Review: Purity by Jackson Pearce

 Purity
Author: Jackson Pearce
Released: April 14, 2012
Genre: YA contemporary
Pages: 218 (hardcover)

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

"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."

There's a plethora of YA books centered on a teenage girl's quest to lose her virginity. This teenage girl's quest is a little bit different.

On her deathbed, Shelby's mother made Shelby promise three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. As Shelby grows into teenagehood, her life is taken over by trying to keep the Promises: accomplishing the liberating acts on her "life list", and "obeying" her father by finding loopholes to his rules. Things take a twist for the worse when Shelby's father signs her up for the Princess Ball, a father-daughter dance in which the daughter must make a purity vow--meaning no sex until marriage. Completely freaking out (like any teenager would), Shelby discovers a loophole to the vow: lose her virginity before she takes the vow, and the vow becomes void.

As far as losing-virginity stories go, Purity's synopsis is a breath of fresh air. Purposefully losing your virginity as a promise to your mother? It's original, completely nutty, and totally hilarious. Unfortunately, the book itself is disappointing compared to the premise.

Many aspects of the story were cute, although be warned: despite the fluffy synopsis, this book covers some pretty heavy subjects. Shelby's strained relationship with her father rang true to many parent-teenager relationships out in the real world, and the father-daughter journey was, although difficult, very real and very hopeful. The book also deals with Shelby's struggles with living without a mother, God, faith, the meaning of love, and what feels like dozens of other themes at the same time. And for me, the was the problem. There are so many themes that force their way into the story that they become jumbled, and in the end, miss their points.

The character development wasn't the best for me, either. While I can understand that Shelby's life is ruled by the Promises, I just couldn't completely connect with her. It was almost as if she was just a character who played her part for this book and this book alone; I can't really imagine her life before Purity, and I certainly can't imagine it after. Same with Shelby's friends; Jonas just fell completely flat for me, and Ruby, while interesting, wasn't that interesting. And Jackson Pearce can write interesting characters, I know she can! Sisters Red and Sweetly proved that. The characters in Purity just somehow missed their marks.

But no need to completely give up hope. The story itself is quite sweet and does have a healthy dose of humour. And in the end, it's not about the sex; it's just a teenage girl's quest to find herself, and there isn't any teenager who can't relate to it. For a short and sweet story, this book is definitely an option. Just don't expect to find something too amazing.

My Rating:

                    

                                           

3 Brains.

P.S. High school. No time to read. No time to blog. I is very confuzzled. Expect fewer weekly posts from now on, fellow booknerds, but fear not and stick around! ^.^

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Anna and the French Kiss 
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Released: December 2, 2010
Genre: YA contemporary
Pages: 372 (first edition hardcover)

Publisher: Dutton Books

"Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?"

This is one of those books that makes you happy. Unbelievably happy. It's adorable and sweet,  honest and relatable, witty and hilarious, and accomplishes the incredible feat of being both realistic and enchanting at the same time. In other words, je l'adore. 

(That's "I love it" en Francais. Already knew? Okay. Just checking.)

Please, please, please do yourself a favour and don't wrinkle your nose at Anna simply because it' sounds like "shallow teen chick lit". Granted, the synopsis can induce a little eye-rolling: American girl Anna Oliphant is dreading being sent to boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school. ("As if anyone would complain about Paris!" I hear you exclaiming. Patience, grasshopper.) Luckily, she quickly makes a few inviting friends, including the oh-so-gorgeous Étienne St. Clair, a British-French-American boy with a super swoon-inducing English accent. But here's the kicker: he has a girlfriend. ("Didn't see that one coming," you say sarcastically. Oh, just keep reading.) Despite this unfortunate fact, Anna can't help but fall in love with St. Clair, and she can't be sure, but he may be falling in love with her too. With a never-ending number of obstacles in their way, will the romantic city of Paris be enough to bring Anna and St. Clair together?

I can hear the skeptics scoffing now. But give up not, my friends! Anna and the French Kiss is certainly not shallow, and simply too adorable to miss out on.

The Characters:

Anna Olipihant, be my best friend, please? Stephanie Perkins has written an absolutely lovable female protagonist. Anna is a unique and interesting character, but is incredibly easy to relate to as a teenager: she's tightly-knit with her best friend, she crushes on cute boys, and she has a passion for something she loves, which in Anna's case, is film. She's intelligent and funny, but she also has flaws, making her a totally likable character. But my favourite thing about Anna is the way I could relate to her. Starting school in a  foreign country with no friends, Anna's predicament is awkward and sorta lonely. Not to mention her serious friend/family/love life problems later in the book. All in all, Anna's problems are so reminiscent of the average person's that it's simply impossible not to love her.

And oh my gosh, St. Clair. St. Clair St. Clair St. Clair. If I want Anna to be my best friend, I want to marry St. Clair. He' s everything a girl could wish for in a guy: charming, funny, intelligent. Plus the English accent. That helps too.

