I am loath to give this one a negative review because I can see that it is an important subject and one that needs to be covered in a young adult setting. Children - and that's what they are - need to understand in simple terms the difference between consent and rape. They need to understand that unless they have directly consented, then they are the victim of an assault. However. I have already read Louise O'Neill's Asking For It so unfortunately No Virgin felt underwhelming by comparison and I did not feel the same connection to Stacey as I did to Emma. I think that O'Neill is a sharper and more brutal writer and because of that, No Virgin suffered in comparison. Still, for a young adult reader who might not be ready for that intensity, this one might be an easier read.

I really had high hopes for this book, I thought it was going to be hard hitting and really thought provoking but overall I was disappointed. I didn't like our main character of Stacey at all, she seemed like she was 14 rather than 17 and the reason she left home was a bit much. There was a lot of filler in this book even for such a short book and we don't get to the actual rape till around 70% of the way through which made the remainder of the book seem rushed.

Don't think I'll read from this author again.

An interesting but short book. I liked the idea of the book however I found it difficult to engage with the characters and they did feel a bit flat and of limited substance- a longer, more indepth novel might have done more justice.

When a book is pitched as being ideal for fans of Louise O’Neill, it’s hard to resist. No Virgin by Anne Cassidy is the first-hand account of Stacey, a 17-year-old girl with aspirations of attending London College of Fashion. After an argument with her mum and younger sister, she bunks off school to wander around central London. In a cafe, she meets the charming Harry, who offers Stacey his spare room. However, Harry is not the person he appears to be and a series of events lead to Stacey being raped. In the days after the attack, Stacey is convinced by her best friend Patrice to write down what happened to her in her own words. Even though No Virgin is a short book at just under 200 pages, it packs a powerful and emotional punch. There were some scenes that nearly broke me, and I will admit that I had to put the book down a few times. Even though I feel this is a book that is incredibly important in today’s climate, I want to stress that this book will be triggering to those who have experienced a similar situation in their lives. No Virgin is a book I will not be able to forget in a hurry, and I will be making it a priority to read the sequel, No Shame, very soon.

A moving story about a hard subject to write about
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I really liked this, I thought it was clear and concise and Stacey was a likeable main character. I thought that her feelings following the rape were written really well and I liked Patrice too. I'm really looking forward to the sequel!

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

Rape isn't a place or situation for anyone to be. Therefore I feel sorry for Stacey.

This is a short book telling The story of Stacey and how she met her rapist, how she revealed to her friends, and how she's going to open up.

It was a very brave ending and I wish to know what will happen next!

A really interesting, hard-hitting story that feels important. All teenagers should read this. Authentic, relevant characters and a gripping plot.

While this book is necessary because it deals with rape, I wasn't convinced by the characters who felt very one dimensional.

Stacey Woods was raped. She doesn’t want to report it to the police despite her friend Patrice encouraging her to do so. As a compromise, Patrice asks Stacey to write everything down. She can decide what to do with it afterwards. This is Stacey’s account of what happened to her.

Stacey blames herself. She should have known what was going happen. She should have stopped it. There is no way anyone, especially the police, will believe her. Patrice assures Stacey these feelings aren’t true. What happened is not her fault. She did not ask for this.

No Virgin is an unflinching exploration of the aftermath of sexual assault. It is sensitively told and subject wise it is an important read. However, for me, there was a disconnect between characters and plot. Everything felt one step removed. If so, it didn’t work for me. The detachment took me out of the novel on multiple occasions and left me feeling underwhelmed.

This book had my undivided attention from the first sentence. It tackled a very difficult subject in a sensitive and informed manner. I really enjoyed reading it.

I want to say I didn't enjoy this book. Not because it was about rape, obviously thats awful. But I didn't connect with the character and wasn't particularly invested in her story. A sad issue, but I don't think it did what it intended.

Anne Cassidy's writing is always hard-hitting and unflinching. No Virgin is both of those things and much more. She deals sensitively with her subject matter and her characters.