I'm not sure where I heard about this book, probably on Twitter - it arrived at home a few weeks ago which means I preordered it at some point (I have a small obsession with buying books :) I'm really glad I ordered it though, it was a great read.
Not So Pure and Simple is a story about Del who is in grade 11 and has had a crush on Keira since they were in Kindergarten. But Keira has been in a relationship with someone since then and Del has had to just admire her from afar. But, when Del accompanies his mom to her new church, and sees Keira volunteering for a new program, he jumps at the chance to spend time with her. Much to Del's surprise, Keira (and now him) have joined the Purity Pledge, vowing to not have sex until marriage. Del's participation in this program is met with various reactions from his father and his friends. But all Del wants is to have a chance to be with Keira. As Del gets to know Keira, he also gets to know others in the group, the difference between what happens at church and what is happening at school, in the classroom and in the halls forces Del to confront preconceived notions he has about relationships, gender stereotypes and religion.
I thought this book was amazing- it was funny, engaging and had really good messages. I don't think I would give this to students in grade 7 & 8 though, I am shipping it off to my friend who teaches at the high school. I would love to sit in on a conversation with students as they discussed some of these topics.
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