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Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl
The second novel about a preacher's daughter in small-town Texas and her journey toward loving herself and her body.
Monique is a preacher's daughter who detests the impossible rules of her religion. Everyone expects her to wait until marriage, so she has no one to turn to when she discovers that she physically can't have sex.
After two years of trying and failing, her boyfriend breaks up with her. To win him back, Monique teams up with straight-laced church girl Sasha--who is surprisingly knowledgeable about Monique's condition--as well as Reggie, the misunderstood bad boy who always makes a ruckus at church, and together they embark upon a top-secret search for the cure.
While on their quest, Monique discovers the value of a true friend and the wonders of a love that accepts her for who she is. Despite everyone's opinions about her virtue, she learns to live for herself.
Monique is a preacher's daughter who detests the impossible rules of her religion. Everyone expects her to wait until marriage, so she has no one to turn to when she discovers that she physically can't have sex.
After two years of trying and failing, her boyfriend breaks up with her. To win him back, Monique teams up with straight-laced church girl Sasha--who is surprisingly knowledgeable about Monique's condition--as well as Reggie, the misunderstood bad boy who always makes a ruckus at church, and together they embark upon a top-secret search for the cure.
While on their quest, Monique discovers the value of a true friend and the wonders of a love that accepts her for who she is. Despite everyone's opinions about her virtue, she learns to live for herself.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2022
377 people are currently reading
21772 people want to read
About the author
Joya Goffney
7 books1,643 followersJoya Goffney grew up in New Waverly, a small town in East Texas. In high school, she challenged herself with to-do lists full of risk-taking items like ‘hug a random boy’ and ‘eat a cricket,’ which inspired her debut novel. With a passion for black social psychology, she moved out of the countryside to attend the University of Texas in Austin, where she still resides.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,832 reviews
July 9, 2023
Ani przez moment nie musiałam się zastanawiać nad oceną. Przeczytana w całości jednego dnia. Poruszyła mnie tematyką, cudownymi postaciami i bardzo nietuzinkową relacją z rodzicami.
Ulubieniec 🥹
Ulubieniec 🥹
September 22, 2022
Wow, this book hit me much harder than I was expecting. If you are a former or deconstructing Church girl, you really should read this. As a deconstructing former evangelical who grew up deep in purity culture, this was healing in a way I didn't know I needed. Now let me schedule a session with my therapist...
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl follows the teenage daughter of a pastor who is supposed be perfect and wait til she's married to have sex. But for the past two years, she and her boyfriend have been trying and failing to have sex. They can't figure out what's wrong and now he's done trying to figure it out. In the wake of a painful breakup, Monique decides to do her own research. Along the way she makes new friends and begins to unpack assumptions she has made and her own sexual hangups.
I wish I had this book when I was younger. Monique suffers from a relatively severe form of vaginismus (a treatable condition involving the vaginal muscles spasming or tightening in a way that prevents penetration or causes painful penetration). This condition is apparently more common in victims of sexual trauma AND people who grew up in religious traditions with intense purity teachings.
I'm going to get personal here, but this is something people don't talk about and I think it's really important. I had no idea this religious piece could be a cause, but I dealt with something similar (albeit less extreme) and it became apparent after I got married. Because I was an actual "good girl", waited for marriage, had pretty limited sex ed, and just assumed everything would be fine and easy. My spouse had similarly limited knowledge and we didn't have friends we could really ask, so we kind of had to figure it out on our own.
I deeply related to Monique's feelings about her body seeming broken, and her intense discomfort with anything explicitly sexual. Thankfully I had a wonderful, supportive spouse instead of a shitty boyfriend, but it took well over a year of marriage to work out solutions, and much longer to start working through some of our other hangups with sex because of purity culture. If we're being real, we're still working on some of it 11 years in. And the thing is, Monique's parents THOUGHT they were protecting her. So did mine. Her mom had a painful past with premarital sex. So did mine. And maybe their intent was never to make her feel less valuable or worthy if she didn't wait, but that's still how it felt. And I can relate to that too. It's why I did wait for so many things and I kind of wish I hadn't. This stuff is hard and messy and painful, and I'm so glad there are books out there now offering so much hope and healing. This book was fantastic.
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl follows the teenage daughter of a pastor who is supposed be perfect and wait til she's married to have sex. But for the past two years, she and her boyfriend have been trying and failing to have sex. They can't figure out what's wrong and now he's done trying to figure it out. In the wake of a painful breakup, Monique decides to do her own research. Along the way she makes new friends and begins to unpack assumptions she has made and her own sexual hangups.
I wish I had this book when I was younger. Monique suffers from a relatively severe form of vaginismus (a treatable condition involving the vaginal muscles spasming or tightening in a way that prevents penetration or causes painful penetration). This condition is apparently more common in victims of sexual trauma AND people who grew up in religious traditions with intense purity teachings.
