The V-Word: True Stories about First-Time Sex by Amber J. Keyser | Banned Book Project

December 9, 2021 Cynthia Varady

The V-Word Synopsis:

An honest and poignant collection of essays by women about losing their virginity in their teens. The V-Word captures the complexity of this important life decision and reflects diverse real-world experiences. Includes helpful resources for parents and teens.

Losing it. Popping your cherry. Handing in your V-card.

First-time sex is a big unknown. Will it be candlelight and rose petals or quick and uncomfortable? Is it about love or about lust? Deciding to have sex for the first time is a choice that’s often fraught with anxiety and joy. But do you have anyone telling you what sex is really like?

In The V-Word seventeen writers (including Christa Desir, Justina Ireland, Sara Ryan, Carrie Mesrobian, Erica Lorraine Scheidt, and Jamia Wilson) pull back the sheets and tell all, covering everything from straight sex to queer sex, diving-in versus waiting, and even the exhilaration and disappointment that blankets it all. Some of their experiences happened too soon, some at just the right time, but all paint a broad picture of what first-time sex is really like.

Funny, hot, meaningful, cringe-worthy, gross, forgettable, magnificent, empowering, and transformative, the stories in The V-Word are never preachy but provide a map for teens to chart their own course through the steamy waters of sex. With The V-Word girls can finally take control, learn what’s on the horizon and eliminate the fear and mystery surrounding this important milestone.

Locations Banned and Challenged:

Cheyenne, Wyoming 2021 – Conservative parents discovered the book along with several others on a Pride Month display at the Campbell County Public Library. Enraged parents took This Book is Gay, along with the other offending titles to the local police and filed an obscenity report. The police sided with the parent and the titles are now on trial in a Wyoming court. The Friends of the Library have since purchased several of the titles objected to and they are available on the library shelves. After review by the library committee, Trans Mission has been retained in the regular collection. After review by the library committee, The V-Word has been retained in the regular collection.