A review by bookinitwithahtiya
Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles

4.5

This is a solid Young Adult novel that tackles SO MANY things: toxic masculinity, ingrained misogyny, the varying degrees and complexities within Christianity, the importance of sex education, and more. At first, you might be a bit turned off my the protagonist, but then you realize he is a product of our society, the one that tells boys they have to be sexually active and teaches them to "go get girls" like they're conquests. There a sense of entitlement and Nice Guy™️ that rolls of of Del, and for those of us who have dealt with the men that start out as young men like this, it can be pretty frustrating. What's masterful about Giles' writing is that Del goes on a journey and is checked on his toxic masculinity and entitlement SEVERAL times; it's a sneaky way to send a message to the audience that needs it most, and it's brilliant.