Don't judge this book by its title...
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. It's no surprise that this book has its fair share of critics, 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 human way. Anyone who has ever felt unworthy, unloved or unsatisfied in any way should definitely pick up a copy of this book.

Lacking in Insight Given the Author's Professions
I was disappointed by this book. It read like a catalog of sexual experiences with little insight or flair in the telling. The ending was abrupt and contrived.

RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "JACK KEROUAC ONCE SAID: "EVERYTHING I WROTE WAS TRUE BECAUSE I BELIEVED WHAT I SAW."
I am not being flippant or obnoxious when I pose to potential readers the following question: "WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF SOMEONE CALLED YOUR MOTHER A SLUT?" A guy would probably punch the distasteful person in the jaw. A woman would probably knee the abhorrent individual in the groin "and" punch the person in the jaw. Ok... what would you do if your very own Mother not only called herself a slut... but shouted it out to the world, by writing a book that proved her claim a million nauseating times over. That's what this entire repulsive book does. It even has an acknowledgment, before the actual appalling story begins from the author/Mother to her two children... "Who I hope will forgive me someday for writing a book for all their friends to read about their Mother's sex life."

Calling it sex does it too much justice. I am a man who has shared "locker-room" talk with the guys... I've shared stories with other service men in peace and in war... and yet... I have never heard any man ever describe a female... so consistently... in such a manner... that so degrades... a woman... to such a "pride-less" piece of worthlessness... as the author does to herself.

There is absolutely nothing sexy or alluring in this entire book. In addition to being a slut (as she readily admits on page 148: "I don't need anyone else to tell me what a slut I really am.") she abuses cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. By the twentieth page, the matter-of-fact personal debauchery, literally put a pallor on my very being. The only reason I finished the book is so I could give an honest review.

I am a Father, and a Grandfather, and believe me, I have not led a sheltered life. To any parents out there who may be considering reading this book: Did you watch the movie "Thirteen"? If you did, did you get kind of clammy and shaky thinking; "Man I sure hope my young teenage daughter isn't carrying on like this?" Well the behavior (the only decent word I could use here.) in this book, from before the author was thirteen, and non-stop from there on out... is ONE-THOUSAND-TIMES-WORSE! Parents... I guarantee you... if you read this book... it will not be enjoyable.

The author's actions are so repulsive that when she gets crabs... you find yourself rooting for the crab! Then of course there are the genital warts and scabies. A rational person would have to scratch their head and wonder why... anyone would write this and use their real name... especially with children???

Poignant, Gutsy
As an MSW student, I wanted to obtain a first-hand perspective of young female promiscuity and the development of sex addiction. Ms. Cohen's memoir is incredibly honest. She seems to avoid minimizing her (many) actions, and does not once beg the reader to sympathize with her for initially creating a train wreck of her life. However, her honest and forthright telling of the underlying emotional causes of promiscuity and the consequent development of sex addiction leave the reader feeling profoundly compassionate for this little girl (and young woman) lost, then cheering for her when she finally gains the strength to overcome the temptation of giving in once again to a nameless young man in a bar. Cohen's book is a must-read for those wishing to gain insight and compassion for those suffering from sex addiction.

A Compelling Glimpse Into One Woman's Past
Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity follows Kerry Cohen's harrowing trajectory from young, insecure, and confused girl to healthy, assured, and balanced adult. And what a journey it is. This memoir will leave you breathless due to the shear candor of Kerry's tale. Kerry bares her soul wide open and it isn't always pretty. Of course, that's what makes Loose girl so compelling.

Kerry spent her youth looking for love and acceptance in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways. She tried to quell her intense need and anxiety by immersing herself in shallow, physical relationships with boys. It took many years of heartbreak, broken relationships (familial, platonic and romantic), physical maladies, and soul searching before Kerry found her way out of this dark abyss. She takes her readers along every leg of this intense journey with grace, candor and perceptive insight into her own past feelings and actions.

Kerry lets the reader take a good hard look at all the pain, insecurity and intense desire for acceptance experienced by teenage girls and shows how very wrong things can go for a young girl who doesn't have guidance, boundary limits and parental support. This memoir is as much of a cautionary tale for parents as it is anything else.

Loose Girl works as both a captivating story and as an important addition to the zeitgeist of contemporary non-fiction due to the insight it provides into the mind and motivations of a certain sub-set of teenage girls.

Loose Girl is important and relevant in much the same way that Koren Zailckas's ground-breaking memoir Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood was - namely it can make us more tolerant, understanding and empathetic people because it is hard to be judgmental about controversial behavior once the motivation behind it is understood. Also, readers of these memoirs with similar circumstances might be able to gain enough introspection so as not to repeat the same mistakes- maybe, because as we learn by reading these memoirs, sometimes one just needs to take the journey and hope to come out okay once on the other side.