Review: There You’ll Find Me

Title: There You’ll Find Me
Author: Jenny B. Jones
Published: 2011 by Thomas Nelson
Obtained: Free from Booksneeze.com

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?

First Sentences:
"'Miss?'
I pulled out an earbud as the flight attendant leaned over me. ‘Yes?’
'We have a few seats available in first class. Would you like to have one of them?’”

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So, the lovely people at Booksneeze.com sent me this, and I absolutely adored it. I’ll read most Christian fiction, because not only are there great messages, but it’s usually a great (albeit, super cheesy) romance. But not many that I read, or that I have heard are good, are for the YA crowd. Usually they’re stories about adults going through life, and none about the trials teens face.

And that is what I loved about this book: it’s realism.

So many Christian fiction novels are all either historical or just unbelievably happy, and so I just fell in love with this story about teens going through extremely typical life issues.

Finley is struggling to get over her brother Will’s death. It’s been two years since he was killed in a bombing, but she’s still completely torn up over it. When she found his travel journal from his trip to Ireland, she decides that going there will inspire her creativity and help her be closer to the memory of her brother. On the plane trip over, she ends up sitting next to Beckett Rush, the most famous young movie star, known for his vampire movies. She really doesn’t care, and he’s used to every girl falling all over him, so he’s intrigued. Throughout her time in Ireland, Finley tries to control so many aspects of her life and other’s lives, just to escape actually thinking about what she REALLY needs.

Things I loved about this book:
1. Finley is from South Carolina (LIKE ME)
2. It takes place in Ireland.
3. It’s realistic Christian fiction for teens with a real teenage voice.
4. For Christian fiction, it doesn’t scream a message in your face, it’s more subtle.
5. Beckett is totally amazing.
6. The romance is a love-hate relationship, which I adore.
7. Finley’s sarcasm + Beckett’s complimenting humor = witty banter.

Any book set in Ireland, I will read. I’ve never been there, but from what I’ve seen/heard/read it’s a completely gorgeous place. Jones really captures the small-town world of Abbeyglen. All the places Finley went to to try and see what Will saw, are painted vividly. My interest in going to Ireland is now doubled.

Finley had some issues. This is a girl who tried to make it look like she had it all together when she was really falling apart. Since we’re inside her head, we know what she’s thinking and how she’s making everybody else thing she’s okay. It’s truly frightening to think that someone could be hiding that much from everybody. Her various problems were so real, I was getting sick when she felt sick, and I was mad at her for being too obsessed with things that didn’t matter. Her devotion to Mrs. Sweeney, the old lady who Finley is assigned to as a school project, was admirable due to the circumstances.

Beckett’s life was also equally insane. While we were concentrated on Finley’s problems, she was more concentrated on Beckett’s issues with his dad. But through all of it, us readers can tell that Beckett is a good example for Finley, with his quiet, new-found faith, and his understanding of her life. He just has some work-related problems to clear first.

As a Christian, I love reading Christian fiction for several reasons. First, I know it’s going to be clean (unless it’s Francine Rivers, in which case it’s too REAL to be truly “clean”). Second, it provides an inspiring message. Third, I love that those blessed with the spiritual gift of creativity can honor God through writing.
What I loved about THIS Christian fiction piece, was that while, yes it was a bit cheesy (most books are at some level), it dealt with such real issues and had such a legit teen voice and teen characters, that it was so much better than half the other stuff out there. Also the message wasn’t preached to you. It was more added in slowly and subtly, something that would appeal to non-Christian readers as well.

I urge you to give this book a chance, if anything to experience Beckett and Finley’s awesome relationship, and watch their lives get transformed from horrible messes to beautiful existences.

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Content Warnings: Kissing

Rating: