Daughter Of Liberty

Could it be that Carleton had come into her life for some purpose she couldn’t yet fathom? Did God mean to test them – or to mock them? If there was a purpose in the events of the last month, in the horror of war and broken bodies and agonizing death, it was beyond her comprehension. Equally incomprehensible was what possible good could come of her falling in love with a man whose duty and allegiance made him her enemy and must tear them apart from each other.

Book: Daughter of Liberty (The American Patriot Series, Book 1) by J. M. Hochstetler, Zondervan Publishers, 2004

 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 16+

Subjects: American Revolution, Family Relationships, Dating Relationships, War, Forgiveness

Summary: Late a night, the Oriole sneaks in, does the damage and away it flies. The next morning the British are furious and vows to catch this spy are renewed. But Elizabeth Howard isn’t afraid. Her cause is just and she knows what she’s doing and above all – no one would suspect the beautiful daughter of a prominent loyalist couple to be the Oriole. Everyone knows she shares her parents’ political views. At least, they did. Until the day he came to town. Carleton is a member of the British army and that makes him her enemy. But her heart refuses to listen to her and soon Elizabeth is head over heels in love with the man whose goal is to find and put a stop to the Oriole.

Notes: Set at the beginning of the American Revolution, Daughter of Liberty shows a young woman who doesn’t share the same political views as her parents or the man she loves. It also shows a young man struggling with his role in the war as well as his relationship with God. He believes the sins of his past to be too great to be forgivable by God. It shows two people truly loving one another – to the point of risking their lives for one another and encouraging one another to draw closer to God. It’s definitely an adventure book with action and suspense being the focus, but the spiritual elements that are there are well done.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Take My Hand

What if Paul did get a good look at the reality that was and would always be “Sierra Jensen”? What is she walked into that living room and this guy, who had captured her heart through his words written in bold, black letters on 100 sheets of onionskin paper, decided to walk away? Time seemed to freeze. “There’s only one way to find out,” Sierra finally told her reflection. “It’s now or never.”

Book:Take My Hand (The Sierra Jensen Series #12) by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1999

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up

Summary: This is it. This is the day Sierra has dreamed of for two years. But now that it’s here, everything seems to go wrong. First her little brother accidentally smacks her in the face with a can of root beer. Then her older sister gives her a full make over in an attempt to hide the black eye. Then Granna Mae starts getting confused and sort of hijacks Paul. And if that isn’t bad enough, when she finally does get some time alone with Paul and those sweet dreams start coming true, he suddenly pulls away leaving Sierra baffled and jumping to conclusions. Her response leaves him jumping to conclusions. Soon the sweet dreams are more like a nightmare. This growing up stuff isn’t all it’s cut out to be!

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Last in the Sierra Jensen series, Take My Hand has Sierra’s family driving to California to take Sierra to college and celebrate her sister’s engagement. Sierra thinks she’s ready for all the independence coming her way. But when her visit with Paul suddenly turns negative she’s not so sure she likes this after all. It’s a new step for Sierra, entering into a real dating relationship. Her relationships with Drake and Randy were so short and they didn’t hold her heart the way Paul does, there’s just no comparison. Sierra’s tendency to rush into things without thinking them through gets her into trouble again when she jumps to conclusions about Paul instead of listening to what he has to say and letting him explain. She’s so eager to have dreams come true that she doesn’t even give him a chance to explain himself. However, the fun part about this book is that after 11 books of hoping Sierra and Paul would finally get together, the author does give us a couple of romantic moments between them and hope for their future relationship.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 1:19 – My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry

Closer Than Ever

Sierra felt as if icy fingers had reached down her throat and were trying to yank out her heart. Her father wouldn’t look like this or sound like this unless something was wrong – seriously wrong. Sierra felt her world screeching to a halt as she waited for her father to speak.

Book:Closer Than Ever (The Sierra Jensen Series #11) by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1999

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up, Salvation

Summary: Graduation time! Are they really ready for this? Sierra, Randy, Vicki, Amy and the others aren’t sure. On one hand, there’s lots of excitement, but on the other hand it’s scary to think of what all this means. Then Sierra gets a letter that knocks everything else to the back of her mind: Paul is coming for her graduation! The one she’s been writing letters to for two years is coming for her graduation! Amy is planning a big fancy dinner to celebrate their graduation and Paul will be able to come to that. Sierra fills a notebook with possibilities of things they can do while he is here. Then the time comes and instead of Paul she gets news that shatters her world. Is her faith really strong enough for this?

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Eleventh in the Sierra Jensen series, Closer Than Ever shows Sierra getting closer to have dreams come true. Between graduation, acceptance of her and her friends to their first choice of college, and Paul’s visit Sierra’s heart is about to burst with excitement. But when word of a possible tragedy comes, Sierra’s excitement comes crashing down and she has to rely on faith to get by as they wait for word. This book also deals with salvation as Sierra and Vicki start to feel an urgency for Amy and when the disaster hits, it shakes Amy up and she finally makes the choice to put her trust in Christ for her salvation! The author, as usual, does a great job filling the ending with more hopes and dreams so the story doesn’t end on a negative tone.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Corinthians 16:13 – Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.

Hold On Tight

Sierra felt anything but mature at the moment. She didn’t want to be responsible for driving the family van 100 miles down to Coravallis with Randy, Warner, Amy, and Vicki depending on her. Sierra would have felt much more comfortable if her dad stepped in and volunteered to drive them to Wesley’s. But she knew her dad wouldn’t; he trusted her and her friends depended on her. She never would have expected it, but being mature and responsible on such occasions was a troublesome, nerve-wracking condition.

Book:Hold on Tight (The Sierra Jensen Series #10) by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1998

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up

Summary: A road trip with her buddies should be a blast! And when she breaks the news to Amy and Vicki they agree. But all of a sudden it’s not just them. Randy and Warner and Tre and Margo and Drake have all been invited! Sierra has no clue what to do! How did it get so out of control so fast? It’s supposed to be a visit to a number of different colleges, culminating with the one Wes is looking into for grad school. Sure they are considering throwing in one trip to an amusement park, but that’s not the focus of the trip. How is Sierra supposed to solve this one?

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Tenth in the Sierra Jensen series, Hold On Tight has Sierra trying to figure out how to be a good friend even when it’s difficult. One person in particular does not know how to be a good friend to the others and has the girls wanting to scream in frustration at him. An accident changes perspective a bit though. Then the rest of the trip is the start of Sierra’s realizing how much things are changing as she grows up. It’s time to start making decisions and that requires a lot of trust in God to guide her to the right place at the right time. She likens it to how God can move mountains or hide them behind the clouds. It’s time for her to hold on tight to God and have faith that He’ll guide her.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Now Picture This

Scooping up the new green dress, Sierra held it in front of her and waltzed around the clutter on her floor. Never before had her spirit soared to such dizzying heights. She laughed when she thought how she would show everyone what a magnificent free spirit she was.

Book: Now Picture This (The Sierra Jensen Series #9) by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1998

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up

Summary: The letters seem to be pouring in! And Sierra cherishes each and every one! Now Paul is even asking for her picture! Her friends help her pick out a beautiful dress to take a picture in and she has her grandma use up nearly a whole roll of film getting photos. Then she even starts looking into the same college Paul is at. Her dreams are going wild! But her parents don’t seem to share Sierra’s enthusiasm. Neither do her friends. She keeps get challenges to slow down and reevaluate the relationship before she soars out of control. That is definitely NOT what she wanted to hear!

