Book One of Nancy Rue's [REAL LIFE] series from Zondervan Press is written about a teenager for teenagers; however, it is enjoyable for adults as well.
Jessie Hatcher grew up thinking that her father was dead, because that's the lie that her mother has perpetuated all her life. Now she's fifteen and a father she's never known calls out of the blue. When her Mom has to be hospitalized for a significant time due to Depression and Bi-Polar Disorder, Jessie is sent to live with this stranger - not her idea of an ideal summer. She's used to the disfunction of her life with her mother.
Jessie has her own struggles with ADHD and she'd rather stay home alone taking care of herself like always, rather than go to a strange city with this weird guy who claims to be her father. As their flight is announced, Jessie starts to follow her Dad to the gate; but she is stopped by a stranger who hands her a book saying it was left in her chair when she stood up. Jessie doesn't recognize the book, but she doesn't have time to argue about it. So she stuffs the book in her backpack and hurries to catch her flight.
In a moment of frustration over being torn away from all she's ever known, Jessie picks up the book. Odd, because she hates to read. In fact, she struggles to read. Amazingly, she can read this book without any difficulty. What she finds in the pages amazes her. It's like the book knows how she feels and what she's thinking. The book points her toward a Relationship with Jesus, with her Dad, and with new friends. For the first time in her life, she realizes she's not a "screw-up" and that she is worthy of being loved.
This is a very powerful story, and one that I would definitely recommend to teens and adults.
Stay tuned for Book 2 in Nancy Rue's [REAL LIFE] Series - Boyfriends, Burritos & an Ocean of Trouble. I can't wait.
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