  

Yes, St. Clair is totally swoon-worthy.

                                                           

But the best part? He's flawed. Yes, this seemingly perfect boy has some definite problems: problems with his family, with his girlfriend, and especially with his fears. And while St. Clair is just a little bit too perfect to be real, his flaws make him a fleshed-out, relatable, and even more fantastic character.

Apart from Anna and St. Clair, all of the characters are great. The charming Parisian personalities; the quirky best friends, Meredith, Rashmi and Josh; even the despicable popular kids who we all love to hate. Every single character in this book contributes to making it so...real. 

The Paris:

And The City of Light is where the magic begins. 

I didn't think it was possible for anybody to make me want to visit Paris more, but Stephanie Perkins has done it. The way Paris is painted in this novel is absolutely magical: the cobblestone streets, the charming European cafes, the River Seine at night, reflecting the lights of the city. Throughout the book, Anna and St. Clair discover the beauty of this gorgeous city, and it was incredible to discover it with them. The Eiffel Tower. L'Arc de Triomphe. Notre Dame. The Pantheon. The movie theatres. The bookstores. The entire time, I felt like Paris was unfolding in front of me just as much as it was for Anna and St. Clair. 

v

Oui, it's truly magical.

And OH MY GOSH THE FOOD. As Anna and St. Clair discovered the magic of delicious French food, I practically died. French bread. Macarons. Gateaux. Tartes. 

Stephanie Perkins! I love her and hate her for it at the same time.

The Romance:

Of course the romance is the focus of this entire book, and in my opinion, it's done wonderfully. It begins as a friendship, which is what makes Anna and St. Clair's feelings for each other more meaningful. They don't get where they want to without problems. LOTS OF THEM. Jealous friends, jealous girlfriends, family issues, and bad communication. But that was, you guessed it, my favourite part. 

Anna and the French Kiss is completely honest about the nature of both life and love: it's not smooth and romantic all the time. Both  life and love are incredibly infuriating, awkward, and full of ups and downs. It's flawed. But it's that, the perfect imperfection, that makes Anna and St. Clair's relationship and story so real, and so much more worth it in the end.

My Rating:

5 Brains.

Recommended for:

-making you laugh.

-making you swoon.

-making you smile. 

End note:

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Next time on Books Equal Brains! Reviews:

Well, that's a secret. *Flips hair*

(*cough cough* The Scorpio Races *cough cough*.)

Review: Notes From The Blender by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin

Title: Notes From The Blender 
Author: Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Released: May 24, 2011
Genre: YA contemporary
Pages: 240 (U.S./Canada hardcover)

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Rating: 8.4/10 (Great!)

"Declan loves death metal--particularly from Finland. And video games--violent ones. And internet porn--any kind, really. He goes to school with Neilly Foster and spends most of his classroom time wondering what it might be like to know her, to talk to her, maybe even to graze against her sweater in the hallway. Neilly is an accomplished gymnast, naturally beautiful, and a constant presence at all the best parties (to which Declan is never invited). She's the queen of cool, the princess of poker face, and her rule is uncontested-- or it was until today, when she's dumped by her boyfriend, betrayed by her former BFF Lulu, and then informed she's getting a new brother--of the freaky fellow classmate variety. Declan's dad is marrying Neilly's mom. Soon. Which means they'll be moving in together."

This book isn't just quirky and funny. It's full of emotions and awkwardness and family and lessons about life and sarcasm and witty jokes and is a total roller coaster ride, which is basically what it's like to be a teenager.

Notes From The Blender is written in two alternating perspectives, which I personally loved. Every other chapter is written by either Declan or Neilly, which is awesome because we get to hear the equally funny voices of Declan, a sarcastic, hormonal teenage boy, and Neilly, a typical "popular" girl who is surprisingly witty and likeable. Though the characters are opposite of each other, the two authors' styles of writing are similarly quirky and charming. There is quite a bit of foul language. Some people don't like it, but I actually thought  it made the characters more realistic. There's also quite a bit of sex talk, but hey, we're talking about teenagers here.

This book also has quite a bit of meaning. The family aspect of the story is totally comedic, but it' also emphasizes the importance of family. I also loved the inclusion of the gay parents and the all-accepting church, both of which taught a lesson about love and acceptance.

Declan and Neilly both seem like teenage stereotypes, but in reality, they each have surprising amounts of emotional depth. Their experiences with family, friends and life are challenging but fun. Above all, they're relatable, which is what makes this book totally awesome for teenagers (or those who are just mentally teenaged).

You might like Notes From The Blender if you:
- like comedy
- enjoy reading books with multiple points of view
- don't mind swearing
- are comfortable with sexual subjects (no sex scenes here, but there is quite a bit of sex talk from Declan's point of view)
- can relate to teenage awkwardness