Review: Purity by Jackson Pearce

Purity by Jackson Pearce 

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.

Review: 

I have read one other novel by Jackson Pearce (Sisters Red) and I have heard many good things about her other releases. Contemporary YA is one of my favorite to read and I was excited to dive into Purity, even though it tackled some intense issues. I've never been put off by discussions of sex or death in YA, but religion can be iffy. It is always interesting to read about religion in certain books, but sometimes it comes off as a tad little pushy, which can ruin a book for me. Luckily, Jackson handled the religious elements of Purity extremely well and it actually made me enjoy the book that much more, even though I am not very religious. I think Purity packed a lot into just over 200 pages and will hopefully make an impact on everyone that reads it. For me, I most enjoyed the father-daughter relationship aspect of the book and it is something that is rarely done in a lot of the books I read. 

As the summary says, Purity is a novel about love, loss, and sex. I was curious how Jackson would handle all of these different topics, but I feel it all worked quite well-- especially because Purity is not all seriousness, it was actually really funny, too! The main character, Shelby, is someone I liked right away, even though at times she frustrated me with how literally she interpreted the promises. Of course, Shelby had been through a lot and I felt for her, but I wished she just would talk to her dad and open up more with what she was struggling with.

Purity was a nice change of pace for me, because the focus was less on romance and more on her relationship with her father. For some reason I especially loved this part. Father/daughter relationships are something not often dealt with in YA today and I wish they were. I could understand Shelby's reluctance to open up to her father and I related to her want to be closer with him. It made me think about my own relationship with my dad and the ending did have me kind of emotional! I loved watching Shelby and her dad  grow together over the course of the book and I think their characters were really well done.

The plot was sometimes a little rushed, in my opinion, and I was occasionally frustrated with the different characters, but I think Purity is an important book nonetheless. The way Shelby started questioning God and her faith was a unique part of the novel and it added to Shelby's character. There were a lot of heavy issues tackled in Purity, but they were intermixed with humor and adventure. (Shelby's list made me want to make one of my own!) I also liked how each of the characters mentioned in the book had something memorable about them that made them stand out to me.

All in all, Purity is a book that surprised me and I am glad I read it. Not all of the book was great, but I think Jackson handled difficult topics well and with ease. I know this book will not be for everybody and while it wasn't one of my all-time favorites, I connected with Shelby and I am anxious to find more books that focus on the character's relationship with his or her father.

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

April 24, 2012/Little, Brown BFYR/218 Pages/Young Adult

Source: Publisher

Other books by this author: Sisters Red, Sweetly 

Sisters Red Review

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Publisher: Little, Brown Books FYR

Release date: June 7, 2010

Source: Publisher

Other books by this author: As You Wish

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris-- the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax-- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

Review:

Sisters Red was an amazing sophomore novel, and I can't wait to pick up her debut, As You Wish! Rosie and Scarlett were two amazing main characters and I loved being able to read the novel from both of their perspectives.

After losing her eye and suffering severe scarring after being attached by a Fenris defending her younger sister, Scarlett is dedicated to "the hunt". Scarlett is brave and ruthless and I understand why she is so determined to kill the wolves that so badly impacted her life. On the day she lost her eye, Scarlett and Rosie also lost their only family, their grandmother. Their mother was a wanderer and hadn't been back to visit the girls after being so frightened by Scarlett's appearance. I truly felt for Scarlett and being able to read her perspective really let the reader into her pain.

Rosie was also a brave hunter, but she didn't get the same thrill as Scarlett when they took the life of a Fenris. Since she owed her life to her older sister, Rosie never dared share her true feelings with Scarlett- she wanted more with life than constantly hiding from authorities and killing wolves. When their old friend Silas returns from a year long trip to California, Rosie starts to fall in love.

Even though Sisters Red was never told through the eyes of Silas, I still could understand him. He was a caring and sweet guy, and a great friend to Scarlett and Rosie. Also a hunter, Silas and Scarlett used to be partners in the hunt, but when he returns he realizes Rosie has changed a lot since he last saw her and that he is starting to have feelings for her.

Silas, Scarlett, and Rosie were the three main characters and they are truly three of my favorite in YA fiction. All three were brave, smart, and cared a lot for each other. They knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and how to help each other during a fight. The plot was incredibly original and was filled with twists and turns. There were a variety of sub plots, as well. Things with the Fenris take a turn for the worst and new facts are revealed about the wolves. The more you read, the more happens, and the more things start to change for the three hunters.

The fight scenes were so well written I felt like I was there, feeling the breath of the wolf on my face. There was a lot of action and suspense and as the ending was drawing closer I was truly on the edge of my seat, anxious to find out what happened.

This was a fabulous read and I can't wait to find out what happens in the sequel, Sweetly (2011). This is an enthralling, romantic, and intense read that will appeal to a variety of readers. I highly recommend it to anyone!

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars