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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexism, Religious bigotry
Click the link to read my book review: https://psistillreadyou.wordpress.com/2020/03/16/book-review-not-so-pure-and-simple-by-lamar-giles/
4.5 really great book. I realized while reading this one that I don’t think I have ever read a young adult contemporary that is written by a man and from the perspective of a teenage boy. This book starts with a humorous premise and goes pretty deep. The main character accidentally signs up for a purity pledge at church in an effort to get the attention of a girl who he has had a crush on for years. There are some really great discussions of toxic masculinity, and a learning journey for the main character as he deals with the consequences of his behaviors and actions, and takes ownership for some of his unhealthy and harmful beliefs. I have read other reviews that mention feeling triggered by reading from the main character’s perspective, because he honestly is kind of an asshole for a lot of the book. I can understand feeling that way, but I personally was grateful to experience a realistic internal monologue for this teenage boy. I felt like it actually provided me with more clarity and understanding as to how essentially good people can ignore problematic and harmful behaviors because of their privilege and inability to see from the perspective of others. I definitely want to read more by this author and highly recommend this book.
Not So Pure and Simple takes a look at teen sexuality. There’s lots of good angles - the boy who has a reputation as a player and doesn’t want anyone to know he’s actually a virgin, hysteria around “a rash” of teen pregnancies, purity pledges and church influence over sex-Ed programmes in public schools - but it just didn’t fully come together for me.
When Del’s mother starts going to church, she drags him along with her. The only thing that gets Del through those dull sermons is watching Kiera Westing, a girl he’s had a crush on since kindergarten. Even better, for the first time ever, Kiera is single! Now it’s up to Del to figure out a way to get close to her. When he sees Kiera joining a group of other students up at the front of the church, Del joins them, not realizing that he’s agreed to be part of the Purity Pledge, not to have sex until marriage. But maybe this is the key to get Kiera’s attention. He knows that his reputation makes him an unlikely participant, since everyone’s heard about the orgy that happened Freshman year. Del, with the help of a new friend, decides to play the long game and prove his pure intent. Along the way, he becomes friends with the other kids doing the Pledge and finds himself taking their sex-related questions to the sex-ed teacher at school, a class none of the other Pledge kids are allowed to attend. Del is sure he has Kiera just where he wants her, but he has yet to realize that Kiera has to be just where she wants to be too.
I am so pleased to see a book about toxic masculinity with a male protagonist who wakes up to the flaws in his intricate plans just a bit too late. Del is a marvelous hero of the book, filled with personal flaws, intelligent but also conniving. He sees himself as a good guy, but others don’t see him that way and readers will recognize that he’s not being honest with anyone, not even himself. Readers will root for Del even as he is manipulating Kiera and others around him. That is one of the best twists of the book, as readers nod along with Del, they too will realize the way they are seeing women and girls, and the changes they need to make to not be toxic themselves.
The clear writing and varied characters make this a great choice. It is the nuanced way that Giles writes about the church and being a male African-American teenager that adds a rich depth to the book. He offers readers opportunities to learn, to grow and to realize things about themselves without ever being preachy about it.
A frank look at sex, lies and toxic masculinity with a main character to cheer for, despite it all. Appropriate for ages 14-18.
I am so pleased to see a book about toxic masculinity with a male protagonist who wakes up to the flaws in his intricate plans just a bit too late. Del is a marvelous hero of the book, filled with personal flaws, intelligent but also conniving. He sees himself as a good guy, but others don’t see him that way and readers will recognize that he’s not being honest with anyone, not even himself. Readers will root for Del even as he is manipulating Kiera and others around him. That is one of the best twists of the book, as readers nod along with Del, they too will realize the way they are seeing women and girls, and the changes they need to make to not be toxic themselves.
The clear writing and varied characters make this a great choice. It is the nuanced way that Giles writes about the church and being a male African-American teenager that adds a rich depth to the book. He offers readers opportunities to learn, to grow and to realize things about themselves without ever being preachy about it.
A frank look at sex, lies and toxic masculinity with a main character to cheer for, despite it all. Appropriate for ages 14-18.
I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read YA for a while, and definitely not contemporary YA, so this made a nice change. It was also set in a completely different environment to my own, which also made it a really interesting read. Not So Pure and Simple takes place in a small black community in America after a series of teenage pregnancies have scared the town’s parents and church. It explores sexism, gender roles, and toxic masculinity in an entertaining and occasionally embarrassing way, and it was amazing.
It was a really fast-paced and entertaining read, especially since I’m only a couple of years past sixth form and so could relate to a lot of the school situations, drama, and balancing a social life with school. I loved the church aspect of the book, as I’ve never had any experience of what it’s like to be in a strict community church, which can govern so many elements of a person’s home life and even encroach on their school life. It seemed so different from how I view churches in England, and the non-existent role my church played in my secondary school education, and in my life, or my parents’ lives. It’s there, but it’s not a focal point, and this really introduced me to places where the church is central to every aspect of your life. It was really interesting to read about, especially from a young adult’s perspective.
Another aspect I loved about this book was the exploration of gender roles and the denouncement of toxic masculinity. I was starting to lose the love for this book about 3/4s through as the main character, Del, was really getting on my nerves. Throughout the book, he is the classic “nice guy” trope, where nice guy means putting themselves out and doing something a girl didn’t want or ask for, and decreeing themselves a wonderful person. He ignores his friend and refuses to listen to him on multiple occasions because he isn’t hearing what he wants to hear about the girl he likes. He believes he is entitled to her because of the effort he has put in and when she makes it clear she’s not into him, he name-calls and slut-shames her. Over the course of the book, it becomes more and more clear that he is a massive asshole, and is completely unaware. He is not a nice guy, and I was starting to worry that he wouldn’t recognise this by the end. Fortunately, that was not the case at all. He is seriously called out by a friend and his sister about his behaviour, and how toxic his view on women was, and how he has no right to feel entitled to anyone no matter what. This is a bit of a struggle for him to hear, but he does start to work on his behaviour and his feelings by the end of the novel, which won this book back for me and planted it firmly as a 4 star read.
I would’ve loved this book even more if it had been from his sister’s perspective. She was an amazing character, a feminist icon, and was also going through her own struggles, and I would’ve liked to have seen a lot more of her. Like a whole book full of her. But I definitely still recommend this book.
It was a really fast-paced and entertaining read, especially since I’m only a couple of years past sixth form and so could relate to a lot of the school situations, drama, and balancing a social life with school. I loved the church aspect of the book, as I’ve never had any experience of what it’s like to be in a strict community church, which can govern so many elements of a person’s home life and even encroach on their school life. It seemed so different from how I view churches in England, and the non-existent role my church played in my secondary school education, and in my life, or my parents’ lives. It’s there, but it’s not a focal point, and this really introduced me to places where the church is central to every aspect of your life. It was really interesting to read about, especially from a young adult’s perspective.
Another aspect I loved about this book was the exploration of gender roles and the denouncement of toxic masculinity. I was starting to lose the love for this book about 3/4s through as the main character, Del, was really getting on my nerves. Throughout the book, he is the classic “nice guy” trope, where nice guy means putting themselves out and doing something a girl didn’t want or ask for, and decreeing themselves a wonderful person. He ignores his friend and refuses to listen to him on multiple occasions because he isn’t hearing what he wants to hear about the girl he likes. He believes he is entitled to her because of the effort he has put in and when she makes it clear she’s not into him, he name-calls and slut-shames her. Over the course of the book, it becomes more and more clear that he is a massive asshole, and is completely unaware. He is not a nice guy, and I was starting to worry that he wouldn’t recognise this by the end. Fortunately, that was not the case at all. He is seriously called out by a friend and his sister about his behaviour, and how toxic his view on women was, and how he has no right to feel entitled to anyone no matter what. This is a bit of a struggle for him to hear, but he does start to work on his behaviour and his feelings by the end of the novel, which won this book back for me and planted it firmly as a 4 star read.
I would’ve loved this book even more if it had been from his sister’s perspective. She was an amazing character, a feminist icon, and was also going through her own struggles, and I would’ve liked to have seen a lot more of her. Like a whole book full of her. But I definitely still recommend this book.
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes