what I'm talking about.
As you can imagine, a book about sex is going to have a good amount of romance. There are a ton of different couples in the book, and I'm certain that you'll fall in love with at least one of them. I had a few favorites, but they're spoilers, so my lips are sealed. The actual sex part was handled really, really well. It was graphic, but it was also a honest representation of sex--not like movies--so I think it's important for people to read this book.
I cried at the end of this book. Not because it was sad, but it was definitely bittersweet. I cried because I fell in love with these girls over the course of the book, and then to see them graduate at the end, after growing as much as they did, it made me cry. I hope that tells you how much I loved this book.
Overall, Cherry was an amazing debut that handles a hard issue perfectly. I felt like everything about it was real and honest--the sex, the friendships, the scariness but inevitable fact of the future. I believe everyone, especially teen girls, should read this book. I don't know how many ways I can say this, so I'll just lay it out straight: BUY THIS BOOK!
February 9, 2017
Actual rating: 2.5 stars, rounded down.
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book; some aspects of it were absolutely amazing, but it just frustrated me to no end. (Let's talk about the good bits first though, shall we?)
- It's bitingly honest and true to the teenage experience. The author doesn't spare us any of the nitty-gritty details, which I found absolutely refreshing. I've never read a book that dealt with teenage sex so openly, and still managed to portray the situation in a semi-realistic way.
- I love how it featured a lesbian (f/f) romance in such a positive light! It was so cute and heartwarming and all kinds of wonderful *sighs dreamily* (Emma and Savannah for the win!)
- BUT it was so slow. I found the plot awfully predictable because it only ever talked about their romantic entanglements! We're never given any context as to the emotional aftermath of their actions (concerning the sex pact), which was also quite disappointing.
- Also, I really wanted to see more of the friendship aspect of things! I found certain things problematic, like the way Zoe reacted to Layla's decisions, and I would have loved it if the book gave more thought to developing the group dynamics between the four main characters.
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book; some aspects of it were absolutely amazing, but it just frustrated me to no end. (Let's talk about the good bits first though, shall we?)
- It's bitingly honest and true to the teenage experience. The author doesn't spare us any of the nitty-gritty details, which I found absolutely refreshing. I've never read a book that dealt with teenage sex so openly, and still managed to portray the situation in a semi-realistic way.
- I love how it featured a lesbian (f/f) romance in such a positive light! It was so cute and heartwarming and all kinds of wonderful *sighs dreamily* (Emma and Savannah for the win!)
- BUT it was so slow. I found the plot awfully predictable because it only ever talked about their romantic entanglements! We're never given any context as to the emotional aftermath of their actions (concerning the sex pact), which was also quite disappointing.
- Also, I really wanted to see more of the friendship aspect of things! I found certain things problematic, like the way Zoe reacted to Layla's decisions, and I would have loved it if the book gave more thought to developing the group dynamics between the four main characters.
September 30, 2016
So I'm of mixed thoughts for this one.
Things I loved:
1) Female friendship. These four girls are so tight, and it really shows in their weekly fro-yo meetings and love for each other. YA so needs more of that.
2) Sex-positive. This is like a newer Princess Diaries in terms of sex-positive stories and I love it - there's a lot about consent, protection, and telling your partner what you want. That was really good and another thing YA desperately needs more of.
3) It wasn't all just white girls and white boys together - there's an f/f pairing in here that was really adorable.
Things I didn't love:
1) The whole idea of the "sex pact" - like these girls just HAVE to have sex before they graduate. There's already such a harmful idea that girls are wrong or weird if they wait to have sex, and I wasn't happy with how that was portrayed.
2) These girls really did seem quite young and slightly immature. I couldn't get past the voices - they didn't feel right to me.
3) Because there are four POVs - and it's in third person - it did also feel quite brief and not in-depth enough. Like all of the emotional impact was more shallow than it might otherwise have been.
Things I loved:
1) Female friendship. These four girls are so tight, and it really shows in their weekly fro-yo meetings and love for each other. YA so needs more of that.
2) Sex-positive. This is like a newer Princess Diaries in terms of sex-positive stories and I love it - there's a lot about consent, protection, and telling your partner what you want. That was really good and another thing YA desperately needs more of.
3) It wasn't all just white girls and white boys together - there's an f/f pairing in here that was really adorable.
Things I didn't love:
1) The whole idea of the "sex pact" - like these girls just HAVE to have sex before they graduate. There's already such a harmful idea that girls are wrong or weird if they wait to have sex, and I wasn't happy with how that was portrayed.
2) These girls really did seem quite young and slightly immature. I couldn't get past the voices - they didn't feel right to me.
3) Because there are four POVs - and it's in third person - it did also feel quite brief and not in-depth enough. Like all of the emotional impact was more shallow than it might otherwise have been.
June 18, 2016
Such a great, sex-positive book about four girls learning to love and know themselves and learning what they want to happen to them/their bodies/their lives. Can't say enough good things about this debut- I loved it and want to read it all over again!
Want to read
August 18, 2016This is literally the plot of American Pie but with girls, and I'm in!
August 9, 2017
Questo libro mi ha confusa e non so bene cosa ne penso, combattuta tra la trama superficiale e il libro scritto molto bene.
Prima di tutto voglio chiarire che non lo trovo assolutamente un libro da far leggere alle ragazzine, va bene solo se siete già verso gli ultimi anni delle superiori altrimenti fatevi un favore e non prendete questo libro come esempio.
Ho trovato tantissime situazioni e tantissimi discorsi affrontati con troppa leggerezza, ma ho anche trovato tanti momenti dolci, alcuni personaggi che mi sono piaciuti molto e l'amicizia tra queste ragazze che mi ha ricordato tantissimo quella di "Quattro amiche e un paio di jeans".
Solo che qui non si parla di jeans, si parla di sesso ed è un argomento che sarebbe meglio non prendere sottogamba.
In un mondo in cui però l'argomento non è più un taboo questo libro ci comunica quando è giusto farlo e quando no, come si dovrebbe fare e quando sarebbe meglio lasciar perdere.
Tra Zoe, Emma, Alex e Layla sarà facile capire che alla fine l'amore trionfa sempre ma questo non significa che prima dell'amore non si facciano tanti errori.
Alex è il personaggio che tra tutti mi è piaciuto di più, ma come ho già detto queste quattro insieme sono una forza della natura. Hanno qualcosa di molto più grande dell'amore.
L'unica cosa sulla quale faccio un appunto è la classificazione in libri per ragazzi, young adult, perché come potete leggere dalla trama c'è di mezzo un "patto sul sesso" e non credo proprio che questo sia il modo più giusto di affrontare argomenti del genere.
Prima di tutto voglio chiarire che non lo trovo assolutamente un libro da far leggere alle ragazzine, va bene solo se siete già verso gli ultimi anni delle superiori altrimenti fatevi un favore e non prendete questo libro come esempio.
Ho trovato tantissime situazioni e tantissimi discorsi affrontati con troppa leggerezza, ma ho anche trovato tanti momenti dolci, alcuni personaggi che mi sono piaciuti molto e l'amicizia tra queste ragazze che mi ha ricordato tantissimo quella di "Quattro amiche e un paio di jeans".
Solo che qui non si parla di jeans, si parla di sesso ed è un argomento che sarebbe meglio non prendere sottogamba.
In un mondo in cui però l'argomento non è più un taboo questo libro ci comunica quando è giusto farlo e quando no, come si dovrebbe fare e quando sarebbe meglio lasciar perdere.
Tra Zoe, Emma, Alex e Layla sarà facile capire che alla fine l'amore trionfa sempre ma questo non significa che prima dell'amore non si facciano tanti errori.
Alex è il personaggio che tra tutti mi è piaciuto di più, ma come ho già detto queste quattro insieme sono una forza della natura. Hanno qualcosa di molto più grande dell'amore.
L'unica cosa sulla quale faccio un appunto è la classificazione in libri per ragazzi, young adult, perché come potete leggere dalla trama c'è di mezzo un "patto sul sesso" e non credo proprio che questo sia il modo più giusto di affrontare argomenti del genere.
December 13, 2020
Cherry is an honest story of high school, friendships, love and sex. I feel like it's an underrated book in the sense that most teenagers should read it. The book was refreshingly honest and thought-provoking in relatable (teen) topics.
What I Liked:
- the most honest and unflinching story about sex I've read so far
- diversity
- realistic dialogues
- good-natured humour
- all the (self-) explorations
- some profound musings
- the priceless female friendship
- how different each of the girls were:
- unique voices
- similar yet opposite personalities
- the different situation(s) each found themselves in
- a solid ending
The Not So Much:
- some guys were really awful
"The only normal people are the ones we don't know very well." (p.83).
What I Liked:
- the most honest and unflinching story about sex I've read so far
- diversity
- realistic dialogues
- good-natured humour
- all the (self-) explorations
- some profound musings
- the priceless female friendship
- how different each of the girls were:
- unique voices
- similar yet opposite personalities
- the different situation(s) each found themselves in
- a solid ending
The Not So Much:
- some guys were really awful
"The only normal people are the ones we don't know very well." (p.83).
December 29, 2017
3'5 🌟 Es un libro que me ha enganchado y con el que he disfrutado un montón. Al estar narrado por las cuatro amigas hace que sea una lectura fresca y además, la trama invita a seguir leyendo porque quieres saber cómo llevan el pacto cada una de ellas. La pluma de Lindsey Rosin es directa y fresca, esto consigue atraparte por completo. En la novela vivimos de primera mano la amistad que existe entre las chicas y como poco a poco se va haciendo más fuerte. Es una novela que gira entorno de la amistad del grupo de amigas y como cada una va encontrando a esa persona que simplemente es ella misma.
Cherry. La Primera Vez es la historia de cuatro amigas donde las risas y los buenos momentos están asegurados. Una lectura donde os encontrareis con mucha amistad y unos personajes que muestran una gran evolución a lo largo de toda la historia. Un libro juvenil con el que disfrutaréis de un buen rato de lectura.
Reseña completa: https://aprovechalavidacadadiaa.blogs...
Cherry. La Primera Vez es la historia de cuatro amigas donde las risas y los buenos momentos están asegurados. Una lectura donde os encontrareis con mucha amistad y unos personajes que muestran una gran evolución a lo largo de toda la historia. Un libro juvenil con el que disfrutaréis de un buen rato de lectura.
Reseña completa: https://aprovechalavidacadadiaa.blogs...
April 13, 2017
Well, this was straight-up adorable. A fun high school rom-com where the love story is as much about the love between the four friends as it is about the people they date and hook up with. It's funny and frank and anatomically correct without being crude.
I wish I'd had this in high school, half because it's better sex ed than anything else I got my hands on at the time, half because it resembles my high school experience more than most YA books I've read. Okay, fine, not the sex or the parties, but the background stuff: Friends cuddle and make out and it's not a huge drama fest! Parents are always watching and your dating life depends on them giving you a ride! Sometimes you hang out on top of a parking garage because why not!
Funny and sweet and full of shameless, consensual, self-respecting (but not necessarily good) sex. Recommended if you think "well, the concept sounds fun, but it's going to be AWFUL, right?" It's not awful in any of the ways you expect a virginity-losing-pact novel to be, not at all.
I wish I'd had this in high school, half because it's better sex ed than anything else I got my hands on at the time, half because it resembles my high school experience more than most YA books I've read. Okay, fine, not the sex or the parties, but the background stuff: Friends cuddle and make out and it's not a huge drama fest! Parents are always watching and your dating life depends on them giving you a ride! Sometimes you hang out on top of a parking garage because why not!
Funny and sweet and full of shameless, consensual, self-respecting (but not necessarily good) sex. Recommended if you think "well, the concept sounds fun, but it's going to be AWFUL, right?" It's not awful in any of the ways you expect a virginity-losing-pact novel to be, not at all.
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