Seventeen-year-old Mercedes Ayres has an open-door policy when it comes to her bedroom, but only if the guy fulfills a specific criteria: he has to be a virgin. Mercedes lets the boys get their awkward, fumbling first times over with, and all she asks in return is that they give their girlfriends the perfect first time- the kind Mercedes never had herself.



Keeping what goes on in her bedroom a secret has been easy- so far. Her absentee mother isn’t home nearly enough to know about Mercedes’ extracurricular activities, and her uber-religious best friend, Angela, won’t even say the word “sex” until she gets married. But Mercedes doesn’t bank on Angela’s boyfriend finding out about her services and wanting a turn- or on Zach, who likes her for who she is instead of what she can do in bed.

When Mercedes’ perfect system falls apart, she has to find a way to salvage her reputation and figure out where her heart really belongs in the process. Funny, smart, and true-to-life, FIRSTS is a one-of-a-kind young adult novel about growing up.




Spoilers ahead.


I got this ARC from the publisher St. Martin's Press on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


 This book was a fantastic read and handled so many different topics. Topics like friendships, relationships, love, sex, rape, forgiveness and more.

Mercedes or Mercy, is your regular schoolgirl. Helping other students out when they are having trouble with a certain class or subject, you name it. But outside of school, at home, she is a completely different person. At her own place she has boys coming over. Virgins, who want to have their first time with their girlfriend be perfect. Or as perfect as can be. And that is where Mercedes helps them. She teaches them how to do things, how not to be nervous and tells them what girls would like, and shows them how to do it. She helps them lose their virginity, and is hoping that their first time will be amazing. And that sounds weird on some kind of level, yet at the same time, it is very understandable.

At a certain point, it suddenly all goes downhill for Mercedes. A guy found out about what she did, and had a webcam planted inside her room and taped all that happened in there. One day he shows up, forcing her to have sex with him, threatening to release the videos he recorded unless she complies. Mercedes gets hurt but doesn't give in and the boy goes away. Some time later, he releases the footage and Mercedes becomes the laughing stock of the school. People threaten her, friendships are shattered, and it all turns bad. Luckily she has one friend who stands by her, Faye. And that makes all the difference in the world.

In the end, all turns out well. Of course, there are still people who hate her, but she also has friends who will never leave her side, and on top of that, she has a boyfriend. What more could one wish for? :)

This is a book that will make you ask yourself what the important things in life are, what you know about the people around you, how people judge you and how you judge people based on what they think about you and what you actually do.

The author created a book that really stands out. The characters are refreshing and real. The choices that they make makes you think and wonder. The characters are also flawed in a way that what makes you identify with them and makes you think about them long after you have finished this book. 

When this book is published, I am sure that it will make a big impact.




Today, for the first time since our little fledgling blog sprouted into being, we are hosting a guest review! Our little fledgling blog would hardly have become half of the awesometacular spectacle it is today had it not been for our mutual friend Dennis, our revered guest. Dennis peppers us with books, showers us with praise even when we wholly suck, and he's supportive and kind even when we're on a bookish rant of epic proportions. So today it's Dennis day! (The fact that it's alliteration just goes to show how destined it was to happen eventually.)