Purple Moon Book Review

Title: Purple Moon
Author: Tessa Emily Hall
Genre: Young Adult Christian Fiction

Plot: Selena's life isn't turning out to be as good as she hoped. Ever since her dad kicked her and her mom out, things haven't been exactly perfect. When her mother goes to rehab for a alcohol addiction, she has to live with her spoiled cousin.

Surprisingly, things aren't very bad. She befriends her neighbor and her cousin reluctantly invites her to parties. Back home in Brooklyn, her best friend has a dilemma and things with her cousin start to get complicated. Through it all, she is burdened with scars and addictions that only God can heal.

What I liked: I was unsure about this book at first, but when I finished, I couldn't believe what a good book it was. The story of Selena was an amazing reminder of how God makes brokenness beautiful. Some Christian books leave me with mixed feelings on the consequences of giving yourself physically and emotionally to a boy. Tessa managed to do this without going explicit. Though I am not an artist, I liked how the author used Selena's artistic talent to add to the story. I really saw the character change after she really became a Christian. Even though her mother hurt her, Selena got along with her well. Unlike other 'Christian' books, I saw the spiritually clearly. Neither was it preachy. It actually deserved to be called Christian fiction.

What could've been better: I felt like some of the bad things she did could've been left out. There was one word that could've been left out too. Without her mother's knowledge, she goes back to her home for a weekend.

Content: Selena drinks and smokes, though it is clear she is not happy with herself because of it. She also kisses and 'makes out' with her 'boyfriend'. A few characters get a little drunk. One teen is pregnant. She tells the story of why she is scarred and it involves something very bad. (I'm not going to say it, but nothing was explicit)  Of course, this all happened before she was a Christian. So in the end, it is shown as sin. Also, the consequences of these things are made clear. A car wreck is described.

Conclusion: Tessa Emily Hall published this when she was nineteen years old. She's always been an inspiration to me. Besides that, I loved the story. The salvation story wasn't cliché or cheesy. Though I didn't see much of Selena after she was a Christian, I could tell the Holy Spirit worked in her. . I think this book is great for any teen or adult, whether you're a Christian or not. However,  young teens need to be careful because the of the content.

Because of the content, I highly recommend you talk with your parents before reading and then talked to them about what you read. Other than the things I mentioned, this is an amazing book. To find more about Tessa, read her blog. (It's one of my favorite blogs!)