Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Review: Avra's God by Ann Lee Miller


My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

http://www.amazon.comhttp://www.barnesandnoble.comhttp://www.goodreads.com

Synopsis from goodreads.com

In the tradition of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, four friends navigate college and the drama churned up by their Florida beach band to cement friendship and more.

Avra wants love, but drummer Cisco—self-medicating from his parents’ divorce with sex and intoxicants—is a poor choice. Cisco hungers for fresh-baked cookies and the scent of family he finds at Avra’s.

Kallie shares her classically trained singing voice only with lead vocalist Jesse and fights to keep her heart safe. Jesse feeds on fame and hides more than insecurity beneath his guitar.

The friends surf ego, betrayal, and ambition and head for wipe-out. But somehow, when they’re not looking, Avra’s God changes them all.


My Review

What a rollercoaster of emotion! Reading this "New Adult" book reminds me of one of those e-cards that I think is hilarious and oh-so-true:
The author skillfully portrayed all the drama, emotion, indecision, change, and maturing that happens during the college years. The characters are vibrant- I felt like I really got to know each of them- their strengths, hopes, vulnerabilities, and fears. The story is told from four perspectives- the two girls, and the two guys who break their hearts. I appreciated having the insights into what the guys were thinking, although that didn't prevent me from still having a hard time understanding the male psyche. (Maybe it's because I grew up with all sisters). I kept thinking, if they would only just sit down and talk about what they are really feeling! But that's not usually reality- and the conflicts these young adults struggled with and the way they handled them sure felt real. The spiritual journey and growth of each character also felt realistic- it was a progression towards connecting with God, learning how to be comforted and guided by him, seeking forgiveness and the grace to forgive.

The author Ann Lee Miller has three other books in her New Smyrna Beach series (the location of the Florida college community), and Kicking Eternity is currently free for download!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15892244-kicking-eternityhttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16276593-the-art-of-my-life


(a copy of the book was provided by the author for unbiased review)

4 comments:

  1. I admit it I like "new adult" books lol! I am glad someone else is reading them that is slightly older than the target audience :) I will be adding the books to my Shelfari account to use as my Florida books in my #50statesbookchallenge . Thanks for joining in at #throwbackthursday !

    ReplyDelete
  2. This sounds like a book I might enjoy. I'll have to check it out. Thanks for linking up to #throwbackthursday link up!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Every time I read one of your posts I think I need to get back to my rule of reading for at least 15-30 minutes every night before bed. I got sidetracked by doing 5 million other things instead and for that I'm seriously behind on reading {anything}. Thanks for always sharing your great reads on #throwbackthursdaylinkup

    ReplyDelete
  4. I enjoy the NA Christian genre, but I must admit to getting really frustrated when the conflict in a book is driven only by lack of communication. But, you're right, it is unfortunately realistic. Thanks so much for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com!
    Tina

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comment!