I'm going to get personal here, but this is something people don't talk about and I think it's really important. I had no idea this religious piece could be a cause, but I dealt with something similar (albeit less extreme) and it became apparent after I got married. Because I was an actual "good girl", waited for marriage, had pretty limited sex ed, and just assumed everything would be fine and easy. My spouse had similarly limited knowledge and we didn't have friends we could really ask, so we kind of had to figure it out on our own.
I deeply related to Monique's feelings about her body seeming broken, and her intense discomfort with anything explicitly sexual. Thankfully I had a wonderful, supportive spouse instead of a shitty boyfriend, but it took well over a year of marriage to work out solutions, and much longer to start working through some of our other hangups with sex because of purity culture. If we're being real, we're still working on some of it 11 years in. And the thing is, Monique's parents THOUGHT they were protecting her. So did mine. Her mom had a painful past with premarital sex. So did mine. And maybe their intent was never to make her feel less valuable or worthy if she didn't wait, but that's still how it felt. And I can relate to that too. It's why I did wait for so many things and I kind of wish I hadn't. This stuff is hard and messy and painful, and I'm so glad there are books out there now offering so much hope and healing. This book was fantastic.
August 2, 2022
this was such a fun book and good with sex education as well especially for teens. i loved the found family trope and i loved reggie okay! i love a class clown and reggie reminded me of too many of the class clowns i had a crush on in high school. i loved that his ass was always lying just to lie, i was audibly laughing out loud. this book reminded me that ya books can be fun! like this is something i look for in a ya book, something with plot and something that makes you feel. boy did this book make me angry from her parents to her ex boyfriend’s evil ass. her parents were so frustrating from being literally controlling to the point that it felt abusive. her dad was misogynistic as hell and was way too obsessed with her ex boyfriend. had me wondering if he wanted to date him ex hisself? honestly rarely ever say this but i wish this book was longer or got a sequel. i think this book is super important to read.
June 6, 2022
3.5*
Author again surprised me with the topic picked to build the story around and how tightly knitted it was around the characters. It was a good read.
Author again surprised me with the topic picked to build the story around and how tightly knitted it was around the characters. It was a good read.
February 6, 2022
This story is so funny and so personal, and I'm so proud of what it has become. I hope more than anything that any girl who has or is experiencing vaginismus feels seen and heard and valued. As Sasha says, "You are more than what your body can do."
June 30, 2022
thank you so much harperteen for this arc
5 stars 💗
I can’t express enough how much I absolutely adored the story. The story felt so close to me, so close to my heart I absolutely devoured it. And the relationship between Monique and her parents is one that’s pretty similar to mine so I related to her in that sense. As well as her medical diagnosis, I struggle with that as well and it was just really really nice to be seen especially in a black YA romance book. I feel it like this book is equally romance as well as it is coming of age. The story of Monique coming into herself, and realizing some situation that she was in was a little more toxic than she had initially noticed it was something that was very enjoyable for me to read. I absolutely love Reggie, he’s actually one of my favorite book boyfriends that I have read in a while. He was just so pure so full of life so excepting and go with the flow and I absolutely adored that! All in all I really really loved the story, and I would recommend it to anyone with a pulse!
5 stars 💗
I can’t express enough how much I absolutely adored the story. The story felt so close to me, so close to my heart I absolutely devoured it. And the relationship between Monique and her parents is one that’s pretty similar to mine so I related to her in that sense. As well as her medical diagnosis, I struggle with that as well and it was just really really nice to be seen especially in a black YA romance book. I feel it like this book is equally romance as well as it is coming of age. The story of Monique coming into herself, and realizing some situation that she was in was a little more toxic than she had initially noticed it was something that was very enjoyable for me to read. I absolutely love Reggie, he’s actually one of my favorite book boyfriends that I have read in a while. He was just so pure so full of life so excepting and go with the flow and I absolutely adored that! All in all I really really loved the story, and I would recommend it to anyone with a pulse!
September 17, 2022
i’m gonna go journal now.
August 1, 2022
Lily Reads Book Club Pick
head over to Lily Reads Youtube Channel to watch the Live Show
head over to Lily Reads Youtube Channel to watch the Live Show
May 3, 2022
Joya Goffney never disappoints. I'm sure of it now.
I first fell in love with her writing in Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry which became my favourite book, and now I fell in love all over again.
There is not a single thing wrong with this, except the fact that Dom exists and I hate his guts. You can definitely save me a spot in the Dom punching line.
I love how Monique grows during the story. She goes from defining herself as Dom's girlfriend, to knowing her worth without him, and she makes lifelong friends while tackling vaginismus.
I knew about vaginismus before, but I had no idea vaginal dilators were a thing, so I learned something new.
There's also the relationship with "parental units" which I think was handled nicely. At the start you're like "oh no, they're those types of parents" but as the book goes on you see that they're also not who they seem.
AND THE ROMANCE? A+ AGAIN! Did I doubt it? Absolutely not. Obviously relating to Reggie, not the egghead.
