She’s the bold, free-spirited type. She’s cute, she’s fun, and she’s following God. She’s Sierra Jensen, Christy Miller’s good friend, ready for her junior year of high school! All twelve books in the popular Sierra Jensen series come together in four volumes to reveal the ups and downs of Sierra’s incredible God-led journey!
Volume One: In Only You, Sierra , she’s nervous to be the “new girl” after her family moves to Portland and wonders if meeting Paul in London was only by chance. Just when everything important seems to elude her, all it takes is one weekend In Your Dreams to prove otherwise. But even a vacation doesn’t keep her troubles away in Don’t You Wish.
Christy Miller knows a good friend when she meets her,
and so will you—
Get ready for Sierra Jensen!
Only You, Sierra
The Europe mission trip brought Sierra Jensen the best gift possible: two new friends, Katie and Christy. But now Sierra is headed home, and she can’t help but wonder will her friendships last? And what about her new home? Her family moved while she was gone, and that means facing a new high school. And the biggest question of all: Will she ever find love? Then a chance meeting in a London airport answers that question. Paul makes her heart leap. But she’ll never see him again! Or will she?
In Your Dreams
Sierra has had it! She’s done everything she can to find the right job, good friends, and most important, true love. But nothing is working out. Now she has to stay home to care for her grandmother. By herself. For the whole weekend! It will be terrible. But a series of startling surprises shows Sierra just how wrong she is—and before she knows it, she’s on her way to the perfect job, her first real date, and an encounter with a mysterious stranger.
Don’t You Wish
Sierra has three wishes: visit her California friends; have her older sister, Tawni, disappear; and learn more about the mysterious stranger. When Easter break arrives, Sierra’s first wish comes true! She’s headed to Newport Beach for fun, sun, and surf. Unfortunately, not only does Tawni not disappear, she accompanies Sierra on her escape. What’s worse, every one has a boyfriend except Sierra. But will her wishes begin to change as she realizes God wants to mold her according to His wishes?
Story Behind the Book
“After writing the twelve-book Christy Miller series for teens, a new character showed up on the pages of the final novel. Her name was Sierra Jensen, and she was so compelling as a teenage character that readers began asking for a series about Sierra in order to hear more about her life choices. Our family had just moved to Portland at the time, and I found it easy to picture a sixteen-year-old like Sierra shopping at the local vintage clothing stores, hanging out with friends at a garage band concert, and serving at the homeless shelter on weekends.”
ROBIN JONES GUNN has written more than 100 books with over 6.5 million copies sold worldwide. Her Father Christmas books have been made into three Hallmark Christmas movies. The timeless Christy Miller series now continues in Christy & Todd: The College Years, Married Years, Baby Years, and the Haven Maker series. Robin's novels and non-fiction works include Before Your Tween Daughter Becomes a Woman, Victim of Grace, Praying for Your Future Husband, and Before You Meet Your Future Husband co-authored with Tricia Goyer. Her books have received multiple awards and are a favorite with book clubs and study groups. Many of Robin's books are in eBook, audiobook, large print, and foreign editions. Robin does a weekly Podcast called "Women Worth Knowing" with Cheryl Brodersen. Robin and her husband have a grown son and daughter and live in California.
Oh man, this book is so good. Such an inspiring story! The romance stories were funny, and I feel like I can relate to Sierra. I definitely recommended this book.
It's the kind of book that gives a teenage girl peace, that it's okay to not be in love; and hope, that true love will come in its own time. That's the thing I love most about this book, it supports the idea that true love exists, and that you shouldn't rush into any random relationship, because when true love happens it's absolutely amazing. It's a great theme, especially since so many books nowadays discreetly support modern beliefs that a persons sexual life is to be shared with many people, which is something that causes that persons heart to become emotionally ill. That's probably why I clicked so well with the book; it's five stars all around and I can't wait to read the rest! I recommend it to anyone seeking solace from "non-Christian" beliefs, someone who's looking for a gentle boost in a positive direction.
This was kind of slow at the beginning, but now I'm dying to read the next one! The book had a great Christian message, and I would definitely recommend anything by Robin Jones Gunn to women (whatever age!). 😊
(And it was so much fun to go back to Newport Beach with all of my fictional buddies again.) 😄
I do my reviews in the form of a letter, which is why they are written like this.
Dear Robin Jones Gunn,
I will review each of the Sierra Jensen books separately. This actually got 4.5 stars.
Only You, Sierra
This book was a pleasant surprise for me. I had tried to read it before, and thought it was okay, but this time I liked it. Sierra is a pretty cool character. She's really spunky and brilliant, and she also really loves God. I thought she was extremely relatable, maybe a little bit more than Christy. Christy is my favorite character in all of your books, but sometimes she's a little too nice for me and I can't relate to her. Anyways, I'm glad we got to meet Paul. He seemed like a cool guy, and I liked the chemistry that they had when they first met. Too bad he was dating the wrong person, though. Also, it was cool that Sierra moved to Oregon, because that's where I moved more than a year ago. I didn't like that she completely ignored the people in her school, but at least she got reconciled with them.
In Your Dreams
This one starts off a bit weirdly because I thought Sierra would have had friends by now. She does, but only kind of. She seems to be kind of hesitant to be with her friends. Her poor grandma! It must be awful for her to see her Grandma fade that way. At least in this book she's pretty healthy. I like that Tawni is featured a bit more in this one. Also, Randy is just so cute! I kind of want Sierra to realize that he's the one for her. But she has Paul in her head. *sigh* I thought all her embarrassing moments were funny though. I liked this book.
Don't You Wish
This was probably my favorite book in this volume. I really like the fact that Sierra gets to see Christy and "the gang" again. There was so much that happened! First off, I had some major irritation with Tawni at first. She was being a flirt. But after a while, she met Jeremy, and I was rooting for her. Todd and Bob got burned! I knew this was going to happen, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. At least Bob became a Christian because of that. That was a good thing. I also really liked that Doug proposed to Tracy. It was so sweet.
All in all, I really liked this volume. You have such a gift, Robin. You're able to make the most seemingly insignificant circumstance seem interesting and important. I really like that. Thank you for surprising me, again, with your writing skills.
Sincerely, Lena Marie
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I chose this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Press thinking that my daughter might like to read it as she gets older. I enjoy many youth and young adult books but had a very hard time with these 3 books. While I do appreciate the strong faith they demonstrate for young readers, as most of the characters are strong Christians despite their young ages, it really seemed much too unrealistic and almost silly. The dialogue seems very contrived to get across the author's "message" and so much of the stories seems so fake. The main character meets an older boy while returning from a missions trip to a new home her family moved to while she was away, and pines over him while adjusting to life in her new city. The entire situation is strange, especially the part where she feels God telling her (at 16) to "fight for this boy" and when she tells her dad this, he encourages it! Whose parent would encourage a 16 year old to go after a boy several years older that she met in an airport? All the interactions between the family members and most of the friends as well seems very fake and "too good to be true". I would think that perhaps an early pre-teen might enjoy these books, but I can't picture any girls much older than that enjoying them.
I recieved an e-copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah for review.
reading these books taught me so much about infatuations, love, and growing up. this series is a must read for all christian girls, along with the christy miller series by the same author.
I felt like it took me a long time to warm up to the Christy Miller books. I’m very different from Christy and I just didn’t feel like her experiences were very realistic. But I see a lot of myself in Sierra and I had a lot of fun reading about her first exploits. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books!
1. Only You, Sierra (3/5) Initially, when I started this book I couldn't help but compare and contrast the character of Sierra to Christy. This wasn't a good thing because I wasn't liking Sierra as much. However, as the story went on, I found I became more and more interested of how Sierra's story will unfold.
Now, after reading this first book in the Sierra Jensen series, I'm happy for the differences between Christy and Sierra. Both of their lives are vastly different, both of their personalities are different, and therefore their stories would be different. I'm interested to see where the story goes and I feel like Sierra has some growing up/maturing to do (as many teenagers do). I found by the end of the novel, Sierra was starting to discover those irritating/unappreciative attitudes that she had for the majority of this initial novel which originally had me hesitant on whether I would enjoy this collection. I'm looking forward to see what is to come as this series progresses.
2. In your dreams (3.5/5) I'm really starting to warm up and enjoy this series. I love reading the different personalities and I also love the relationships and the characters of Sierra's family. I always felt the Christy Miller series didn't really have her family included as much.
Sometimes Sierra continues to seem immature but then again, she's a teenager. With that being said, I also think there's some things that she's facing (e.g. being new to a social group) that I think applies to any age.
I can't wait to read more and to see where this series goes from here!
3. Don't You Wish (3/5) I liked this installment and how it was a reunion of all my favourite characters in a beach setting. It was an okay read, definitely feel like there is some unresolved issues between Tawni and Sierra that hopefully will get faced in the upcoming collection.
An okay read but would not say it was my favourite of the three in this collection.
Sierra is the type of teenager I wish I was and the type of teenager I am a little afraid I was. Which makes her a relatable, realistic character. Having read the Christy series, I enjoyed the crossover to Sierra, but was also glad to see a completely unique storyline and character. One who is a little more spiritually mature, but still a teenager dealing with life. Gunn does an excellent job developing the character and the relationships over the course of the three books. Like Katie and Christy, Sierra is a little boy crazy, but I find the friendship angle to be stronger in these books which I believe is a valuable theme for teenagers.
It was really cool to meet Sierra Jensen and learn about her life. I have been a huge fan of Christy Miller since I was in middle school and still enjoy coming back to her story, but I have never before read about some of her other Forever Friends. It was interesting to see a different character, and one that I seemed to relate to a little bit more, and how the author developed her story as well as intertwining it with the already established Christy Miller series. I will definitely enjoy reading more about Sierra and seeing where her journey takes her.
Sierra Jensen is a fun-loving 16 year old girl. This is sort of a spin off series from the Christy Miller series. You wouldn't necessarily have to read the Christy books before you read the Sierra ones, but I would recommend it. Mostly just because the Christy books were written before the Sierra ones. Sierra is in the last Christy book and some of the characters you wouldn't know quite as well if you hadn't read Christy first. This volume has the first three books in it and they are all fun.
Such a great start to the Sierra Jensen series! It's been a 6 months or so since I read The Christy Miller Series and I had forgotten how much I absolutelt adored Robin's writing, characters and just all the spiritual learning in her stories. I'm soooo glad I'm re-reading Christy and "meeting" Sierra this summer, they're such fun/summery books.
Now I really enjoyed this Series soo far. I'm hoping I'll like the other ones of her.. But, I still have to say I like Christy Miller Series better. But, I still like this one very well. =D
This book was absolutely amazing! I adored the Christy Miller series and was freaking out when I found this book at the used bookstore, since I'd been wanting to read it. Some parts had me fangirling(I think that's the word I want?) like I'd started rewatching Star Wars Rebels, and, let me tell you, that's a hard something to achieve. It was so fun that Sierra gets her own story but we also get to see pieces of Christy and co.'s story!
Likes
-Sierra I really liked Sierra from the start. I related to her having unique tastes and not wanting those unique tastes to be shared(especially with clothing choices, haha), but I also liked her spunky personality. Another thing I liked is how well she reacted to the crisis in book two. I thought her reactions were really realistic but I also look up to her in how well she reacted. XD She's a fun and well developed character and I just generally loved her.
-Family Relationships I liked the way that the family relationships were highlighted, and I also loved Sierra's relationship with her grandmother, even as her mind was failing. And her dad, when I really liked all of her family, even Tawni. It was interesting to see a perspective of a character with an older sister, because I'm the only girl in my family.
