Parents' Guide to

Not So Pure and Simple

By Barbara Saunders, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Hilarious tale of teen sexual and romantic drama.

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A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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Our review:
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Kids say: Not yet rated

This is a hilarious, honest examination of the hysteria surrounding that stage of life when teens discover sexuality. Lamar Miles (Fake ID and Endangered) creates many realistic and sympathetic characters in Not So Pure and Simple, even lovable foils who never become two-dimensional villains. The book is most suitable for mature, older teens, due to a lot of sexual content and focus on sexual activity with mixed messages about consequences. Many of the kids are sexually active. One storyline is that nine girls in the school got pregnant because kids were bored at home during a storm. By naming the fathers, the girls fight back against the shaming leveled at them. However, this empowerment message downplays the magnitude of all these babies born to teens. In addition, some of the satire about the influence of the church on the school and the peer pressure by church members on one another may go over the head of some teen readers.

Book Details

  • Author: Lamar Giles
  • Genre: Coming of Age
  • Topics: Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , High School
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publication date: February 18, 2020
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 13 - 18
  • Number of pages: 400
  • Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
  • Last updated: October 30, 2020

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