Series: Standalone
Release Date: January 21, 2020
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 up for a Purity Pledge.
His dad thinks his wires are crossed, and his best friend, Qwan, doesn’t believe any girl is worth the 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. In exchange, Del just has to get answers to the Pledgers’ questions…about sex ed.
With other boys circling Kiera like sharks, Del needs to make his move fast. But as he plots and plans, he neglects to ask the most important question: What does Kiera want? He can’t think about that too much, though, because once he gets the girl, it’ll all sort itself out. Right?
• Black supporting characters
• Black side characters
• Gay supporting character
• Discussion of r@pe and sexual assault
• Masturbation
• Porn
• Teen pregnancy
• Underaged drinking
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Kindle
Rating: 4/5 stars
I will admit that it took me a while to hit my groove with Not So Pure and Simple. Like many reviewers, Del at around 50% almost did me in… I could not believe Del wasn’t getting it. And, by “it,” I mean that Kiera obviously wasn’t into him and that there are many more important things than getting a girl (who doesn’t like you). But, then, a proverbial light bulb went off: Del is one of the Nice GuysTM. And Del’s narrative made so much more sense.
For those who are new to the Nice GuysTM moniker, it’s when men (or boys) get so wrapped up in how nice they are–they do and say all the “right” things–that they come to feel they deserve and are owed reciprocation for their feelings. But, the reality is that these “nice” guys are just being polite! Why is it then, that they are put on a pedestal for decent behaviour (not exceptional or extraordinary, but basic human decency)?
Nice GuysTM Shouldn’t Be Rewarded for Decent Behaviour
Not So Pure and Simple encapsulated the insidiousness of toxic masculinity and how it thrives off of the Nice GuysTM stereotype. It teaches men and boys that performative behaviour will yield rewards, like getting “it” (“it” being the girl or sex). The toxic behaviour is only exasperated by the selfish reality of teenagers (high schoolers primarily): it’s always about how anything and everything affects them first. Nevermind the heartbreak, trauma or bad home life a friend is going through, Del.
God and What it Means to Be A Man
No one has taken the time to teach Del that just because he likes someone, it doesn’t mean he’s owed anything. What really annoyed me, though, was that there were many situations where adults should have stepped up and said this is wrong. The church censoring Del’s high school sex education programme was one. The other was the church’s public confession, which was meant to embarrass the confessor–they had to confess their sins to the whole congregation (most were teenagers who were doing what their parents told them to do). Any time Del would question his parents, and they would get mad and state, don’t talk back, it gave me flashbacks to my teenage years arguing with authority figures. It seems that adults just want to be mad and “in the right” and not have productive conversations about what’s wrong. If they actually did the latter, maybe toxic masculinity wouldn’t be such a prevalent and insidious issue in society?
I loved the talk Del’s sister and mother had with him at the end of the novel. It served as a giant wake-up call, and I was mentally high-fiving them as they educated Del what it’s like to be a girl/woman. Also, Del’s statement that he’s never hurt a girl was quickly met with his sister’s response:
“… I don’t think you’re [Del’s] anything like my attacker. But there are degrees to this. Maybe he wasn’t always like that. Maybe he got denied too often. Angry too often. I don’t know. Maybe he built up to what he tried with me. But buildings have foundations. They start somewhere.”
Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles (italics added for emphasis)
Del’s journey with his mom’s church, especially the purity pledge, was fascinating because of Del’s skepticism… and, you know, the fact that it was a farce meant to bring him closer to Kiera. I really appreciated how, despite his uncertainty, Del actually took the time to learn the Bible and didn’t disrespect his friends’ faith, despite not having the same conviction in God as them. I also liked how Giles went about showing the pledgers skepticism in the parish without making the devout characters question their faith.
Challenging the Prevalence of Whiteness
Giles represents not only a marginalized voice through his Black male lead but shows his readers the significant contributions of Black people, in the case of this book, to popular culture. Not So Pure and Simple is diffused with popular culture references which centre Black celebrities, fictional characters and authors.
Also, any cultural references that are known for their Whiteness (an all-White cast, or famous “old White dudes”) were called out for said Whiteness. These call-outs demonstrate to Not So Pure and Simple‘s White readers the glaring reality of how unrepresentative and dominant Whiteness is in “conventional” popular culture (for example, Star Wars and the Disney Princesses).
To Conclude
Not So Pure and Simple accurately characterizes teenage boys who have to struggle against the narrative of what it means to be a man and who are taught that being manly is getting the girl… without taking into consideration her feelings. I loved how Giles demonstrates how toxic masculinity and the unfair and unsafe expectations of ‘manliness’ fall under the norms feminism is trying to challenge. The message of Not So Pure and Simple is so essential, and Giles delivers it perfectly. For those who are struggling with Del’s narrative, I say: getting to the end makes the struggle worth it.
Buy Not So Pure and Simple
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