Pure
Grade 7–10—Tabitha, 15, and her four close friends wear purity rings symbolizing their commitment to abstinence before marriage. When Cara reveals she had sex with her serious boyfriend, Tabitha's best friend, Morgan, declares the breach of promise unforgivable and shuts Cara out, as does Cara's own best friend, Naeomi. Tabitha is caught in the middle, feeling empathy for Cara, yet still wanting to please Morgan, who reacts as if personally betrayed and chooses a new best friend. While sexual abstinence is one theme running throughPure(a book refreshingly free of sexual language, innuendo, or other titillation), the real themes here are the complexities of friendship and Tabitha's personal struggle to live out her Christian faith with integrity in her daily life. Her interactions with domineering Morgan are richly nuanced. The girls' religious beliefs and experiences are portrayed with respect and reflect authentic mid-teen maturity. While Tabitha extends forgiveness to Morgan, the ending is not pat or saccharine but shows personal growth. Tabitha's blooming romance with Jake and her positive relationship with her supportive, if somewhat quirky, parents add pleasant undercurrents to a book that girls of a spiritual bent will enjoy.—Joyce Adams Burner, National Archives at Kansas City, MOEND--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.