Review of Anything by Normal by Melody Carlson

I don't think teenage pregnancy is ever a comfortable subject. But when you talk about Christian teens becoming pregnant, it suddenly becomes even more uncomfortable.

And that's the topic of Melody Carlson's new book for teen girls, Anything but Normal. In this novel, Carlson tells an enjoyable story that will make every reader - young or old - stop and think about their own attitudes toward a very real problem - one that we would often prefer to ignore.

Sophie Ramsay is a Christian teenager who made a wrong decision. The outcome of her action forces her family, her friends, and even the members of her church, question their beliefs about teen pregnancy.

How does someone really show the love of Jesus to somebody who has sinned?

As Sophie comes to terms with her pregnancy and the choices she must make, the reader gets a close up look at the real issues facing pregnant teens - perhaps issues that are too uncomfortable for us to look at in any other way except a fiction novel - and our own response to them.

This is a captivating story with believable characters. Carlson takes you through every step of Sophie's journey, from discovering that she's pregnant, to examining her choices, to finally making the right decision for her.

I shared this book with my 13 year old daughter. She enjoyed the story, too, and it helped start a dialogue between us about teen pregnancy. It gave her an honest look at the pressures she could face as she matures, and helped her plan what her response would be when that day came.

If you have a teenage daughter, or know a teenage girl, I highly recommend giving her a copy of Anything but Normal. It's an enjoyable story that will stay with her long after she's turned the last page.



Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Every evening (almost) for the past few months, Darian, Cassidy and I have been traveling back through time and across an ocean to the magical land of The Count of Monte Cristo.

Family story time is still a staple in our home, even though both my kids are teenagers now. It's fun to look for books that capture all our imaginations. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas certainly does that. It's a tale of revenge, passion, fantasy, and just a lot of fun.

We're reading the unabridged version, which is full of detail, but we discovered we're hanging onto every word. It's that good.

There are a lot of characters, too, so it can get confusing. Halfway through the book, we created a character chart to help us keep track of all the characters and how they were connected.

The main character, Edmond Dantes, is thrown in prison for a crime he didn't commit. While in prison, he meets a man who changes him forever. When Dantes is finally able to escape the dungeon, he emerges with a new life, a fortune, and a new name, The Count of Monte Cristo.

Able to do anything, go anywhere, Monte Cristo instead chooses to plan his retribution against those who wronged him. His plans are elaborate, and full of twists and turns. And in the end...

Oops, I better not give that part away. But I will say this: the ending is good.

Here are two interesting facts about The Count of Monte Cristo: The story was inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment. Also, Dumas wrote The Count of Monte Cristo within one year - the same year he wrote The Three Musketeers.