And and, there's LGBT rep, not just once but twice. And it's prominent characters too. Most important of all, the inclusion feels natural. Literally everything about Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl feels natural and I'm so happy about it.
You know what to do after this, go buy the book now and read it ASAP.
I first fell in love with her writing in Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry which became my favourite book, and now I fell in love all over again.
There is not a single thing wrong with this, except the fact that Dom exists and I hate his guts. You can definitely save me a spot in the Dom punching line.
I love how Monique grows during the story. She goes from defining herself as Dom's girlfriend, to knowing her worth without him, and she makes lifelong friends while tackling vaginismus.
I knew about vaginismus before, but I had no idea vaginal dilators were a thing, so I learned something new.
There's also the relationship with "parental units" which I think was handled nicely. At the start you're like "oh no, they're those types of parents" but as the book goes on you see that they're also not who they seem.
AND THE ROMANCE? A+ AGAIN! Did I doubt it? Absolutely not. Obviously relating to Reggie, not the egghead.
And and, there's LGBT rep, not just once but twice. And it's prominent characters too. Most important of all, the inclusion feels natural. Literally everything about Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl feels natural and I'm so happy about it.
You know what to do after this, go buy the book now and read it ASAP.
April 28, 2023
marzę, by w Polsce wydawano jak najwięcej książek, które będą mówić o problemach związanych z naszym ciałem i sek$ualnością - bo to daje nie tylko siłę, ale i ogromny komfort🩷💛
July 9, 2023
to jest jedna z tych pozycji, które chciałabym przeczytać mając 16 lat. absolutnie świetna, pomagająca się uwrażliwić, przedstawiająca realne problemy i rodzinne relacje. ta powieść daje możliwość, aby poczuć się w pełni zrozumianym i nie czuć się źle, że czegoś nie zrobiłeś/nie jesteś na to gotowy, tak jak twoi rówieśnicy. podobało mi się też, że główna bohaterka próbowała odnaleźć prawdziwą siebie i zaczęła być świadoma, czego pragnie.
gdybym przeczytała ją 2/3 lata temu zdecydowanie dałabym 5 gwiazdek.
gdybym przeczytała ją 2/3 lata temu zdecydowanie dałabym 5 gwiazdek.
May 4, 2022
ALL HAIL THE NEW FLUFFY YA ROMANCE SUPREME, JOYA GOFNEY! I’m in awe, I love this book that much. This book was literally everything. From the first chapter I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. The way she writes her characters to be likable but flawed is so incredible. Her characters feel so real because they’re not perfect and I don’t want them to be because teenagers aren’t supposed to have everything 100% figured out. The main character, Monique was so relatable like that’s my sister. I could relate to being raised by traditional parents and having their views on sex being passed on to you without you even realizing it. My favorite thing about YA contemporaries is witnessing characters grow and come into their own. Joya Gofney depicted that perfectly with Monique. Monique and Reggie were just so cute I couldn’t handle it. From their very first interaction they had me hooked. Reggie being so gentle with Monique and bringing out the side of her she never knew existed, chef’s kiss. The friendships and sisterhood shown in this book was so needed and I loved how by the end of this it wasn’t just focused on the romance but about curating an entire community. The conversations dealing with religion, sex, and virginity were all so thoughtfully done. As an alleged good girl myself I approve this message.
May 25, 2022
4/4.5
I love this so much. I found it so heartwarming and relatable. Purity culture is a disease and my heart breaks for younger me and so many other girls wrapped and tangled in its web. I loved the writing, the plot, the relationships, and the characters so so much.
Joya Goffney really snapped with this one and it's a book that should be in the hands of every teenage girl.
I love this so much. I found it so heartwarming and relatable. Purity culture is a disease and my heart breaks for younger me and so many other girls wrapped and tangled in its web. I loved the writing, the plot, the relationships, and the characters so so much.
Joya Goffney really snapped with this one and it's a book that should be in the hands of every teenage girl.
February 12, 2024
Takie książki powinny trafiać do młodych ludzi, aby ich uczyć i uświadamiać w wielu kwestiach. W temacie zgody na seks, świadomości własnego ciała i otwartej rozmowy o cielesności. Nie jestem już grupą docelową dla tej książki, ale jeśli wy jesteście to gorąco zachęcam.
Mam wrażenie, że fabuła została zbudowana wokół schorzenia o którym chciała opowiedzieć autorka, więc wszystko było do przewidzenia od samego początku.
Mam wrażenie, że fabuła została zbudowana wokół schorzenia o którym chciała opowiedzieć autorka, więc wszystko było do przewidzenia od samego początku.
August 15, 2022
Confession of an Alleged Good Girl is a surprising clean, suitable story for YA. Miss Goffney hits the right spot with her story.
As usual the story is full of moral messages. Finding yourself, young woman empowerement and family value. Also friendship. Although I am not entirely sold on the sex goal, but overall this is a wonderful goal.
