Reinventing Rachel

by Alison Strobel

God let Rachel Westing down. For twenty-six years she’s done everything by the book; she figures He should have her back. But then she learns her fiancé is cheating on her. Her parents are getting a divorce. And her Christian mentor has a pill addiction. Where is God in all this? Nowhere, as far as Rachel can see. Wounded, bitter, and with a shattered faith, she quits her job and moves across the country to live with Daphne—her childhood best friend whose soul Rachel once thought she was meant to save.

Confident, successful, fun-loving Daphne sets about helping Rachel reinvent herself, and for a while it’s exciting. But when another tragedy shakes Rachel to the core, what little bit of self-possession she has left begins to unravel. A true-to-life story that will draw you in and keep you biting your nails until the end.  

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Contemporary, Drama, Novels, Ebooks

370 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

Alison is a women's fiction novelist who writes books about life, love, and faith. Her sophomore release, "Violette Between," was a RITA Award finalist in 2007. She lives in Colorado with her husband (with whom she has co-authored two children's books) and their two daughters.

Reviews

[Janie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great life story of a woman, a devout Christian, who lost faith in all those things she once knew including God. It made her question who God was, or what, and she struggled with her faith, feeling defeated and alone she travels across country to find solace in her best friend Daphne.

The premise of the story is so very profound. Rachel, our main character was forced to go through many things that left her heart in turmoil and her life spiraling down into depression. Because of this she convinced herself that she no longer wanted God to be a part of her life, so she ran from it to try and find some kind of 'freedom'.

I think we have all faced obstacles and struggles in our lives that had left us feeling lost and defenseless, with no direction in our lives, questioning God and his intent for us. This is exactly what Rachel had encountered in her life. She went from devout Christian to a lost soul driving her deeper and deeper into destruction. I felt her character was so real because the circumstances she was up against are so valid in the world today.

I love the way the story flowed, how easy it was to follow, and how it touched on many emotions while I read it. It has the ability to put many things in perspective. Makes her readers rethink certain elements in their lives. She has a great style to her writing and I really enjoyed this. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

[Kerstin · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was aspects of the book that I thought were just unbelievable. I did not think the author has a good understanding of having a parent who is bipolar. Because my mom is bipolar and I know how her illness has effected my family I cannot believe it can be kept a secret from immediate family. If for some reason they were able to keep it a secret, Rachel would have witnessed some illogical behavior and would be relieved to know that there is a reason for it and treatment.

[Addictive Passions · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reinventing Rachel is an eye opening look into what people think God is. Rachel Westing is a firm believer in the very foundation of Christ. She believes a good Christian is someone who prays on their knees every night before going to bed, someone who goes to church every Sunday and sometimes even on Wednesday Night. She believes that if you give your life to God your life will be peaceful and smooth. But when things start going wrong in her life starting with her best church friend having doubts about her faith and ending with her best non church friend dying Rachel goes through her own personal hell on earth before finding her own personal God again.
Rachel Westing works in a local coffee shop in town and believes in the power of God and church. Her close knit church community surrounds her with loving arms, but when she finds out that one of her friends is going into rehab she is thrown for a loop. Finding her roommate in bed with her fiancée and then being told her father has a disease that he has been fighting his whole life that you had no idea of and that your parents are getting a divorce because of it makes you rethink who God really is and what He stands for.
And so when her childhood friend Daphne needs a roommate in Chicago Rachel decides to pack up and move. Leaving behind her old God and her struggling parents Rachel moves to a new city and tries to start a new life. Having to work with her new boyfriend at her new job as a coffee shop manager Rachel undergoes a series of upheavals as she tries to adjust to life in the windy city. Never having to cope with such a huge devastation that her life has become, she turns to alcohol. Having a roommate that also drinks doesn’t hurt, but when Daphne is rushed to the hospital with alcohol poisoning Rachel can’t cope without the comfort of the bottle.
Reinventing Rachel challenges you to believe in different variations of what God is and just how, what, when, and where to worship Him. I loved this book just for that reason; you don’t have to go to church every week just to say you believe in Him, you don’t have to get on your knees whenever you want to talk to him. God is everywhere; He is not where you expect Him to be.

