At the age of twelve, a time when most girls should be imagining kissing their favorite teen idol, Kerry Cohen was doing much more than just imagining. Lost and virtually parentless after her mother abandoned her children to go to medical school in the Philippines, Kerry and her sister moved in with their father. Her father’s approach to parenting was to leave her alone or encourage her toward her grown up escapades. While Kerry’s sister withdrew to her room, Kerry discovered the power of her body and the control it gave her over men. After losing her virginity at a young age, Kerry continued to seek approval from men through sex.
As Cohen describes herself, "I am sick of myself. Sick of my desperation and emptiness. Sick of the constant defeat. I am convinced if someone will just love me I will be able to focus on something else. I‘ll be able to enjoy my life. I‘ll feel whole and real, released from this weight."
Not until she is an adult, and after under going therapy to discover her passion for writing, does Kerry realize her needs can only be filled by herself and her use of her personal gifts.
Loose Girl should be a requirement for every young girl to read. Kerry bares her pain and mistakes for all to read. She tells us about the shame and loneliness she feels despite sleeping with numerous men. She tells us about the sexually transmitted diseases she contracts - she leaves nothing out. Most of all, she tells us that sex is not the answer to her fulfillment. There is a happy ending to the story as Kerry finally meets the right guy for her, but that is not what ultimately makes her happy. What makes her happy is that she finally meets herself.
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