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Pure

by Terra Elan McVoy (Goodreads Author)

3.25 of 5 stars 3.25 · rating details · 800 ratings · 161 reviews

Promise. Betrayal. Confession. Revenge. Tabitha and her four best friends all wear purity rings, symbols of the virginity-until-marriage pledge they made years ago. Now Tab is fifteen, and her ring has come to mean so much more. It’s a symbol of who she is and what she believes—a reminder of her promises to herself, and her bond to her friends. But when Tab meets a boy who...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published April 7th 2009 by Simon Pulse (first published April 4th 2009)

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Apr 16, 2009 amelia rated it 5 of 5 stars

To me, this novel was a levelheaded take on teenage friendships and the outside pressures that often determine their course.

And while I can see how some may label this book "Christian Lit," I think to do so would be a mistake. Yes, the premise has a religious drive, and yes, the protagonist, Tabitha, is devout. But the discussion of belief was so unique, refreshing, and most importantly to me, two-sided, that it became part of the character's growth rather than A Message.

Other nice things: Jake...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Ari rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

IQ "This isn't just a fight. Something has happened between me and Morgan, and it freaks me out that the only person I could really talk to about this problem is the one who's causing it." pg. 142

The reason I didn't like this book is because I had a hard time relating to the characters. The five girls' friendships are severly strained when one of them sleeps with her boyfriend and eventually the friend apologizes for creating such a mess. But I just didn't understand how that friend's personal c...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 28, 2011 Sarah added it

Shelves: ya, spiritual, realistic, novel

An interesting YA novel about teenage purity cliques/cults. A few weeks ago I read "Quiverfull" by Kathryn Joyce, a non fiction book about how the impulses fictionalized in this book play out for some of the most hard core believers in this stuff. Also, how the creepy paternalism inherent in this movement assumes that the man makes the decisions for the woman - a dynamic that plays out here in fiction.

It becomes clear in this book that for Tabitha and her friends, these rings are just as much a...more An interesting YA novel about teenage purity cliques/cults. A few weeks ago I read "Quiverfull" by Kathryn Joyce, a non fiction book about how the impulses fictionalized in this book play out for some of the most hard core believers in this stuff. Also, how the creepy paternalism inherent in this movement assumes that the man makes the decisions for the woman - a dynamic that plays out here in fiction.

It becomes clear in this book that for Tabitha and her friends, these rings are just as much about having their choices made for them as they are about Jesus. Morgan was an interesting character, in fact, I went through almost the whole thing assuming she was a repressed lesbian because she was so apathetic to guys and threatened by Tabitha finding one. I was surprised that it was not the case. Even by the end, its still not clear why she is so creepy crazy nuts for purity... perhaps fodder for a sequel. Overall, I thought Cara was the best character - the most grounded, sane, and real. The message of the book, standing up for what you believe in, was very strong and well written.

My only real complaint is that these teens seem to exist in an alternate reality where their churches are never affiliated with the negative side of these life choices. Churches that push purity are usually really anti-gay, and statistically, teens who have those purity rings are the least likely to use condoms or other forms of birth control. The teen pregnancy rate among teens who take virginity pledges is high. Teen girls who attend "Ring Thing" presentations are often told that they are worthless, like used toothbrushes or gum if they"give it up". They are told that their boyfriends will break up with them if they are too slutty. They are shown unrealistic pictures of STIs to scare them and misinform them. They are told that condoms have holes. These teens never seem to be exposed to this kind of thing, which I find kinda unrealistic. It's like McVoy has written this alternate universe where its just about the good stuff and not the bad. But that is pretty par for the course in Christian fiction, and this book is leaps and bounds better then Melody Carlson or other Christian authors whose works are extremely didactic.(less)

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Jun 25, 2011 David McD rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone over 12 AND their PARENTS

Recommended to David by: Little Shop of Stories, Decatur

In all honesty, I bought this to attend a signing, but I don't have kids of my own or any family members that are quite old enough yet for this book (They are 9 and 10; I would wait until 12 or 13). However, I do NOT want to give away something that I have not read myself, and could NOT have been more thrilled at what I hope will someday be a great gift to my nephews and nieces AND their parents.

