Review: Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles

Title: Not So Pure and Simple
Author: Lamar Giles
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: January 21st 2020
Pages: 389
Genre: Young Adult contemporary
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads | Puchase from Bookshop

Del has had a crush on Kiera Westing since kindergarten. And now, during their junior year, she’s finally available. So when Kiera volunteers for an opportunity at their church, Del’s right behind her. Though he quickly realizes he’s inadvertently signed himself up for a Purity Pledge. His best friend, Qwan, doesn’t believe anyone is worth this long of a long game. But Del’s not about to lose his dream girl. And that’s where fellow pledger Jameer comes in. He can put in the good word, but with other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move now. However, with all his plotting and scheming, Del never really stops to think: What does Kiera want? No matter, though—once he gets the girl, he’s sure all will sort itself out. Right? 

This book completely took me by surprise. I was expecting it to just be a funny story about a guy accidentally taking a purity pledge to get with a girl, and it does start out that way... but then it somehow turns into a really insightful story about toxic masculinity and male entitlement, in the best way possible! Not only is this book super entertaining; its message is a really important one, especially for boys and young men.

I don't think I've ever read a book by a male author about a male protagonist that explores toxic masculinity, male entitlement, and consent in such explicit terms, and I am SO happy Lamar Giles did just that. Del is a great character to use to teach especially male readers about consent and male entitlement to women's bodies because he's not a terrible guy that you would immediately judge or write off as someone who doesn't respect women. Del considers himself a nice guy, he has female friends and, I would think, could be a relatable character for teenage boys (although I of course can't speak of that with any authority). I honestly didn't even think he was super problematic in the beginning; he was a pretty average guy, which, I mean, isn't great, but wasn't anything that would've tipped me off to how this book would end up being all about his personal growth from an ostensibly nice guy to someone who actually thinks about consent and male entitlement to women's bodies. Since I wasn't expecting it, I was extra excited when the book started addressing consent and toxic masculinity so explicitly. 

The lessons Del learns are SO important and something I haven't seen discussed in YA very much. I loved reading about the frank conversations his mother, sister, and female friends have with him. I've seen some other reviewers complain about how much of Del's realization about how men's creepy, predatory behavior affects women depends on him learning about his sister's experiences, and of course the idea that men would only learn to care about women because they have a mother/daughter/sister is problematic. But I actually really enjoyed seeing Del's family discuss these topics so openly, and I was especially impressed with the way Del's mom calls out his dad for his own participation in toxic masculinity and for enabling Del's entitlement to women's bodies; this conversation within their family, in my opinion, was really important for helping us understand how toxic masculinity is perpetuated by father-son relationships and can be passed down through generations. I also loved how Shianne explicitly calls Del out for the whole "I'm a nice guy, therefore I deserve a reward/am entitled to women"; all of the women in this book are fantastic characters.

The discussion of sex education is really well done as well, and this book clearly shows the consequences of abstinence-only sex ed. I was especially impressed with the discussion of teen pregnancy and how the lack of sex education intersects with society stigmatizing sexually active girls and teen moms but fails to hold boys accountable. 

And finally, the racial politics of this novel are great; most of the characters in this book are Black, and their Blackness and experiences of racism definitely inform their conversations and ideas, without this becoming a problem novel about racism. I only wish that the connections between race and gender had been explored a little more; for example, Cressie has a YouTube channel where she talks about feminist issues, but we never see her talk about her experiences as a Black woman specifically, and Shianne, a Black teen mom, never speaks about the specific racialized sexism Black women, especially Black teenage moms, experience. 

The only element of this book I wasn't the biggest fan of was the discussion of religion. I'm not sure what the alternative would be, since bashing religion would probably alienate a lot of readers, but I didn't like how the pastor in this book basically gets a free pass for the problematic ideas around sex and purity he perpetuates and his borderline abusive behavior because he's simply "from another time." I do think the discussion of religion was important and necessary for the storyline, and I understand why this book went with the "few bad apples" route rather than holding organized religion more broadly accountable for its role in perpetuating gendered violence, but I do wish the pastor's actions had been condemned more explicitly. 

I can see how some people might critique this book for being too didactic, and I could see how, for some female readers who already understand these dynamics, this might not be the most entertaining. But I personally still really enjoyed this book; it's a really quick and easy read, the writing style is unique and fun, and it's difficult to put down, so I do recommend it for anyone. I personally was incredibly happy when I finished this book just because I think it's so important and I was so glad to see a YA novel address these topics in this way. However, I do think that this book is geared towards teenage boys and would especially recommend it for male readers; honestly, I think this should be mandatory reading for teenage boys everywhere, especially anyone who self-identifies as a "nice guy."