Book Review: The Unlikely Debut of Ellie Sweet

Genre: Young Adult Christian Fiction
The Second Book in the Ellie Sweet Series
Author: Stephanie Morrill

Book plot: Things are going great for Ellie Sweet. Her book is coming out soon, her hair finally curls, and she has won over her best friend/boyfriend, Chase. But that doesn't mean her life is perfect. When her grandmother breaks her hip, she must visit her at a nursing home where,  as she discovers, her cheating ex-boyfriend, Palmer is working. Her ex-best friend, Lucy, comes into town after dumping her wanting to make amends. On top of that, her writing mentor hold a grudge on her. Usually, she can make sense of the real world by using her fiction. But, as trouble comes her way, a writer's block overcomes her love for writing. Not everything ends in a happily ever after as she struggles to make things right with the people she loves. As she races to edit her book, can she balance her writing life and her personal life in the right way?

What I liked: Being a writer myself, I instantly felt like I could relate to Ellie from a personal aspect. More than that, though, the emotion and the way the author presented her, made me feel like I was her. I had to remind myself that this isn't real life! Though the plot twists frustrated me, it was awesome and kept me on the edge of my seat. The character development was awesome too. Ellie used to be a little shy and insecure, but I felt like she learned to stand up for herself in this book. In the end, it had a good lesson about revenge and anger, something that I didn't see coming.

What could've been better: The author, Stephanie Morrill  is really great. Her books are so interesting, but I felt like the whole spiritual part of the book lacked. Because other than quickly praying a few times, Ellie never consoled God about anything. Now this book still promoted good Christian values, like purity, forgiveness, and humbleness. But other than that, I couldn't see a personal relationship with God with any of the characters. I mean, if she had listened to God, some of the bad things that happened to her could have been avoided. On top of that, the two guys Ellie dated in the books weren't Christians. That doesn't mean that she wasn't, but because of it all, I question her faith.

Content: There were a few kisses that went too far. Sex is mentioned what not described and seen before marriage as a sin.

Overall, I liked this book. The plot twists kept you on the edge of your seat. It was very interesting. I rate 4.5 stars out of five. Still, I question whether is book is entirely Christian. Other than that, it was great.