Title: Purity
Author: Jackson Pearce
Release date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Pages: 224
Source: ALA

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby’s father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives — in other words, no “bad behavior,” no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision — to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

Jackson Pearce’s first contemporary novel is a surprisingly touching story about love, loss, and sex.  I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Shelby is an easy character to like in the beginning but there were times in the book when I really wanted to slap her. She was blind to her feelings and she she was kind of hurtful because she was so oblivious.  She really did care about the promises she made her mom though and her dedication was admirable.  She was also a good friend even though she was oblivious at times.  Jonas and Ruby were great friends as well.  Jonas was cute and sweet and hard not to love.  Ruby was a person all her own: quirky, funny, and all-around awesome.  Shelby’s dad was also a total sweetheart.  His heart was always in the right place and he really did want to be there for Shelby.

The plot was a little messed-up.  Shelby wants to lose her virginity before she makes a vow of purity so it negates the vow.  To do this she has her friends help her create a list of possible candidates.  The story then is about how Shelby goes about doing this.  The casual approach to teen sex really was my biggest issue with Purity.  Don’t get me wrong, there are things going on other than Shelby trying to lost her virginity but it is a focal point of the book.  It does make for some laugh out loud moments though.

This book may be classified as YA but I really do think it is suited for older teens/adults who like YA.  I think there is just too much sex and drinking for me to recommend it to younger teens.

Overall, Purity is a unique story for YA and a good start for Jackson Pearce’s contemporary career.  It really is a book that makes you think about love, loss, sex, and God.  It tackles some tough subjects but it still manages to hold on to the light feeling and I really did enjoy it.

Looking for more reviews of Purity?
Reading Or Breathing’s Review
Chick Loves Lit’s Review