This is an outstanding, very well-written book aimed at young adults that I believe every family shou...more In all honesty, I bought this to attend a signing, but I don't have kids of my own or any family members that are quite old enough yet for this book (They are 9 and 10; I would wait until 12 or 13). However, I do NOT want to give away something that I have not read myself, and could NOT have been more thrilled at what I hope will someday be a great gift to my nephews and nieces AND their parents.

This is an outstanding, very well-written book aimed at young adults that I believe every family should read together and then discuss. I truly wish that *my* parents could've given me this book, read it for themselves, and then we'd all talked about it. So if you're a parent struggling with how to talk to your teens about dating, sex, morality, promises, friendships, honesty, and betrayal and want them to be able to put their trust in you -- you owe it to yourselves (and your children) to read this book as a family. Otherwise, left to the advice of their friends, there's really no telling what kind of answers they'll come up with before they turn 18.

Wow. Where do I start? Well, I guess for starters, I was hooked on the first page. This, of course, is because of the familiar Atlanta locations mentioned -- but a poorly-written book set around the Decatur/Atlanta area wouldn't have held my interest.

I was compelled to keep reading because I wanted to be sure these kids didn't show up at my house and ask me deep questions about dating and promises and friendship and family and loyalty before I finished the book. I can't BEGIN to tell you how grateful I am that on page 227 Tabitha didn't pick up her phone and text "What should I do??" and then have that text come through on my phone. Because I still had 100 pages or so to go.

Naturally, I had to keep reading. By this point, I was HOOKED on the characters, their friendships, the memories of the awkwardness of dating and praying to EVERYTHING HOLY that I did NOT look like -- and this is a direct quote -- "an epileptic giraffe" on the dance floor.

I also read with a sense of regret, now that I'm well into my 40's, that I never was able to talk with my parents about dating, morality, and sex at that age. I vaguely remember around 12 years old that in health class, we were divided into groups of boys and girls, and one of the male teachers told the boys everything the boys already knew that was happening to their bodies (or about to happen) and that a female teacher told the girls the same thing.

But what all of us REALLY wanted to know about -- What did the OPPOSITE sex talk about that was so secret and so mysterious to us? 30 years on, I think a lot of us are still trying to figure those secrets out.

I'm guessing that in all likelihood, my parents never had "the talk" with me because either (a) They expected the school to answer my questions (b) They expected the church to keep me in line (c) they never got "the talk" themselves or (d) They had no idea how to answer my questions about what they did and what they struggled with when they were growing up and first started to date, and be HONEST that *they* experienced all of the same feelings and questions that *I* did.

Before my father died, we were just reaching the point where we could talk about anything. Then again, I guess since I'd been married for over two years by then, "The Talk" wasn't really necessary. I've pretty much given up hope that my Mom and I are ever going to have "The Talk." Then again -- maybe she's secretly hoping that I will sit down and have it with her because she has been waiting through SEVEN DECADES to get "The Talk." Who knows? Maybe it's not too late for me to give my Mom this book and then see if she wants to talk about it.

This book, however, is brilliantly written and one that I wish that I'd had 25 or 30 years ago. Does it give you all of the answers? No, but there are certain characters that you'll identify with. The characters that *I* identified with and that *you* may identify with may be COMPLETELY different. And in the end -- that is fine.

Whenever you have a family -- or a group of friends that are like family -- no one will ever see anything through your eyes but yourself. Sometimes you have to find your answers in your own way, and realize that it's not always about being "right" or "wrong," but about finding your own voice, your own truth -- and believing in that. Because sometimes your family (or family of friends) may be like a Norman Rockwell painting, and sometimes they're like a Pat Conroy dysfunctional family.

But as Terra so wisely said when she inscribed my book.........Always believe in yourself!(less)

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Oct 02, 2010 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-teen

I'm confused by this book. I felt it was trying to be about a young woman's personal morality, her sexual purity in particular, but ended up being about friendship. I think that as a book about friendship it succeeds, but as a book about purity it falls short.

The main character's closest friendships changes, and she has to work through that and make hard decisions about where she stands with her friends. Her relationships with her friends, and her parents, are the heart of the book.

But although...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 28, 2010 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Fifteen-year-old Tabitha and her friends (Morgan, Cara, Priah, and Naeomi) have all taken vows of chastity and wear purity rings – in the Atlanta metro area. For Morgan, the wealthiest and most demanding of the five, the ring seems to be an excuse to go from boy to boy because boys, of course, “only want one thing.” When Cara breaks her vow with long-time boyfriend Michael, Morgan immediately dismisses her, while Tabitha questions whether it is her right to judge. When Cara is ostracized from th...more

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May 09, 2010 Kelly Hager rated it 5 of 5 stars

Non-spoilery:

Pure is about five friends, all of whom wear purity rings. (I have always found the purity ring thing to be kind of creepy, but after reading this book, I understand it a little more.) Tabitha ("Tab," the narrator) has just started seeing this guy, Jake (read: most perfect boy ever), and that, coupled with something else that happens with one of the other friends, sets off this huge thing of drama that makes the friends take sides against each other. It's about friendship and faith...more

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Sep 24, 2009 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-check-out

Five friends, five purity rings. All it takes is one girl to go all the way to forever change five lives. Tabitha and her four best friends all wear purity rings. But when Cara reveals to Tabitha that she and her boyfriend have gone all the way, Tabitha’s life splits right down the middle and so do her friendships. Morgan exiles Cara and then Tabitha. Caught in the middle, Tabitha begins to question what friendship really is.

I wasn’t sure at first if I was even going to read this book. I’m all f...more

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Jul 20, 2009 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes you read a book that when you're finished you feel lonely. Lonely because your journey of getting to know those characters is over. This is how I felt when finishing Pure. I loved getting to know Tabitha. I loved seeing her relationship with Cara, Morgan, and Jake develop and grow and find new plains of friendship. I wish I could know what happens to everyone. Like, keeps tabs on their lives, haha!

I love how controversial this novel is. Controversial nowadays almost means rebellious an...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 30, 2009 Abby rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Read for work. It's about 5 teenage Christian girls who are friends who take the "True Love Waits" vow to preserve their virginity & remain celibate, and they all wear purity rings to publicly proclaim their commitment to the vow and each other. But when one of the girls breaks her vow to go "all the way" with her boyfriend, the bonds of friendship between the girls are severely tested.

I am always on the lookout for teen books that discuss matters of faith & sexuality from an entirely d...more

5 likes · like · see review

Apr 23, 2009 Laurel rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 16, 2012 Katieeoh Lacanlale rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: chic, christian, engrossing, faith, funny, hilarious, god, life, love, love-story, friends, friendship, loyalty, romance, realization, purity, sweet, women, teen, young-adult

One word to describe this book: CHASTE.

I’ve been eyeing this book for a long time in my nearby bookstore and I’m wondering how special this book is ( I can’t open it because there’s plastic covering and I don’t want to break any rules of opening a book) since I’m a sucker for paperback books when I’m buying like 2-3 books in one visit. But when I think of worthy-to-buy books, I get the hardbound even though they’re a bit pricey than the paperbacks and for me this book is worth the buy.

The story...more One word to describe this book: CHASTE.

I’ve been eyeing this book for a long time in my nearby bookstore and I’m wondering how special this book is ( I can’t open it because there’s plastic covering and I don’t want to break any rules of opening a book) since I’m a sucker for paperback books when I’m buying like 2-3 books in one visit. But when I think of worthy-to-buy books, I get the hardbound even though they’re a bit pricey than the paperbacks and for me this book is worth the buy.

The story is about a group of friends who are Christians at heart, mainly focuses on Tabitha. All of her four friends wear a special purity ring that symbols their virginity-until-marriage pledge they made years ago. Now that Tabitha is fifteen, the ring means so much more to her in her everyday life. It’s a symbol of who she is and of what she believes that is a reminder of her promises to herself and to her bond to her friends. Now the conflict in this story is mainly about 4 words: PROMISE, BETRAYAL, CONFESSION AND REVENGE.

And yes, you guessed it right, Tabitha and her friends faces problems that a strong sisterly bond should ever conquer once in a lifetime. And they must do their best to save their friendship than to just turn into dust. Everything became so complicated until it reaches to the point that almost all of them are in a fight and in complete utter misunderstanding.

What I love about this book is that it cleared my mind more about being pure and chaste. As a young girl like me I sometimes wonder the importance of having that complete self-control that most of teenagers today do not understand. I want to be real to myself and to learn more things and this book has showed me my way to it. Consulting the bible is a great way too; looking for more evidence is a good choice. Deep as it may seem, you can always ask the help of your parents or someone who’s much older than you for help. But for simple matters, this book is just a wonderful way to understand more of what’s beneath more than just wearing purity rings to save your life. (less)

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Jan 11, 2012 AnnaBanana rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 22, 2011 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, young-adult-lit, hot-button-issues

Reasons Why I'm Giving This Book 2 Stars:

1. Morgan. I wanted to drop-kick Morgan. What an awful person. I realize that she's more or less the villain, so she's supposed to be awful, but I wanted her to learn more of a lesson. I wanted her to suffer more than she did. She was a total self-righteous bitch, and the worst thing that happened to her was not getting to renew her purity vows? Not good enough.

2. While in a way I appreciate that Terra Elan McVoy attempted to make this sound like an actua...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Hannah Coleman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Okay, let's start from the beginning. Honest? When I first found out what Pure was about I though 'Oh jeez, who knew Terra was a bible thumper? Purity rings? For real?!' But, I loved it! Honest to God, hand over my heart, pledge to the Purple Donkey from Kathmandu LOVED IT!! McVoy has instantly became one of my favorite authors, hands down. I love the tone, the characters and how the conflicts were resolved. They were true to life and hit the mark in ways that many YA novels miss completely. I f...more

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Aug 19, 2009 AnnaBnana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Tabitha is and her four closest friends share a bond with an outward symbol--purity rings. But when one friend makes the ultimate betrayal, things unravel in ways that Tabitha definitely doesn't expect. And in the midst of it all, she's trying to stumble through what *might* be her first love, trying to gain new freedoms from her parents, and trying not to flunk history.

McVoy creates and honest and complex character in Tabitha. The situation with her friends forces her to question both her fait...more

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Mar 26, 2010 Julie Graves rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

Tabitha and her friends have promised each other and God to not have sex until they are married. To show their commitment they each have a ring to signify their vow.

When one of the girls has sex it threatens to break up their whole friendship. Tabitha is sad that her friend made that choice and broke her promise, but Tabitha decides she needs to stick by her when the leader of the group wants nothing more to do with her.

Tabitha is caught in the middle. She wants to remain faithful to her promise...more

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May 19, 2009 Teen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: audience-girl, audience-h-s, religion-christian, sexuality

When they were 12, Tabitha and her four best friends took a vow to remain virgins until they are married -- and wear purity rings to show the world their commitment to their vow, their faith and each other. However, now that they're 15 and dating boys, the rules aren't so simple anymore. When one of their close-knit circle of friends admits that she and her boyfriend have "gone all the way," the bonds of friendship between the girls are severely tested.

The book has an intriguing premise and a t...more

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May 14, 2011 Tracy Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011

I picked uo this book on impulse during my weekly trip to the library. As a teenage Christian girl I thought is sounded like a story I could relate to. As I started the novel I expected a story about faith, friendship, and self discovery. That's exactly what I got.
At times the characters felt very stereotypical but that worked for this book. McVoy showed me five teenage girls trying their best to behave like the Christians they believed they were suppose to be, hence them becoming stereotypical...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Kari rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am expecting this to be a bit of a "fluffy" read. Can McVoy surprise me and prove me wrong? I am only to the third chapter.
I may not have rated this that high, but it's high on my list for it's type. There's nothing wrong with the book by any means; I usually don't get into this type of thing. You know, typical teenage drama books. But this one was actually pretty good. I'd recommend it.
The girls in this book have all main a promise and a committment to God and to each other to remain pure...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Sierra rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This is a YA novel about five girls that wear purity rings, and what happens when one girl goes back on the purity promise. It was very engaging (I finished it in about 3 hours) and a great book if you're looking for the typical teenager, first dates, giggling and clothes experience.

