NOT AGAIN by Maria T. Henriksen

This is a very cute and touching story of a young girl who has to face many things in her life. From what seems to be a mother who is not really there for her emotionally to being assaulted by a neighbor boy who was just plain evil. Falling in love at what seems to be to be a very young age and going through all the ups and downs that go with that. Being 13 is a very hard age but when I was that age I was not at all into dating or boys yet. I of course noticed a cute boy but would never have thought about going with one. While to me Christina was just to young to be dating as was her first love Avery, they did seem to have a good relationship. Young love is hard enough when you are 16 but to be 13 and thinking you are in deep love is tough. You should be enjoying be a child not worrying about kissing and making out. That being said this book was a good one. The story was cute and endearing but also hard to read in places. I’ve been there where Christina was when she got hurt so badly. You don’t get over it. It stays with you forever. You learn to move on and have a life though.

This book made me laugh out loud in places. Like when Christina calls her boyfriend, who is only 14, a man. LOL He’s a child as she is but they do feel deeply for each other at the time. Love is hard but it’s also beautiful and when you meet the right person it seems like things do fall into place as they should be. Christina and her friends are all looking for something in life. Between the Christian parts in this book and the young people going to parties and doing a bit of drinking, they form deep friendships. Deep rivalries too. Kids can be mean and cruel at times and then they can be your best friends. The ones you confide in. Tell your deepest secrets too. Or most of the secrets anyway.

Christina, Avery and Joey are all friends who love each other in many ways. Christina is in love with Avery and he is in love with her. Joey is also in love with Christina but knows that she will love Avery for a long long time, possibly forever, so he steps down. He will find that special someone in his life eventually I’m sure.

This book is a Christian book and filled with very likable characters. Some will get under your skin while others will make you smile. It’s just a very good book but for a young age group than me. While it’s also one that you will enjoy too at any age. I loved how the author wrote things that happened in the early 80s true to the time period. The songs that they kids listened to or skated to. The way they depended on each other for moral support at times and were always there for each other when someone hurt or tried to hurt one of them. True friends are here no matter what.

I gave this book 4 stars and that is because I enjoyed the book immensely, but I also found it hard to imagine kids so young being so into dating. Of course when I was in school at that age it seems half the girls there were expecting babies so what do I know. I thought it was contagious. I swear I did. I was not at all smart about those things. So apparently young kids fall in love and have sex even back in the 70s when I thought drinking after them might cause it.

Thank you very much Maria T. Henriksen for this book. I throughly enjoyed it and I do recommend it to my book loving friends.