Not So Pure and Simple

It's probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

I didn't even know about this book until a few weeks ago but when I saw the author tweet about the kind of themes he was talking about in it, I wanted to give it a try. And I've previously read an anthology edited by Lamar Giles called Fresh Ink which was amazing, so I was expecting this to be equally compelling.

It's actually been a while since I've read a YA contemporary because I've started feeling a bit too old for them, so I'm trying not to project my adult perceptions onto the book. The book was very easy to read, engaging in a way that made me not want to put it down more than a couple of times. I thought the conversation style between the teenagers was realistic but I truly don't have any experience to compare it to. The author also manages to keep the fun going while interspersing the narrative with some serious discussions and introspection and I thought that was done real well.

Religion plays a major role in the storyline here and while it's another experience that I can't comment about its authenticity, I thought the importance of being a part of the church and adhering to its teachings among the characters was depicted very realistically. And I liked the message that though some in the leadership and elderly congregants might stick to old school principles, it's the young people with their new ideas and new perspectives that can make the church and religion itself much more progressive and inclusive.

The other major theme throughout the book is male entitlement and how men (and young boys) dismiss the opinions or just about any assertion by a woman, assume that they themselves are always right, consider themselves entitled to women's time and space and bodies, and then lash out when their so-called feelings aren't reciprocated. Obviously toxic masculinity can't be eradicated by reading one book but the author definitely tries to talk about how young boys can be taught to recognize such behavior within themselves and try to change.

The author also tries to talk about the dichotomy of a church preaching abstinence and purity pledges, trying to prevent the school from following a comprehensive sex ed program despite an increasing rate of teen pregnancies and how this adversely affects the young women who do end up getting pregnant and then slut shamed, but no one even cares who the responsible father was. The undue burden put on women in every aspect of their lives is shown extremely realistically in a couple of chapters which hit very close to my heart and those few chapters are definitely what make me want to recommend this book to everyone.

Del is like any teenager who has a crush on a girl and finally thinks it's his time because she has broken up with her boyfriend. He is also reluctant to go the church but finding Kiera at the same place gives him an opportunity to impress her and that's how he gets involved in the activities. On one hand he makes some lasting friendships in the church group, realizes the importance of the community and how it can be a force of good and change; but on the other hand, he never deviates from his almost obsession with Kiera and neglects many other important tasks in his life. He is obviously encouraged by his other friends which just shows how much peers influence the behavior and how much more parents have to be in communication with their kids. I thought the author did a great job making Del sympathetic enough that we find him a relatable teenager but also are able to recognize his faults - I just wanted to give him a good shake sometimes and make him see how wrong he was.

The whole friend group is very diverse with very distinct personalities, their own unique relationship with faith and the church and with each other. There are conflicts and difficulties but they also resolve in their own ways and I enjoyed the varied dynamics between each of them. Del's sister Cressie plays a very small but one of the most important parts in the story and I loved the transcripts of her YouTube videos. While I didn't like that the author uses the concept of men learning to respect women's boundaries when something happens to a woman in their family, I think the change has to start somewhere and this is as good a reason as any. I also found Del's parents dynamic very interesting - they are so much in sync in many ways but still there's an element of dismissal of a woman's beliefs and fears and I thought that was so realistic as well.

To conclude, this is a great teen contemporary that gives a very unique perspective on religion, toxic masculinity, and female agency without beating down its message or portraying anyone as the villain. It's charming, relatable, with a great cast of characters and a very important message that I think deserves a read. I would definitely recommend it to any teenage readers or parents of young kids, as well as anyone who enjoys reading contemporary stories rooted in reality.

4.5 so rounding up here. Half a star off for some plot conveniences, but this book is GREAT and needed! Korey Jackson was my fave male narrator of Let Me Hear a Rhyme and does an excellent job here. He sounds like a teen and gets the emphasis and tone right. Giles serves up an exploration of toxic masculinity, purity culture, and youth church life that feels fresh, funny, and authentic. Also, I've never heard the kids say “lying on my dick” but I hope it's either a phrase they use in secret or start to use because it's GOLD! Will definitely need more library copies ready for this one because I see it selling hard after booktalks!

This was really good! It touches on many important things (but mainly sexism and toxic masculinity) and it was just such a pleasant surprise. I think I went into it thinking it would be kind of rom-com-like with the “hihi-haha I'll pretend to pledge for virginity to get an in with a girl I like” plot we had going on, but it went so much deeper than that and I'm so happy it did, it was so good!
Del as a narrator was interesting, although he's not exactly likeable. He's very arrogant throughout most of the book and so fucking oblivious as well that I occasionally felt ready to punch him in the face. I also had a bit of a hard time with the plot revolving around Kiera, who I thought was pretty bland and she and Del had no chemistry whatsoever, which also made it weird that he kept on wanting to pursue her. This decision makes sense the further you get into the story, but it was quite frustrating at times. Especially considering that he had so much chemistry with Shianne, quite a lot with Mya too, and honestly I kinda wish he would have been written as bi because Jameer was there, hello, hi, Jameer. Oh well, a girl can't have everything.
Shianne was by far my favorite character of them all. She was honest, funny, cool, and she really knew how to put Del in his place. Like, I'm stuck between wanting to date her and wanting to be her, she was just chef's kiss.
I loved Jameer and Cwan too. They were just such great characters and I wish we had seen Del spend more time with them. At first I was suspicious of Jameer's intentions around helping Del because I thought he had the hots for Del and was doing senseless work helping Del get with Kiera while Kiera was helping Jameer get with Del... This was certainly not the case, although I wouldn't have minded lmao. It would have been fun and would have given me more Jameer, so it would have been a win for everyone, honestly. Cwan was just a really supportive friend who seemed like the type to learn from situations well, and I loved how he changed a bit after meeting Angie, although I also wish we would have seen more of him instead of Del always being like “he's off with Angie”. Oh, well, once again, a girl can only ask for so much, right?
The religious element in any story is very much a struggle for me, mainly because I personally feel so entirely estranged from believing in religion in almost any capacity, and in this story it was definitely aggravating me too. You can't put a bigoted character in front of me and say “oh, he's a good person deep down” like, nah, dude, he's bigoted and he's bad. I get the whole learning and getting better by the end, but before that I was just so put off by the idea because this man had shown quite literally no sense of progress so why would that even compell you to give him the benefit of the doubt?
On a last note, I will stand by the fact that Cressie and Jaylen are gay for each other till the day I die. 
Goodnight.