"Extra Virgin" is a short story by Joan Bauer. It can be found in an anthology of short stories called Love & Sex: Ten Short Stories of Truth Edited by Michael Cart. It includes several stories about different sexual situations all types of teenagers in today's world may face. "Extra Virgin" is the first in the anthology and is told from a sixteen year old Elizabeth's point of view. Elizabeth sees the world as overly sexualized and has made the decision to abstain from sex until marriage. When she meets Cal, her resolve is challenged.
In this story, emotions are well depicted. As a teenager, emotions are often overwhelming and this story does a good job of representing how a young girl with little sexual experience would react to a young man's attentions. The author does a good job of giving some strong, but not overwhelming images to help fuel the story. However, at times I believe there is too much uncertainty and sugary-sweetness about the characters. Elizabeth's mom seems almost too perfect in her willingness to talk with her about her relationship with Cal, even if their conversation is somewhat awkward.
Overall, I believe this is a good story for teenagers to read. Elizabeth is a strong female character in that she doesn't sway from her difficult decision, even under pressure from her college boyfriend. She feels emotions and desires like every other teenage girl, but because she created a goal for herself and has strong family support, she knows she can can reach her goal. I will be continuing to read this anthology to discover what other hidden treasures it has in store.
If you're interested in more from this author, I've listed some sites that may interest you. The first is Joan Bauer's official website with more information about her as well as more material she's written. The second is a video interview that gives some insight into who she is as an author and what she wants to achieve with her stories. The third is Joan Bauer's blog.
Joan Bauer's Website
Video Interview
Joan Bauer's Blog
Here is a video that addresses the issue of abstinence education, the main issue addressed in this story.
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