Sunday, February 07, 2010

Anything But Normal by Melody Carlson

  imageRating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Anything But Normal is a novel that could be real, that most likely is real in the lives of many girls across the United States and around the world. The storyline is that of High School senior, Sophie, and her unexpected pregnancy. Sophie is a good girl, a Christian, so how could this happen to her? Melody Carlson gives us an afternoon read of what 9 months is like for a girl who finds herself in a situation she never thought she would be in.

I found this novel, written for teen girls, to be a challenge to myself and the way that I judge teen pregnancy. It compelled me to focus on helping them find forgiveness in Christ rather than just condemning the sin. After all, it's by the grace of God, not my own doing, that I myself was not in the same situation. This book is a wonderful resource to help anyone, teen or not, to think about what it may be like to be a pregnant teenager or pregnant out of wed-lock at any age.

Personally, I would let my 14 & older teen daughter read this book and then use it to talk to her about the whole topic of teen dating and teen pregnancy. However, I also realize that this book could possibly be offensive to some parents depending on how they choose to raise their kids and deal with topics such as this one. That being said, I would encourage all parents/guardians to read this book prior to their daughter reading it. The time it would take is minimal, maybe 4 hours, and it would then help both you and your daughter.

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ISBN: 978-0-8007-3258-5
Details: Soft Cover, 251 pages, $9.99
Published by: Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

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The review copy was courtesy of Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group

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