My Beautiful Disaster by Michelle Buckman

I love it when books are enjoyable to read, but I love it even more when, during the reading, you learn a little something about yourself, about life, and about others. In "My Beautiful Disaster", Michelle Buckman has created a character that literally leaps out of the pages and into your heart.

I guarantee...you won't be the same after reading this book.

Dixie Chambers grew up with Maggie, our heroine from the first book in this series ("Maggie Come Lately, a book I voted best Teen Lit of 2007). They were inseparable, and eventually, due to their scheming, their parents married and the two friends became step-sisters.

Life was good, and then something happened to Maggie that changed their lives forever. Overnight, the two girls became celebrities in their small town. Maggie chose to remain in the shadows, but Dixie capitalized on that fame and made new friends and became, for once in her life, popular.

But popularity isn't all it's cracked up to be, and Dixie soon learns that being in the spotlight and having the perfect guy...well, light casts shadows, doesn't it? And sometimes those we think we know live in those shadows. Vince seems like the perfect guy for Dixie.

Until she finds out things she was never meant to know, and experiences things she was never meant to experience. Amazing how easily life can change forever with one decision. And how Jesus forgives and provides with just one prayer.

Mothers and daughters alike should read this amazing series. After reading Dixie's story, I realized just how easy it is for me to be like the members of Dixie's former church. I realized just how much I don't know about girls in Dixie's position, and just how easy it is to go from good girl to wounded with just one casually made decision.

I love that Michelle let's us inside Dixie's head. We get a front seat as Dixie works through the steps that lead her to where she ends up. The mental talking to and convincing she goes through reveal a lot about the inner workings of today's teen girls.

It isn't enough to preach to them and try to convince them of God's truth...we must understand them as well. And books like "My Beautiful Disaster" are excellent tools to bridging the gap between knowing and believing.

Not only is this a wonderful book for moms, youth leaders, and anyone who works with teens and preteens to read, but it would be a wonderful gift for your teen aged daughter, niece, granddaughter or friend. I only caution you on this...if the maturity level or age level is below 16, pray about it and read it first.

Michelle's books are real, gritty, and don't hide from life's toughest questions. The Pathway Collection is blazing a new trail in Teen-Lit, and I for one think it's about time we got real with our girls, and using these books will help our girls get real about God.

I'm giving "My Beautiful Disaster" six out of five bookmarks, with a rough cut jewel as a charm...because all of our girls and guys need to know they are precious jewels in God's crown...just needing a few rough edges smoothed out. And pray that they all let God do the smoothing...because the world can leave them feeling jagged and torn.

I realize we're only into January, but I'm once again voting Michelle Buckman's "My Beautiful Disaster" Best Teen Lit of 2008! If something else this good comes along--1) That would be fantabulous; and 2) I can always declare a tie!!

Happy Reading!

Deena