Right Where I Belong - eBook
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A Clean Teen Read!
Right where I belong / by Krista McGee
HS Grades 7-12 Rating: 4
Krista McGee presents another well-written contemporary young adult novel, loosely based on the biblical story of Ruth and Boaz.
In [[ASIN:1401684904 Right Where I Belong]], teenaged Natalia moves to the United States with Maureen, an American who married NataliaâÂÂs dad while working in Madrid. Due to their closeness in age and shared faith, Maureen is more a friend than a stepmother. When her dad announces his divorce to Maureen, Natalia accompanies her back to America. Her dad supports the move because it will look good on her resume. Her parents want her to become a successful businesswoman. Natalia leaves behind her culture, her country, her best friend, but not her new faith.
As she encounters challenges, Natalia is tempted to return to Spain. Maureen begins looking for a job while Natalia enrolls in high school. MaureenâÂÂs pastor and his son Brian help them get settled. Maureen struggles in her faith while trying to adjust to life as a divorced woman. Brian and Natalia become friends, even though wealthy Spencer tries to impress Natalia.
Addy (from McGeeâÂÂs [[ASIN:B009F7R2XM First Date]]) befriends Natalia, and Brian invites the girls on a mission trip to Costa Rica. Spencer, Natalia, Brian, and Addy go on the mission trip together, and it has a significant on all of them, especially Spencer.
Teens will easily relate to Natalia and the other main characters. Natalia struggles with adapting to a new country, as well as learning more about the Christian life. Natalia has to balance what her parents want for her life and what she is discovering that God may want. As it becomes clear that her heartâÂÂs desire is to be a teacher, she has to deal with her parentsâ expectations.
Though there is an attraction between Natalia and Brian, they have a clean romance similar to McGeeâÂÂs earlier books â the teens recognize their attraction but choose to move slowly in their relationship and let God lead them.
Disclaimer: Book reviews are my opinion of books I either purchased or received free of cost from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
April 10, 2013
A clean teen read!
Right where I belong / by Krista McGee
HS Grades 7-12 Rating: 4
Krista McGee presents another well-written contemporary young adult novel, loosely based on the biblical story of Ruth and Boaz.
In [[ASIN:1401684904 Right Where I Belong]], teenaged Natalia moves to the United States with Maureen, an American who married NataliaâÂÂs dad while working in Madrid. Due to their closeness in age and shared faith, Maureen is more a friend than a stepmother. When her dad announces his divorce to Maureen, Natalia accompanies her back to America. Her dad supports the move because it will look good on her resume. Her parents want her to become a successful businesswoman. Natalia leaves behind her culture, her country, her best friend, but not her new faith.
As she encounters challenges, Natalia is tempted to return to Spain. Maureen begins looking for a job while Natalia enrolls in high school. MaureenâÂÂs pastor and his son Brian help them get settled. Maureen struggles in her faith while trying to adjust to life as a divorced woman. Brian and Natalia become friends, even though wealthy Spencer tries to impress Natalia.
Addy (from McGeeâÂÂs [[ASIN:B009F7R2XM First Date]]) befriends Natalia, and Brian invites the girls on a mission trip to Costa Rica. Spencer, Natalia, Brian, and Addy go on the mission trip together, and it has a significant on all of them, especially Spencer.
Teens will easily relate to Natalia and the other main characters. Natalia struggles with adapting to a new country, as well as learning more about the Christian life. Natalia has to balance what her parents want for her life and what she is discovering that God may want. As it becomes clear that her heartâÂÂs desire is to be a teacher, she has to deal with her parentsâ expectations.
Though there is an attraction between Natalia and Brian, they have a clean romance similar to McGeeâÂÂs earlier books â the teens recognize their attraction but choose to move slowly in their relationship and let God lead them.
Disclaimer: Book reviews are my opinion of books I either purchased or received free of cost from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
April 10, 2013
Good Christian Young Adult Novel
This is the third and final book in Krista McGeeâÂÂs series for teenage girls (following First Date and Starring Me), and IâÂÂve enjoyed all of them (even though IâÂÂm a more than a little out of the target age range). They are well-written, with interesting characters and a solid Christian message. The first two books were quite focused on the modern celebrity culture, but Right Where I Belong has more of a focus on day-to-day life, albeit in the cultural test-tube of an American Christian high school (which isnâÂÂt exactly representative of normal life for most of us, any more than reality TV is).
Right Where I Belong is loosely based on the biblical story of Ruth, which is immediately obvious when Natalia decides to go with her stepmother from Spain to Florida when her womanising father divorces Maureen to run off with a younger model. Maureen is bitter and depressed by the failure of her marriage, and is embarrassed to have to return to her home town, divorced and unemployed.
Natalia is thrilled to be going to a Christian school so she can learn more about her new faith, but is challenged in her personal resolution not to date, especially when she attracts the attention of the most popular boy in schoolâÂÂbut she is more attracted by Brian, the pastorâÂÂs sonâ¦
A possible criticism is that Natalia is too perfect a character for teens to relate to, but (parent that I am) I prefer to see this as a positive role model for teenage girls to aspire to. And I know teenagers like this. ItâÂÂs not an impossible ideal â working hard in school and trying to maintain purity in a fallen world is difficult, but it can be done.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and Booksneezeî for providing a free ebook for review.
February 10, 2013
Engaging read
Right Where I Belong, by Krista McGee, follows Natalia Lopez as she makes the decision to leave Spain and follow her ex-stepmother, Maureen, to Tampa, Florida, after her father's divorce. Maureen has led Natalia to a faith in Jesus, and Natalia has no other Christian support system remaining in Spain. Both her father and her mother support the idea of her departure, saying it will look good on her college applications to attend a high school in the States. Once Natalia arrives, however, her new friends and the education she's receiving at a small Christian high school may lead her to find a calling that her parents would have never expected. Natalia herself comes face-to-face with unexpected developments as she has vowed to herself to remain single, and yet can't stop thinking about a certain tall, red-headed, pastor's son.
This book was a loose follow-up to First Date and Starring Me, with some of the characters from the previous two stories making an appearance. However, the book would function fine as a stand-alone, and I actually found myself disappointed that Addy and Kara didn't feature more prominently in this installment. In fact, I found most of the supporting characters in this story much flatter than the previous two novels. Natalia was sort of a one-woman-show for this book, and while her story was interesting, I would have liked to have seen a stronger supporting cast. Natalia's hunger for knowledge of God was admirable, and I liked seeing her character and behavior change as she learned more of who God was and what He wanted for her and from her. She wasn't the only character to change in the book, and although I wanted more from the other characters, it was good to see them change as well, and to catch glimpses of strong Christians who had had their own struggles with the faith.
I give this book 3 stars. If I hadn't been hoping for more to Addy and Kara's stories, I think I would have had fewer reservations about it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
January 15, 2013
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