4 stars
As usual the story is full of moral messages. Finding yourself, young woman empowerement and family value. Also friendship. Although I am not entirely sold on the sex goal, but overall this is a wonderful goal.
4 stars
July 3, 2022
If you're interested in hearing my thoughts about this one check out the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blxwN...
February 26, 2022
2021 Winter Bingo (#SnowInLoveBingo❄️): Black Love
4.5 stars
I enjoyed Goffney's debut but her sophomore novel is even better. I'm embarrassed to say that — even as a person who considers herself to be knowledgeable on sex education — I knew little about vaginismus or vaginal dilators before reading this book. I wish I had been able to read CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL as a teenager, and I'll certainly be gifting it to the teens in my life.
The dynamics with Monique's strict parents felt messy but real. I need to read more books centered on religion — it’s honestly so weird that most fiction is agnostic considering how central faith is to millions of people. Or maybe I'm just reading the wrong books! While I’m not Black/Christian/Texan, I still could sympathize (and cringe) with Monique sometimes. Navigating parents with moralistic/slut-shaming views while also loving them… oof.
If I had to describe this book, it would be "religious trauma with teenage joy." Perhaps some parents don't deserve to forgiven, but the reality for many folks is encouraging family to shed toxic views and accepting their limitations. It's just... complicated. Not that there's anything wrong with estrangement or cutting off a community, but I appreciated the nuance and hopeful loose ends. I also liked how Monique and her sister responded differently to feeling trapped. Maybe it's not the choice I would've taken, but it felt true to Monique's character arc and that particular family. I just have a lot of thorny feelings, and I'm grateful to the author for not flinching away from difficult topics and tackling them head-on. Life doesn't have clear-cut answers, so there's no reason that fiction should be neat and tidy.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
I enjoyed Goffney's debut but her sophomore novel is even better. I'm embarrassed to say that — even as a person who considers herself to be knowledgeable on sex education — I knew little about vaginismus or vaginal dilators before reading this book. I wish I had been able to read CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL as a teenager, and I'll certainly be gifting it to the teens in my life.
The dynamics with Monique's strict parents felt messy but real. I need to read more books centered on religion — it’s honestly so weird that most fiction is agnostic considering how central faith is to millions of people. Or maybe I'm just reading the wrong books! While I’m not Black/Christian/Texan, I still could sympathize (and cringe) with Monique sometimes. Navigating parents with moralistic/slut-shaming views while also loving them… oof.
If I had to describe this book, it would be "religious trauma with teenage joy." Perhaps some parents don't deserve to forgiven, but the reality for many folks is encouraging family to shed toxic views and accepting their limitations. It's just... complicated. Not that there's anything wrong with estrangement or cutting off a community, but I appreciated the nuance and hopeful loose ends. I also liked how Monique and her sister responded differently to feeling trapped. Maybe it's not the choice I would've taken, but it felt true to Monique's character arc and that particular family. I just have a lot of thorny feelings, and I'm grateful to the author for not flinching away from difficult topics and tackling them head-on. Life doesn't have clear-cut answers, so there's no reason that fiction should be neat and tidy.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2022
Despite the abundance of moving parts, Goffney does a good job of keeping Confessions Of An Alleged Good Girl on track. There’s a villain 180 that will give you whiplash, but other than that, the natural ending is quite clear (for anyone who’s ever seen or read a teen love triangle romance, anyway) and it rolls up right on time. It's a quick, enjoyable read that will surely help some young adults with vaginas out there.
My full review of Confessions Of An Alleged Good Girl is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of Confessions Of An Alleged Good Girl is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
July 3, 2023
wielkie zaskoczenie i wielka radość, że trafiłam na ten tytuł 🤍
opowieść o niezdrowej religijności, dorastaniu, odkrywaniu siebie, roli edukacji seksualnej, braku dostępu do opieki medycznej, budowaniu relacji zarówno w rodzinie jak i w przyjaźni, nadziei. przy tym świetny język, wykreowani bohaterowie oraz HUMOR. wszystkie wątki zostały odpowiednio rozwinięte. dodatkowo fajna możliwość do poznania wycinka życia afroamerykańskich, konserwatywnych środowisk. ogromnie mądra książka, którą polecam zarówno osobom głęboko wierzącym, jak i tym skrzywdzonym, rodzicom i wszystkim osobom mającym kontakt z młodzieżą
dla mnie nowe spojrzenie na sprawę
opowieść o niezdrowej religijności, dorastaniu, odkrywaniu siebie, roli edukacji seksualnej, braku dostępu do opieki medycznej, budowaniu relacji zarówno w rodzinie jak i w przyjaźni, nadziei. przy tym świetny język, wykreowani bohaterowie oraz HUMOR. wszystkie wątki zostały odpowiednio rozwinięte. dodatkowo fajna możliwość do poznania wycinka życia afroamerykańskich, konserwatywnych środowisk. ogromnie mądra książka, którą polecam zarówno osobom głęboko wierzącym, jak i tym skrzywdzonym, rodzicom i wszystkim osobom mającym kontakt z młodzieżą
dla mnie nowe spojrzenie na sprawę
September 4, 2023
No matter how broke I am, if Joya Goffney is about to release a book, I’m going to pre-order it. There’s something about the way she writes black friendships and black characters, that does it for me every time. Her stories are always super informative, I think this book is extremely important for young teens to learn about sex and more importantly, WAIT TO HAVE SEX. There is absolutely no rush! I LOVEDDD the friendship between, Sasha, Reggie and Mo. It was so unexpected yet it felt so natural. It was refreshing watching Monique slowly discover what she wants, and breaking away from that alleged good girl image. It was even better watching her do this with Sasha and Reggie. I loved when they went to that teen club, because I got to see a glimpse of all three of them in their element. No parents, just them being themselves authentically. I rooted for Reggie since day one! The ending of this book was so wholesome, the found family in this was the icing on the cake. 🤌🏾
July 4, 2023
Full review below
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
December 2, 2022
10000/10000 stars.
