Guest Post: Review of YA book What If?

Today I welcome very special guest to Bookaholic. 13 Year old Zoe has agreed to review a superb new Young Adult book for us. I am sure all Bookaholics will join me in extending her a very warm welcome.

Hi! I’m Zoe and I’m 13 years old. I am reviewing What If? by Caroline Johnston.

What If? is a really interesting and worthwhile read for any teenager who has been thinking about God. Caroline Johnston presents an interesting view point about what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

The story is about 14 year old Rachel Anderson, a shy girl who has gone to church her whole life. She faces a lot of interesting challenges and opportunities, including auditioning for the school play, and imagining that Jesus is one of her friends at school.

I really like this book as I find a lot of teenage fiction is dark and heavily layered with deep traumatic issues. Although this book has some big questions in it, it is basically positive, and it has a nice storyline.

Rachel is a character who I found easy to relate to and understand. She is not a generic teen fiction heroine either. Unlike most of the main girls in recent YA book, she is not ridiculously brave, nor totally quiet and shy. She is not a two dimensional character, but neither is she impossibly deep as some heroines are. She has some friends, but isn’t the most popular kid in school. I think most girls my age will be able to relate to her, and like her. It is easy to believe that Rachel lives in your town, or goes to your school. The author has really nailed exactly what it means to be a teenage girl.

I would recommend What If? to girls (and boys who don’t mind reading about girls) aged 11 – 15. It is not hard to read, or too long, but it is thought provoking, and stays with you a long time. This book is a very good specimen of Christian YA fiction.

Thank you Zoe for an excellent review. Zoe, as well as being a reviewer, is also a writer in her own right. I am sure we will be sharing a lot of Zoe in the future.

What if? is a book which is well worth buying for all young women. It will make them think about what they are doing and the way their faith plays out. If you would like to buy the book it is available from Amazon in paperback in UK. This would make a fabulous present for any Christian teenage girl.

Also available as an ebook from EatACD

That brings us to the end of another Bookaholic blog. I look forward to seeing you all back here soon. Until then keep reading.