No Virgin

Trigger warning. This book contains a rape scene and victim intimidation.

No Virgin
Written by Anne Cassidy
Contemporary, Abuse, Mature Themes
Published January 2017
183 Pages
Thank you to Bonnier and Allen & Unwin
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★★★☆
My name is Stacey Woods and I was raped.

Stacey Woods is a seventeen year old girl who works hard at school and who tries to manage a complicated family set up. After a row she storms out. She meets Harry Connaught who seems to be everything she wants in a boy. But Harry has other plans for Stacey.

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.
Stacey is a quiet, shy young woman who's petite and often forgotten. Since her younger sister became a mother at the tender age of fourteen, Stacey is often manipulated into caring for her child and pushed aside by her mother who has an inclination towards her younger sibling. Once a reprieve, her father's partner seems to scarcely tolerate his children and lately her closest confidant Patrice has been spending time with another, leaving Stacey feeling discarded and alone.

He's charming, charismatic and offers the seventeen year old refuge. Feeling resentful and rebellious, Stacey accepts his hospitality. Harry is endearing, attentive and is the perfect gentleman, luring Stacey into a false sense of security.

My Thoughts. Mild Spoilers Ahead

No Virgin is the harrowing, traumatic and compelling narrative of seventeen year old Stacey, the victim of Rape.

The reader is introduced to Stacey as a frustrated seventeen year old, a young woman living in the shadow of friend Patrice and placated by her mother who rationalises her younger sibling's behaviour. Stacey is demoralised by her sister and her feelings disregarded, ultimately compelling her to seek solace by temporarily leaving home. Stacey is demure and quietly spoken, sitting in the small coffee house sketching patrons when she's approached by the charming and handsome Harry. Their attraction is undeniable, so when Harry offers Stacey refuge, she accepts. An act of defiance against her mother.

No Virgin isn't a contemporary romance, although Harry's charisma will lure readers into a false sense of security. Stacey's narrative is veracious and compelling. Preceding the sexual assault, Stacey feels a compulsion towards Harry as he's attractive, alluring and compassionate. He's also a predator. The impact of Stacey's sexual assault is profound and confronting. She's incapable of verbalising the trauma of rape and at Patrice's suggestion, documents her experience.
After the rape I didn't leave straight away. I was so shocked. I stayed in the bathroom with the door locked. I sat on the floor beside the toilet and felt the cold tiles against my legs, my toes curled on the ceramic floor.
The trauma Stacey experiences is palatable. As a victim of sexual assault, Stacey internalises her trauma and only confides in Patrice about the incident, leading to writing down the precursor that lead to that moment. Experiencing remorse, despondency and insecurity, Stacey reflects on her brief relationship with Harry and impact of the assault isn't truly realised until she begins to revisit the incident through her written words. I was enraged how the perpetrator normalised the sexual assault, maintaining she was an active participant. Much in the same way rape culture perpetuates that the victim is at fault, rather than placing the blame upon the predator.
The story, once I'd written it and read it over a few times, was like a testament to my own stupidity. How could I have been so naive, so swept up in my own romantic daydreams, not to realise that there was a subtext to what was happening?
Patrice was an incredible support for Stacey, persevering with gentle suggestions to speak to a crisis councilor and report the assault.

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 justice explored for not only Stacey's character, but teens who may have experienced sexual assault themselves.

35 comments

  1. I hadn't really heard of this book before your review but I'll defs be on the look out for it at the bookstore so I can grab my own copy to read!

    xx Anisha Sprinkled Pages

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    1. It's a very powerful read Anisha and an important discussion about consent. I'd love to see what you think of it.

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  2. I hadn't heard of this one. These are really important topics to explore in books, especially for teens. It can be difficult to get them just "right" though if that makes sense? Everyone has a different experience, reacts differently, etc.

    -Lauren

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    1. They surely do Lauren. I think the actual assault and impact was a little rushed though unfortunately. It was very late in the book and with so few pages, I think it needed to explore the aftermath a little more.

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  3. I’m glad we’re seeing more books touching on these topics (even if this is one I’ll be staying away from). I’m am concerned about justice not being sort/debt with to completion. I think that’s something that needs to be pushed, as you said for teens who may have experienced sexual assault themselves. But still, at least Stacey's story is out there and reading it just might make all the difference in the world to someone :-).

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    1. It's such an important story to tell Sarah, it's just that personally when it comes to such serious and triggering topics, I think readers probably need a sense of closure and justice.

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  4. This is surely a traumatic read. The book has definitely touched your heart. I agree a book would not feel whole unless the emotional aspect was explored as well

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    1. The emotion was most definitely there Resh, but I was hoping to see the psychological impact explored as well especially those who have or no someone who has experienced sexual assault. In that respect, it felt a little incomplete.

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  5. I don't think I'll be able to read this one because of the subject matter and the subsequent Stockholm's syndrome, but kudos to you for sharing it Kelly! It definitely sound like an important book.

