Review: There You'll Find Me

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Thomas Nelson
ISBN13: 9781595545404

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a small cottage house in rural Ireland, Finley discovers she can no longer outrun the past.
When Finley travels to Ireland as a foreign exchange student, she hopes to create a new identity and get some answers from the God who took her brother away and seems to have left her high and dry.
But from the moment she boards the plane and sits by Beckett Rush, teen star of the hottest vampire flicks, nothing goes according to Finley's plan.
When she gets too close to Beckett, a classmate goes on a mission to make sure Finley packs her bags, departs Ireland-and leaves Beckett alone.
Finley feels the pressure all around. As things start to fall apart, she begins to rely on a not-so-healthy method of taking control of her life.
Finley tries to balance it all-disasters on the set of Beckett's new movie, the demands of school, and her growing romance with one actor who is not what he seems. Yet Finley is also not who she portrays to Beckett and her friends.
For the first time in her life, Finley must get honest with herself to get right with God.

One of my favourite things about contemporary YA is that every time I take a break from all those paranormal, fantasy, and sci fi books to come back to it, it's like falling in love all over again. I'm such a sucker for a really good, moving contemporary novel.

There You'll Find Me is a supreme example of good contemp YA; it has everything you're looking for, from endearing characters, real problems, to sweet romance.

1. A fascinating, strong main character:
   Finley is such an interesting girl, who has gone through some extremely trying times and just wants to figure out how to move on. After her brother is killed in a terrorist attack, she feels a great sense of loss and is desparate to figure out how to let him go. So she comes to Ireland, a place he loved, to try and mourn his loss and move on. Her grief feels so very real and raw, and the problems she develops because of it are ones that many people will be able to identify with and I appreciated that these issues were dealt with.
2. Sweet, perfect teenage romance:
   The best part for me when it comes to romance is the build up; it's all about the anticipation and the crush stage of the relationship. And the way Finley and her interest come together is so exciting and they were just an absolute breath of fresh air. It isn't constantly about sex for them (and in fact, I will say that they keep things quite clean and innocent between each other) but they feel like a genuine couple trying to figure things out together.
3. A stand alone novel:
   I get so tired of series all the time, with book after book coming out. And while this book actually is a companion novel to Jenny B. Jones' other book, Save the Date, you really don't need to read both to appreciate either book. Save the Date will give you a better sense of the backstory in There You'll Find Me, but it stands on its own two feet quite well!
4. Faith:
   Yes, this is a Christian book. No, it doesn't come across as preachy- it's not about Finley's religion, but about her sense of faith and relationships and how she figures it all out. It's very much a part of who she is, and one would not have to be Christian to enjoy this book at all. Struggling with faith is something nearly all teenagers go through, regardless of their religion or lack of, and this is one interesting look at how Finley deals with it and everything else going on in her life. But if mentions of God and religion is something that makes you too uncomfortable to read about, then it would be best to pass on this one.

For those who really enjoy contemporary YA, this is one that you should look into and consider reading for its simplicity and characters you can instantly like. I can definitely say that I'm going to be recommending this one to friends.

Review copy received from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review; no other compensation received.

Psst... it's only $6 at the Book Depository with free shipping!