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Stripped

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Everyone wants to know the secrets of a stripper, but no one is willing to pay the price...

Ever since her mother left, Annie Wilson has felt estranged from her home. She’s still stuck in the same town with the same memories, but without any family. Annie dreams of getting on a plane and never looking back - but she never imagined stripping would fast-track that dream.

Annie falls headfirst into the red light district and vows not to tell a soul. But when she starts dating outside of work, the lines begin to blur. As time goes on, Annie struggles to separate her personal life from her stage persona. How can she keep the two worlds separate?

Stripped is a sex-positive story about feminism, friendship, and family we find for ourselves. When the lights go low, take a peek at what it’s truly like to work the night shift…

317 pages, Paperback

Published October 5, 2023

4 people are currently reading
897 people want to read

About the author

Momo Chavez

1 book55 followers
Momo Chavez is an American-Filipina author currently residing in Melbourne, Australia. She has been writing ever since she was young, but Stripped is her debut novel. In her free time, Momo enjoys reading and pole fitness. She attended the University of Melbourne and studied English, then ditched this to follow her dreams working in publishing. She hopes that this is the first of many books.

Find Momo on Instagram: instagram.com/momochavezz

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5 stars
27 (64%)
4 stars
11 (26%)
3 stars
2 (4%)
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2 (4%)
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for chloe.
271 reviews28.8k followers
September 23, 2023
“I’m tired of hiding and cowering, not from men, but from you. The women who refuse to see that I exist. That I don’t just survive; I shine and transform and live. I create and dismantle my reality every single night to become whoever I want to be. You dismiss me, because I am your deepest fear - a woman completely in control. I know who you are because I used to be you.
I’m not “just a stripper”.
I’m not a failure, a cautionary tale, or a punchline.
I stand with the women who keep dancing even when their shoes hurt, while everyone tries to trip us up. No matter what you throw at us, we shake it off. We learn from your mistakes, adapt and come out on top, because that’s what women do.
Now ask yourself, is there room in your feminism for me?”


This book was captivating, raw and authentic. I finished it in tears, feeling inspired, hopeful, passionate and so proud to be a woman. With the amount of stigma still attached to sex work, I hope this will help those who still judge and shame women who engage in sex work to rethink their perspective.

This book perfectly showcases the importance of nuance when it comes to discussions of sex work. It’s raw in its depiction, and is not afraid to show the harsh realities of being a stripper, alongside the love, community and empowerment that can be gained. It highlights how so many people refuse to see strippers as real human beings, doing a job that they deserve to be paid for. It’s also the first book I’ve read that incorporates pole dance, which is a huge part of my life, so I loved that aspect of the book.

The main character is a bisexual baddie who is a passionate feminist and I quickly fell in love with her. The characters felt super fleshed out, and I was invested in the story from start to finish.

I felt seen, angry at the systems we exist in as women, empowered, and a huge feeling of catharsis. It showcases the power and beauty of sisterhood. It's sex positive. It shows the realities of complex family dynamics in a way I've never seen before. There's so much to love.

I just can’t praise this book enough. I’m so grateful to have read an early copy and to know Momo. I can’t wait to get everyone I know to read this when it is released next month! ♡
Profile Image for Caz (littlebookowl).
306 reviews39k followers
September 25, 2023
Upon finishing Stripped, I sent the following message to Momo:
"damn, my chest hurts from a mixture of intense heartache and warm fuzzies and f*ck yes female empowerment"

"sorry for the ouchies" was the response 🤭

Stripped is raw and has left me feeling the same, so I'll need a minute to process and articulate my thoughts. But it honestly blew me away, and I know these characters and words have taken up permanent residence in my brain.

It's been an honour to read and enjoy a book from such a dear friend, and to have been given the opportunity to read an early copy. I can't wait for you all to be able to read it!

Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Jaya.
171 reviews
October 22, 2023
Wow. I guess that's all I can really say.

