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Dear Bob
Jude Singleton is 18 years old. This is the story of her first year at university. Join her as she struggles to find the perfect bloke, learn to drive, learn to club, resist the temptation that is Pringles, fake her faith at the Christian Union... and suss out exactly what it is she believes in.
- GenresChick Lit
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Annie Porthouse
3 books12 followersWhen there's nothing on the telly, visit my blog:
http://www.annieporthouse.com
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http://www.annieporthouse.com
and if you're on facebook, visit my dearbob page here:
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 6, 2017
I should probably start this review with a few disclaimers. First, as a 40-something male, I'm well outside the teen girl target market, and my own issues with Christian culture make me fairly scathing towards Christian books. Bear that in mind as you read this. I do feel I'm being a bit harsh - I did consider three stars, because parts of the book were strong and interesting to read, but the end massively let it down.
The book is written in diary form, following eighteen-year-old Jude as she leaves home and goes to the fictional Bymouth University, which from descriptions is somewhere in the West of England. Jude has been brought up in a charismatic church and is a Christian, but she has bit of a crisis of faith and seriously thinks about giving up on God. It's the tale of her first year of student life, the people she meets, and her spiritual experience.
I'll start by being positive. Despite a few bits which grated and jarred, Jude comes across as a credible, realistic, believable and ultimately quite likeable character, and most - but by no means all - of the situations she finds herself in seem realistic and believable too. Like a lot of people brought up in Christian culture, she's quite naïve and has a lot to learn, and that's the main thrust of the book. The descriptions of life in university Christian Unions are pretty spot-on - I know because I've been there. The other characters all come across quite credibly too, and it very accurately reflects what young and earnest Christians are like - all trying a bit too hard to outdo each other.
A lot of the book is good, in terms of being an accurate portrayal of just how unsettling and difficult it can be when significant doubts assail the belief system you've invested everything in. I know because I've been there, but the conclusion for me was rather different than the conclusion in this book.
Let's face it, it's fairly obvious how this book is going to end. It's by a Christian author, it features a Christian main character, and it's published by a Christian organisation. It's going to end with Jude resolving her doubts and being on fire for the Lord. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but let's not pretend the book is agenda-free. It isn't, at all. It's designed to steer young people in a very particular direction. You're not supposed to give up and walk away - the answer is to keep ploughing on until you get things sorted.
Given the nature of the book, I don't think any of what follows could be considered a spoiler.
I knew this was coming. It doesn't reflect my own experience at all - I waited years for God to sort me out before I realised it just wasn't going to happen. I found the end to be extremely cheesy and disappointing, and thought it really lets readers down by being so cut and dried. It could have been so much better if it had been a bit more open-ended, and asked a few more questions, encouraging readers to find their own path, rather than being presented with the one that is obviously being pushed as The Only True Way. It's a shame because I think a lot of young Christians trying to work through doubt could end up feeling discouraged and depressed that it doesn't all turn out so easy for them.
Ultimately, Jude only vaguely scratches the surface of her doubt. The book seems rather anti-intellectual in places and it's pretty shallow, not helped by the fact that the writing style is a blatant rip-off of Bridget Jones. If you're not familiar with British evangelical church culture, you'll be left scratching your head a bit too. It's disappointing that leaving the church isn't presented as a valid option - it's hinted at towards the end of the book, but you know what's going to happen.
I'm also massively annoyed that at the same time as her return to God, Jude manages to pull a bloke too, someone she spends the whole book slagging off, but hey, isn't God great? It's pretty much saying that she's not complete without (a) a rock-solid faith in God and (b) a man, which seems pretty patronising. It's almost saying that her worth is measured purely by how "good" a Christian she is. This seems to jar with other parts of the book that rather impressively debunk the "good Christian" stereotype. I'm left thinking that Jude has kissed a lot of her brains and independence goodbye, surrendering to being pretty much a public piece of property, conforming to everything the church tells her to do, despite the perfectly valid questions she spends much of the book asking.
Had the potential to be so much better. Far too quick, neat and tidy a conclusion.
The book is written in diary form, following eighteen-year-old Jude as she leaves home and goes to the fictional Bymouth University, which from descriptions is somewhere in the West of England. Jude has been brought up in a charismatic church and is a Christian, but she has bit of a crisis of faith and seriously thinks about giving up on God. It's the tale of her first year of student life, the people she meets, and her spiritual experience.
I'll start by being positive. Despite a few bits which grated and jarred, Jude comes across as a credible, realistic, believable and ultimately quite likeable character, and most - but by no means all - of the situations she finds herself in seem realistic and believable too. Like a lot of people brought up in Christian culture, she's quite naïve and has a lot to learn, and that's the main thrust of the book. The descriptions of life in university Christian Unions are pretty spot-on - I know because I've been there. The other characters all come across quite credibly too, and it very accurately reflects what young and earnest Christians are like - all trying a bit too hard to outdo each other.
A lot of the book is good, in terms of being an accurate portrayal of just how unsettling and difficult it can be when significant doubts assail the belief system you've invested everything in. I know because I've been there, but the conclusion for me was rather different than the conclusion in this book.
