Ellie Lansing has a picture-perfect life with a close-knit family and the perfect boyfriend. But her world is suddenly knocked off center when her drool-worthy boyfriend cheats, and her always-has-it-together mother is diagnosed with cancer. Ellie doesn't get it. She always does the right thing - doesn't God owe her a happy life? Through her heartache, Ellie learns that sometimes what seems like the end is really just the beginning and that what God has for us is always worth the wait.
My Thoughts
Having followed this author's blog for awhile I was excited to have the chance to read and review her debut novel! I wasn't sure exactly what to expect but I figured it would be a quick read I could enjoy. It was so much better than I could have ever imagined! Every time I read it I hated to stop! The characters and the story were so well-written and realistic and I was totally sucked in!
Ellie was great! My heart broke for all the things she went through but I loved how it drew her closer to God. There were a few times I wanted to stop her from making the decisions she made, but at the same time you could really see where she was coming from and what caused her to do what she did. The author did a fantastic job of making her real, not perfect but not a wreck either!
Josh was by far my absolute favorite part of the book! I mean this guy was just plain awesome and I wish more teenage guys were like him today. I could gush forever about the things he said and did that I loved-honestly he made my heart melt several times-but I will let you discover that on your own!
As for Dylan, to put it simply he was a scum bucket! I wanted to slap him and wring his neck so many times, the guy was a complete jerk masquerading as a golden boy and drove me nuts!
I also loved Ellie's dad a lot, and her mom and brother had some great moments as well.
Having been homeschooled I don't really have any “real” school experience but I think the author did a good job of portraying the high-school life and I liked how she didn't make the kids perfect because they went to a private Christian school. Though it does make me sad how kids can say they're Christians on Sunday then act totally opposite every other day of the week!
One of my favorite parts about this book was the fact that there were so many little things mentioned that I enjoy too, like Jenny B. Jones, The Princess Bride, and Carrie Underwood. They were just small parts but they helped me connect since I knew what they were!
And lastly I loved the mission trip at the end! I went to Mexico on a mission trip the summer after I graduated, and it was so similar to the one in this book that it made me want to go back! There were several things they did on the trip that we did on ours and I just absolutely loved that aspect!
So yeah I loved this book and I can't wait to see what else this author has for us!
*There is one use each of the p-word and the h-word, and sex is mentioned frequently without details!
Meet the AuthorI love books---reading and writing them. As an elementary school librarian, I get to spend most of my day sharing great books with kids. After work, I write my own stories to share.
When I'm not surrounded by words, I love watching sports. I'm a huge Rockets fan, and I love the Texans.
I'm passionate about Jesus, books, trees, and cupcakes.
I love to hear from readers, so please find me on Facebook, Twitter (LauraJackson80), Goodreads, or on authorlaurajackson.blogspot.com.
I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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