No Virgin - Anne Cassidy

"My name is Stacey Woods and I was raped.

Stacey is the victim of a terrible sexual attack. She does not feel able to go to the police, or talk about it to anybody other than her best friend, Patrice. Patrice, outraged, when she cannot persuade her to go to the police, encourages Stacey to write everything down. This is Stacey's story."
This is a very short read (I read it in half a day) with a lot jammed into it.

I reminded myself this was a YA book and to think like a young person. I found that helped me enormously to relate to Stacey and her mindset.

Stacey has a sister who became pregnant at a very young age and Stacy is the one usually caring for the baby. Life isn’t always easy at home with her sister, her child and her mother. One day things get tense and Stacey decides she needs some time out. Her plan of where she was heading was to her Fathers Home. She knew her father and stepmother wouldn’t be there, they were away on holiday. She could chill and get some me time.

The author gave us some good background and insight to Stacey which was really necessary to understand what happens next. When Harry comes into her life he presents a filler, a filler of gaps that Stacey sorely needed at that time. A person that for once was interested in her solely for herself.

I’m not going to give away more, however, when Harry was making tentative moves to still remain friends with her after the rape my mind just kept saying "WHAT is wrong with you child. Why are you even considering it. Are you crazy?"
Although No Virgin is an incredibly poignant and crucial narrative, I couldn't understand Stacey's attraction to Harry after the assault and unfortunately, those psychological elements were not explored. The event progression before the assault felt inconsequential, compared to the sexual assault and emotional impact. I would have preferred to have the emotional turmoil and metal impacts explored.

Age Rating 15+. Explores adult themes and upsetting content.