Michelle Sutton will be back with the Dregs on Friday. In the meantime, check out the first chapter of It's Not About Me and her website.My Review:
It's Not About Me is a deeply character driven drama about choices and relationships. Teen girls will especially connect with Annie as she struggles with her feelings of attraction and her doubts, the pressures she faces, and a tragedy that changes her life. Secondary characters deal with heavy issues as well, and I'm glad to see that there will be a second story that looks deeper into the lives of Annie's friends.
Issues such as sexuality, alcohol and the differences between real faith and religion are covered in depth. Plenty of drama and twists to keep the pages turning,and loads of truth to keep the focus on hope and restoration rather than the ugliness of sin.
Overall, Michelle Sutton's freshman novel is solid and lays a foundation that will no doubt win some fans who love what she is serving up. I would recommend the book to older teen girls without reservation unless they are very sheltered. Younger teens would benefit from the decisions made by a couple of characters that demonstrate both good or bad consequences. The book offers some heavy make-out sessions and some violence so I would recommend that cautious parents read the book before turning a kid loose with it. However, compared to what's on television and the internet, this edgy-for-Christian-Fiction novel is tame and offers hopeful food for thought.
