Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

How can you not like a story that starts off with the main character having to endure her first gynecological exam because she has a forward-thinking mother?

Spencer is the last girl that needs a prescription for the Pill. She has never had a serious crush on a boy in all of her sixteen years. But her mother wants Spencer to be prepared. She's not giving her carte blanche to be promiscuous, but she wants Spencer covered if hormones override common sense.

Spencer's medication is the talk of her group of friends, the Crew. The guys in the group all offer to be her first.

Spencer has always been the girl her friends confide in. Her tight group of friends include Ryan, the player; Morgan and Justin, the on-again/off-again/on-again rocking couple; her best friend, Alyssa, who is so petite she looks like she is only twelve; and good old Zach. It isn't until Spencer lays eyes on the new transfer student, Ben, that she even considers putting her pills to good use.

But problems ensue when Alyssa shares her list of possible boys to lose her virginity to with Spencer. Spencer hasn't told anyone about her crush on Ben (and she's getting the vibe that Ben is into her as well), and she's conflicted when she sees Ben has made it to #1 on Alyssa's list. She's torn between keeping her friend happy and following her own desires.

It doesn't help when her friend Zach starts keeping his distance from her. Though he assures her that everything is okay, Spencer isn't so sure. And she's also confused when she realizes that Zach has started to sport some well-defined muscles of his own.

I really enjoyed GIVING UP THE V from start to finish. Spencer could be any teenage girl struggling with the emotions of her first crush. She's flattered that she's captured his attention, but then uncomfortable with his fast moves. There's girl drama, romance, and amusing situations that the characters find themselves in. Some of the most entertaining parts are Justin's attempts to win Morgan back in their up and down romance.

The story doesn't promote sexual activity even though the title may suggest otherwise. It's a good look at the pros and cons of going all the way the first time. ( )

With all of the teen lit out there that revolves around sex, this one is refreshing. Serena Robar sends a positive message to teenage girls who are contemplating sex for the first time. Robar's main charater, Spencer, shows that it is okay to wait for sex. ( )

You know this book is going to be interesting when the opening scene is a trip to the ob-gyn!

The Good: This is a hilarious book! It's not the small chuckle once in a while type, but rather the laugh out loud, leaves you grinning from ear to ear! Does that make sense?

Also, it's really relatable. Unlike some books that make you think, "Are you effing serious, there is no way in hell that can happen", Giving Up the V makes you go, "Wow, that totally happened in my school" or "I know someone exactly like that!" Spencer could be any one of us and she faces the same problems that we all face when we're in high school.

This book is mostly character driven, and luckily for us, the characters are awesome! Spencer's friends a.k.a The Crew are a delightful cast of characters that have a certain quality that make you actually care about them.

I think the one thing that really makes me like this book is the fact that Ms. Robar shows both the cons and the pros of losing your virginity. There are only a handful of books that show both sides and I'm very glad Giving Up the V is one of them!

The Bad: It's a little crude (duh). I'm sure the title is a dead give-away because the V sure as heck, does not stands for vegetables (Giving Up the Vegetables... *snort*). Even though I'm okay with some of the things that are said in this book, some people might not. So, I would not recommend it to everyone. Basically, it's a quick and nice book that you pick up when you have free time, but that's it.

Overall: Giving Up the V is a great book that shows both ends of the losing your virginity spectrum. It's entertaining, believable, and just fantastic!

Grade: B ( )

16-year-old Spencer is a virgin, and is happy to be. She is happy to wait until she’s with the right person to have sex, rather than get obsessed about it like all her friends in her crew. But then Benjamin Hopkins joins the school. Gorgeous, funny, athletic, Spencer can’t help but go weak at the knees when she’s around him, and Ben starts giving her the right kind of attention. How far will she go to get her guy?

I really like this book! It reads a lot like it could be part of an American TV teen programme; the teens were so lifelike and believable. I found myself literary crushing on pretty much all the guys in the book, even the guys who weren’t so great. Ryan, for example; he may use girls a lot, but he was hot and funny, so it was easy to see how he could get away with it.

I loved how Spencer wouldn’t give in to the jokey “peer pressure” from her friends over being a virgin, that she was determined to have sex when she wanted to , when things were right, and not when others felt she should – before Ben arrived. It kind of annoyed me she went a little crazy over him, as I was thinking “pull yourself together, he’s just a guy”, yet it was believable, we girls do get a little “oh my god!” when it comes to guys. I also admired how she was still able to pretty much be herself around him despite it all, it was cool. I identified with her a lot when she wasn’t sure what she should do when things started to happen between her and Ben; very true to life.

What was also interesting was the sub-plot in the story; Spencer’s best friend Alyssa was determined to lose her virginity, a one-night-stand so she could get it out of the way, and planned and organised for she was going to get it done. It was a little disturbing how tenacious she was, and how she made it seem like some school project, like no big deal, but something that had to be done – with no feelings. It was great to see these two different attitudes and stories running along each other.

There were no actual sex scenes in this book, but there were some almost-sex scenes that were really well written. It was a great depiction of how Spencer was feeling AND thinking towards what was happening, and keeping those two things clearly separate worked well.

This was an awesome book overall dealing with a sensitive subject with great characters and a lot of humour. I loved it! ( )