Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

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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.

Okay, so this is one of those books where I appreciated what it was trying to do more than what it actually did do. The heroine, Monique, has tried to have sex with her boyfriend nearly 30 times but always has to stop because it's so painful. She later finds out that she has vaginismus, and the book sort of becomes an almost fetch quest as she, and two unexpected allies-- sycophantic good girl Sasha and bad boy Reggie-- try to help her "cure" her problem by plying her with erotica, vaginal dilators, and constant instruction on how to train herself. 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! 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. There's one scene near the end of the book that didn't quite sit right with me, where (without spoiling too much) a bunch of adults shunned a teenager out of a room. I get that it was the villain of the story, and it was meant as his comeuppance, his closure - but the adults should have known better. A compassionate novel that encourages teens to prioritize the control, safety, and comfort of their own bodies.”– Publishers Weekly (starred review)

I loved Joya's debut novel so I had high expectations for this. And it didn't disappoint! I loved this book to pieces and it felt so personal and beautifully raw. Thank you Joya for this book. It was a beauty. -- Michaela Williams * NetGalley *

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. With the help of her frenemy, Sasha, the overly zealous church girl Monique's mum pushes her to hang out with, and Reggie, the town's bad boy, Monique must go on trips to unknown and uncomfortable places to find the treatment that will help her. But in doing so, she must face some home truths: maybe she shouldn't be fixing her body to please a boy, maybe Sasha is the friend she needed all along and maybe Reggie isn't so bad at all. Overall, I did really enjoy this book. Goffney has talent and skill as a writer, she writes sensitively and boldly, exploring all areas of a subject with grace, humour, and emotion. Thus, Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl was a heartfelt, emotional and humourous journey about learning to love yourself for who you are and not who you want to be. Goffney captures humanity - Mo and co still have a long way to go at the end of the book, but the novel set about a character arc where you can imagine them past the books end, as if they were real, and tangible, people. And that is her talent as a writer.

eBook Details

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! Joyously tender, humorous and a true triumph of YA contemporary fiction. Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is a terrific read for teens and fans of YA alike. Goffney is definitely an author to follow! But in doing so, she must face some home truths: maybe she shouldn't be fixing her body to please a boy, maybe Sasha is the friend she needed all along and maybe Reggie isn't so bad at all.

A triumph in not just dynamite contemporary fiction but also in critiquing purity culture and the harm it can do.”— Buzzfeed Joya Goffney, author of the acclaimed Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, delivers a powerful second novel about a preacher’s daughter in small-town Texas and her journey toward loving herself and her body, filled with heart, humor, family drama, and a dynamic love triangle. Perfect for fans of Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles and Calling My Name by Liara Tamani! Monique’s journey of self discovery is heartwarming and tragic in equal measure. I loved her realisation that she needed to live her life for herself and make her own decisions, not be pressured into doing things to make other people happy. Another bonus part of this book for me was the friendships. I loved seeing her become friends with Sasha and Reggie, who challenged Mo in many ways. They supported her through her struggles but also by becoming friends with them, Mo had to learn to deconstruct her preconceived notions of people and the way she was stereotyping them (something she did to herself). Honestly the most precious part of the book. Joya Goffney, author of the acclaimed Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry, delivers a powerful second novel about a preacher’s daughter in small-town Texas and her journey toward loving herself and her body, filled with heart, humor, family drama, and a dynamic love triangle. Perfect for fans of Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles and Calling My Name by Liara Tamani!

Deeply empowering. Sweet yet candid. Ms. Goffney's fearless story about the path to self acceptance and the unexpected people who help on the journey is the perfect antidote to purity culture. A necessary tale that reads like a secret that everyone should hear about." Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan The hotly anticipated second book from Joya Goffney, author of the 2021 YA romcom Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is a captivating story about a girl discovering who she wants to be and reclaiming her body and her desires for herself, whilst learning what it truly means to have someone accept you for who you are. A triumph in not just dynamite contemporary fiction but also in critiquing purity culture and the harm it can do.” — Buzzfeed She’s torn between the promise she made to save herself for marriage and Dom’s wish that their relationship become more intimate.