[Beth Peninger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alison Strobel (daughter of Lee Strobel - The Case for Christ, etc) has written several novels. I came across this one as a free eBook offer and decided to give it a shot.
Rachel is the main character, as the title suggests, is this novel about a crisis of faith. Rachel lives in a bubble within Christianity. She's super annoying. She's the stereotypical judgmental, disingenuous, insensitive Christian. Reading the first few chapters I wanted to punch her lights out. In fact, I never did warm up to Rachel throughout the book. I didn't feel for her at any point, I thought she was a weak character on most levels. The short story is that Rachel had really inaccurate views of relationship with God, received some legitimate bad news in one weeks time, and decided to give God the boot. Basically she threw a spiritual temper tantrum. In an effort to remove herself completely from the sources of bad news and her life of faith she moves across the country to live with her lifelong friend who doesn't believe in God. From there things go downhill and eventually Rachel must confront God and change her way of thinking.
Listen, I get reinventing. I have done a major overhaul, and am still in the process, myself over the past few years. But Strobel's character Rachel wasn't endearing to me, I didn't feel sympathetic to her. I wanted to sit down with her and tell her to be a grown up and quit being such a baby. She was super annoying. Strobel doesn't write poorly, she writes well enough that I actually think I'll give some of her other titles a shot, but this read felt a little tedious to me. I get what Strobel was trying to do and tell but the ways in which she portrayed her character kind of ruined the underlying messages, in my opinion. Her overall themes of discovering who God really is and how to have a relationship with him are conversations the church at large needs to have more of - there are so many inaccurate views of God and views of the functions on his Body out there - so I give her props for being willing to start some conversations about those topics through a fictional account. I just wish Rachel had been a little more likable.

[Kim Larson · Rating 2 out of 5]

(please beware that there is a spolier later in this review) I read this book quickly but I think mostly to just to finish it so I could move on to something with more substance. It did help me come down from the massiveness of The Lord of the Rings though. I commend the author for tackling some tough subjects and she certainly does it with some appeal or I wouldn't have continued reading the book. But here's the thing, I think this book could be a good read for the pre-teen/teen age group - with parental involvement of course. I felt that the characters were flat and monotone and the approach to religion was immature. Unlike other reviewers I found the story line predictable. And frankly (spoiler alert!!!) I found it extremely unrealistic that a 26 (or so) year old young woman would not understand that drinking alcohol on the job was a no-no. Teenage, Christian girls would probably really enjoy this book.

[Freda Mans-Labianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid story.
Rachel sure needed to discover herself. She was always a firm believer and she thought she was living right, but soon learned there was more than meets the eye. After embarking on a journey of self-discovery, far away from her parents, she really learned and valued the true meaning of how to live.
She struggled though. I even wondered at one point if Rachel would come out of it again. I'm glad she did, but not every one was so lucky.
Such a great book. Teaching Rachel and even the reader what is important in life. Plus have you asking yourself what you think about God. Is the God you think of the same God as others? Read the book and see what I mean. Very clever, on the author's part.

[Kathryn Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally I'm not a very religious person and I've declared myself agnostic. I decided to read Reinventing Rachel to get a different view on Christianity and how someone who was a devoted believer can question her faith. Allison Strobel's novel was simply honest. The story-line wasn't so over the top that it wouldn't happen in real life. Everything that happened to Rachel could actually happen to someone and that's why I enjoyed reading this story. Rachel goes on a journey to get away from her beliefs but in the end realizes that there are many different ways to view faith. I couldn't put this book down! I highly recommend!

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't finish this story. I could see the writing on the wall. This girl had zero coping skills and no real support group. She was heading to disaster and I just didn't want to witness it. The writing wasn't horrible. This is probably a fairly realistic story, I just found it utterly depressing.

[Mary Coleman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this one quickly, so in that respect it was a good book. I was really into the story and the writing was decent. However, I found many of the characters to be shallow bordering on stereotypical and the main character to be so selfish she was unlikable. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to friends.

[Emanuela Tomova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went through this breathtaking spiritual journey in no time. Rachel was running away from God, was defying Him to prove His existence and to prove that He cares about her. I was curious to see whether He will let her go or how exactly will He show her that there is no good without Him. This book gave me answers to some questions, and also expressed on my behalf some of my own fears and doubts…Thank you, dear author for being honest about fate and its current challenges.

[Debra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author of this book is the daughter of Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ) so I kind of had high hopes for this book. There was a decent message in the book, but it took way too long to get to it. Plus, it was poorly written - choppy and unbelievable.

[Connie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't get past a third way into book

I must have not read the reviews on this one. This was a disturbing book. Way too much rebellion against God with little left to the imagination. I honestly wouldn't call it a Christian book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For most of this book, I was figuratively shaking my head, thinking "What ELSE is going to happen to this poor girl?"

At least it ends on an upbeat note. Rachel has taken the first steps to making sense of her life and rebuilding her relationships, especially her relationship with God.

[angela ratliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best books I have ever read

Definitely checking out more by this author

[TRUDY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loss of God

Rachael was a good religious person until life kicks her. Then she decides to live as the world. She wonders far but the Holy Spirit runs after her.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of very few books that I couldn't finish. I didn't give it much chance, maybe, but I couldn't take any more of Rachel herself.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is plausible. Did not care for the protagonist. I couldn't get into the characters.

[Shadonna Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great novel that incorporates self help lessons from a Christian stance

[Christy imworthyandenough · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave up on page 50. Didn't like writing style AT ALL. Or the characters. It's just dreadful and couldn't hold my attention.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to give this author another chance after rating another of her books three stars. I liked this one much better. It tackles real issues within familial and other relationships, such as faith, alcoholism, trust. Beware of triggers with alcoholism and death.

[Laura Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was very well written, well-planned, and very thought provoking. I have a few thoughts.

1. I related with the character in the book because I was also raised in a protective Christian environment, although not as strict as some people I knew. And I have gone through periods in my life where I thought, "What's the point? If I'm going to live my life how God wants and bad things are still going to happen to me, what's the point in living this life?" I can see, like Rachel, that non-Christians, or people who profess Christianity but aren't living a separated life, are living what seems to be a happy, free, and productive life. But like what Rachel found out, not everything is how it appears on the outside. I appreciated the various ways the author showed this truth: first with Daphne and her deep inner struggle to find happiness and peace, then with Jack who lived a good life on the outside, but still craved something more, and with RJ who tried to piece together what she could out of many religions, but still knowing deep inside that it wasn't enough, and being terrified of missing the biggest truth of all. Life with God doesn't mean a life without troubles, but it does mean that when you have troubles, God is there to sustain you and pull you through.

2. I liked how the author showed alcoholism in a real way, not just the smashed drunk all the time living on the street way. Functioning drunks are everywhere, and it's a serious problem. It was also good to see warning signs that people in her life noticed, so that readers would be able to recognize those warning signs in people they may know also.

3. I was sorely disappointed in the "solution" the author gave Rachel. AA is not a biblical based program, and the 12 steps are not a biblical way to deal with sin, which is what depression and alcoholism is. Maybe it's because I'm in the midst of a "Methodology of Biblical Counseling" class that teaches the biblical way to deal with these issues, but I have a really big problem with an obviously Christian book giving its heroine secular and unbiblical ways to deal with her problem. She got so close to it when she discussed Rachel's need for a personal relationship with God apart from rituals and expectations, but then she backed away and sent her to AA meetings. The author missed a giant opportunity to give people who may be struggling with depression real hope, and instead sent them to 12 steps programs that are proven to fail in regards to the spiritual problem behind the addiction. When she was on the plane to go home and she felt a temptation, instead of first recognizing the temptation and turning to God for help, she recited a mindless prayer she learned at an AA meeting and then prayed for help from God. That is completely backwards and messed up.

4. I did not agree with the "home church" angle the author chose to accentuate, but that is a minor issue. Denominational fighting should be left out of fiction, and just basic Bible truths should be shown.

All in all I truly enjoyed the book and the characters and the plot. The ending left me disappointed, mostly because of the AA thing. I wish the author would have filled out how she was able to develop a closer relationship with God and how that helped her, since you can't fix spiritual problems with physical or mental solutions.

[Verity · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very disappointing book for me. It is my first book by this author, I don't know if it is a representation of her other work, but it makes me want to avoid it. Her father is a fairly good apologist (someone who argues in defense of the Bible) and I was expecting some of that in here, but there wasn't any.
Ms Strobel took a very real situation, something that is even epidemic in the mass church today and gave it a very, dare I say, lame? rendering. Rachel is raised in the church, and seems very happy in the beginning, mentions the love of God and how amazing it is that He cares for and loves her. Then in short succession, her mentor has addiction problems, her fiance is cheating on her and she finds out her parents have been hiding her Dad's mental illness from her all her life. Her reaction is to blame God, but theres never any real clear understanding of why.
She moves away from the home she has known all her life and begins to question everything she was raised to believe, which is fine and even good. There comes a time in every child's life they must make their parents faith their own. But there was a complete lack of focus on any real thought processes or working out of her confusion. Most of the book was just a depressing whine about how mean God was to not have stopped the choices the people around her made that she feels ruined her life. She seemed to have no concern for the people she was supposed to have loved and cared for. No concern for the mentor and how she was doing, no concern for her parents and how they were coping, not even any concern for the friend she moved in with who was obviously in a destructive downward spiral. When tragedy happens to the friend, there is no concern about her at all, just even more, "oh, poor me, how could God be so mean".
When she meets some Christians that seem to have it together and befriends them, they jump in and help her out and magically everything starts going well for her again. She has some consequences of the life she was living, but there is still nothing in her head about anyone but herself.
This book could have been amazing. It points out a failure of the modern church to help our young people learn and understand about God and what He teaches us about Himself in His Word. We are losing the next generation in droves because of bad theology, bad doctrine, a lack of Bible centered teaching about who God is and the work He did for us. It was a prime opportunity to bring in some basic understanding of what Christianity really is, to have Rachel explore other faiths and even athiesm, address the fallacies in them and the truth of the Bible. To show that God is not to blame for all the evil that goes on in the world, it is our own free will choices that causes most of it when we choose to hurt others, to do things that we know are evil. She could have broken away from the works centered relationship she was taught and dive deep into the grace He freely gives.

