When I started this book, I knew it would deal with some pretty “heavy” subject matter. After all, the blurb is pretty forthcoming about the fact that rape is commonplace in this futuristic world that Mya Robarts created. While it proved to be every bit as gut-wrenching as I expected, there were also more moments of simplistic beauty than I had anticipated.

Given the dark, gritty and downright gloomy existence that the heroine lives, these few exquisite moments provided her with the inspiration
When I started this book, I knew it would deal with some pretty “heavy” subject matter. After all, the blurb is pretty forthcoming about the fact that rape is commonplace in this futuristic world that Mya Robarts created. While it proved to be every bit as gut-wrenching as I expected, there were also more moments of simplistic beauty than I had anticipated.

Given the dark, gritty and downright gloomy existence that the heroine lives, these few exquisite moments provided her with the inspiration necessary to keep living another day. For the reader, they served to keep the story from becoming so depressing as to not be enjoyable. Even in the darkest of times, there is light to be seen if you look hard enough. Finding that light is the essence of the human drive to survive against all odds.

Lila Velez was a girl that managed to find the light in a very dark world. Coming of age in her town meant being eligible for recruitment by the army. While this sounds deceivingly honorable, don’t let the fluffy language fool you. “Recruitment” is really a nice way of saying “rape” that is completely legal and sanctioned by the government. There is nothing nice about it or this life that Lila was born into. It is raw, brutal and horrific.

If you can picture that, then you can imagine the morose feeling that pervades this book. The vast majority of this book takes place in the months preceding the recruitment ceremony. (Yes, they actually have a big ceremony to celebrate these traumatic, and very public, mass rapes.) There was a strong sense of impending doom and the clock ticked down to the time that Lila would face a certain and brutal rape.

Fully aware of what the future holds in store for her, Lila is determined to take control of her own first sexual experience–to the extent that she can when she is faced with an ever-shortening timeline. She sets out to lose her virginity before it can be taken from her. She has no illusions of romance, but refuses to let the soldiers take that part of her. At least she can be sure that her first time will be with someone that she cares about, even if it isn’t with someone that she is in love with.

When Lila’s best friend, Rey, first turns her down, she is disappointed but not deterred. She is certain that she will be able to convince Rey before the troops arrive in their town. If she can’t she is sure that she can find somebody. After all, anyone would be better than the soldiers.

General Aleksy Furst immediately takes notice of Lila when he arrives in town. An awkward, rather comical, first meeting ensures that he won’t soon forget Lila. Despite her initial protests, Lila eventually comes to consider Aleksy’s offer to rid her of her virginity.

While reading this story, it was easy to draw many parallels between this fictional futuristic dystopian America and factual past and present war crimes of the world. This book forces readers to evaluate their values and sheds light on many unpleasant truths that are not discussed in polite society. From homophopia, rape, government-sanctioned war crimes, genetic modification, gender-specific roles to hypocrisy, this book touches on so many controversial topics that I couldn’t begin to list them all.

That is really what makes this book so moving and memorable. Of course, I enjoyed the love story that evolved between Lila and Aleksey. However, the beauty of this book was in it’s ability to make readers think about these controversial topics. The best books are those that force us to reevaluate our beliefs and behaviors, sculpting us into better, more compassionate, individuals. This is one such book.

While this book certainly isn’t a feel-good type of story, I highly recommend it. Like ‘1984’ and other dystopian classics, ‘The V Girl’ is a thought-provoking social commentary. I especially liked the questions for discussion that the author included at the back of the book.

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The V Girl is possibly the most heart-wrenching, stomach wrenching and, if that even makes sense, steamiest panty-wrenching book I read in years, possibly ever.

It’s brutal, sexy, addictive and completely unique. Imagine getting a mix of the feelings of despair and love of Hopeless with a brutal future like the handmaid’s tale, with a war setting where romance will blossom like the bronze horseman with the gut-wrenching angst of the hunger games, with the slow sexual tension of the captive princ
The V Girl is possibly the most heart-wrenching, stomach wrenching and, if that even makes sense, steamiest panty-wrenching book I read in years, possibly ever.

