There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

Genre: YA Realistic Fiction, YA Christian Fiction

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Paperback, 314 pages

Grief brought Finley to Ireland. LOVE WILL LEAD HER HOME.

Finley Sinclair is not your typical eighteen-year-old. She's witty, tough, and driven. With an upcoming interview at the Manhattan music conservatory, Finley needs to compose her audition piece. But her creativity disappeared with the death of her older brother, Will.

She decides to study abroad in Ireland so she can follow Will's travel journal. It's the place he felt closest to God, and she's hopeful being there will help her make peace over losing him. So she agrees to an exchange program and boards the plane.

Beckett Rush, teen heartthrob and Hollywood bad boy, is flying to Ireland to finish filming his latest vampire movie. On the flight, he meets Finley. She's the one girl who seems immune to his charm. Undeterred, Beckett convinces her to be his assistant in exchange for his help as a tour guide.

Once in Ireland, Finley starts to break down. The loss of her brother and the pressure of school, her audition, and whatever it is that is happening between her and Beckett, leads her to a new and dangerous vice. When is God going to show up for her in this emerald paradise?

Then she experiences something that radically changes her perspective on life. Could it be God convincing her that everything she's been looking for has been with her all along?

I wanted a break from the fantasy/paranormal kick I have found myself in and boy did the Lord knew what he was doing when I picked up this one. I have to say that, as a Christian, I haven't found very many good books that are YA Christian fiction. Some are overbearingly religious (so much so that I am offended by them and others make me wonder why they were even placed in the genre). Jenny B Jones blows all of that out of the water. Her novel does an amazing job showing the true nature of a Christian no matter what their age is- that we struggle with things just as much as everyone else and even though we are believers, we still have times of distress.

Finley is dealing with the loss of her brother and believes that the way to put it all at peace is to go to his beloved Ireland during her senior year in high school through a foreign exchange program. Little does she realize that her life will be completely and utterly altered by her decision to do so. She meets Beckett Rush (teen heart throb) and vows that she will not fall for him or let him get in the way of discovering what God has in store for her. She relies on her brother Will's journal to show her the Ireland that he was able to feel God through. Along the way she meets the bitter Mrs. Sweeney and forms a bond with her that she could never see forming in the beginning. Throughout the novel, Finley was definitely alive and well in my head and heart. 

This is such a well written novel and I love the fact that the religious aspect of the book isn't overpowering and thrown in the readers face. It is such a wonderful portrayal of the real struggles that all teens face no matter who they are or what they believe.  

Visit Jenny here and check out her other books.  (She's a cool cat teacher too!!)

Happy reading everyone :)