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    1. It's not Stockholm but Stacey tries to justify to herself why she should perhaps explore a relationship with him anyway. I think it's more shock and internally blaming herself. I'm not entirely sure because those psychological elements sadly weren't explored. It's a powerful read though Jeann and is a talking point for teens to discuss consent as well.

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  6. Wow, this seems like an important.... yet difficult concept. I'd like to read this but I'm all into romance, drama, and this seems to be... a little boo too much for me. I'm super happy you liked it though girl! :) Thanks for sharing it with us! <3

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    1. Thanks Keionda. It's very confronting but such an important conversation that teens should be having and parents having with their teens as well.

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  7. HI KELL, I've finally gotten back to commenting and have come to say HIII! I have heard of this book, but I think that the plot and matters in this book might be a little too much for someone of my age. Maybe when I'm a little older? It sounds very important. Really liked this review Kelly & hopefully I'll be back to commenting regularly soon!

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    1. It could be Julia. It's a conversation that it's important that adults and teens talk about but it can be a little too confronting for younger teens depending on what they're comfortable. it's not descriptive but there is a scene of rape and if you did want to read it, I'd tread lightly.

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  8. I think this book should be compulsory reading. I know you have your issues with it -- which fair enough! -- but I do think it takes on a situation that is more familiar than we would like to admit. Or know. It's straightforward writing and hard to read, but God, it tore my heart out.

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    1. I think so too Verushka. I thought it was an incredibly powerful read but did have issues with wanting it to explore the psychological aspects long term even and justice for victims. Justice is often unrealistic sadly, but I think young women reading this one might need that. So glad it left a massive impact on you as well.

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  9. I've seen this around a fair bit! I'm worried about some of elements of it that you've talked about, and rape culture is such a complex thing...at least more people are writing about it? Awareness is good.

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    1. Awareness is brilliant, completely agree and although it was a powerful read, so much of the storyline was focused on events leading up to the sexual assault which only left a small portion to explore the assault, the emotional turmoil and I think it needed to extend on those a little further. Still an important read.

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  10. Eeep, this sounds like a really tough read. Did you ever reading anything by Louise O'Niell? I thought her books were brilliant but also harrowing. I haven't even read her book about contemporary and rape yet because they're really hard to read. Buuuut, I really like Anne Cassidy! I kind of want to try this one but also eep. I don't know when.

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    1. I've read a few Anne Cassidy novels prior to this one and she's never afraid of confrontation and sharing that experience with her readers. I haven't heard of Louise O'Neill before but checking her out now.

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  11. Yikes, this looks like a tough story!! I usually have to find a time where I am not trying to relax to read books like this... - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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    1. It's incredibly confronting but such an important narrative to tell. I would love to see what you think of it Gingi.

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  12. confronting and sometimes a bit curious if the author had suffered similar fate. especially if narrative is true

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    1. Anne Cassidy tends to write emotional and often confronting storylines and I've wondered that myself Ailyn. Such a powerful read.

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  13. This sounds intriguing. I love that Harry isn't initially written as conniving and may even be kinda likeable... like Colleen Hoover's 'It Ends With Us' where it's harder than it should be to dislike the 'baddie'.

    I feel angry on Stacey's behalf on all fronts though!

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    1. I haven't read that one, because of the abusive / domestic violence relationship and those are reads I tend to steer clear of. Harry is likable, then you loathe him fiercely. Seeing Stacey so conflicted about his motives was absolutely heartbreaking.

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  14. Woah this sounds so powerful. I'd love to see how it was explored though I see that the mental repercussions could've been better explored. Great review!

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    1. It really would have Marianne. I think when you're writing for the teen audience on a trigger issue such as rape, it's probably important to feel a sense of closure, if not justice. Such a powerful read regardless.

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  15. I hadn't heard of this book before, but it sounds like a very poignant and powerful read. I'm definitely interested, but would need to find the right time and setting to read this one. Great review!

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    1. It's not something you really dive into is it, you need to really be in the mood for something so confronting. It's such an important read especially with so much discussion about consent and awareness as well.

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  16. I know I used to say this alot, but I love how you're always reading books I've never heard of. You seem to find the most underrated stories and I honestly want to buy them all. This book actually sounds really good, but like you, I would definitely want the author to explore the MC's reasons for still being attracted to her predator after the incident. I really enjoy books that showcase tough topics, I'll DM you for more tea on this one before I grab it!

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    1. I love the underrated and little known books, I do read a lot of big releases but there's already so many reviews for them and I can't really bring anything new to the discussion. I feel like it needed a firmer conclusion though, especially seeing how triggering the subject matter is.

      Tea will be served.

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  17. I think I would like to see more of the psychological effect explored as well, but sometimes life isn't neat or tidy so this still sounds like a powerful read.

    Karen @For What It's Worth

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    1. I was torn between needing that conclusion and wondering if that was sadly more representative of most rape cases. The feeling of unresolvement. Personally, I needed a little more though. It's a remarkable read though Karen.

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  18. I haven’t heard about this book before. While this topic is important, I don’t think I would pick this book up. Unexplored psychological effects would leave me unsatisfied as a reader.

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