I quite literally just finished reading this maybe five minutes ago so this is me rambling, but wow, what a lovely book!
This plot revolving around religion, sex, and the way they often interact and clash was handled with such care and nuance and honestly, and as a church girl born and raised, I appreciate how Goffney chose to explore these topics. It was refreshing! I love the ways in which she went into this serious subject matter, and also managed to bring it all together with her endearing cast of characters and adorable romance.
Every character had something to learn and so much growth took place. While there was a whole lot of hurt, the narrative still laid a foundation for healing and basically, I found this to be an incredibly heartfelt read.
I have so many things I’d like to say so maybe I’ll make a blog post about it.
Anyway, this was great. Cheers to sex positivity!
I quite literally just finished reading this maybe five minutes ago so this is me rambling, but wow, what a lovely book!
This plot revolving around religion, sex, and the way they often interact and clash was handled with such care and nuance and honestly, and as a church girl born and raised, I appreciate how Goffney chose to explore these topics. It was refreshing! I love the ways in which she went into this serious subject matter, and also managed to bring it all together with her endearing cast of characters and adorable romance.
Every character had something to learn and so much growth took place. While there was a whole lot of hurt, the narrative still laid a foundation for healing and basically, I found this to be an incredibly heartfelt read.
I have so many things I’d like to say so maybe I’ll make a blog post about it.
Anyway, this was great. Cheers to sex positivity!
April 7, 2022
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
Wow. What a very good/solid book. I laughed a few times and also had so much sympathy for the main character Monique, otherwise known as Mo. I think this is the first book I have read in a while that really resonated with my upbringing. I was raised in the Black Baptist church as is the fictional character. And boy I had some flashbacks to conversations I had with my parents about sex. I definitely recall the looks from my mom and grandmother gave me and my brothers for not paying attention in church. And I also recall willing with my entire body for our pastor to wrap stuff up after his 10th time dancing up and down the steps as he went about his sermon. Black churches are definitely a culture. I don't go to church anymore, because I honestly saw the way I was brought up as more harmful than good. Mo's character hits a lot of the high and low points about being in the church, an also as being a "goody-goody" another label I got called throughout school because I didn't do things other girls did. I think any young adult readers are going to love Mo, the secondary characters like Sasha and Reggie, as well as the ultimate message, know your body and it's okay to say no if you don't want to have sex. I do want to say upfront this is told in the first person point of view, I know some readers hate that style, but it never bothers me. Just wanted to mention it.
"Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl" follows 17 year old Monique. Monique and her family live in Texas. Her father is the pastor of their church, and her mother has Black church lady down pat. Monique wants to do what she can to make her parents proud of her, but she's worried because her boyfriend of two years, Dom, wants to have sex. They have tried 29 times (yes this gets repeated) and had to stop because Monique was in so much pain and didn't want to continue. After the last time though, Dom gets fed up and breaks up with Monique. Monique is determined to win him back and through the help of two people she never thought of as friends (Reggie and Sasha) she goes about trying to "cure" her issue.
There's so many layers to Monique, you find out right away why she is so devastated by Dom breaking up with her. He's been all she's had since her older sister left home. And Monique thinks if she can just have sex with him, everything will get better. But her listening to Sasha and Reggie as well as reading things, leads her down a path to discover her own body and to listen to her own wants and needs.
I honestly was ready to hate both of Monique's parents, I feel some kind of way about parents telling their kids sex is dirty and wrong and it somehow means you are less than what you are if you have sex before marriage. But the story delves deeper into both of her parents, and you gain another perspective. Still a messed up one, but one nonetheless. I loved another reader calling this book a showcase of religious trauma, and honestly with so much of the legislation getting passed on a daily basis in this country, I can see how that reader would feel this way. Telling teens if they have sex before marriage and or if they are gay, or trans, etc. that means they are somehow wrong/dirty/less than is so messed up and very frustrating when you see the fallout from being brought up and talked about in this manner. Can you imagine being a 12 year old and hearing from the pulpit every Sunday how if you have sex before marriage it means you have less value in the eyes of God? Can you imagine being told if you are gay that means you are going to hell?