Let's face it, it's fairly obvious how this book is going to end. It's by a Christian author, it features a Christian main character, and it's published by a Christian organisation. It's going to end with Jude resolving her doubts and being on fire for the Lord. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but let's not pretend the book is agenda-free. It isn't, at all. It's designed to steer young people in a very particular direction. You're not supposed to give up and walk away - the answer is to keep ploughing on until you get things sorted.
Given the nature of the book, I don't think any of what follows could be considered a spoiler.
I knew this was coming. It doesn't reflect my own experience at all - I waited years for God to sort me out before I realised it just wasn't going to happen. I found the end to be extremely cheesy and disappointing, and thought it really lets readers down by being so cut and dried. It could have been so much better if it had been a bit more open-ended, and asked a few more questions, encouraging readers to find their own path, rather than being presented with the one that is obviously being pushed as The Only True Way. It's a shame because I think a lot of young Christians trying to work through doubt could end up feeling discouraged and depressed that it doesn't all turn out so easy for them.
Ultimately, Jude only vaguely scratches the surface of her doubt. The book seems rather anti-intellectual in places and it's pretty shallow, not helped by the fact that the writing style is a blatant rip-off of Bridget Jones. If you're not familiar with British evangelical church culture, you'll be left scratching your head a bit too. It's disappointing that leaving the church isn't presented as a valid option - it's hinted at towards the end of the book, but you know what's going to happen.
I'm also massively annoyed that at the same time as her return to God, Jude manages to pull a bloke too, someone she spends the whole book slagging off, but hey, isn't God great? It's pretty much saying that she's not complete without (a) a rock-solid faith in God and (b) a man, which seems pretty patronising. It's almost saying that her worth is measured purely by how "good" a Christian she is. This seems to jar with other parts of the book that rather impressively debunk the "good Christian" stereotype. I'm left thinking that Jude has kissed a lot of her brains and independence goodbye, surrendering to being pretty much a public piece of property, conforming to everything the church tells her to do, despite the perfectly valid questions she spends much of the book asking.
Had the potential to be so much better. Far too quick, neat and tidy a conclusion.
July 21, 2015
Nice, easy read. Pretty much a christian version of Louise Rennison's series on Georgia Nicholson. Funny in places. Style in general and language/slang is a bit outdated.
September 14, 2012
Compelling Christian Chick-Lit!
This striking book will find a special place in your heart that any reader can relate to and connect with on such a personal and intimate level, thus I found myself entwined within the story as it spoke to me. Annie Porthouse’s book is a mixture of chick-lit and Christian fiction aimed at the young-adult reader or adult reader who would ultimately appreciate the topics that it discusses, all of which are real and honest within our daily lives. One follows the character of Jude Singleton who is a Christian at University writing a diary to her one-day future husband ‘Bob’. What I found most touching was how I personally have spent many years pouring out my heart and soul, inmost feelings within a diary from a young age and so the layout and structure of the book being in a diary format was most interesting, fun and enjoyable and something with which I could connect to. Many questions arise that at some point we all have faced such as regarding dating, ones self-image and admiring those celebrities and faces that we see in the music charts or on television as ones hormones go erratic at this age. Eye-brow plucking, how to date a guy and other girl related issues make this book an ideal read for teenagers and those females who can intimately comprehend what the main character is going through, in terms of her thoughts and feelings that are sincere. Completely realistic one reads through Jude’s diary entries as if you are being personally spoken to, as the writing is quite conversational, readable and colloquial (although not in terms of slang but rather less formal than Dickens). This enjoyable read is the kind of book that you could take anywhere with you from the beach or when you go on holiday, or even to University or college when you need something light to relax in-between studying. The writing is true and real as the author seems to have drawn upon either her own experiences and encounters within life or from what she has observed of others, that many can see parts of in themselves as I also recognized many individuals in my own life with similar traits and characteristics. Life is not always easy and here the author touches upon those moments in time when things may be difficult or when one takes two steps forwards and ten steps back, which many young individuals and Christians can relate to as you find yourself digging deep and soul searching. Truth-drawing, poignant and as noteworthy to many Christians as the Bible this book is fictional and fun but with a non-fiction element to it that makes it a read with an inner meaning. The one question that the character asks herself and which is central to this book gives it the foundations and building-blocks on which to form Jude as a character and her story, being ‘is there a God?’ which is a question that any religious and non-religious person has asked, wondering.
As an avid reader who enjoys this genre I was most impressed by how engrossing, fascinating and delightful this book was but also as a Christian myself naturally it was of much interest. Not all books with a religious and Christian-based focus have to be as structured as the Bible, in that important meaning and thoughts connected with God can be told through a story that was gripping and compelling to read. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the author for having her novel as a giveaway on Goodreads, as I concider myself to be most privileged to have had the opportunity of reading ‘Dear Bob’. Thought-provoking, witty and quite remarkable this inspired book is one that deserves to be read time and time again, and as a first novel I am most excited by an author who has surpassed all expectations with this spectacular volume. I hence predict that not only this book will be a great success but that there is much to come from an accomplished writer who has produced something of outstanding worth.
*4.5 stars*
This striking book will find a special place in your heart that any reader can relate to and connect with on such a personal and intimate level, thus I found myself entwined within the story as it spoke to me. Annie Porthouse’s book is a mixture of chick-lit and Christian fiction aimed at the young-adult reader or adult reader who would ultimately appreciate the topics that it discusses, all of which are real and honest within our daily lives. One follows the character of Jude Singleton who is a Christian at University writing a diary to her one-day future husband ‘Bob’. What I found most touching was how I personally have spent many years pouring out my heart and soul, inmost feelings within a diary from a young age and so the layout and structure of the book being in a diary format was most interesting, fun and enjoyable and something with which I could connect to. Many questions arise that at some point we all have faced such as regarding dating, ones self-image and admiring those celebrities and faces that we see in the music charts or on television as ones hormones go erratic at this age. Eye-brow plucking, how to date a guy and other girl related issues make this book an ideal read for teenagers and those females who can intimately comprehend what the main character is going through, in terms of her thoughts and feelings that are sincere. Completely realistic one reads through Jude’s diary entries as if you are being personally spoken to, as the writing is quite conversational, readable and colloquial (although not in terms of slang but rather less formal than Dickens). This enjoyable read is the kind of book that you could take anywhere with you from the beach or when you go on holiday, or even to University or college when you need something light to relax in-between studying. The writing is true and real as the author seems to have drawn upon either her own experiences and encounters within life or from what she has observed of others, that many can see parts of in themselves as I also recognized many individuals in my own life with similar traits and characteristics. Life is not always easy and here the author touches upon those moments in time when things may be difficult or when one takes two steps forwards and ten steps back, which many young individuals and Christians can relate to as you find yourself digging deep and soul searching. Truth-drawing, poignant and as noteworthy to many Christians as the Bible this book is fictional and fun but with a non-fiction element to it that makes it a read with an inner meaning. The one question that the character asks herself and which is central to this book gives it the foundations and building-blocks on which to form Jude as a character and her story, being ‘is there a God?’ which is a question that any religious and non-religious person has asked, wondering.
As an avid reader who enjoys this genre I was most impressed by how engrossing, fascinating and delightful this book was but also as a Christian myself naturally it was of much interest. Not all books with a religious and Christian-based focus have to be as structured as the Bible, in that important meaning and thoughts connected with God can be told through a story that was gripping and compelling to read. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the author for having her novel as a giveaway on Goodreads, as I concider myself to be most privileged to have had the opportunity of reading ‘Dear Bob’. Thought-provoking, witty and quite remarkable this inspired book is one that deserves to be read time and time again, and as a first novel I am most excited by an author who has surpassed all expectations with this spectacular volume. I hence predict that not only this book will be a great success but that there is much to come from an accomplished writer who has produced something of outstanding worth.
*4.5 stars*
May 9, 2012
A bit of a romp down memory lane (I first read this about 7 years ago when I was a teenager...)
A light-hearted look at being a Christian at university, told through the doubts, worries, and general madness of Jude as she writes a diary to her future husband "Bob".
Great for 14-15 year old girls, starting to think about university. Many of the questions of dating and self-image are covered as well and would speak to this age group. (there may be too many references to eye-brow plucking and dieting for a boy to cope - even if he can get past the very girly cover!)
A light-hearted look at being a Christian at university, told through the doubts, worries, and general madness of Jude as she writes a diary to her future husband "Bob".
Great for 14-15 year old girls, starting to think about university. Many of the questions of dating and self-image are covered as well and would speak to this age group. (there may be too many references to eye-brow plucking and dieting for a boy to cope - even if he can get past the very girly cover!)
November 5, 2013
This doesn't 'really' fall under a strict interpretation of the chick-lit genre (just as it isn't a true epistolary book)... but a lot of the elements here appear in chick-lits so.... I guess this is teenage chick-lit aimed at Christians.
When I first read this book I thought it was really good, looking back now ... it is really for 16-17 year olds. The overall moral holds up well (think prodigal son) although some of the references are getting dated now.
When I first read this book I thought it was really good, looking back now ... it is really for 16-17 year olds. The overall moral holds up well (think prodigal son) although some of the references are getting dated now.
October 9, 2012
I received this book through a goodreads giveaway. I loved this book! It was really easy dip in and out of regularly.
I'm going to uni next year so it was great to read about it. I love the diary format, and Jude is hilarious. I really felt I could relate to her, as she's not your perfect girl, and doubts herself at times. It really got me thinking too regarding the 'Jim Dream'.
I'm going to uni next year so it was great to read about it. I love the diary format, and Jude is hilarious. I really felt I could relate to her, as she's not your perfect girl, and doubts herself at times. It really got me thinking too regarding the 'Jim Dream'.
September 27, 2012
Ideal book if you are just going to university for the first time.Quite funny in places.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews