Review: Firsts

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't generally pay much attention when books are compared to other books or films - half the time I can't see the connection at all, and the other half it just seems like a cheap marketing ploy. But Firsts was touted as being perfect for fans of Easy A, which intrigued me as I love that film without quite knowing why. So I read the synopsis, and was drawn in even more. In went my request on Netgalley, and I was rewarded with a completely enjoyable, insightful and interesting read. And you know what? It is perfect for those of you who loved Easy A. There's just something about it, a feeling you get while reading it, which meshes with the film perfectly.

Mercedes is a girl looking for love and affection, but refusing to admit to herself that's what she needs. Her mother encourages all the things a normal mother would forbid, and her friends are a confusing mix of religious virgin and sex-buddy. There are a lot of conflicting messages in her life, and it's easy to see why she's confused, even if she thinks she's got it all worked out.

This is a read-between-the-lines kind of story, and Flynn gently leads us in the direction we need to be thinking, letting us in on Mercy's deepest darkest thoughts as well as the front she puts on for everyone else.

Firsts is an easy book to love. Flynn's characters are solid and loveable, with a full supporting cast to back up the brilliant Mercedes. Her writing is just the right mix of wit, emotion and description, bringing her world to live in technicolour and giving us all the feels. This is a book that I will read over and over again, just because.

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