It’s brutal, sexy, addictive and completely unique. Imagine getting a mix of the feelings of despair and love of Hopeless with a brutal future like the handmaid’s tale, with a war setting where romance will blossom like the bronze horseman with the gut-wrenching angst of the hunger games, with the slow sexual tension of the captive prince series, the feelings of wait for you, and the disgust of a crime novel (and I dare male readers to read certain “Saint Agatha” scene and still tell me that new adult romance is a silly gender) and a little bit of YA fun romance ala delirium.

Behold the handsomeness and fierceness of Aleksey FÜrst.

Meet Lila, a heroine you might love or hate depending in how you feel you’d act if facing her problems

Is it acceptable that a girl takes matter in her own hands to avoid a life of slavery? Should she try with different guys or should she accept Aleksey’s proposal and his “quirks”? Justify your answer. What would you do if it was you the one in danger of being taken by the soldiers if you don’t lose your virginity first?

That’s the basic premise. Lila is 18 and wants to lose her virginity and feel at least for once, that she’s safe in the sexual department. There are a lot of events, some violent, some funny, some sweet that all revolve around Lila’s basic need of connecting to another person through sex. This will save her from recruitment a.k.a rape.

I love the romance, the messages, the poems between chapters, the world building. I can explain the Second civil war as well as I can explain the first one. I stayed up late last night to finish this book and I’m captivated. Perhaps it’s because I’ve had my own story with the theme of this book, but I love it. I think that only a few of new adult authors can handle the topic well and make it heart-wrenching, romantic, entertaining and thought provoking without making it preachy nor boring. Mya Robarts is one of those authors. She delivers a story that keeps the reader laughing, raging, hating, loving, thinking, cringing applauding, and when it ends you are free to take the messages with you as food for thought, or think about this book as a love story. A brutal love story but romantic nonetheless.

The V Girl contains graphic scenes that might shock some readers, but let me assure you that the graphicness is reserved to consensual acts of sex and a horrible depiction of what torture really is. Although rape is a reality in this world we don’t get to witness it. We know it more from backstory and the way the author showed us the feelings of the characters. Lila’s fears became mine as I was reading and that’s to the credit of the world-building and writing. The prose is simple, unadorned, straight to the point, and that makes the situations believable. Even the romance.

As far as the dystopian genre goes, this isn’t the typical story where the circumstances are tweaked to make the protagonist the leader. No rebels, no special powers, no arms are handled to the protagonist in a silver plate so she’ll lead the rebel forces against the oppressive government. Lila will find that if she has to lead a rebellion she’ll have to:

1) learn how to drive in a place where this is forbidden for her people

2) stir her gang to become stronger, because they suck.

3) Learn to fight with her own hands because The guns of the resistance gang are primitive.

4) Become a leader herself when she would prefer not. But the current leader of the rebellion sucks at it.

This is refreshing. Not every YA dystopia (or more like NA dystopia) character has to be Katniss or Tris. Katniss struggled to become a leader, but still she got people eager to make her a symbol and Tris didn’t seem to have any difficulty getting guns. Lila will have to learn how to use everyday objects as guns and will have to do what she can to become stronger. I admire her so much because of this. If it were me I wouldn’t want to go out of my house ever. I’d live in hiding.

Aleksy is fantastic… I could predict from the first chapter that he’d be a love interest, but other than that I couldn’t see where the relationship would go. You’ll find what I’d call an I-want-to-use-you triangle here. Lila wants to use her best friend but she doesn’t want a relationship with him, or anyone. Best friend wants to save Lila “from sin” but he wants to be in love with his dead ex-fiancé forever, and Aleksey wants to deflower Lila, but he doesn’t think he’s capable of love and he knows he won’t be around for her. Aleksey doesn’t want to fall in love but he will and that is one of my favorite parts of this book.

In terms of steamy scenes, I think that they were well written and sexy. Some are rough, some are sweet, some are graphic but all are realistic and vital to the plot or the overall message of the book. I enjoyed them all!

For example this quote
Why does it have to hurt only me?

It’s true! Why sexuality is always more difficult for women than for men. Not fair. But as I said the messages are there hidden between the characters actions if you want to see them, but if you don’t this is still a very compelling story of fighting for love and against love.

I want to recommend this book to 18 plus readers, because some topics here are disturbing, but any reader that can handle the heavy subject will enjoy the book. Read this if you want something different.
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