I have to admit that I expected to hate this book. Although I agreed to review it, the idea of reading about some woman’s sexual exploits was hardly appealing to me. Fortunately, however, Loose Girl turned out to be a more compelling read than the sleazy, dirty-diary-type of book that I had anticipated. As a matter of fact, for a memoir about promiscuity, there is surprisingly very little about sex. Loose Girl is so much more than a tale about a promiscuous girl. It is a gripping and courageous account of one woman’s prolonged struggle with shame and insatiable need.

There is a certain element of seduction buried in the way that author Kerry Cohen frames her poignant story. Only a few pages in, I found myself hopelessly seduced by her impressive ability to captivate the attention of her readers. She is undoubtedly an extremely talented writer and a woman who has clearly mastered a tremendous amount of emotional and psychological growth. Luckily for her audience, she was brave enough to share the painful lessons of her own evolution so that others might learn from her mistakes. Surely this book will have its fair share of critics, many of which will likely pass early and unwarranted judgment in much the same way that I initially did but hopefully, readers will be wise enough to judge for themselves.

In my opinion, Loose Girl is worth well more than its entertainment value alone. It exposes not only the author’s painful past but also the fundamental cracks within the human condition, by which we are all afflicted in some way. It acknowledges the realities of our frailties and dissects the incessant agony of our need, not necessarily in a sexual manner but in a deeply human way. Anyone who has ever felt unworthy, unloved or unsatisfied in any way should definitely pick up a copy of this book.