A review by kamrynkoble
Christy Miller Collection, Vol 1 by Robin Jones Gunn

emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

This is a tough one to rate and review. I loved these books as a child, and now that I’m married, I wanted to read the marriage series. So I decided to start at the beginning since it’s been many years. 

It’s just all very heavy-handed. Everything about religion is just said in a strange way that I’ve never heard people talk like in real life, and I’ve been a Christian since birth. I was physically cringing when at a friend’s funeral, Todd eulogized him by crying and telling everyone there that he hoped said dead friend accepted Jesus so he’d be in heaven right now. He gave another preachy, awkward, situationally-inappropriate sermon to Christy’s aunt and uncle at a holiday dinner. It’s just bizarre and I don’t like it. 

Nothing is subtle at all. Christy’s insecurities, and every thought she was about herself, other people, and God. If I had to hear one more time “Aunt Marti needs God because all she cares about is shopping and that’s not what really matters.” Christy’s SO immature—I try to give her grace since she’s 15 in this book, but it’s painful as an adult.

I also hate how “innocence” is borderline fetishized in this book. These (older) men will kiss her and then talk about how attracted they are to her “innocence.” I don’t know how many times people flung the phrase “stay innocent!” at Christy. I think some of these pills would be easier to swallow if they weren’t so blunt and repeated across multiple characters. 

This does cover a lot of mature topics, albeit in nonspecific descriptions. I get why my mom didn’t let me read it immediately but now as an adult, it’s just so preachy and ham-fisted. I don’t know. I think I would’ve really disliked this if it wasn’t for the nostalgia factor. I hope I enjoy it more as Christy matures (hopefully she does). 

Full content warning, really all just described/discussed and from a “Christian lens”: alcohol, drug use, death, teen pregnancy, abortion, disordered eating/bulimia, and an infant death. It just has two chaste kisses for sexual content. 
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