Why We Need Christian YA

Why is Christian YA Important?

Some of the answers to this question seem obvious. Evangelism (introducing Christian beliefs to those unfamiliar or searching.) Reinforced values. “Safe” stories without graphic sex, profanity or violence. Those are all important reasons.

I spent a considerable portion of my early teen years figuring out what I believed, why I believed it and what I wanted to do about it. I think this is the case for a lot of people. As a public school kid, I wasn’t surrounded by Christian faculty and curriculum. (For me, I think this was ultimately a good thing, though that’s another story.) I found friends who shared the same moral ideas that I did, though not always the same faith base. (I think this was also ultimately good, but also another story.)

When I read Christian YA featuring characters facing that struggle – the wrestling with faith to craft … Continue reading

Upcoming Summer Reviews

Seems like this time of year more than any other, my To Be Read list just explodes. It’s summer time! The perfect time to kick back and read a book or two. Or seven. Maybe thirteen…

Here are just a few of the books I’m most looking forward to this summer:

sirensStorm Siren and Siren’s Fury by Mary Weber

Originally I’d requested to review Siren’s Fury via NetGalley, but as I started reading, I realized book two wasn’t going to be enough. While I could follow the story, I was too interested in the things that happened in book one: in Nym’s dark past, in her romance with Eogan, and in her part in a terrible war. I ordered the … Continue reading

Review: The Truth Commission by Susan Juby

The Truth Commission by Susan JubyThe Truth Commission
by Susan Juby
Viking/Penguin Group

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Normandy Pale and her two best friends Dusk and Neil embark on a mission to strip away the insulation around fellow students and teachers’ lives and expose the truth. Rumors abound in their small school of the arts, and the three self-appointed members of the Truth Commission want to get to the bottom of each one. At first, the mission seems pure and helpful, but consequences grow with each truth exposed. Then one confronted student suggests Normandy examine her own life for hidden truths. Normandy reluctantly begins a quest for truth that could tear her fragile family apart, and will force each Truth Commissioner … Continue reading

Review: Where You End by Anna Pellicioli

Where You End by Anna PellicioliWhere You End
Anna Pellicioli
Flux

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For some, grief is a quiet void carefully tiptoed around. For Miriam, it is a raging storm that wakes her in the night, chews through her ability to reason. The hungry, empty space inside her where Elliot used to be. Seeing him with another girl sends her over the edge. Almost before she realizes what she’s done, a priceless statue lies on the ground at her feet. Panicked, Miriam flees the scene. There’s just one problem: a girl as mixed up as she is. One who saw what Miriam did. One who wants something in exchange for her silence.

Miriam’s emotional journey is … Continue reading

Review: Twintuition: Double Vision by Tia and Tamera Mowry

Twintuition Double Vision by Tia and Tamera MowryTwintuition: Double Vision
by Tia & Tamera Mowry
Harper/HarperCollins

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Caitlyn and Cassie may look exactly the same, but inside they’re as different as two people can be. On this they agree: the tiny town of Aura, Texas is the last place they want to live. Caitlyn, ever the optimist, tries to make the best of the move. Cassie hatches plot after plot to convince Mom to return to San Antonio. Strange visions begin clouding the twins’ sight. To Cassie, this could turn into an opportunity to get in with the cool kids. Caitlyn, however, is convinced they should use their gift to help others. The last person they expected … Continue reading

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Graffiti Moon by Cath CrowleyGraffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
Knopf Books for Young Readers

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On the last night of her senior year, Lucy and her best friend set out on an adventure. The girls plan to track down Shadow and Poet, a secretive duo who pepper the city with brilliant graffiti and gut-wrenching poetry. Ed, Lucy’s sort-of-ex-boyfriend, wishes she’d see past her prejudices and assumptions. Her obsession with Shadow is sure to lead to disappointment, but it’s like a train wreck from which he can’t look away. As the night progresses, Lucy draws nearer to uncovering the identity of the elusive Shadow, but the closer she gets, the less he seems like the hero she’s built … Continue reading