Can You Handle The Truth by Phil Chalmers

The Back of the Book:

Suicide. Rape. Sex. Drugs and alcohol. Abortion. These are just a few of the tough topics popular youth speaker and author Phil Chalmers confronts head-on in this powerful new devotional Can You Handle the Truth? Just for teens, this issues-based devotional delivers big impact with an in-your-face, tell-it-like-it-is style that will capture (and keep) teens' attention. Skipping the ""thou shalt nots,"" Chalmers gets down to the nitty-gritty with 50 readings from real life-with bonus ""How Does This Affect Me?"" and ""What Does God Say?"" sections. An edgy design rounds out this unique package.

My Thoughts: I love this book because it talks about basically everything teenaged boys and girls go through in high school and college. It's great for teens to read because they can get the information they need from this book to use in their daily lives in school and out of school, with boyfriends or girlfriends.

I personally have learned a lot from this book that I had never known before. Like, I didn't know that some girls thought there was no other option but abortion until I read this book.

I read a story about a girl who decided to have an abortion because she was tired of being looked at as a bad person. She had enough kids, she thought. After she went through with it she realized it was wrong and later on she wrote an article about adoption, and she stated she wished she'd known about other options for her.

I thought the devotional was very helpful and gave great information. Each chapter has Scripture about the topic, and it is so inspiring to see and to read. I wish that the publisher would print more copies so that more people could get it and read it.

It is a phenomenal book and it has inspired me to start my own teen girls' Bible study, and to use it as one of my many resources to inspire girls to make right choices.

Phil has a great idea of what teens need to know, and I love that he got others to share their stories and made it so easy to understand the situations he talked about. I wish he would write more books for teens, because I would most definitely read them!

Till then, hold my place for me.

KT

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson

The Back of the Book:

Scotty Dawn has all the freedom a fifteen-year-old girl could want. As she and her mom, Charley, travel to movie sets for Charley's work, Scotty's allowed to go anywhere and be anything. But there are costs to such a life. Scotty doesn't know who she is, where she comes from, or who to trust. And who is the mysterious man they've been running from? Does he hold the clue to Charley's big secret?

Scotty writes in her Hollywood Nobody blog, and the answers she finds are darker than she had expected. Will she discover who she can trust and finally make sense of her world?

My Thoughts: I think that this the kind of book that will appeal to teens who enjoy reading blogs or instant messaging. Every teen will be interested in Scotty's story. It's the story of a teen girl in Hollywood and how she deals with being a Christian in a non-Christian environment.

It's also about how Scotty deals with her mom and not living a normal life. All in all, I think it's a great book with a great point. Any teen girl would love this book. I personally had a hard time getting into it because of the blogs, but I feel it is definitely worth my time to read.

Lisa Samson is a very good writer and she gets props for making a very good and unique book and how she makes the point that sometimes living the Christian life doesn't always "fit", but how we can make it fit no matter what.

I love Scotty. She has a bubbly personality, and she adds flavor the story that I really like. I plan on reading more about Scotty when it comes out.

Till then, hold my place for me!

KT

Payback by Melody Carlson

The Back of the Book:

When Samantha McGregor tells her friend Detective Ebony Hamilton of her disturbing visions of a brutal murder at a high school, Ebony asks her to go undercover to help identify the shooter before it’s too late. The stakes are raised when Ebony discovers that the potential crime may be connected to a larger terrorism threat!

Meanwhile, Samantha realizes that her mother’s new boyfriend is a little too good to be true. Her unsettling visions, combined with Ebony’s investigation of Steven’s past, reveal him to be more interested in her mother’s money than her heart.

To make matters worse, Samantha has been having visions of an unknown boy who is mercilessly being bullied by his peers. Who is this teen? Can she help him?

This fourth and final installment in The Secret Life of Samantha McGregor series brings Samantha her biggest challenges yet, as she works against the clock to stop a mass murder, help a troubled youth, and save her mother from making a terrible mistake!

My Thoughts: "Payback" is by far the best book out of the whole entire series! I had to stay up late each night just to find out what happened next...and then next...and then next! I have homework to finish, and I still can't put this book down!

In this story, there is more emotion and more about Samantha's family than the others. You feel Sam's pain, and her feelings. The writing is so vivid that you can picture what's happening in the story.

Sam thinks that terrorists are going to attack people at prom, that her mom's boyfriend may be a killer and a boy may be severely beaten. The problem is, does Sam know for sure, or are her visions just brain fog? Sam's frustrated because God isn't giving her clear enough visions in order to know what's what.

Plus, her boyfriend is going through some personal issues and while Sam wishes to be there for him, she's so caught up in other things, she can't.

I'm very disappointed to find out that this is the last book. I wish the author would write more, but I understand that you can only write so much. Still, I think she's an amazing and phenomenal writer, and she deserves props for this one! I plan reading anything else Melody Carlson writes for teens.

Till then, hold my place for me!

KT

Here's what I'm reading now

This is a devotional for both teen boys and girls.



This is the fourth book in the series I have gotten for the first time in the mail.





This is a book all about guys for girls.

So, be watching for more reviews coming soon!

Till then, save my place for me!

KT

Playing With Fire by Melody Carlson

The Back of the Book:

Samantha's brother Zach, is finally home after a 90 day rehab for his meth addiction, and life seems to be getting back to normal. That is, until Sam started having dreams about dangerous situations involving drugs. But her visions are so vague that she doesn't know who needs help.

Of course, she's worried about Zach staying clean, especially since he's hanging with the wrong crowd. But the whole school seems to be buzzing about drugs, and Sam doesn't know who's using and who's not.

What is wrong with these people? Then Sam has a vision of a burning cabin, and this time someone has been shot. Convinced that Zach is involved somehow, Sam chooses to leave Detective Ebony Hamilton out of the loop. If Zach really is involved, this will land him in jail for sure!

But her own investigation is getting too hot to handle, and Sam must decide whether to risk getting Zach in trouble with the law--or ultimately risk his life.

My Thoughts: "Playing With Fire" is riviting. The story keeps you on your toes, and I think it is better than the first two books in this series. You won't put the book down until you find out who's behind the whole drug thing and if Zach is involved.

The fact that Sam had to deal with school, family, her brother getting out of rehab, plus the fact that she had her "own" troubles to deal with, PLUS a project no one else could know about but Ebony complicated her life...

Then there were the questions: was it really her brother? Was is someone SHE hooked her brother up with? Is it one of her OWN friends behind this mystery?

I guess you'll have to read it to find out for yourself!! Melody Carlson has a great way of writing. She can put you right there in the story along with the characters, and she makes it so vivid it's kind of like YOU'RE Sam. I think she's an amazing writer and phenomenal author.

A person who can write a book like this for teens has a great mind and potential for even more awesome stories!

Till then, hold my place for me!

KT