BRAVO! Logical and engaging!

Excellent book! Valentin explores how the virgin ideal has served as a foundation for policymaking, medical decisions, cultural norms, ​etc. Acting like an analytical sledgehammer, Valenti points out myriad logical inconsistencies in any argument that uses purity as its anchor. I found one of the most interesting and memorable arguments was that we only protect women we deem pure. If a woman is seen as less than pure, it's easier to imagine she deserved any bad treatment. This argument is particularly wonderful when she addresses purity and women of color.

IMO, she stumbled a little bit with the porn arguments. But, I have yet to read an author who hasn't. Trying to make a porn argument, from any angle, is like walking through a mine field. Where is the line between empowerment and oppression and objectification? It's not always easy to tell. despite some floundering in this area, Valenti actually brings up some excellent points and contributes to asking some very important questions about how porn may or may not affect women in all facets of society.

Valentin does an excellent job of questioning when we perceive that a woman has agency (she should know better than to walk alone at night or dress in a way that shows too much skin) or lacks agency (a woman is obviously not smart enough to have been thoughtful enough about a life changing unwanted pregnancy).

My favorite thing is how this author boils down arguments to very simple terms. The main message seems to be:

1. The purity myth ensures that women are treated like children, but children you can have sex with.

2. Power is not 'pure', so women shouldn't have it.

Excellent and on point! I highly recommend this book. Ended up being a page turner and educational at the same time.

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Good, but...

The information here is great, but I wish the narrator was better. And also, the fact that the author has 0 compassion for people who identify with purity ideology makes it a far less accessible text than I’d hoped. As someone who only recently realized how damaging purity ethics are and have been to me and society as a whole, and who has conservative religious family members I love very dearly, I wish the author had taken a more active approach to understanding the points of view of people who believe in the purity myth. As a result, I can only recommend this book to people who are already well distanced from purity ideology themselves. If you fall into that camp, I recommend it very heartily. Otherwise, try “Pure” by Linda Kay Klein instead.

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Second time we better than the first!

This book is essential for anyone trying to understand how misogyny effects the United States. Valenti talks comprehensively about the effects of purity obsession, the myth of virginity & how the two play out in our politics. Truly stomach churning ideas that society as a whole needs to rail against.

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Brief, but comprehensive

An excellent and quite quick review of the well-funded modern resurgence of traditional gender roles.

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Good read

Really enjoyed this one. Would love to see another to see what/if anything has changed since this was written.

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good information

I will use the information in training and some of the resources were beneficial

A great deconstructive work

Well researched and written. Assisted me in deconstructing my own preconceived notions about the virginity myth.

a good broad examination of purity culture

a good broad examination of purity culture. The speaker has a nice voice to listen to.

wonderful book for recovery

this is a great title if you're recovering from the trauma of purity culture or as a survivor of assault. very cathartic.

loved it

Absolutely amazing. Jessica Valenti is spot on in her writing. I'll be reading Full Frontal Feminism next.