Book Review: The V Girl by Mya Robarts

Rating: 4.5 stars

Beautiful, terrifying, and at times heartbreaking. Such a unique book. I have never read anything like it...

Warning: If you have a weak stomach, this book may not be for you.

Goodreads summary: In post-apocalyptic North America, sexual slavery is legal. Lila Velez desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend. Lila does not love him, but he is the only man who has shown her true affection, an affection she is willing to take as a substitute for love.

Lila’s coping mechanism to deal with her mother’s loss is her secret. A secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey Fürst, a foreign, broody man who she distrusts because of his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. He offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself.

With threats looming at every turn and no way to escape, Lila fears that falling in love will only lead to more heartache. The consequences of laying down her arms for Aleksey and welcoming hope might destroy more than her heart. They might force her to face the worst of her nightmares becoming a reality. Is love possible in a world that has forgotten what the human touch is?

The V Girl is a mesmerizing coming of age story, that follows a young woman as she tries to take control of her life and her body in a post-apocalyptic North America where sexual slavery has been legalized and rape ritualized. Through her struggles, she comes to realize that people are not always quite what they seem to be, and that sometimes love can grow in the worst of times with the most unexpected of people.

This book was impressive in many ways. Robarts created complex, layered, and charismatic characters that invested me in the novel, so I could follow the stories of these different characters. Even though we follow the story of Lila, the stories and personalities of the side characters were not neglected - thus rounding out the story very well. The most impressive aspect of this book, is Robarts ability to write about complicated, dark, and sometimes taboo topics, such as racism, sexual violence, oppressive regimes, and female sexuality. It was refreshing to find an author that wasn't afraid to write a story that covers topics are that are incredibly upsetting, but also incredibly relevant to real life.

There were graphic descriptions of violence, but that comes with the nature of the society Robarts has created. Although the violence was both gruesome and abundant, it was also necessary and an integral part the story. I normally am not the type to be turned away by violence in stories (growing up on action movies will do that to you), but there was a point in this story that I actually flinched. So, if you have a hard time reading about violence, I would not recommend this story for you. However, if you enjoy reading indie stories with great characters, and are looking for something that is unlike anything in the mainstream, try this story out!

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