-Her Brothers Yes, they get their own section. They reminded me so much of my own brothers... the story about Dillon wrestling the knife away from Gavin(that is so something that would happen in my house), the boys fighting over who gets to answer the door, one of them wanting to keep a dead bug... yup, they were realistic little boys and reminded me of my brothers and I loved them for that.
-Faith Elements I really felt like some of the areas addressed were things I sometimes struggle with in my own life. The faith elements of these books always hit home and hit hard, but in this one they were particularly good. I especially liked how much the characters prayed and prayed together... it was really beautiful, especially as that's an area of my faith I've been trying to grow in.
-The Christy Miller Series Characters Don't get me wrong. I loved Sierra and her series. But the parts with Christy and her friends... Eeeeee!!! They made me so happy! Especially at the very beginning, seeing everyone's reactions to Christy's bracelet, I was squealing out of excitement.
Dislikes:
-It's Over Yup, that's literally it. I always read these books in a day and then am furious when they're over so quickly... *sigh* I can't wait for the next ones! They are definitely on my Christmas list!
Overall This was an amazing book that I can't recommend enough for fans of the Christy Miller series. Read that first. Definitely read that first. And then read this one. It is so amazing and I loved it so much! I'd say the age rating is 12-13+.;-)
Sierra Jensen story starts by she is coming home from a mission trip in England. All of her group mates are college age and have boyfriends or girlfriends. She is one of the two girls in the mission group that are single and have never kissed a guy before. She turns 16 on the mission trip witch means she can start dating when she gets back home,Well sort of. Her family is moving to Oregon where her grandmother lives in a old mansion in Portland. She starts a new school when she gets back, and starts a job at Mama Bears a coffee shop. A guy from school asks her on her first date, she gets lost in downtown Portland driving a car. During Easter break one of her friends gets proposed while roller skating at a park. Some of sierra’s friends,and her host, get burned trying to turn on a grill. This book is full of excimer, love,and romance. I mostly recommend this book to excitement book lovers.
All I can say, is that this series is soo good! I'm only three books in, (I'm eagerly waiting for Amazon to knock on my door any minute with the next nine books!) and I can relate so much to Sierra!
This story will take you through the life of a sixteen year old girl, as she navigates her new life in Portland Oregon. One with new friends, a new school, and a handsome though mysterious stranger.
Sierra soon learns that she needs to submit everything to her Heavenly Father. Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? Definitely.
I really like Sierra Jenson, I am now reading the second volume. I love Robin Jones Gunn's writing, how I feel like I can see her family the way she describes people and I can see the cinnomen rolls at the bakery she works at. I really like this book and recomend it!
I enjoyed this book. I would not say it was one of my favorites, but there was certainly a lot of adventure. Sierra Jensen struggles with friendship, her family, and her home life. At some times, I lost interest, but in others I was fully engaged to see what would happen next. I would recommend this book to a friend.
I don't have quite the same nostalgia for this series as I do for the Christy Miller books, which explains why I last read the Sierra Jensen series in 2013 and was due for a re-read.
Still, an enjoyable visit with old friends. Lighthearted, some chuckle aloud moments, and a spiritual message woven into each novel.
This sweet book. I grew up reading the Christy Miller series as a teen and am so incredibly fond of it. It’s nostalgic for me, reminding me of my teen years and learning to be a follower of Christ as a teen. I very recently discovered the Sierra Jensen series and my 27 year old self is brought right back to those teen years. I love these books for their innocence!
I have nothing but love for Robin and her books. Every time I read them I just get an unexplainable happiness and I’ve never related to characters as much as the ones she writes. I highly recommend these books to any and everyone.
Robin Jones Gunn does it again. You can tell by the way she writes her characters, they give her just as much joy in their antics and they bring her readers. I love any and everything she writes.
I read some of the books in this series some years back but did not finish the whole of the series. I wanted to know what happened all through the series.