Whew! Where do I even begin? The first couple of chapters had me thinking I wasn’t going to like this book, but that feeling quickly faded as I kept reading! By the time I reached the last 100 pages, I was trying to stop myself from crying. Monique, Sasha, and Reggie are the perfect example of how different personalities can come together to form such a beautiful, dynamic friend group! I absolutely love Sasha DOWNNNNNNN—she’s the perfect representation of how people’s preconceived notions about what a “church girl” should be like are often based on stereotypes. Everyone’s relationship with God is personal and unique; no two are the same. I honestly believe God gave Sasha a gift to help others in such a genuine, heartfelt way.

I could also relate to some of the struggles Monique faced, especially when it comes to being a people pleaser. In high school, I used to cuss like a sailor—not because it came naturally to me, but because I felt like that’s what my friend group expected. The truth is, I’ve never had the desire to curse, and I never

enjoyed it. It took me until my early twenties to fully embrace who I am and be at peace with it.

As for Monique’s parents, I really sympathize with anyone who has a strained relationship with the church due to negative experiences that have led them to feel disconnected from God. I think Monique’s parents, especially her dad, made both Monique and her sister feel that way for a while. But what really stood out to me was how Monique’s mom really pulled through for her daughter in the end. It was powerful to see how, despite her own struggles, she finally came through with the support Monique needed—showing that healing and understanding can come even after deep wounds. Her mom’s redemption made such a huge impact and was a testament to the power of love and growth in relationships.

Reggie’s character really stood out to me as well. Despite being the textbook “bad boy,” I think we all need a Reggie in our lives—a person who can help us step out of our shells while also teaching us to be comfortable with who we are.

I’m so glad I decided to pick up this book. It not only brought me back to moments in my life I used to be ashamed of, but it also helped me rediscover the importance of embracing those experiences as part of my journey.

I appreciated Monique's journey learning herself, her body, and gaining autonomy. 

I laughed, smiled, gasped, got angry, and teared up. 

This book is a huge improvement from Joya Goffney's Excuse me while I Ugly Cry. I'm glad I gave another one of her books a chance. 

The only thing I wanted more of in this book was friendship. I wish we get to see Monique and Sasha bond more. I loved Sasha's character. 

Edit: I really had a lot of fun reading this. The ending pushed this to 5 stars for me. 

"I hear your vagina is broken." 

Poor Monique. Her father is a pastor, and her mother is more like a warden. All they do is restrict her freedom and knowledge about her body. Mo's been trying to have sex with her boyfriend Dom for two years, but she's physically incapable of having intercourse. Predictably, he breaks up with her. But Mo finds an unlikely resource in prim church girl, Sasha, who's surprisingly knowledgeable about sex. They team up with bad boy Reggie to help Mo find a cure for this disorder and win Dom back. 

Every time Mo says her body or vagina is broken, I think about that Insecure episode where Issa tells Molly she has a broken p*ssy. Issa was joking,  but it's no laughing matter. Mo is struggling with a psychological disorder that makes it hard for her lock to be opened with Dom's key. It all comes down to the fear her parents instilled in her and pressure to please Dom. This turns from a plan to get Dom back to Mo's education on sex and herself. Is sex something she even wants? 

Mo learns a lot about her two new friends. Reggie's more than his bad boy reputation. He's a lot more understanding of Mo's condition than Dom, who is seen as perfect in Mo's father's eyes. And Sasha's not this stuffy church girl who judges others. She's open-minded, has a lot more freedom than Mo, and can therefore be her true self. 

Mo's parents aren't who she thinks they are either. Her father is this misogynistic, domineering authority figure but is ignorant about a lot of things,  including his own daughter, who's too afraid to open up. And there's a lot more to Mo's mother than the submissive wife who chooses her husband's happiness over that of hers or her children's. 

Mo must learn to stand her ground and teach her parents and Dom that she is the owner of her body and should be able to decide what she does with it and with whom. 

This is a fun read about the importance of sex education that I would also recommend to parents who need to know that they're doing more harm than good by not having "the talk" with their kids. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I wish I had something like this to read when I was a teen. It handled the topics of religion, sex, friendship, family, romance, race—so many things—in such a respectful and honest way while still being funny, entertaining, relatable, and believably from a teen perspective. It felt affirming to read, as if I could have a sense of closure and healing for my childhood wounds through Monique’s coming of age story. 

I enjoyed this book, One because it showed a lot of what some people go through in the heart of the south especially in bible country. Inadequate sex-ed leads to a whole different problem in itself. This book tackles a lot of different topics, and I believe it has done it well. 

This book was thoughtfully laid out and made the experience of reading it a lot less hard, but also super insightful into what felt like a similar teenage mind to many.