I loved the writing an thought that Goffney really captures the Black Baptist church in all it's glory, warts and all. And she manages to still make certain thing funny. I laughed long and hard at the Target scene. The dialogue concerning Insecure and who should Issa pick had me cackling. FYI, I am still not happy about her choice.
The flow was excellent from beginning to end and thought the arc of Monique, her parents, her friends, were well done. I liked the place everyone got to in the end and I loved what Monique chose in the end.
Wow. What a very good/solid book. I laughed a few times and also had so much sympathy for the main character Monique, otherwise known as Mo. I think this is the first book I have read in a while that really resonated with my upbringing. I was raised in the Black Baptist church as is the fictional character. And boy I had some flashbacks to conversations I had with my parents about sex. I definitely recall the looks from my mom and grandmother gave me and my brothers for not paying attention in church. And I also recall willing with my entire body for our pastor to wrap stuff up after his 10th time dancing up and down the steps as he went about his sermon. Black churches are definitely a culture. I don't go to church anymore, because I honestly saw the way I was brought up as more harmful than good. Mo's character hits a lot of the high and low points about being in the church, an also as being a "goody-goody" another label I got called throughout school because I didn't do things other girls did. I think any young adult readers are going to love Mo, the secondary characters like Sasha and Reggie, as well as the ultimate message, know your body and it's okay to say no if you don't want to have sex. I do want to say upfront this is told in the first person point of view, I know some readers hate that style, but it never bothers me. Just wanted to mention it.
"Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl" follows 17 year old Monique. Monique and her family live in Texas. Her father is the pastor of their church, and her mother has Black church lady down pat. Monique wants to do what she can to make her parents proud of her, but she's worried because her boyfriend of two years, Dom, wants to have sex. They have tried 29 times (yes this gets repeated) and had to stop because Monique was in so much pain and didn't want to continue. After the last time though, Dom gets fed up and breaks up with Monique. Monique is determined to win him back and through the help of two people she never thought of as friends (Reggie and Sasha) she goes about trying to "cure" her issue.
There's so many layers to Monique, you find out right away why she is so devastated by Dom breaking up with her. He's been all she's had since her older sister left home. And Monique thinks if she can just have sex with him, everything will get better. But her listening to Sasha and Reggie as well as reading things, leads her down a path to discover her own body and to listen to her own wants and needs.
I honestly was ready to hate both of Monique's parents, I feel some kind of way about parents telling their kids sex is dirty and wrong and it somehow means you are less than what you are if you have sex before marriage. But the story delves deeper into both of her parents, and you gain another perspective. Still a messed up one, but one nonetheless. I loved another reader calling this book a showcase of religious trauma, and honestly with so much of the legislation getting passed on a daily basis in this country, I can see how that reader would feel this way. Telling teens if they have sex before marriage and or if they are gay, or trans, etc. that means they are somehow wrong/dirty/less than is so messed up and very frustrating when you see the fallout from being brought up and talked about in this manner. Can you imagine being a 12 year old and hearing from the pulpit every Sunday how if you have sex before marriage it means you have less value in the eyes of God? Can you imagine being told if you are gay that means you are going to hell?
I loved the writing an thought that Goffney really captures the Black Baptist church in all it's glory, warts and all. And she manages to still make certain thing funny. I laughed long and hard at the Target scene. The dialogue concerning Insecure and who should Issa pick had me cackling. FYI, I am still not happy about her choice.
The flow was excellent from beginning to end and thought the arc of Monique, her parents, her friends, were well done. I liked the place everyone got to in the end and I loved what Monique chose in the end.
April 18, 2022
Confessions of An Alleged Good Girl is an utterly incredible, coming of age YA that brilliantly explores body and sex positivity, the toxic views on sex and sex education and through Monique and her experiences, raise awareness of of vaginismus. This is a beautifully crafted and compelling story that I know will be invaluable to many readers who might—like Monique—might not have access to sexual health services or information.
Monique, a Preacher’s daughter and girlfriend to the town’s golden boy seems to have the perfect life. But, with her parents thoughts on sex before marriage ever present and her boyfriends pressure to get intimate, Monique is torn.
Tired of waiting her boyfriend breaks up with her, spurring Monique into discovering her inability to have sex is caused by a medical condition. To win him back Monique plans to resolve the “issue” with help from the only people she can turn to—frenemy (and fellow church girl) Sasha and the town’s resident bad boy Reggie.
But I’m doing so, she must face some home truths: maybe she shouldn’t be fixing her body to please a boy, maybe Sasha was the friend she’s need all along and maybe Reggie isn’t so bad after all.
I found it utterly riveting and thoroughly entertaining and though Joya Goffney’s own experiences with vaginismus allow her to expertly and sensitively delve into such sensitive subject matter with gusto, she still manages to keep the plot lighthearted whilst bringing awareness to a condition that isn’t widely known about.
