I didn’t realize how long it had been since I “dated”, if that’s what you want to call my teen boy-and-girl-together experience. Reading Departures by Robin Jones Gunn flooded my mind with memories of days gone by. I had never read any of Robin Jones Gunn’s books before, nor had I heard of her characters, Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen (Oops…I almost typed “Sierra Nevada”!). However, these two novellas do not require past knowledge of the main characters. Mrs. Gunn does an excellent job of filling in some background without overdoing it.

I admit it. It was hard to get going on the stories. Probably because I don’t really enjoy teen Christian romance fiction, and I must not have been paying attention when I made this selection. But, at the end of the stories, I was pleased that I’d taken the time to get to know both Christy and Sierra (though I tend to favor Christy.) (Don’t tell Sierra.).

Both girls are taking trips and learn valuable lessons along the way. Christy, age 18, is heading off to Wisconsin after her break up with Todd to be with her grandparents, Sierra, age 15, is getting to spend a vacation in Montana with her best friend, Jana. Christy wonders what “true love” is, and will she know what it is when the time is right? A question I remember asking when I was 18! Sierra is perturbed by Jana’s desire to have a boyfriend when she is content to just be friends with everyone. (Something I honestly could not relate to! haha!)

Christy and Sierra both enjoy themselves, showing that a gal can do right and still have fun. Mrs. Gunn does a good job of describing the emotional roller coaster girls deal with. In fact, it was almost too real. What a blessing to see the girls turn to God’s Word and their parents for guidance! An example that all girls should follow.

I really enjoyed reading these stories about teen dating life. It was like stepping back in time, remembering how carefree and fun my teen years were. When I turned the last page, I felt sad to see the story end. I wanted to keep getting to know these girls. That’s just what a good book should do.


FTC Disclaimer:
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 

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