Review: Losing It by Julia Lawrinson

Spare a few seconds of your time, look at the cover and tell me what you see. Losing It's cover gives the readers an idea on what the book is about even before you flip to the back cover and see the summary.

Title: Losing It by Julia Lawrinson
Pages: 306
Release Date: March 28th 2012
Published by: Penguin Australia
Source: Publisher
Buy: Penguin Australia | Book Depository

Summary:

To avoid Losing It in the bushes with some random guy in a heavy-metal T-shirt after too many tequila shots, four best friends make a bet: to lose it before schoolies week – and preferably in a romantic, sober way that they won't regret.

What follows is a sometimes funny, sometimes awkward, but always compelling comedy of errors as Abby, Mala, Bree and Zoe each try to find their Mr Right . . . or at least get laid.

Everything started with a dare Bree suggested: lose your virginity before the schoolies. The GeeGee's (Geek Girls with scholarships) Abby, Mala and Zoe agreed with their friend, and all hell broke loose. Split into four parts, the story revolves around the conquests of Bree, the gorgeous, popular cool geek everyone likes, Abby, the conservative Christian girl, Mala, the girl who's obsessed with boys just because she can't be near them, and Zoe, raised by a single mom and was used to being independent and speaks out her mind. Lives begin to unravel, secrets that have long been kept come out and all four of these girls' journey into becoming a woman were filled with heartaches, pain, confusion and some of the most hilarious moments they will ever encounter in their life. Because losing it isn't as easy as they thought it would be.

It's all about that three letter word, and Julia Lawrinson tells it like it should in this story about four best friends and a pact that lead to a lot of hilarious and enlightening moments for all of them. Some people might think how shallow this novel is because of what it discusses but let me tell you, it's not. Julia Lawrinson explores sexuality and one's virginity through The GeeGees plan in a very good way. They realize that maybe losing it in a bet isn't the best way to do it. And this book is not just about sex, as it explores what's beyond the bet and shows us the different lives of the girls and the dilemmas and struggles they face as teens.

The book makes you take a second look not just at the mechanics of friendship, but the individuality of each characters. Through the competition, you get to examine what goes on between the ties that bond these girls. Envy, spite, secrets, this book has it all. You get to take a peek inside their lives and their families. Bree's story drew me out of my comfort zone as I try to understand her, and Abby's life colliding with religion and values and family dynamics intrigued me the most. There's a nice balance among all four stories and if that wasn't enough another interesting character is added, Matty, the geeky friend and the one caught in the middle of it all, who I really liked!

Losing It is not just a coming of age tale, but a venture into womanhood and what sex really means for teens today, much less for girls. The readers get to see the good, the bad and oftentimes, the ugly side of things with a good dose of humor. A lot of the younger kids these days think they are open minded, but this book can help further explain to teens a lot of things about their sexuality and the consequences of doing it just for the sake of losing it. What I liked most about this book is that it's edgy without being preachy. You take the lessons from each of the girls through their story unfolding right before your eyes and not one lesson is forced upon you.

You either hate this book or you love it, no in betweens. The theme of this book is far too important and relevant to read half heartedly. For some it might be a quick trip back in time when they finally lost it and for some it might be a guide to what and what not to do when you finally want to lose it. Julia Lawrinson's real and unflinching novel is a perfect read for today's teens. Sweet and funny, with catastrophic moments and a lesson or two we can all learn from, Losing It is an enjoyable read. Quite different, eye opening and refreshingly new. I'm gonna have to stick around and check Julia's other books because I loved this one!  

Content (plot, story flow, character):
An unflinching, honest novel about sex, friendship, love and womanhood. We need more books like this!

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
Pretty, but take a closer look and tell me what you think it means.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.