Monique’s depth and dimension as a character was superb and her conflicting emotions (fear, guilt, shame, anxiety) surrounding her body and sex will definitely resonate with readers currently facing similar experiences or situations, and hopefully encourage them to seek help or a safe space to talk about it.
I honestly loved both Sasha and Reggie-who were two of Monique’s biggest supporters throughout and I’m soo glad she had them both, cheering her up and being there to confide in when she needed it the most. One of the characters I didn’t particularly like in the beginning does get a redemption arc that I enjoyed (don’t worry it’s not who you think) and I really appreciated that they owned up to their mistakes in the end and sought to actively help.
The love triangle aspect was interesting but I have to say, the contrast between Monique’s ex-boyfriend Dom and Reggie was a really interesting one and proves that people’s perceptions of others aren’t always accurate. This is also the case for Sasha as well, who despite Monique’s initial judgement is actually pretty amazing.
Overall, this is a heartfelt, inspiring and thoroughly insatiable story of self love, body positivity and reclaiming your sexual identity that YA romance lovers simply must read!
Also, thanks to Hot Key books and Netgalley for the e-arc.
Monique, a Preacher’s daughter and girlfriend to the town’s golden boy seems to have the perfect life. But, with her parents thoughts on sex before marriage ever present and her boyfriends pressure to get intimate, Monique is torn.
Tired of waiting her boyfriend breaks up with her, spurring Monique into discovering her inability to have sex is caused by a medical condition. To win him back Monique plans to resolve the “issue” with help from the only people she can turn to—frenemy (and fellow church girl) Sasha and the town’s resident bad boy Reggie.
But I’m doing so, she must face some home truths: maybe she shouldn’t be fixing her body to please a boy, maybe Sasha was the friend she’s need all along and maybe Reggie isn’t so bad after all.
I found it utterly riveting and thoroughly entertaining and though Joya Goffney’s own experiences with vaginismus allow her to expertly and sensitively delve into such sensitive subject matter with gusto, she still manages to keep the plot lighthearted whilst bringing awareness to a condition that isn’t widely known about.
Monique’s depth and dimension as a character was superb and her conflicting emotions (fear, guilt, shame, anxiety) surrounding her body and sex will definitely resonate with readers currently facing similar experiences or situations, and hopefully encourage them to seek help or a safe space to talk about it.
I honestly loved both Sasha and Reggie-who were two of Monique’s biggest supporters throughout and I’m soo glad she had them both, cheering her up and being there to confide in when she needed it the most. One of the characters I didn’t particularly like in the beginning does get a redemption arc that I enjoyed (don’t worry it’s not who you think) and I really appreciated that they owned up to their mistakes in the end and sought to actively help.
The love triangle aspect was interesting but I have to say, the contrast between Monique’s ex-boyfriend Dom and Reggie was a really interesting one and proves that people’s perceptions of others aren’t always accurate. This is also the case for Sasha as well, who despite Monique’s initial judgement is actually pretty amazing.
Overall, this is a heartfelt, inspiring and thoroughly insatiable story of self love, body positivity and reclaiming your sexual identity that YA romance lovers simply must read!
Also, thanks to Hot Key books and Netgalley for the e-arc.
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August 20, 2023Totally adored this book and just love so much that there is a YA about vaginisumus in existence, and that handles it so nicely and sensitively. The handling of religion is really lovely as well. Will definitely be reading more by the author in the near future.
December 14, 2022
*Thank you to HotKey for sending me a copy of this book!*
I absolutely Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by the same author so couldn’t wait for more from them, and I was not disappointed. Goffney has such an amazing voice in the YA world at the moment, and is writing stories and characters people are going to see themselves in and need to read about.
I can honestly say I’ve never read such a sex positive and inclusive YA fiction book before, and this was so pleasantly surprising. This is also the first time I’ve ever seen vaginismus recognised and discussed at length healthily in teen fiction - which is so incredible!! This is going to be so pivotal for so many young women who are going to finally understand themselves and their bodies for the first time, but also a myriad of other young people who have most likely never been told about the condition.
The storyline also couples this with purity culture, and growing up in a household dominated by standards set by the Church. I think that brought some really important and interesting conversations to the forefront of the book, and Goffney handled everything with such grace. The book managed to be light and fun, while also taking on some heavier and serious topics but the two were balanced really well.
If Joya Goffney is going to do one thing in her books, it includes healthy, open communication consistently. I absolutely adore how refreshing these books feel to read because the characters are so honest, open, and accepting with one another. It really creates an environment in which the characters can develop and nurture healthy dynamics. Because of the consistent communication, the development that the characters go through in this book is incredible. They end as more rounded, better people than they started.
The characters were lovely, the story was fun, and the writing was really engaging. I can’t wait to see what this author does next!
I absolutely Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry by the same author so couldn’t wait for more from them, and I was not disappointed. Goffney has such an amazing voice in the YA world at the moment, and is writing stories and characters people are going to see themselves in and need to read about.
I can honestly say I’ve never read such a sex positive and inclusive YA fiction book before, and this was so pleasantly surprising. This is also the first time I’ve ever seen vaginismus recognised and discussed at length healthily in teen fiction - which is so incredible!! This is going to be so pivotal for so many young women who are going to finally understand themselves and their bodies for the first time, but also a myriad of other young people who have most likely never been told about the condition.
The storyline also couples this with purity culture, and growing up in a household dominated by standards set by the Church. I think that brought some really important and interesting conversations to the forefront of the book, and Goffney handled everything with such grace. The book managed to be light and fun, while also taking on some heavier and serious topics but the two were balanced really well.
If Joya Goffney is going to do one thing in her books, it includes healthy, open communication consistently. I absolutely adore how refreshing these books feel to read because the characters are so honest, open, and accepting with one another. It really creates an environment in which the characters can develop and nurture healthy dynamics. Because of the consistent communication, the development that the characters go through in this book is incredible. They end as more rounded, better people than they started.
The characters were lovely, the story was fun, and the writing was really engaging. I can’t wait to see what this author does next!
May 12, 2022
5☆ Top Read for 2022!!!
Unputdownable Must Read!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl i was completely hooked!
It was everything I love about YA Reads. There was strong Friendships, important topics covered, it was fun, humorous, a good dash of Romance, Mischief and a lil bit of Mayhem along the way!
I'm not really going to go into much detail regarding the plot line as I don't want to risk ruining what this story is all about as it shines a light on female health and the anxieties young girls go through when thinking about having sex for the first time.
But what I will say is that I learnt a bit about a medical condition I had never heard of before called Vaginismus, and in my eyes that means we need to be educating younger people more on sexual health and conditions.
This story was memorable and Unputdownable I loved the characters they were very relatable, ( not Dom of course as anyone that makes someone feel not good enough for not being able to have sex in my eyes is a scumbag! )
I loved watching Monique grow in confidence and self worth.
I loved the trios unlikely Friendship and how they supported each other, but I really liked Reggie's Character he stole my heart!!... Monique's too 😏
The Romance was lovely to watch blossom, sometimes the person who you least expect, to be the most supportive, turns out to be the rock you never knew you needed!
There is mention of religion as it is a part of the storyline but it is well written and very relevant, especially as the main character Monique is the preacher’s daughter so thinking of having sex is a no no especially before marriage!
I could go on and on and on as this book is so, so good!... I highly recommend you just go pick up a copy for yourself!
It was a very quick read and the chapters were nice and short.
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is
a Heart-warming, Uplifting, Poignant, Fun and Enlightening Read which I couldn't put down!
This book is definitely on my Top Reads for 2022!!
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources and Hot Key Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2022/0...
Unputdownable Must Read!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl i was completely hooked!
It was everything I love about YA Reads. There was strong Friendships, important topics covered, it was fun, humorous, a good dash of Romance, Mischief and a lil bit of Mayhem along the way!
I'm not really going to go into much detail regarding the plot line as I don't want to risk ruining what this story is all about as it shines a light on female health and the anxieties young girls go through when thinking about having sex for the first time.
But what I will say is that I learnt a bit about a medical condition I had never heard of before called Vaginismus, and in my eyes that means we need to be educating younger people more on sexual health and conditions.
This story was memorable and Unputdownable I loved the characters they were very relatable, ( not Dom of course as anyone that makes someone feel not good enough for not being able to have sex in my eyes is a scumbag! )
I loved watching Monique grow in confidence and self worth.
I loved the trios unlikely Friendship and how they supported each other, but I really liked Reggie's Character he stole my heart!!... Monique's too 😏
The Romance was lovely to watch blossom, sometimes the person who you least expect, to be the most supportive, turns out to be the rock you never knew you needed!
There is mention of religion as it is a part of the storyline but it is well written and very relevant, especially as the main character Monique is the preacher’s daughter so thinking of having sex is a no no especially before marriage!
I could go on and on and on as this book is so, so good!... I highly recommend you just go pick up a copy for yourself!
It was a very quick read and the chapters were nice and short.
Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is
a Heart-warming, Uplifting, Poignant, Fun and Enlightening Read which I couldn't put down!
This book is definitely on my Top Reads for 2022!!
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources and Hot Key Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
You can Find this Review and all my Other Reviews on My Blog :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2022/0...
May 19, 2022
If you read YA contemporary romance and aren't reading Joya Goffney, seriously get behind her books ASAP because she is writing some of the best stories for teens today. This book explores vaginismus, good sex education, religion, and teenage love, and it's balanced beautifully. I loved the family dynamics so much.
July 10, 2024
Joya Goffney can't do no wrong in my fucking eyes.
This is my second book that I read by her.
FIVE FUCKING STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is my second book that I read by her.
FIVE FUCKING STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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