Perfectly Invisible

March 10. Search for Significance or Impossible Mission and Holy Grail? Only time will tell where this path is leading. Random fact: my SAT numbers put me in the real of 'highly gifted'. If social skills were included, I would be in the special class. So... what makes me special? I feel no closer to finding an answer since I started this journal, and really, I feel less special for asking a stupid question I can't find the answers to."

Book: Perfectly Invisible by Kristin Billerbeck, Revell Publishers, 2011

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 16-20

Subjects: God's will for your life, relationship with parents, friendship, dating relationship

Summary: Daisy has determined to become visible. She recognizes she took some wrong directions in her search for a prom date and does not want to make those mistakes again. But she does still crave significance. She's tired of being invisible, especially to guys. She thought she'd found the guy of her dreams the night of prom, but Max has hardly spoken to her since then. And worse still, it seems her best friend is pursuing him instead! Life in highschool is not all she's worrying about though. Life after highschool is an even bigger concern. Her dreams of going to a four year college are falling fast. Money is a serious issue, even more serious when the company she was working for got bought out and replaced all their workers. Everything seems to be going wrong for her again. Just when it seems it can't get worse, she finds herself very visible and very humiliated, even in danger at one point! The last couple months of her senior year are not looking so good!

Notes: This is a sequel to the book Perfectly Dateless. It continues Daisy's story as a girl from a very strict family (homemade clothes, no cell phones, no dates, no accepting rides from guys, etc) who desperately longs for normal to the point where she rebels to get it. By the start of this 2nd book in the series, Daisy has accepted many parts of her life and surrendered more to Christ, but she still has some serious issues to work through - particularly trusting Him with her dreams. When everything she has hoped for seems to come crashing down on her, she has to open her heart to what God might have planned for her and believe that He truly does care about her and her dreams. The book is also well written, making it easy to relate to Daisy and enjoyable to read.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. 

“Sent to me by in exchange for reviews and available July 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

Double Take

Madison learned forward and stared at her image. She was someone else. While that was oddly appealing, she still felt uneasy. What is this was a mistake?

Anna could not believe she had agreed to this strange idea. In fact, as Madison did something with her hair, making it look fluffy like an Englisher girl, Anna reassured herself that this was only a game. A way to pass the time. They would play this odd game for a few hours, then exchange clothes again and go their separate ways.

Book: Double Take by Melody Carlson, Revell Publishers, 2011

 

Genre: Realistic/Amish fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Subjects: Amish lifestyle, Friendships, Dating relationships

Summary: Two girls, both unhappy with their life, both seeking something more, both starting to wonder about God a little more than before, both at a decision point in their lives. They accidentally meet at a coffee shop and next thing you know they’ve swapped lives. Yep. Just like Parent Trap, except, the key to success is neither girl was going to be with her parents that week. One was visiting distant relatives, the other spending spring break at home alone with only the maid around. They aren’t really twins, but they look enough alike to pull it off quite well. Madison becomes Anna and goes to spend a week with Anna’s Amish relatives and help care for her young cousins while her aunt struggles with her pregnancy. Anna becomes Madison and goes off to the penthouse in the city to see if she can find a boyfriend that abandoned the Amish ways in search of something more. Both girls experience major culture shock, develop a good friendship with someone, and realize a few things about themselves and their relationship with God.

Notes: This story does work. It seems like a story that’s been done many times before, but Melody Carlson did a good job with it. The spiritual “lesson” wasn’t really there though. It was more about each girl seeking God, reaching out for something and finding peace in their surroundings. For example, one girl went out to look at the stars one night and just started talking to God and concluded He was there and she could talk to Him more often. So maybe the lesson was being content with what you have, although both concluded they needed to see the other side to learn to be content with their side.

Recommendation Scale: 2/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Timothy 6:6 – But godliness with contentment is great gain.