There are religious undertones, as you could guess by the subject matter, but they are not over the top or in your face, and the book doesn't come across as judgmental if you're not a Christian. There is even a great...more

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Jul 11, 2010 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is really fascinating. It deals with religious issues, but doesn't have a self-righteous tone about it, which is great for someone like me because I'm not religious at all. These days I only go to church when I'm abroad to look at the fabulous architecture. Heh.

Anyway, this book deals with a group of friends who have decided to abstain from sex until marriage, which is definitely an admirable goal, but it's not for everyone, and the book does a great job of addressing both sides. The...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit) rated it 3 of 5 stars

I purchased Pure on our road trip across the country because I love the bright yellow cover. I also read The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy not long ago, and really loved it.

I was VERY surprised at (but not turned off by) how much of the plot is based on religion. The summary describes that the girls have purity rings, but Pure really is about Tabitha figuring out her beliefs and how those tie in to her friends and family.

Tabitha is a very real YA character. She doesn't jump to c...more

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Aug 06, 2010 Ari Noth rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was truly heartwarming. Although it was highly devoted to telling the readers about the christian faith I loved how it had people who werent even religious wearing purity rings. Focused on these four teenagers, the one thing that brought them together, is also helping to tear them apart. They all love their rings. Need their rings. And one of them ruins their ring. No one saw this coming. However she claimed she loves her boyfriend. One thing leads to another. Before you know it everyo...more

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Aug 16, 2009 M rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit

I was fairly surprised by this book. I was expecting either a very "preachy" story or a story about a girl who at first believes she is a Christian but by the end she turns to another belief. I've noticed that most YA religious books go those ways.
However, this book isn't either of those things. The story is centered around the beliefs of Christians, but it's much more than that.
It's about friendship. How do you maintain a friendship with someone who doesn't believe that same thing as you? What...more

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Apr 27, 2009 Gwen the Librarian rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks

Pure is the story of a group of friends who all have promise rings pledging their commitment to saving sex until marriage. The girls are from different backgrounds, but the promise has brought them together as friends. When one of the girls breaks her vow, it throws the group into upheaval. Tabitha, our narrator, has to decide what she really believes about her entire worldview - why has she made her promise? Can you really drop a friend because of her choices? What's the best way to stand up fo...more

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May 06, 2009 Sumar rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved the book pure (and it's not just cuz i looove Terra :D)
i'm actually currently reading it still but here's what I think so far: normally when a book talks too much about god or jesus it just pisses me off. I mean, if i WANTED to hear about this i'd pick up the bible, right? But I thought the way Tabitha is really commited to god is sort of showing even MORE what a big deal this is to her.
I think Terra was really able to realize and connect with kids our age-- i mean i guess cuz s...more

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Sep 05, 2009 laaaaames rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I vacillated between two and three stars here, but I'm ultimately going with two because I think I liked more about the premise than the execution. That said, I think I mostly disliked that it wasn't the book I wanted it to be, and that isn't the book's fault.

First, the good:

--the friendship stuff, so so solid, so deftly explored, so messy and complicated
--the parents!!!
--how the youth group is all about actually doing really cool community-minded things
--the thought and care put into the faith...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 04, 2011 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

I heard a book talk about this novel last year and was not that interested. Well I was at the library and decided to give it a try. It really is more in between didn't like and ok. Let me start with the reasons I didn't like the story. The conversations between the characters were painful. They went on and on and were overall pointless and I didn't feel necessary to the story. The relationships between the characters were so poorly developed.

What I liked about the story is the concept was intere...more

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Jan 31, 2010 Ricki rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was cute, but the characters felt very fake to me. It is about a group of girls who took a purity pledge at age twelve. Now as they near age sixteen, some of them are having secret doubts, while others stand firm. The love interest of the book, Jake, felt too good to be true, and there was entirely too much bible-thumping to me. I felt like the author was inserting far too many lines about Jesus, but that may have been my personal opinion. Out of my one hundred students, I only feel li...more

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About Terra Elan McVoy

I have been reading and writing, basically, ever since I learned how to, and everything I've done has pretty much been connected to those two things. I went to college at a small, fantastic school (with a super writing program) called St. Andrews Presbyterian College. I got my Master's degree in Creative Writing from Florida State. I have worked as an event coordinator at a major chain bookstore;...more

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