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Ninth in the Sierra Jensen series, Now Picture This, has Sierra losing focus. She gets too carried away and blows things up beyond reality. It simply boils down to patience. She’s no longer willing to wait on God’s timing in her relationship with Paul. She wants it to grow and wants him to truly be her boyfriend. She’s reminded of the first item listed in the love chapter – love is patient. It takes challenges from her friends, parents, and boss before she finally gets it and becomes willing to wait. It’s a good reminder for most teen girls – how easily dreams take over reality and how important it is to wait on God’s timing and the boy’s timing. Rushing ahead instead of letting the guy take the lead may not be wise, but it is extremely easy to do.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Corinthians 13:4 – Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

Time Will Tell

“This is so frustrating. All I can do is wait. Wait for another chance to talk to Amy. Wait for Paul to write. Wait to see if Mom and Dad will include me in Tawni’s problem. Wait, wait, wait. I hate waiting.”

Book: Time Will Tell (The Sierra Jensen Series #8)by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1998

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up

Summary: She’s back from her adventurous summer but she still can’t get together with Amy no matter how hard she tries. The grudge her friend has against her seems to be permanent. Sierra is determined to get through to her though. Then her older sister starts having some kind of difficulty and no one will tell her what’s going on. Then Randy gets an ultimatum from the school about his long hair and starts a discussion with them about it and Sierra has to wait to see what will happen to him. All the while she’s waiting, hoping to hear something from the guy she has held her in heart for so long. It seems as if everything in her life is on hold right now!

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Eighth in the Sierra Jensen series, Time Will Tell has Sierra feeling rather impatient. There are a lot of big issues going on in her life and she can’t do anything about a single one of them. She’s starting her senior year and God seems to be ready to start teaching her to wait on Him and stay faithful while she waits.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Psalm 27:14 – Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Open Your Heart

Sierra was sure that if she were traveling with her mom instead of Marti, this whole embarrassing mess never would have happened. Mrs. Jensen would have liked Alex immediately. Sierra just knew her mom would understand if she had to bend the rules a pinch to get around Marti, the tyrant. That if, if Sierra ever had the opportunity to bend those rules.

Book: Open Your Heart (The Sierra Jensen Series #7)by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1997

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up

Summary: A sudden trip to Switzerland with Christy should be a dream come true for Sierra, but the one taking them on this trip is Christy’s Aunt Marti and that changes the whole picture. Marti is not only not a Christian, but is opposed to Christianity and doesn’t appreciate it in either of the girls. And she has a secret from her past, a secret that makes her crabby and even downright angry or rude. When a cute guy Sierra’s age shows interest in her and turns out to be a godly young man walking with the Lord, Sierra is extremely attracted to him. But he’s a stranger and Aunt Marti wants the girls to have nothing to do with him! With her purity standards, Sierra is wondering how wise it is to pursue this young man anyway. Christy encourages her to keep her heart open – not give away her purity, but also not discount relationships God puts in her path. Now if only Aunt Marti will give Sierra a chance to do that!

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Seventh in the Sierra Jensen series, Open Your Heart focuses on two different directions with two different characters being encouraged to open their hearts. The first of course is Sierra being encouraged to be open to relationships without giving away her purity, even emotional purity. The second though is Aunt Marti being encouraged to open her heart to God and let Him heal the pain from her past. She believes her tragedies to be God’s way of affirming His judgment and unwillingness to forgive her. She is the example of the character who will not open her heart and lives a life wallowing in anger and pain as a result.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

With This Ring

“Why can’t you be like the others?” she muttered to herself. She didn’t like this uncomfortable feeling. “What is my style? My image? she thought. At the dinner with Dad last week, I was uncomfortable being dressed up. Now I’m out of place because I feel underdressed. Where’s the middle ground? Who am I trying to be?

Book: With This Ring (The Sierra Jensen Series #6) by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1997

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up

Summary: Talk about romantic! A guy who has not only never had sex with anyone, but even saved his first kiss for his wife! And Sierra gets to attend their wedding! She’s thrilled to be with Christy, Todd, Tracey, Doug, Katie and the other friends she met on the missions trip to Europe. And she’s definitely excited to attend Doug & Tracey’s wedding. But in the midst of all the good circumstances, she’s feeling confused and frustrated. She’s figured out that she wants to be careful herself about how much she gives away to someone not her husband. Her best friend has not. Right before Sierra leaves, Amy calls to talk about making out with the new guy on their first date. Sierra wants to help Amy but isn’t sure how. Then there’s the struggle to find her identity. Clothes have always played a big part in that but does that mean she’s someone different if she’s not dressed in her personal style? Exactly who is she supposed to be anyway?

