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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
so so so incredibly entertaining. I never wanted to put this book down! all the characters are very well developed and though the book follows a typical YA plot line structure, each character has their own way of surprising you which still left you on edge :) a book i’d read over and over again just to get a good laugh and crack a smile! if only there were a sequel so i could know more about Del! (and mya like how are u ending a book like that...)
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a great read as an adult. I think it would make for great and challenging conversation between parent and child.
Mr. Giles' ability to write about deep issues like ingrained sexism in a nuanced way needs more development as of yet. Del's understanding of his own misogyny seems sudden, limited and not reflective of the real world, which irritated me.
Picked this up based on the cover, and the description seemed interesting.
I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, I felt the characters were very well developed and the author did a good job at bringing up issues in the world while still making them realistic.
I liked the MC despite how terrible of a person he was at times, and I'm glad he didn't get everything he wanted. Felt realistic.
4.5/5
I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, I felt the characters were very well developed and the author did a good job at bringing up issues in the world while still making them realistic.
I liked the MC despite how terrible of a person he was at times, and I'm glad he didn't get everything he wanted. Felt realistic.
4.5/5
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual harassment
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I’ll admit at first glance I was attracted to Not So Pure and Simple by the beautiful cover, and once I looked into the book more I was intrigued by the premise and was looking forward to exploring it more.
Not So Pure and Simple is primarily about Del, who has had a crush on Kiera since they were little. To get her attention he volunteers for an opportunity at their church, and soon finds himself signing up for Purity Pledge. Throughout the book, Del must figure out how to make his move but forgets to ask what Kiera wants.
This book did tackle the topics of religion, toxic masculinity, sex and male entitlement in an informative way, but I’ll admit it did fall short of my expectations. For starters, I couldn’t warm to Del at all. I found him to be selfish and stalker-like in his pursuit of Kiera. He never stopped to think about what she wanted, and only took her thoughts into account after his sister got involved. His obsession with Kiera causes him to overlook the other key things happening in his life, and this causes him to alienate his loved ones. Granted, he does see the error of his ways come the end and his character is redeemed, but for the most part, he just comes off as very unlikeable.
Toxic masculinity and sex are some of the main topics in Not So Pure and Simple, and it really does go deep into how masculinity is perceived in society. For example, Del learns a lot about himself and how he went the wrong way in pursuit of Kiera. Sex is also tackled within this book and we see it from the side of churchgoers wanting to discourage the teaching of sex education within the school and starting a purity pledge to the side of the school wanting to teach their students how to have safe sex after a spout of teens getting pregnant. It was really interesting to see both sides of the argument and it was probably the redeeming quality of this book.
Not So Pure and Simple was a fascinating read with regards to toxic masculinity and sex education. However, the fact I couldn’t connect with the main protagonist brought it down in my expectations. Still, if you want to read a story with topics that are dealt with well, this might be for you.
I’ll admit at first glance I was attracted to Not So Pure and Simple by the beautiful cover, and once I looked into the book more I was intrigued by the premise and was looking forward to exploring it more.
Not So Pure and Simple is primarily about Del, who has had a crush on Kiera since they were little. To get her attention he volunteers for an opportunity at their church, and soon finds himself signing up for Purity Pledge. Throughout the book, Del must figure out how to make his move but forgets to ask what Kiera wants.
This book did tackle the topics of religion, toxic masculinity, sex and male entitlement in an informative way, but I’ll admit it did fall short of my expectations. For starters, I couldn’t warm to Del at all. I found him to be selfish and stalker-like in his pursuit of Kiera. He never stopped to think about what she wanted, and only took her thoughts into account after his sister got involved. His obsession with Kiera causes him to overlook the other key things happening in his life, and this causes him to alienate his loved ones. Granted, he does see the error of his ways come the end and his character is redeemed, but for the most part, he just comes off as very unlikeable.
Toxic masculinity and sex are some of the main topics in Not So Pure and Simple, and it really does go deep into how masculinity is perceived in society. For example, Del learns a lot about himself and how he went the wrong way in pursuit of Kiera. Sex is also tackled within this book and we see it from the side of churchgoers wanting to discourage the teaching of sex education within the school and starting a purity pledge to the side of the school wanting to teach their students how to have safe sex after a spout of teens getting pregnant. It was really interesting to see both sides of the argument and it was probably the redeeming quality of this book.
Not So Pure and Simple was a fascinating read with regards to toxic masculinity and sex education. However, the fact I couldn’t connect with the main protagonist brought it down in my expectations. Still, if you want to read a story with topics that are dealt with well, this might be for you.
A book that looks at sex, church, and the toxic masculinity that invades everything we do. The main character is a teenage boy, so this is a real journey.