Pure

by Terra Elan McVoy

Summary:
The purity rings that Tabitha and her friends wear were supposed to make their lives easier.  The rings were a symbol of their promise to God that they would save themselves for marriage.  But as the girls get older, they are finding that life is not as black and white as they had thought it.  When one of them makes a decision that goes against their promise, they find themselves pitted against each other as they discover that you can't dictate your friends choices, only whether or not you value their friendship over your beliefs.

Review:
Pure is a very readable story about young girls growing up and realizing that their insulated world of religion is not always going to have all the answers for them.  Tabitha in particular is a voice of reason throughout, finding ways to rectify her religious beliefs with everyday life, and helping others to as well.  The book does not really focus on whether sex is right or wrong, nor is it overly preachy on the topic of religion, but does a good job of showing the potential problems that many young people who are religious face.  It's a good read, semi-along the lines of the movie Saved, good for older tweens and teens.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 8-9th grade