[Christy Trever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reinventing Rachel by Alison Strobel is a thoughtful look at the fall of a staunch Christian re-evaluate her life and decide to run away from it all, including the Lord. Rachel Westing is one of those church members that if the doors are open, she's there. From her ministry with teenage girls, to her job at the local coffee shop, she's always looking for a way to evangelize those around her. When she discovers in rapid succession that her parents are divorcing, her father is bipolar, her mentor is going into rehab for prescription drug addiction, and her fiance has been cheating on her with her roommate, Rachel has had enough of California and the pain and moves in with her childhood friend Daphne in Chicago. Daphne has always lived life on her own terms, living for the moment and resisting Rachel's best attempts to save her soul. Rachel feels betrayed that God failed to fix her problems despite all of the work she'd done for him, so when she leaves California, she tries to leave God as well. Daphne's life of no strings attached and fun all the time is seductive to Rachel at first, but when Daphne starts acting strangely and the utilities are turned off for lack of payment, she begins to turn to alcohol to block out the fear and depression she's felt since leaving home. Strobel excels at writing sympathetic characters, even when they are doing unreasonable things, and she carefully keeps that tension alive here. Readers will like Rachel, even when she starts making terrible decisions and through her selfishness.SPOILERS: Strobel keeps her from becoming a victim, nor does she ever become shrill or unlikable. For Christians, the book will serve as a clarion call to ensure that the God we are worshiping is the true one, not a vengeful eye in the sky, nor does He require a checklist of duties to be done each day and in return He will keep us completely safe. Strobel has a firm grasp of who God really is, and she imparts that to readers without becoming too preachy or pedantic. Rachel's spiral into addiction and despair is often hard to read, but Strobel keeps the story interesting and the plot suspenseful. Strobel is an author to watch in the future, as she seems to be getting better and better.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming

A truly heartwarming story of a young woman who has been raised in a Christian home by loving family and is planning her own wedding when her WHOLE reality comes apart at the seams. Her Christian mentor and good friend confides in her she won't be able to help her with a problem with the high school girls they teach Sunday school class to because she's going into rehab for pain medication addiction. Then her mother tells her she plans on divorcing her father and that he has been secretly bipolar disorder her whole life but they didn't want her to know. If that isn't bad enough when she Rachel ,gets home she encounters her roommate in a tearful confrontation with Rachel's own fiancee and is informed that they have been having an affair for several months. Rachel is shaken to the core how could GOD do this to her hasn't she done everything she was supposed too? So why punish her? As a result she totally turns her back on her beliefs and moves out, moves to another state and city to run away from everyone and thing that has hurt her and start over. After spending a weekend with a childhood friend in Vegas she is convinced she just needs a fresh start and agrees to move in together in Chicago.
Rachel ends up down a road of alcohol and confusion as her friend pulls her further and further from where she is comfortable. Her roommate begins to withdrawal from Rachel and spiral out of control almost maniac depressed. One minute happy the next tearing the apartment up and accusing Rachel of stealing money. Bills start not be paid when Rachel has given her share so she must take over the bills and dip in her savings. The added stress is causing Rachel to drink more she is showing up at work smelling of alcohol and even drinking secretly on the job. When a late night argument with her roommate causes her roommate to stumble and fall down the stairs Rachel is a mess and when she discovers her roommate was using meth and has died Rachel doesn't know what to do she just wants escape from her life and pain. Will she find God? Or will God find Rachel?

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reinventing Rachel was so honest and well-written that I can see many lives being touched and changed by the life-changing themes in the story. This novel addresses some common questions and does it so naturally that I couldn't help being impressed. I loved how the author didn't just have her character going to the edge of the cliff, but had her dangling over the side several times and even slipping over the side on occasion. That kind of conflict makes up a powerful story, and Ms. Strobel did a fantastic job telling it. I truly empathized with and adored the characters. I literally hurt for them and rejoiced with them when they started to make better choices.

