Jennifer Ball. Here. Spring Hill, Florida: Revelation Publishing Company, 2014. See here to buy the book.
Here is about two teenagers named Abigail and Joshua.
Abigail is a Christian girl with a sociopathic sister. Joshua, like his
father, is a womanizer, yet he attends church. Their paths cross as a
result of a dramatic incident, and Joshua’s life is not the same after
that.
The book is in dire need of editing, in terms of style, grammar, and,
occasionally, spelling. But Jennifer Ball is still an effective
writer. Her prose is very detailed. She was able to draw me into the
story, as I wondered how things would turn out for the characters. She
also crafted likable characters, characters with whom I enjoyed spending
time. Abigail was sweet and silly, yet also wise. Joshua enjoyed the
pleasures of seduction but came to have more responsible views on
sexuality, and he matured in the course of the book.
In one scene, Joshua’s girlfriend thinks that she is pregnant, and an
unpopular Christian girl lectures her on how unprotected (and,
sometimes, protected) sex leads to pregnancy. In my opinion, that
Christian girl would have done better as a Christian to have offered to
help Joshua’s girlfriend during her pregnancy! I cannot say that
Christians lack love in this book, however. I think particularly of
Joshua’s mother, who made an act of sacrificial love for her son.
Things do not always go smoothly for Joshua, even after he finds the
right path and finds his calling. But he got to joke around with his
Christian friends, who also provided him with spiritual encouragement.
This was an enjoyable book to read.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book through Bookcrash, in exchange for an honest review.