Restless Virgins: Love, Sex, and Survival at a New England Prep School [Hardcover]

Abigail Jones (Author), Marissa Miley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 2007

Established in 1798, Milton Academy had always had a proud history of achievement, integrity, and pride—until a sex scandal rocked the campus and made headlines in the spring of 2005. Written by two Milton graduates who know this world—and these students—like no others, Restless Virgins follows a group of seniors who were there as the "incident" (as it came to be called) unfolded. Startling, riveting, important, and true, it offers an honest, intimate look at the real lives of today's teens—an eye-opening yet sensitive depiction of normal kids with normal struggles that no teen, parent, or educator can afford to ignore.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jones and Miley are journalists and Milton Academy graduates who dig deep into the recent sex scandal at the prestigious Massachusetts prep school, focusing claustrophobically on seven classmates (four female, three male) over the course of their 2004–2005 senior year of high school. All seven are well liked, accomplished and pressured by their families. Eagerly subscribing to an intricate hierarchy of cliques among the Pryce Girls (named for a popular boarding dorm), the Day Student Girls and the most desirable boys, the seven are also stunningly sexual. At parties laced with alcohol and drugs, the girls engage in sexual play to gain popularity points and maybe a boyfriend. The authors catalogue a numbing litany of such hookups over the year, culminating in the revelation of a 15-year-old student's sexual encounter with five older boys in the locker room. The discovery led to the boys' expulsion and national publicity, but the real shame revealed in these puerile chronicles is the degree to which bored rich youth struggle to mimic the behavior of adults. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In 2005, a student sex scandal marred the reputation of Milton Academy, an elite prep school located near Boston. Rather than focusing on the specifics of the incident, the authors, both Milton alums, try for a broader view of the school's sexual culture in this intimate account that follows a handful of seniors through their academic year. Bystanders to the scandal rather than participants, the profiled students face the ubiquitous concerns of privileged teens: college applications; the difficulties of balancing extracurricular activities, social life, and academics. What may seem startling, though, are the politics of the students' casual hook-ups and the language both sexes use to describe their attitudes and encounters. The unfocused narrative is weakened further by excessive detail that's often more mundane than revealing. Still, the authors, who base their telling on extensive personal interviews with their subjects, emerge with an honest portrait of contemporary teen sexual life that may prompt discussions across generational lines. For more insight into the sexual pressures affecting young adults, suggest Deborah Toman's Dilemmas of Desire (2002). Engberg, Gillian

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (August 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061192058
• ISBN-13: 978-0061192050
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #987,710 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible Writing, August 31, 2007

By 

Kathleen (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Restless Virgins: Love, Sex, and Survival at a New England Prep School (Hardcover)

Let's be honest, it's easy to make fun of prep schools. Unfortunately this book is a really lousy read, and completely unenlightening. If it's based on a true school as it says, then the authors have no one to blame but themselves for the weak character development and canned 'insights'. I was definitely disappointed and wouldn't recommend it - whether or not you liked "Prep" or prep schools.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad writing, misleading premise, November 11, 2007

By 

Book Maven - See all my reviews

This review is from: Restless Virgins: Love, Sex, and Survival at a New England Prep School (Hardcover)

As a non too-distant prep school grad and former high-school teacher, I though this book would shed insight into the minds of high-schoolers. Though the book starts out well, after I while I was bored reading about high school jocks having crazy sex and the titular "virgins" (a brainy trio nicknamed "The Hysterics" by classmates) doing pretty much nothing. The characters do not at all come to life in this drawn-out, repetitive waste of a book...why should I care what they think, feel or desire? In addition, the books is sold as a story of seniors who were at Milton when "the incident" happened (the incident involving one 15 yr old girl and five male sophomores and juniors, all apparently consentual). But the seniors are at best distantly related to the 5 guys in question: two of about 6 main characters know the accused boys, and the scandel hardly rocks the boat of any of the students we follow.

As an expose of teen sexual beliefs and practices, it is equally bland. Kids give eachother oral sex as young teens; who didn't know this? Some may be shocked and appalled, but come on. Many girls their same age (14-16) bear children across the world (including my former students). Since I was in high school nine years ago, not much has changed, it's just more known in the media that teens like sex. But even though the books sells sex, we see no aftermath of sexual activity, save the briefly mentioned incident. What about the emotions, reputations, repercussions? We get none of that.

All in all, this book is a waste of time. I can't even give it to my friends becasue I'm unable to not say, "But it's really, really bad." Sucks for the poor shopper who will buy it at Goodwill after I donate it.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing and vulgar, September 4, 2007

By 

Thomas - See all my reviews

This review is from: Restless Virgins: Love, Sex, and Survival at a New England Prep School (Hardcover)

As a single father who spends a fair amount of time worrying about my daughter, I picked up this book with hopes of learning what her high school experience might be like. After finishing it, I must say I'm surprised it's being marketed as a tool for empowering young girls and sparking conversations in families. Instead, all this book does is exploit girls. I certainly wouldn't bring it up at the dinner table. I think this book missed its sociological target and ended up in the airport romance novel genre.