(Above excerpt is from www.shelleyadina.com )

The Review

Having just read Who Made You A Princess?, I was curious about the prior 3 books in the series.  So were the twins… “Mom!  We want to read the others!”  It’s encouraging for me, as a mother, to see my girls excited about books that aren’t about vampires, dragons, or other such fantasy (although, there is nothing wrong with that!).  These are books that are about girls who are facing issues at school with their peers, parents, and boys.  What these books communicate are for girls to maintain their dignity and chastity.  But they are written in a way that makes it “cool.”  Anything better for young teens?  I think… NOTHING!

In All About Us, the main character (Lissa) struggles with the pressures put in front of her by not only her boyfriend, but the popular girls’ desire to sabotage her in wanting to preserve her dignity and virginity.   Lissa struggles with peer pressure and, as a result, is faced with consequences with both the student body, her parents, and her peers.  This book gives the perfect example of what may happen if you make the wrong choice in attempts to hold onto a boy.  But, the thing that I appreciate most about this story is that it is written in a way that being a girl with self-respect and love for God is COOL, thus being worthy of trying to aspire to. 

I am a Christian and am raising my daughters under the same those religious teachings and beliefs.  One of the things that I appreciate most about Shelley Adina’s series is the concept of chastity and promising God that you will wait until you are married to share that very special moment with your husband.  I don’t think that, as a young girl, that I received enough of that influence in my life.  There was nothing “cool” about being a virgin and saving yourself for marriage.  If there was that thought process, my parents didn’t communicate about it with me.  This series really puts the focus on tweens/teens putting God and Jesus at the center of their lives and hearts.  Thus, boys and their physical desires take a 2nd seat to what’s more important: self respect, love for God, and love for self.

I’ve heard so much lately on Oprah and 17 Magazine about the statistics about girls and sex: how they are hearing about it, how many are doing it, the outcomes of it, etc.  From what the statistics are saying, parents aren’t discussing sex and boys with their daughters as much as they should.  In addition, they aren’t furnishing girls with the information that they need to make informed choices.   I want my girls not to make some of the poor choices that I made.  I want them to love themselves first.  I don’t want them to ever feel that they have to do something with a boy because that will make him love her.  The right boy will love her for the right reasons and not due to physical actions she performs.  But, what I’ve learned is that a lecture from MOM about what not to do just doesn’t have the same impact as discussing a story that we’ve all witnessed (via tv or book).  What Shelley Adina’s books do is provide a story that we can read and discuss.  It works great for us because I don’t come across as the boring, lecturing mother.  I can talk about what I think the characters should have done and why.  The girls then get their opportunity to tell me their opinions.  

Now, I’m not saying that the content is easy to discuss.  But the statistics are showing that girls in middle school are facing what I faced in high school.  It’s happening earlier.  I want my children to trust me and talk to me about what pressures they are facing as much as they can.  I realize there will be that day when they don’t want to discuss their private lives with me, I want to make sure that they have the foundation to make better choices and have God at the center of their lives.     

On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale:”

Having two more books to read to get “caught up” with the entire series, I must admit that I’m hooked.  For my review of this Fiction: YA-Christian, I am going to rate this book an 8 OUT OF 10. 

My thanks to Hachette Books for this great experience!

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