A Book Review, A Friend Review: The Miracle Girls

I recently won this book on one of my favorite blogs, Anne & May. I couldn't wait to devour it so that I could give them a glowing review. I'm not exactly objective because I love Anne & May. By the end of this post, hopefully you'll know why. And hopefully you'll know enough about their latest book to buy it for your nieces, little sisters, your daughters, and your friends.

I learned of Anne and May back in 2005 when I saw a book listed in a magazine called Emily Ever After. The title alone made me know I would love the book. The premise had me hooked as well since it was about a small town girl trying to make it in New York City - with her faith intact. Unfortunately, I got cancer and pregnancy shortly after, which really hampered my joy-reading. Plus, my wish list for books to buy always exceeds my book-buying budget, and I let this one slip through the cracks.

Felicity found the Anne & May blog a couple years later (how did that happen, Lic?), and I was hooked forever.

Their writing is a partnership, which fascinates me, and they say they wouldn't want to do it any other way.  You have to admire people who have learned to give and take so brilliantly.  Their writing is also deliciously witty.  Their blog makes me smile, relate, and feel I've made true friends. The first few pages of their second book, Consider Lily, made me laugh to tears.

Anne & May's first three books were chic lit while The Miracle Girls is Young Adult. In The Miracle Girls and the three sequels to follow, they intend to explore the crazy difficulties of growing up. The heroines are four teens trying to maintain important friendships while navigating high school and the sometimes tricky bridge between childhood and independence. Through it all, each character searches out the relevance of their faith in an unbelieving world.

The Miracle Girls made me love Ana, Riley, Zoe, and Christine. I was embarrassed when they were, traumatized by their Mondays, in love with their crushes, and so glad they had each other. There were a few sanctuary moments in the book in which I felt I was there with them, remembering what it is I believe and how deeply it affects me. The relationship between Ana and her parents grew beautifully throughout the book. It was both realistic and miraculous.

I love that Anne & May have taken on the dilemma of those terrible but wonderful years of high school. I love that they have made it their mission to inspire girls and women, to relate to them, make them laugh, believe in their dreams, and help them apply their faith to this hazy, unpredictable life. I love their Miracle Girls. And I cannot wait for sophomore year.