LoveReading Says
Brimming with inspiring messages about shedding shame and feeling positive about sex, and driven by a magnificent heroine whose journey to selfhood enlightens as it entertains, Joya Goffney’s Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl is laden with heart, hilarity and a whole lot of helpful information. If that wasn’t enough, it’s also infused with feminist magic - what begins as a 17-year-old’s quest to “fix” herself to get her guy back becomes a joyous journey of self-discovery that sees a sister doing it for herself.
“I love my daddy, but I hate church”. Given that Monique’s Daddy is a pastor at a Black Baptist church in the south, that’s quite some conflict, but church is where she gets to spend time with Dom, her “dream boy”, who also happens to be her “daddy’s protégé”. Despite having taken a pledge of chastity to keep her strict parents happy, Monique and Dom have been trying to have sex for some time, but she finds it physically impossible. Then, on their 2nd anniversary, Dom breaks things off after their 29th failed attempt to get down to business. So, Monique resolves to “come up with some solutions” to get him back, beginning with booking an appointment to see if her lady parts are normal. The author’s candour about the body, masturbation and conditions like vaginismus is brilliant - often funny and always informative. Monique initially receives help from two unlikely sources, goody-two-shoes Sasha from church, and bad boy Reggie - neither turn out to be what they seem. Sasha declares “I think Dom’s an asshole for breaking up with you over this. You are more than what your body can do for him”, while Monique’s relationship with Reggie will truly make your heart sing. With a powerful subplot about Monique’s estranged sister, and a host of fabulous female characters, including the gynaecologist who states, “No woman should have to go without care. Especially not because some power-hungry man thinks he knows what’s best, when he doesn’t know diddly-squat about women’s bodies”, this is a dazzlingly refreshing charmer.
Joanne Owen
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Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl Synopsis
The hotly anticipated second book from Joya Goffney, author of the 2021 YA romcom Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. Monique lives a perfect life - a preacher's daughter and the girlfriend of the town's golden boy. But it's not that simple. She's torn between her parents who want the pure virginal daughter, and her boyfriend, Dom, who wants to explore the more intimate side of their relationship. Tired of waiting, her boyfriend breaks up with her, spurring Monique to discover she has a medical condition that makes her far from perfect and she concocts a plan to fix her body and win him back. 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. This is a powerful journey towards loving yourself, about body and sex positivity, with heart, humour, family intrigue and a dynamic and delicious love triangle. Contains explicit references to sex and sexual health.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781471411113 |
| Publication date: |
3rd May 2022 |
| Author: |
Joya Goffney |
| Publisher: |
Hot Key Books |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
356 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Young Adult Fiction
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| Other Genres: |
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Joya Goffney Press Reviews
Powerful, boundary pushing, and charmingly funny. - Camryn Garrett, author of Full Disclosure and Off the Record
Deeply empowering, sweet yet candid. A fearless story about the path to self acceptance. - Jenni Hendricks and Ted Caplan, authors of Unpregnant and Save Steve
I loved this book. Yes for the relatable content, humour and cuteness but for the positive Black narrative and romances that more people need to know about. For a quick, easy and fulfilled read, I commend you to pick this up when its out in May! -- Charlotte Murphy - NetGalley
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
I love this author. I enjoyed their first book and i love how i get the exact same feelings whilst reading this one!!!! All those intimate scenes and the SLOW BURN OMG KILL ME NOW. Loved it...Amazing, amazing, AMAZING. Cannot wait to purchase a physical copy and this author is on my auto buy list!!!! -- Reema Sabeen-Saunders - NetGalley
I absolutely adored this story. Joya writes really good YA teen rom coms that feel reminiscent of the books I was reading 10 years ago but they are just more modern. The diversity as well as the important conversations around sex and taking back control make this an unmissable 2022 YA read. She truly is one of the greatest YA contemporary writers around at the moment and I hope she gets more recognition. -- Sofia Saghir - NetGalley
After quite a slow start to the year in terms of reading, this book was a breathe of fresh air. I speed through it in under a day and was absolutely obsessed. I didn't think it would be possible for me to like this one as much as Joya Goffney's debut (which I LOVED) but I think I actually have a new favourite. It was full of heart, hope and love and I hope everyone picks it up this year! -- Laura Lawrence - NetGalley
I am so glad this book exists. I think every teenage girl should read this because its such an important topic. Similarly to Monique, I've had a really unhealthy relationship with sex for most of my life and this book made me feel so safe and seen. Joya Goffney is now definitely one of my favourite authors. Both her books have been fantastic and important. This review is quite incoherent because i'm feeling alot after finishing this book. Just please please please read this when it is released in May 2022. You will not regret it. -- Hannah Adamson - NetGalley
Not only did I love the characters but the overarching themes concerning female empowerment and the notion that your body is your own are both incredibly powerful and important messages for young readers and I think this would be a great book to accompany any sex education curriculum in schools. If I could give this more than 5 stars, I would! -- Hannah Park - NetGalley
This book had me hooked from the start! The characters, the storyline, the location! Wow I loved it! -- Stacey Catling - NetGalley
About Joya Goffney
Joya Goffney grew up in New Waverly, a small town in East Texas. In high school, she challenged herself with to-do lists full of risk-taking items like 'hug a random boy' and 'eat a cricket,' which inspired her debut novel, Excuse Me While I Ugly Cry. With a passion for Black social psychology, she moved out of the countryside to attend the University of Texas in Austin, where she still resides.
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