Reviews
The Purity Myth: How America's Obsession with Virginity Is Hurting Young Women by Jessica Valenti
raloveridge's review against another edition
Had to put this one on hold. Because. Well. It's boring?
jjgrl55's review against another edition
4.0
I only gave it four stars because I was already very well informed on most of what Valenti discussed. As a primer for sex-positive feminism and the virginity movement though, it would definitely deserve 5 stars!
erinsanson's review against another edition
4.0
My first Valenti—really enjoyed it! I didn’t always think that her humor was appropriate but I thought this was very educational and eye-opening even to a seasoned feminist.
caedocyon's review against another edition
3.0
Lightweight, nothing really new or surprising, but not bad as far as preaching to the choir goes. I was kind of embarrassed to read this in public.
azn_trang's review against another edition
4.0
Starts off a little White Feminist(TM) at first but then it acknowledges WOC and their experiences later on
annakmeyer's review against another edition
3.0
Though I agreed with most of the author's points, she was way too condescending for almost the whole book.
moadore's review against another edition
3.0
Agreed with everything in it, but don't feel it brought up anything I wasn't already aware of.
kellylynnthomas's review against another edition
3.0
Valenti's book The Purity Myth takes a hard look at the virgin/whore dichotomy in our culture and really takes the virginity movement to task. She exposes much of the rhetoric the movement uses to appear feminist and forward-thinking.
What she doesn't do that disappoints me is correct much of the movement's lies. She talks many times about the lies and false statistics abstinence only education feeds our children, but does not provide the actual facts.
The book is a call to action, and a compelling one, but it fails to deliver a good counter-argument that its readers can use against the virginity movement and the lies and false statistics about pre-marital sex.
She also talks about the "hook up culture" in a tangential way. The virginity movement argues that the hook up culture hurts young women and that casual sex can lead to depression. Valenti argues that it doesn't, but she doesn't touch on the fact that the college "hook up culture" relies on a double standard that does, in fact, label girls who have casual sex as whores, and therefore DOES have a negative emotional impact on young women. NOT because they are having casual sex, but because they are punished for having casual sex. I would highly recommend reading "Hooking Up: Sex, Dating and Relationships on Campus" by Kathleen Bogle for a very in-depth study of this to supplement the brief mentions Valenti gives it.
Despite its flaws, this is an excellent book and all young women should read it, if only so they know that they are not who they have sex with!!
What she doesn't do that disappoints me is correct much of the movement's lies. She talks many times about the lies and false statistics abstinence only education feeds our children, but does not provide the actual facts.
The book is a call to action, and a compelling one, but it fails to deliver a good counter-argument that its readers can use against the virginity movement and the lies and false statistics about pre-marital sex.
She also talks about the "hook up culture" in a tangential way. The virginity movement argues that the hook up culture hurts young women and that casual sex can lead to depression. Valenti argues that it doesn't, but she doesn't touch on the fact that the college "hook up culture" relies on a double standard that does, in fact, label girls who have casual sex as whores, and therefore DOES have a negative emotional impact on young women. NOT because they are having casual sex, but because they are punished for having casual sex. I would highly recommend reading "Hooking Up: Sex, Dating and Relationships on Campus" by Kathleen Bogle for a very in-depth study of this to supplement the brief mentions Valenti gives it.
Despite its flaws, this is an excellent book and all young women should read it, if only so they know that they are not who they have sex with!!