kkaur23's review
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Not So Pure and Simple is a fantastic read. This is one of few novels I recommend teens consider based on their maturity and readiness to read about sex, relationships, and graphic details. Though it has a fair amount of graphic content, it is purposeful and highlights important conversations young adults should be having with their grown ups. It does also question the role of the church and the main character grows through the process of understanding what role church and faith play in his life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child abuse and Pregnancy
Minor: Self harm
conceptuallysound's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Pregnancy, and Bullying
Minor: Religious bigotry
carolined314's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Young Black boy accidentally joins a Purity club in pursuit of his crush, small town politics, religion, and sex all well discussed, and it's funny.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Religious bigotry
Minor: Pregnancy and Infidelity
space_bandit's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Moderate: Homophobia, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Infidelity
meleac07's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Homophobia
bendersreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
slow-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
5.0
This book is forever in my head.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Gaslighting and Religious bigotry
Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content
destdest's review
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There is an ever-present layer of general f**kboyish-ness in general (being a “nice” guy, double standards of teen pregnancy, objectification of women’s bodies, scoring how many girls you can sleep with, boys go have sex; girls stay pure, male entitlement, etc). Know that in advance it may make the story annoying for the average female reader. I know there were many times I was annoyed. But I think having the book coming from Del’s perspective helps call some things out without coming off preachy.
Beyond that, I found Del’s narrative fun. He had a strong voice. I loved Jameer! Del was always hilariously wondering if they were going to have to come to blows. The Purity Pledgers also captured my heart. I enjoyed how the story tackled that the lack of sex education can be very <b>harmful</b>. There were many times I had to laugh at the dialogue and how much of a butthole Qwan was lol.
I’m very familiar with the purity pledge especially at a Black church. So, it was relatable to me (they had a Harvest Fest; any Christian kid growing up knows the Halloween alternative parties: Hallelujah Night, Light the Night, etc). I also love that the characters weren’t just black or white, the church and the non-church goers. Neither gets demonized here.
Overall, I don’t regret reading this. I think I’m becoming a fan of Lamar Giles’ work. I would watch a Netflix adaption of this.
Ending spoilers/rambling:
Spoiler
so GLAD! Kiera didn’t get with Del. He was always pushing up on her in ways that made her uncomfortable. Some probably won’t like the Mya angle, but I figured they had a connection there. I was expecting Del to remain single.Spoiler
I read some reviews that were uncomfortable with Del’s brunt of realization coming after he found out his sister was sexually-assaulted. I hate to say it, but this is mad realistic. I know of way too many men, cousins even, that want to talk about who all is a hoe here and there, but until something happened unfavorably to their mom or sister, they doubled down on their misogyny. A lot of guys will even tell you they only care about the women in their family and everyone else can get mistreated. There can also be a lack of accountability when their guy friends are acting gross.Spoiler
With Pastor Newsome getting off scot-free after all his mess, have you been to a church lately? Call a pastor out publicly at church. You better be ready to bob and weave. The majority of the pastor’s supporters will skin you alive. That’s why most people just vote with their feet. A lot of indecent, abusive pastors stay in power because it takes a lot of courage to call out a pastor who has purposefully done wrong. I definitely agree Del’s mom should not have allowed the pastor to bully her son/left the church. I mean, eventually they find a new church, but only, after all the damage has been done.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
chapkip's review
challenging
funny
informative
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I liked the overall message of this book but I wish it hadn’t taken so long to get there. The pacing almost made the lessons learned feel like some plot-twist reveal
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual assault
plumpaperbacks's review
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
3.0
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: Religious bigotry and Body shaming
Minor: Bullying, Homophobia, Sexism, and Infidelity
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.bugmanreads's review
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: Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Bullying
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