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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Korey Jackson. Korey did a great job narrating, but I was starting to lose interest in the book about 50-65% way through. I dunno, maybe it's just not for me. I'm glad the problematic attitude and actions of Del were addressed at least.
This was a good book and I got angry and tense and laughed and all of that over again. An important read.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Not So Pure and Simple. Ultimately, I didn’t love or hate this novel. I liked Giles’ writing style and some of the themes incorporated into the story. While the characters definitely felt like teenagers and I admired the growth many of them experienced, I wasn’t attached to any of them. I appreciated the way the story ended, as it felt authentic. I don’t think there’s much else for me to say; although this wasn’t a book for me, it was a decent read and one I think will be important for and enjoyed by many actual teens.
Representation
Representation
- Black protagonist and side characters
- Black gay side character
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Religious bigotry
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexism
I’m not sure “body shaming” is the right term, but it was the best fit I could find in the offered tags. What I’m trying to convey is that the book contains slut-shaming, mostly regarding teen moms.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
DISCLAIMER: I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This hasn’t influenced my opinions.
This was a perfect book to read during Black history month (US) and LGBT history month (UK) as it covered both topics fairly and respectfully.
It was really nice to read about black culture via the viewpoint of a black teenager and his growth as a person throughout the book as he learns what it means to be a man and about toxic masculinity. It was a really unique viewpoint to come at this topic, through the eyes of someone who is so used to the ingrained sexism in the world that he doesn’t see any of it in himself. In the way he treats his mother and sister, to his observations of girls at his school, to his absolute one track minded focus on ‘getting the girl’.
Del starts off fairly unlikeable, at least to me, as early on in the book he lies to get into a Purity Pledge group with the girl he fancies, he makes objectifying comments about girls, and he practically ignores his female relatives. His friends aren’t much better which I think only helps to fuel this particular fire and make it out as though his opinions are correct because more people agree with him.
He then slowly gets exposed to more and more feminist and empowering ideas, through his pledge group, the group of teenagers who recently had children, and through his sister and her youtube videos. The whole book feels like someone gently tapping on an egg and more and more cracks appearing till you can almost see the inside. Slow and steady wins this particular race, for sure!
I really appreciate how passionate the people around him are about women’s rights and the issues they go through every day. I think a book telling this from the male perspective is really useful because quite often guys just hear about it from the women in their lives, but this book really helps to show them as if it’s coming from them.
It’s also nice to see a new perspective on religion since Del doesn’t know everything about it yet, so he’s figuring out what sort of christian he wants to be and asking some really important questions along the way.
Side note: The Pastor is SUCH an unlikeable character that I found myself genuinely grimacing every time he was on the page. He’s so manipulative and slimy… it really jumped off the page for me.
I like the comparisons from guys assaulting girls to the irrational anger towards them, and how these things are on a sliding scale and don’t get to be minimised just because you ‘didn’t actually assault anyone’. Girls don’t know that you’re one of the ‘good guys’ when you’re mad at them for not fancying you, so either way it’s terrifying for them, and I’m glad that was addressed.
This book really addresses a lot of issues and how blurry and subtle some of the things that need to change can be. I thought it was from a unique viewpoint and a really enjoyable read. It really got me angry and worried at some parts!
I’ll be keeping an eye on this author in the future for sure.
This was a perfect book to read during Black history month (US) and LGBT history month (UK) as it covered both topics fairly and respectfully.
It was really nice to read about black culture via the viewpoint of a black teenager and his growth as a person throughout the book as he learns what it means to be a man and about toxic masculinity. It was a really unique viewpoint to come at this topic, through the eyes of someone who is so used to the ingrained sexism in the world that he doesn’t see any of it in himself. In the way he treats his mother and sister, to his observations of girls at his school, to his absolute one track minded focus on ‘getting the girl’.
Del starts off fairly unlikeable, at least to me, as early on in the book he lies to get into a Purity Pledge group with the girl he fancies, he makes objectifying comments about girls, and he practically ignores his female relatives. His friends aren’t much better which I think only helps to fuel this particular fire and make it out as though his opinions are correct because more people agree with him.
He then slowly gets exposed to more and more feminist and empowering ideas, through his pledge group, the group of teenagers who recently had children, and through his sister and her youtube videos. The whole book feels like someone gently tapping on an egg and more and more cracks appearing till you can almost see the inside. Slow and steady wins this particular race, for sure!
I really appreciate how passionate the people around him are about women’s rights and the issues they go through every day. I think a book telling this from the male perspective is really useful because quite often guys just hear about it from the women in their lives, but this book really helps to show them as if it’s coming from them.
It’s also nice to see a new perspective on religion since Del doesn’t know everything about it yet, so he’s figuring out what sort of christian he wants to be and asking some really important questions along the way.
Side note: The Pastor is SUCH an unlikeable character that I found myself genuinely grimacing every time he was on the page. He’s so manipulative and slimy… it really jumped off the page for me.
I like the comparisons from guys assaulting girls to the irrational anger towards them, and how these things are on a sliding scale and don’t get to be minimised just because you ‘didn’t actually assault anyone’. Girls don’t know that you’re one of the ‘good guys’ when you’re mad at them for not fancying you, so either way it’s terrifying for them, and I’m glad that was addressed.
This book really addresses a lot of issues and how blurry and subtle some of the things that need to change can be. I thought it was from a unique viewpoint and a really enjoyable read. It really got me angry and worried at some parts!
I’ll be keeping an eye on this author in the future for sure.
A top 10 of the year read, the best ya contemporary I have ever read. ALL THE STARS!!
I originally passed on this book, but when I saw it recommended by Justin A. Reynolds, I thought I would give it a try, and WOW! This book is gold. So funny and honest, and I just thought Giles did such an incredible job with all the topics he tackled.
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funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes