Like many millennials, I am familiar with Maitland Ward as part of a staple of my youth. These last few years I would come across comments in random places on the internet: “did you know Rachel from Boy Meets World does porn now?” and I’d pause for just a sec and then continue minding my own business.

Rated X is a foray into one young woman’s experience in Hollywood, first on a well-known soap and then eventually on the TGIF lineup. Once mainstream tv opportunities started drying up, Ward took it upon herself to celebrate her sexuality, basically not caring what anyone *cough Disney cough* thought of her or what she wanted to do with her body.

I liked that she called people out by name–it was reminiscent of Busy Phillips’s (really great) memoir where she just goes to town outing those who wronged her. However Ward does it in a way that doesn’t make her seem too angry (when she has every right to be!) and she does seem thankful for many of her experiences and connections she’s made.

Not gonna lie, my eyes glazed over some parts of it. I’m not a prude but wow. I don’t know much about the porn industry so it was all very interesting and intimate. There are important messages regarding body and sex positivity and the roles women are expected to play in their lives. Overall, I’m happy she’s found something that makes her happy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

Review
(I will say I tried to post this exact review on #barnesandnoble and it was flagged for profanity)
I received an ARC of Ward’s Rated X and read it in a single afternoon. It’s a fabulous memoir about finding your true self in a world that often tells women we are wrong for enjoying our bodies and sex. Maitland obviously started out as a mainstream actress, but when the work dried up she took matters into her own hands and finally discovered her calling. Throwing a huge middle finger to Hollywood and all the naysayers, she has become a savvy businesswoman, desired actress in the porn industry, and a spokesperson for the rights of women in the field. Overall this was a five star read!