But Dean's already in college, and Keely is convinced he'll drop her if he finds out how inexperienced she is. That's when she talks herself into a new plan: her lifelong best friend, Andrew, would never hurt or betray her, and he's clearly been with enough girls that he can show her the ropes before she goes all the way with Dean. Of course, the plan only works if Andrew and Keely stay friends--just friends--so things are about to get complicated. Cameron Lund's delightful debut is a hilarious and heartfelt story of first loves, first friends, and first times--and how making them your own is all that really matters. Synopsis from Goodreads PERSONAL REVIEW Ahh high school, sex, and friendship - its a cliche for a reason but I'm here for it! After reading the synopsis of Best Laid Plans, I don't think this is a book that will overly surprise people, but I was happily engaged with the characters and story way more than I thought I would be. HOWEVER, I will warn that I had some problems while reading, mainly the slut-shaming and "virginity as a disease" mantra that seems to run through this book. Easy YA Read I think everyone can guess what happens in this book just based on the synopsis, but that's exactly what I'm here for. I want a happy ending for characters and love reading about the speed bumps they go through along the way to ending up together. While I'm sad Keely sees sex as something that she needs to have before going to college (why do we put this pressure on ourselves?!!), I do appreciate that she wants her first time to be with someone that she respects and that respects her. Obviously, we know who she's going to end up with, but I really enjoyed the journey. THAT SAID, I did have a problem with the fact that Keely's goal is to "rid" herself of her virginity. Have sex if you want, don't if you don't, but we shouldn't be talking about being a virgin as if you have a disease that you need to be cured of. Good Flow to the Story I really appreciated that this story took place over a few months. As much as I love rom-coms, it drives me crazy when they take place over a few days! Instead, Keely's journey takes place over roughly 5 months and we get to see her and her friends change as the end of high school comes closer for all of them. This is really important to help readers connect to Keely and her friends and to feel like we're invested in her journey. While this is obviously a lighthearted read, I still appreciate realistic timelines! Wow, Sex in High School is Intense I really appreciated how Lund showed the differences between how girls and boys are treated differently after making the choice to have sex. Danielle took part in consensual sex with a guy that she liked and was shamed for it; thank God this is a girl who can handle herself, but she shouldn't have to! The fact that guys get a high five while girls get slut-shamed is beyond awful, especially because girls so often do it to each other. What's even more problematic is that girls slut-shame each other. Danielle is awful to her friends and constantly putting down Ava for having sex. For a "sex positive" book, it's pretty crazy how shamed girls are for choosing to have (and enjoy) sex. Overall, this is an easy book to read during a very stressful time. Does it have some problems? Yes. Do I think that there a lot of teens who feel the same way as Keely? Yes. I'm on the fence over who I would recommend this too; I think if readers are confident in making their own choices and are looking for a book to read for fun, this is a good pick. If you're looking for a book to give you advice about having sex, don't read this - I think it'll just depress you. What did you think of Best Laid Plans? FINAL RATING: 3/5
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About MeHi, I'm Alexandra! I love reading (largely YA fiction, but sometimes I'll read "adult" books), playing board games, Nutella, and binge-watching TV shows on Netflix with my husband. Follow Me on Instagram@AllCharactersWanted
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