I started reading this book with no expectations of what I was in for. All I knew is that my friends loved it so by extension I would enjoy it (probably).

What I got was much more than just an entertaining read. I was given a book that so eloquently articulates WHAT it means to be a woman in this world. This book so beautifully wrote the intricacies of female friendships, female vulnerability especially. And it wasn't even the big shocking scenes that made me cry (although I was already crying by page 12 soooooo haha) but it was the little passages, and the small comments that really dug into my heart and made it stick.

I cannot believe that this is a debut, the characters are so complex and nuanced, the plot is engaging from page 1 to the end and the pacing of this book oh lets talk about the pacing for a minute. It is one of the best that I have ever seen, I literally finished this in a matter of hours, and when I had to walk away from the book to focus on Uni things I just kept wanting to go back and finish it because it is just so good.

I obviously won't go into spoilers because I believe that everyone should read this book, but I will say (and also thank you Momo for including them) do take the trigger warnings seriously. I also believe that if you are currently going through a crisis of faith then just know that is also included in the book, it is not a central theme but as someone who is currently going through that it felt very prominent even though they were small scenes.

Momo, you have written a book that is raw, authentic but at the end of it all, beautiful. I feel like I am repeating myself but you have beautifully encapsulated what it means to be a woman in the world, whether it be the way we interact with one another, apoligise for things we frankly don't need to apoligise for, or just the feeling of feminine rage.

Being a woman is a unique experience and even through it all I would not want to change it for the world, and this book shows all sides of womanhood, from the very ugly to the most beautiful.

Thank you Momo for giving this book to the world, I cannot wait for my many re-reads!
Profile Image for Kassie.
435 reviews483 followers
October 13, 2023
4.5 stars.

Reading your friend's work is such an intimate experience. I was so nervous to read this because what if I didn't like it?? Luckily, my trust was not misguided and Momo hit pretty much every mark and more.

Following Annie, we watch her after graduating supporting herself with three jobs because her mom is a Grade A horrible parent who kicked her out for no reason when she was 16. Doing her best, she still graduated with good grades, but may not have slept as much as she should to get through high school and keep the lights on.

When her best friend Karima decides on a whim to apply to be an exotic dancer, aka stripper, and gets it, Annie says F*ck it and decides to go for it once she hears how much she can make in just a few hours.

This story is filled with so much laughter and joy between best friends, flirtation with the cute guy at the coffee shop. It's filled with learning how loving your sexuality, your sensuality, and your femininity is one of the most powerful things you can do for your self worth as a woman.

It's also filled with depression, guilt, shame, never feeling like your whole self is enough. It's a tough book. And it's an amazing read. At 30, it wasn't necessarily transformative for me but it certainly would have been had a read this 10 years ago. And I know it could be THE MOMENT for so many women out there, both young and old. We hold so much as women and this book reminds us that's there's no shame in being a woman unless we allow ourselves to feel that way.

Content Warnings:
- drug and alcohol abuse
- abandonment
- sexual assault (non penetrative)
- sexual intimidation
- depression
- emotional manipulation & gaslighting
- depiction of non diagnosed mental health issues

As always, I'm sure the list is not all inclusive, but this is what I saw.
Profile Image for abby.
261 reviews6 followers
December 28, 2023
this was so so good, I absolutely love the way in which Momo writes and I can’t wait for what she concocts next!!! This story was really deep and beautiful and the character were all so fleshed out and flawed. I would really recommend checking it out (after taking a look at the trigger warnings) you won’t regret it!
Profile Image for Hannah Phillips.
Author 2 books7 followers
October 10, 2023
Annie wants a change in her life. She’s been working three jobs, working towards her dream of moving to London. But she’s nowhere close to having the amount of money she needs to get to that goal. When there are some openings for jobs at a strip club, Annie and her best friend decide to try. And they get the jobs.
“Stripped is a sex-positive story about feminism, friendship, and family we find for ourselves. When the lights go low, take a peek at what it’s like to work the night shift…”
If I needed to give a short review of this book, I would say everyone needs to read this book. Luckily enough to me, I don’t need to write a short review of this book and now I’m able to rant about this book forever and ever and ever.
I absolutely binged this book. It was absolutely amazing, the entire thing. I honestly don’t know how Momo did it, every chapter was necessary to the plot but not obviously. All of the characters are fleshed out entirely.
I honestly don’t really know what to say about this book other than wow and you need to read this. I don’t know who ‘you’ is but you still need to read it. I hope that my lack of words helps you understand how much I loved this book. I’m literally speechless.
Thank you to Momo for writing this amazing book. It spreads a message of positivity for everyone and I hope that this book gets spread around so everyone who needs to read this can read this.
Fair warning, though, this book is incredibly heavy. There is a list of trigger warnings at the end of the authors note in the beginning. Please read those before you read the book, and if you think that the book would trigger you, please don’t read it. Your mental health is important to me , and to Momo.
Profile Image for Rachel.
382 reviews12 followers
October 16, 2023
Stripped is without a doubt one of my favourite books of the year.

This book is powerful and so genuine. It comes from lived experiences (mentioned in the author's note and the acknowledgements), and that's part of what makes this book so exceptional. Momo's writing is succinct, engaging and easy to follow. I read this book very quickly, then spent awhile processing before writing this review... The content of the book is heavy and leaves you feeling raw but also hopeful.

Annie is a bisexual feminist, determined to move to London and study her dream degree. She doesn't have the support of her family, she's working three jobs, and she is struggling to see how to make her dream come true. She goes through a lot, but comes out stronger on the other side.

Stripped is informative without being dense or boring. It educates about sex work, sex workers, identity and feminism. It addresses the societal conceptions of sex work and sex workers, and aims to promote a sex positive outlook. It takes the reader on a journey along with Annie as she learns to love her sexuality and feel comfortable in her skin. Her position as an adult entertainer takes her to some dark places but she also experiences the highs of a found family, in a place she wasn't expecting to find it.

This book tackles some hard topics, so give some consideration to those prior to picking this book up:
- Mental health (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia)
- Drug and alcohol use
- Physical assault
- Family conflict / abandonment

Honestly I just want everyone to read this. If feminism and sex positive books are of any interest to you, do yourself a favour and read this one.
1 review
October 21, 2023
This book. I cant put into words what this book has done for me. What this book invoked for me. I am so glad this book was made. this has easily become one of my all time favorite books. This book has helped me through my guilt and shame of being a sex worker/adult entertainer. it has empowered me, strengthen me and given me the courage to continue my work. My body is a temple and should be worshiped, i should worship it. I fell hard for Annie/Roxie. Her struggles, internally and externally made her so much more real for me. thank you momo for writing this, for giving a starting voice to those who are afraid to even think about exploring the world of sex work/adult entertainment. The representation of struggling with being ace/aro in that world was beautiful. the struggle of being able to accept who you truly are was magical. thank you. please continue to write. i want more.
169 reviews1 follower
January 27, 2024
Brilliant. Just absolutely perfect. I cannot wait for Momo to have this traditionally published, if only so I can recommend it again and again without the caveat that it's not currently available.

To Momo, thank you for writing this. The are places in Stripped where you've placed elements of yourself, of your life, of your friends and loved ones, and I want you to know that I am so proud of you. From booktube to published author, and everything in between, your hard work has paid off, and will continue to pay off.
I cannot wait to see what you do next.
Profile Image for Taylor.
192 reviews
October 21, 2023
Momo, the SPEED at which I read this! (I've been sleeping in my teenage bedroom in QLD for the past few days so it hit hard 😅) I wish I'd vlogged my reactions reading it!

This was so inspiring. We need more Australian new adult books, especially stories of women on the margins. What a ride 💖
Profile Image for Cat Bergman.
167 reviews10 followers
December 6, 2024
The debut novel of an Australian author & such an incredibly authentic book that had me crying over a quote before I read the book then crying again finishing it. The only book where I’ve literally begged the author to sell me a copy (after it sold out on Amazon) after reading a review featuring a quote that had me obsessing, crying and sending it to people. So grateful I got this signed copy from Momo (thank you once again if you see this).

A very realistic portrayal of the Australian sex industry, how sex workers are treated, and how sex workers often feel. Authentic, sometimes almost too authentic, that I wanted to yell, scream, cry, and tell off characters abusing our main character ahaha I even had a little rant after reading about Luca’s stunt he pulled (still fuming over that). I love all of our sex worker baddies, they feel so real, I feel I’ve known these women.

On a side note, as a found family enthusiast and a person that grew up with a complex family, I relate a lot to our main character and I loved seeing her path her own way, work towards her goals and ACHIEVE THEM! I feel like I don’t get to see enough of my characters achieve what they were seeking so I appreciate that. It’s inspiring, it’s motivating.


Also, I love the cute little chapter titles that are song titles, great taste in music, really adds to the book :)

One of few books that made me feel seen as a person and to that I’m incredibly grateful. I wish more books like this existed and more people read books like this. You did an amazing job Momo Chavez. I hope to see more books from you 🤍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for April.
60 reviews
November 21, 2023
Powerful message, strong themes and very real complex trauma women deal with. There was so much depth to Annie/Roxanne's story whilst not being heavily written and ovsrdescriptive. There was plenty inclusivity to the various communities and overall, a theme of empowerment.

Annie/Roxanne dreams of a better life, one she carves for herself and is doing everything she can to achieve it with a big 'fuck you' to those who let her down in her young age.

Momo, you have inspired me to live a little more authentically and chase happiness despite all the shit that's held, and holding me back.
Profile Image for Claudia Rose .
26 reviews5 followers
October 17, 2025
This book was an amazing rollercoaster of a read! I picked it up as someone who does pole fitness and wanted to learn and hear about experiences of strippers - or at least gain some insight.

The book started off as feeling really fun and nice and empowering, but then it took a sharp turn into the realities and traumas that impact people, especially women and SWers. And once I got to these pivotal moments, I could not stop reading. I wanted to know that these characters who felt so real and like I'd known them forever were going to be okay.

I read a lot of books that talk about trauma - but this book was different. It showed trauma in a way that felt very similar to my experiences with PTSD. It didn't glaze over it; it gave you a real and raw view of how trauma can manifest and show up without it having to be acknowledged as trauma.

As for the club aspect. Red Light was such a cool environment with some really cool dancers. I loved how it wasn't a stereotypical idea of what a club was and just showed women supporting women. Many scenes related to traumas in and outside of the club made me sad and physically tear up at times, but it also made me angry that people could treat workers this way, simply because of their job.

This book was so well written. The characters were people I felt like I knew, and they had such rich backstories. It was a hard read at times, but it's also one that I'll remember for a long time and I've definitely taken a lot away from it.
1 review
November 25, 2023
I read this book cover to cover in one sitting. I simply could not put it down. It is unlike anything I have ever read, not for my lack of diverse reading, but for the raw discussion and reality of sex work that many shy away from or dismiss completely. It is beautifully written. Period. A gem of its own making, a truely unique perspective that disavows the societal demonisation of sex work and immerses you in the authentic human experience.

Juxtaposed with comedy and dark themes, it is a testament to the author to have created such a marvel that assertively tells you where to stick it if you still subscribe to the prejudices of sex workers.
Profile Image for lesdoigtsdargent.
301 reviews1 follower
January 5, 2025
this book is great! not usually my genre, but i enjoyed the fact that it tackles topics nobody talks about! men are trash. seriously.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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