Purity [Hardcover]

Jackson Pearce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2012

A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order.

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Many teens will find Shelby's emotional journey worth following...a satisfying read." (VOYA )

"Shelby's biting, irreverent first-person narration finely blends the humor and pain of her situation...A purely satisfying look at mourning and sexuality -- and even their connection." (Kirkus Reviews )

"A startlingly authentic picture of a girl in transition on multiple levels...teens will appreciate this thoughtful look at the implications -- or lack thereof -- of doing the deed." (The Bulletin )

"Smart and thought provoking." (Booklist )

"A hilarious and heartfelt story about what happens when a teenage girl actually tries to honor all the promises that adults demand from her while staying true to herself. I loved this book." (Jennifer Echols, award-winning author of Endless Summer and Love Story )

"Reading Jackson Pearce's Purity feels like talking on the phone with a lively and honest best friend -- who is telling it like it is. Shelby reminds us all to be first and foremost true to ourselves. This book is a must-read for anyone thinking about making promises to themselves or others." (Amy Deneson, author and New York Times essayist )

About the Author

Jackson Pearce is the author of Sisters Red, Sweetly, and As You Wish. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (April 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031618246X
• ISBN-13: 978-0316182461
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #777,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jackson Pearce lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with a slightly cross-eyed cat and a lot of secondhand furniture. She recently graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and a minor in Philosophy. She auditioned for the circus once, but didn't make it; other jobs she's had include obituaries writer, biker bar waitress, and receptionist. In addition, Jackson coaches both colorguard and winterguard at a local high school.

Jackson began writing when she got angry that the school librarian couldn't tell her of a book that contained a smart girl, horses, baby animals, and magic. Her solution was to write the book herself when she was twelve. Her parents thought it was cute at first, but have grown steadily more concerned for her ever since. Visit Jackson online at www.jacksonpearce.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Reading "Purity" Is A Promise You'll Want To Keep April 28, 2012

By WTF Are You Reading? Book Reviewer

Format:Hardcover

My Thoughts
This is a book that, while it does deliver on its promise of contemporary YA goodness, also leaves the reader with some pretty savory food for thought.
Purity is the story of a father and daughter set adrift on a sea of loss, miscommunication, and misunderstanding of themselves and each other, after the loss of the wife and mother that anchored them.

Let me be the first to say that though this book spends a great deal of its time on the topic of Shelby's "deflowering", and her aversion to the "purity ball"; I am fully confident that it was not the author's intention to glorify teen sex or disparage the message of the abstinence movement in any way. These happenings within this read have more to do with being points of "discovery" for Shelby; about her power to plot her own course to happiness and love rather than having those things dictated to her by the predefined parameters of a promise or expectation.

Thank you Jackson for writing a story full of truly "good guys". It is so nice to see an exception to the "one prince per story rule." The princes in this book: Shelby's dad, Jeffrey, and Jonas. This book really explores the male/female relationship in three of its most important aspects. The relationship that girls have with the men in their lives as: fathers (Shelby's dad), sexual partners (Jeffery), and friends/love interests (Jonas). What this book does in true "girl power" fashion, is to show young women that they have the power to actively choose their role in these relationships and not simply let the male take the lead.

As the mother of three daughters, I will be the first to make this book required reading in my home....
It is my hope that this book will serve as a bridge between parents and the teens that we are trying so hard to love, guide, and UNDERSTAND.
*This review is a cross-post from my blog* Read more ›

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Jackson Pearce's best work so far! May 1, 2012

By genniegyrl28

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I rarely do reviews, but I had to write one for this book. I am a fan of Jackson Pearce and have read all her work. Purity has become my favorite out of all four of her books - I am a huge contemporary novel fan more than supernatural, which could the reason why it's my favorite. It's witty. It's charming. But most importantly it's real. I found myself relating to the main character, Shelby, in so many ways and the pressure she placed on her self to lose her virginity. It's very tasteful, and there is nothing in there that anyone under the age of 15 shouldn't be allowed to read.

The book isn't that big, and I was able to finish the book within a day. I love the relationship between Shelby and her friends, but I especially love the relationship, or lack of, between her and her father. Throughout the novel it's painful to see how they lack a relationship and what the purity ball ends up meaning for the both of them at the end. It's a story of growth, love, understanding, and most importantly to me, it's a story of searching who you really are.

I highly recommend the book. And I know some people may be turned off because of the mention of God or Shelby's view of religion, but she is a character in a book and characters have different views just like real people do. And that is why I love this book. Pearce has the ability to create strong characters with flaws that resemble real people. They're not perfect, their not flat, but intricate with several elements contributing to their existence... even if they are fictional.