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Sixth in the Sierra Jensen series, With This Ring focuses on the beauty of real, genuine love. Sierra has two friends that are older and in committed relationships based on love rather than just attraction or romance. They are relationships that have withstood time and trials and only grown stronger from them. She’s thinking a lot about relationships and purity and standards as a result and wanting to hold herself and her friends to a standard of purity. She has to learn who God wants her to be and how she can encourage her friend without condemning her.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Hebrews 10:22 – Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Without A Doubt

“I think I’ve been running on emotions lately, you know? Everything I’ve done or said has been based on how I felt. It’s like I’m being swept away by my emotions, and I don’t even know what I truly feel anymore.”

Book: Without a Doubt (The Sierra Jensen Series #5) by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1997

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up

Summary: She’s sweet 16 and never been kissed. That’s never bothered her before. She has good buddies that are guys but doesn’t need a boyfriend. Sure there were the fantasies of Paul, but he’s off to Scotland now and obviously views her as a little sister anyway. But now things are changing. All of a sudden Randy is showing interest in being more than just a buddy. And she likes it. The feel of her hand in his, the feel of his arm around her – it’s exciting! Then out of nowhere Drake, the boy her best friend likes starts to show interest in Sierra too! And not just start showing interest, but outright asking her to start dating him. Sierra likes that too and is soon even hoping for a kiss! A challenging lesson over the campfire on their hiking trip makes her wonder if she has it all wrong though. What DOES God want of her in terms of dating relationships?

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Fifth in the Sierra Jensen series, Without A Doubt focuses on the rollercoaster a teen girl’s emotions can put them on. It emphasizes the value of not just staying pure, but being cautious about how much of yourself you give away to someone you’re not married to – going beyond “don’t have sex”.. There is spiritual emphasis as Sierra cries out to God for answers but the focus really is mostly about being wise and cautious before jumping headfirst into a dating relationship.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Timothy 2:22 – Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Open Your Eyes

“Oh no! You’re not off with that phantom in your head again are you?”

“Maybe,” Sierra answered, a lilt in her voice. The really fun thing about Paul was that the more she had thought about him the last few months, the more she had convinced herself she had a crush on him. No, more than that, she and Paul were brought together by God, and she just knew that something had to happen between them – hopefully very soon.

Book: Close Your Eyes (The Sierra Jensen Series #4) by Robin Jones Gunn, Bethany House Publishers, 1996

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 14-19

Subjects: Friendships, Relationships with family, Dating relationships, Growing up

Summary: A phantom Amy calls him. And perhaps with good reason. They’ve exchanged two short conversations and he’s sent her two short notes. And yet he’s the one Sierra day dreams about. Her best friend says she needs to open her eyes to what’s right in front of her: her good buddy Randy who is starting to take interest in her. But when a school assignment causes Sierra to run into Paul again, she can’t help but hope something will come together.

Notes: Sierra Jensen was introduced in the last book of the Christy Miller series and this is the one of twelve books about her story. Fourth in the Sierra Jensen series, Open Your Eyes focuses on the difference between elusive daydream relationships and real relationships. It’s not so much saying that Sierra should date one boy or the other, but focusing on being thankful for the relationships she does have instead of always focusing on the one she doesn’t have. A Christian music concert helps her shift her focus a bit. At the end of the book, the author has a note about the real music group mentioned in the story.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances , for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Anomaly

“It’s impossible. John, why are you saying this?”

“Because you have a purpose. And you need to be aware of what is real and what is not when it is time for you to accomplish that purpose.”

Book: Anomaly by Krista McGee, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2013

Genre: Science Fiction/

Target Audience: Girls 16+

Subjects: Truth, Reality, Love,

Summary: How do you know if a person is real or not? Thalli is not sure. In a world where virtual reality is developed to the point of seeming like reality, truth is hard to find. Thalli is an anomaly in the first place. Mankind has been genetically modified to be void of emotions but Thalli feels emotion anyway, feels it and dares to respond to it. When she’s caught, instead of being terminated, a friend convinces the ruling scientists to experiment on her instead. In the midst of all the experimentation and the confusion, one man speaks truth – real truth – ultimate truth into her life. This truth could not only change her, but change their whole world if it were known. This truth speaks of love, a love so great that it caused a life to be sacrificed for it. This truth is something the scientists dare not let anyone know of though. It must be silenced – at all costs!

Notes: The author of the realistic teen romances has ventured into the realm of science fiction and written a beautiful story of the power of love. The premise of this story is that emotions are the cause of all the wars and fights and problems on earth so if humans could just be genetically modified to be free of emotions then all problems would cease. Yet, somehow, one girl still experiences emotions. Supposedly they plan to do away with her since she’s an anomaly, but she is instead entered into a virtual reality program that is set up to trick her into believing she’s experiencing something real. The challenge is that the reader gets tricked to, till at the end you’re doubting everything you just read. The spiritual element comes when she meets an old man who is a Christian and tells her of God’s great love for her. This changes her whole worldview as well as gives her a desire to share this truth with others. It’s very well done. I highly recommend this book for fans of futuristic/sci-fi/post apocalypse fiction.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

John 8:32 - Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

 Thank you to Team Novel Teen for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
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Totally Unfair

“I’m not worried about you two,” he said. “I just don’t want a repeat of this discussion we just had.” Something uneasy began to creep up my spinal column. “I certainly respect your Christian beliefs,” he said. “I’m a Christian myself. BUtI want you to be very careful about expressing them in the classroom. It isn’t always appropriate.”
”Why?” I said.

He sighed. “Because this is a captive audience. Anyone who is offended can’t just walk out of the room.”

“But what Jeremy said offended ME,” I said. “And I can’t walk out of the room either.”

Irritation etched Mr. Beecher’s face. “He was stating an opinion. You have to learn to live with the differences people express.”

“But I was –“

“You were preaching. There’s a difference.”

Then he turned away, signaling the end of the conversation. I left the room feeling like his thumbprint was carved into my head.

Book: Totally Unfair ('Nama Beach High, Book 4) by Nancy Rue, Zondervan Publishers, 2005

 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 13-19

Subjects: Tolerance, Truth, Separation of Church and State

Summary: Their hero is in trouble and there’s nothing they can do about it! Mrs. Isaacason has been there for them so many times. She practically saved the lives of a few of them! And now she’s under attack for “proselytizing” even though she’s always been careful to follow the law. It’s nothing more than one mean spirited girl out for revenge, but no one believes that. Laura Duffy is determined to stand up for her and fight for what’s right, but it seems she’s going to be alone. The swim coach has threatened Joy-Beth with being kicked off the team for “causing disruptions”, Stevie is being threatened with losing student president for “proselytizing”, Trent is afraid because of graduation looming, K-J is afraid of losing Mrs. I as a foster parent and Celeste is just plain mad at God. But yet, it seems she’s not alone. She continues to get notes from her Secret Admirer encouraging to be One with God.

Notes: This story almost painful. A number of adults in this story do their best to use the law to take away student rights. Students are allowed free speech, but fear of hearing Biblical truth makes the officials try to take away that right. But the story is more than that. It’s about waiting on God and being One with Him. The last three books in this series were about Laura’s search for keys of power. In this book, it takes it a step further and uses the illustration of God being our Bridegroom to encourage Laura to be completely one with God.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Matthew 25:1-12 – "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'  "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'  "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves'  "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'  "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'  "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.