Leslea Wahl

It may be the third time I read this and second review within a year, but I absolutely must shout about this book from the rooftops. It is so, so good.
First, the characters. Eve is so different from me, yet I couldn't help but relate and her bubbly personality is refreshing in a YA book. Nick was also great as well. His obvious love for his family and friends is shown so well and he's a developed character.
The mystery is tied in perfectly and expertly done. It is not overdone and always moved a clip.
If you are in want of a clean YA that is entertaining with a bit of everything, Where You Lead is perfect.
Rating: 5/5
Crude Language: N/A
Romance: a kiss
Spiritual: quite a bit
Violence: N/A

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This book was so cute! I really liked the name ‘Eve’ because I have never seen the name in a book before. (Besides for the Bible, you know, Adam and Eve) Eve frequently went to the adults in her life for advice. It was so cool that Eve purposely built up a relationship with her elderly neighbor, even though she was difficult to work with.
Nick’s large family was so fun to meet. They all had distinct personalities and I was able to keep track of all of them. Nick also kept me laughing throughout the book with the way he interacted with other characters.
There was a lot of historical buildings from Washington D.C. I loved that Leslea Wahl went out of the normal Christian YA box and included historical content within a contemporary setting.
I really enjoyed the mystery in this book. I was not expecting it to play such a major part of the plot but it kept the book moving at a fast pace.
With very strong faith content, Christian themes, and memorable characters, this book is great for all ages.

Personal Rating: 5 Stars
Content Rating: 5 Stars… (mer)

It’s a trip that Liz never wanted to take but her holiday Caribbean cruise ended up being everything she didn’t even know she needed.

Right off the bat I felt bad for Liz. What teenager wants to spend their holiday break with their dad on a cruise ship and his 30th class reunion for a week? To make matters worse, Liz’s relationship with her dad has been fractured since he walked out on her and her mother, and her parents divorced several years prior.

I love a good YA and I really enjoyed Charting the Course. It is all told from Liz’s perspective, which is a refreshing point of view, and really resonated with me, as I went through an eerily similar situation when I was in high school with my own family. The unforgiveness of past hurts is real, and I feel like it goes even deeper when this huge life event happens early in adolescence, and feel like the author handled this masterfully. Seeing the nudges of faith is beautiful and my favorite part of the novel was actually when Liz seems to hit rock bottom, because the only way to go is up, and the only way to move forward is to let go. It was a good reminder for me, and I know this will touch younger audiences as well.

Seeing Liz’s growth during such a short amount of time is refreshing, and I loved all of the supporting characters and the unique setting. I’ve never been on a cruise ship myself but it sounds very fun! This novel is part of the Finding Faith series, though it is easily read as a standalone, but it was such a good read that I now want to check out the rest of the series. It is a week of unimagined adventures and a personal journey for Liz as she gains a healthy, new perspective and I am so grateful that I got to witness her adventure.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.… (mer)

In Charting the Course by Leslea Wahl, Liz is dragged away from her home and her best friend to spend the second half of her Christmas break on a cruise with her dad. Between her hesitation and hurt with her dad, his class reunion on the ship, and Liz’s own experiences on and off the ship, the author packs a lot into this book.

While there is a budding romance in this book, the story is all about Liz. Her love of music and theater. Her strained relationship with her dad. Her best friend back at home and all the high school drama there.

I appreciated how Wahl allows Liz to view her classmates and where she’s at through the lens of the interactions between her dad and his classmates. There are the typical stereotypes and while most of the people at the 30-year class reunion have grown out of their teenage self, a few are still hanging onto those days.

The author also brings readers along on the cruise experience, showing us many of the activities on the boat and excursions at the ports that Liz enjoys. And I was really impressed that she took me by surprise with a nice plot twist about three-quarters of the way through (y’all, I love a good plot twist).

If you’re in search of clean and engaging reads for your teens that include great life lessons, reconciliation, and a faith thread, Charting the Course is a good choice.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive or negative review. All opinions are my own.… (mer)

I was not anticipating all the drama, petty jealousy, and obsession over a potential boyfriend/girlfriend.
There isn't a gradual progression from friends to more than friends. The replacement for that is mental dialogue such as
They stared at each other for a moment. Holy moly, his eyes were stunning. She felt the telltale signs of a blush creep along her jaw and looked away before her cheeks turned their annoying shade of red.
She focused on smoothing out the crinkles on her bedspread.
and
Nick studied Eve’s face. She had this intriguing posi-tive vibe that just seemed to radiate around her. What was it about her that fascinated him?
and
They looked at each other. A charge of electricity passed between them.
and the clincher
He couldn’t stop thinking about kissing Eve, and honestly wished he could do it again but she hadn’t looked him in the eye since it happened. He was crazy about her

The suspense also seemed forced at times. For instance: Swallowing hard, he twisted the key and was rewarded by an audible click.
Despite the tense situation, everyone released a collective gasp.
But more than that, both kids operate on a "the end justifies the means" philosophy. Both eventually become convinced they are on a mission from God to solve an age-old mystery, but they use whatever methods they deem necessary, whether that be lies, manipulation, or breaking and entering, to go about it. This is damaging to younger readers who will pick up on this behavior, and who will conclude that sin is perfectly okay as long as there is an excuse for it.
This quote about sums it up: Sure, they had lied about where they were Saturday night, and kind of did a few illegal things, but really, was it fair to be grounded for completing a mission for God?

I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purpose of an honest review.… (mer)