And if anything else, you should just get the book for how beautiful the cover is!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, but also very meaningful! June 21, 2012

By Evie Seo (Bookish blog)

Format:Kindle Edition

5 years, 352 days ago Shelby made a promise to her dying mother. She swore to: 1) always love and listen to her father, 2) love as much as possible, and 3) always live without restraint. After her mother passed away, Shelby's friend, Jonas, came up with a Life List to help her keep Promise Three. At the time we meet Shelby for the first time, her list has more than four hundred items on it, including thins like "jump off the Lake Jocassee trestle like mom did in high school", "put flowers on every grave in a cemetery", and "learn all eighty-eight constellations". So far, Shelby managed to cross out one hundred and three items from the list. In other words, she's been working really hard to keep the promise she gave her mom, and really live her life to the fullest.

Everything seemes to be going great until Shelby's dad decides for them to attend the annual Princess Ball, a father-daughter dance and a Ridgebrook tradition. A dance, that ends with a ceremony during which all the fathers and daughters recite vows. The fathers vow "to be strong, responsible man of integrity and to play a central role in their daughter's lives", and the daughters pledge "to look up to their fathers for guidance and to live whole, pure lives." While Shelby doesn't exactly plan to do drugs or drink large amounts of alcohol, she certainly does not want to put on an invisible chastity belt and commit to life without sex, either. At the same time, she can't disobey her dad's wish - that would be breaking Promise One. She can't vow to stay pure until marriage either, because then she'd be breaking Promise Three - to seize the day and live without restraints. The only way out of this situation seems to be through exploiting a loophole.... See, Shelby figured that you can't technically vow not to do something you already did in the past. And so with only five weeks before the dance, Shelby decides to lose her virginity before the vow could force her into a permanent celibate. But is that really what her mother wanted for her? Is that really what her father needs? And does anyone else have the right to decide these things for her?

Pearce approaches the subject of purity and teenage sex with surprising lightness and humour, weaving a story that is utterly delightful and entertaining, while being meaningful and thought-provoking at the same time. This book carries a clear message, and quite an important one at that. It tackles issues such as loss of a family member, sexuality, freedom of choices, religion, and honesty. At the same time, though, it neatly avoids coming across as preachy or too opinionated. The loss of her mother affected Shelby immensely, shifting her whole world and causing her to question her faith. That inevitably lead to her many reflections about God, from talking about her feelings (disappointment, anger, bitterness, confusion), to questioning his existence. While I'm not usually very fond of books with clear religious undertones, I can't say that they bothered me in Purity. I suppose it's because this book was so perfectly balanced, not too serious and not too silly, offering a nearly perfect blend of drama, philosophical reflections and humour. Like I said before, preachiness is always my main concern when it comes to books with religious elements. Thankfully, Purity was free of it, and that made me appreciate it even more.

I loved the characters. Jonas, Ruby, and Shelby made a fabulous trio. I loved seeing them interact with each other - they completed one another in every possible way and had a wonderfully positive attitude towards life and other people. Their friendship was strong and sweet. Jonas and Ruby where always there for Shelby, and they knew her better than she knew herself.

Jackson Pearce did a really great job portraying the awkward relationship between Shelby and her father. Shelby's dad really did not know what to do with his teenage daughter. He was utterly clueless. And, being the exact opposite of an easy-going, turn-everything-into-a-joke dad, he struggled a lot with express his feelings. His shyness and all-too apparent lack of knowledge about the needs of teenage girls was quite heart-warming and I often laughed at the solutions and ideas he would come up with.

I was very pleased with how much the main protagonist grew as a person. As Shelby was trying desperately to find a way to lose her virginity, she slowly began to realize that what her mother asked of her, and what was supposed to help her live her life to the fullest, was in fact holding her back and dictating her every move. She took the promises she made to her mom and turned them into rules, and she followed those rules religiously. She tried so hard to keep her promises, that she failed to fully understand what her mother really wanted of her, and that is to be happy and enjoy her life. Follow her heart, stay true to her dreams, and just.. live! The moment she realizes that, is the moment when she finally starts living.

Overall, Purity is a clever and funny story, but also one that makes you stop and think, as it raises some great, relevant questions. These are the kind of questions that I myself often wanted to ask as a teen, but was either too scared, too ashamed, or simply didn't know who to direct them at. Inevitably, some people will find this book too provocative, others might find the whole racing to lose one's virginity to be nothing short of scandalous (it is a YA novel we're talking about here after all). I myself found it quite refreshing and intriguing, especially its straight forwardness, honesty, and thoughtfulness. It's a wonderful, eye-opening read, I highly recommend it! Read more ›