REVIEW - The V Girl by Mya Robarts

Synopsis:

In post-apocalyptic North America, rape and sexual slavery are legal. Lila Velez, desperately wants to lose her virginity before the troops visit her town and can take it away by force. She makes plans to seduce her only friend, Rey, the most attractive man in her town. 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 of love.

Lila’s coping mechanism to her mother’s rape and kidnapping is her secret. A secret that will bring her closer to Aleksey, a foreign, broody man. Lila does not trust him because his links to the troops and his rough, yet irresistible appearance. Aleksey offers Lila an alternative to her plans, a possibility that terrifies her…and tempts her in spite of herself. 

All the while Lila will have to find a way to live in the constant company of death, slavery, starvation, sexual abuse and the danger of losing the people she loves the most.

Due to mature content, this book is intended for +18 readers.

REVIEW:

My review won't be long and I will try to make it as coherent as possible, even if this book left me a bit... I wouldn't say it let me thinking, but it made me ask myself if the author wanted the story to be sometimes as confusing as I felt it. And I'll explain.

I liked the idea of this book and to be honest as I read the synopsis, instantly I wanted to read it. Because for me this is an idea that I haven't met before. And I've read it and enjoyed it BUT. But also there were things that made me sad - I couldn't grip and understand the story as much as I wanted, especially the world and all the political stuff. And not because I wasn't because attention, because I really tried. I felt that the information in some places it was too much or just thrown there and in other places it wasn't at all. 

This aspect, of the world building and the fact that I understand it and I can see it in my head is very important, so this was a minus for the book. 

Another one, was the writing style. I read this book in three days, THREE DAYS, which never happened to me before. I mean, in years it didn't took me so long to finish a book that I wanted to finish. The story was calling my name, the characters were interesting, but I had to fight with the writing style because sometimes it made me so bored that I just wanted to not finish it. But I did, after an eternity. 

And I think that the writing style also affected my non - understanding of the political stuff. And also, and the last, almost last, thing that bothered me was the main character. I understood her situation, I get her fears, but she seemed to me very weak, very whinny, always jumping to conclusions and yelling. Always throwing herself at men and after that yelling and acting as a mad woman because they treated her as a whore. I couldn't sympathize with her, I just wanted to slap her once and hard and explain to her that, ok, the situation is harsh and yes maybe someone will rape her, but could you stop jumping at every human that has a d... ?  

But I won't say that the other characters are above her! Because Rey and Aleksey have also their problems. And they made me roll my eyes as hard as with Lila. Because when she was jumping at one he wouldn't look at her and when she was after the other the first would claim her. Are we in the Neanderthal era? Yes, I get it, I get, that's the way of thinking in this world, but I think that it didn't make her for me. I mean, I didn't get that they loved her or something they just wanted her just not to be alone or just that the other one won't have her.

And to end this apparently negative review, because even if I said what I disliked I also liked some parts, I will say that the romance didn't work for me. Whether she would've stay with Ray or Aleksander for me didn't seem right. Because I felt nothing. Yes, yes, the sex scenes and the tension is great, I know, but it's not just that. And also, I know about insta love and bla bla, but this didn't seem plausible, real to me. Every relationship in this book seemed forced. And now if I am wrong, that's it. But is my opinion. 

I said that I liked this book despite the things from above. Yes, I did. I liked the idea and the world and the political stuff that I understood, I enjoyed the suspense that I got, I was so happy to get to the end, because I couldn't wait to finish it. The ending was... was. I would say that if you're romantic and lalala then you'll like it. For me it was rushed and too covenient. Too easy. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes! Because it's an interesting idea and the story is ok. And maybe you'll like the characters more than I did and the writing style more than I did. And also maybe you'll enjoy the physical portrait of Aleksey, because I didn't and it seemed... now I don't know what the author imagined, but I couldn't be attracted by a man like that. Just my personal opinion and imagination; and also cause it was repeated over and over and over again about how tall and strong and muscular and big... ughh. 

But I'll end here. Read this if you want, don't read it if you want! I don't regret but I won't read it again!

Also, thanks to XpressoReads for the review copy!