There were so many parts of Reinventing Rachel that hit on deep truths, I'm not sure where to start but will say that the author's insight blew my mind. I loved how the cynicism Rachel experienced was so genuinely written that it was easy for anyone to identify with...especially people who have grown up in the church. I loved how Rachel's attempt to live without a relationship with God was so realistically portrayed. It's hard to say much more without dropping spoilers into my review. I can attest to the fact that this awesome book contained great tension, romance, and heartache. I know they don't seem to go together well, but I felt all of those emotions, so I had to share. The edgy content in the story just made it even better.

I am so impressed with the books being published by David C. Cook these past few years that I know just about any book I pick up that they have published I will enjoy, with few exceptions (that was just a side note.) I highly recommend this book because it's not just entertaining, but powerfully written. It's making my best fiction for 2010 list!

[Margo Berendsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I was tempted to think, "there is no way that three horrible things like this would happen to someone one right after the other." Finding out your parents kept a significant secret from you for your entire life and now their marriage is falling apart; your counselor/mentor goes into rehab; your fiance is cheating on you with your roommate.

But trouble does usually come in threes. Now I'm the type to do the whole "analysis to paralysis" thing regarding my troubles, and Rachel's not like that; her reaction is to throw up her hands and flee.

And that's exactly why I liked this book: Rachel's reactions were NOTHING like my reactions would be - and it challenged me to think differently than I usually do.

This is a book about losing faith (not just questioning it), but it does not have a cliched road back to faith. It had a thoughtful, winding road that took me in unexpected directions.

This story would take you down a road where you're pretty sure you know or can guess the twists and turns, but then it would twist a new direction. For instance, I wasn't surprised at all when Rachel runs into Jack first in Las Vegas and then again in Chicago, but where her relationship eventually ends up with Jack is unexpected. Same thing with her best friend, Daphne. It's no surprise when Daphne starts having issues. What happens to their relationship - complicated.

Most thought-provoking of all to me was Rachel's changing perspective on how she and other Christians share their faith. Leah became my favorite character, and Ruby Jean, with her buffet of faiths, a close second, because they were both so thought-provoking and non-judgmental.

I will definitely be reading more by this author.

[Jill Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel’s life is falling apart. Everyone she trusted has let her down. There have been many lies. But Rachel feels that the biggest lie has been from God himself. Her faith is so shaken that she decides to move to another state and become a roommate with Daphne, her childhood friend. Daphne has always lived life to the fullest. And that’s what Rachel wants now. She feels like she’s missed so much being the “good Christian girl” her whole life. Time to branch out. But turning her back on God doesn’t end the tragedies in her life. And what will Rachel do now that she doesn’t even have God to turn to?

Gah! This book made me feel squeamish from the start. I know that probably sounds lame, but I was so worried for Rachel! I lived the life she was about to embrace, and I would never want to go back to it, ever. So it was a bit hard to read about her setting out to live in the world. The story is engaging and very well-written. I felt Rachel’s pain. I identified with some of her struggles. And I couldn’t wait to see how the story would work out in the end. It was a great story. A tough story. A story with some heavy issues. But a very real and necessary one. If you’re sick of church. If you’re sick of trying to do everything right. If you can’t stomach another day of trying to please God. Pick up this book. It just might answer your deepest frustrations.

[Phyllis Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Californian Rachel Westing has been a good Christian girl, doing all the things she’s expected to do, and God’s responded with good things for her. Then all of a sudden everything comes crashing down. Her mentor checks herself into rehab for prescription drug abuse. Her parents separate, talking divorce. And Rachel’s fiance reveals he’s been shacking up–with her roommate.

What’s a good Christian girl to do? This one abandons God and flees to Chicago to live with a childhood friend who isn’t a Christian. Daphne is fun and confident, and she sets out to help Rachel reinvent herself. But tragedy strikes. What will Rachel do now? Who will she turn to?

This book is skilfully written, with three-dimensional characters motivated in convincing ways, full of cliffhangers that keep the story moving. Strobel, daughter of writer Lee Strobel, is a master of the pen.

What I like most about this book is the analysis of the mindset of the good Christian, as I am calling it, someone who expects God to respond with blessings when the person has been attending church, singing in choir, and all the other external trappings of religion.

The only tiny flaw for me concerns the mentor, the one who goes into rehab at the beginning of the book. I wish her story had been fleshed out more, considering her significance in the plot. BUT this is no reason to not read this book! It’s a very good one!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: REINVENTING RACHEL
Author: Alison Strobel
Publisher: David C. Cook
September 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4347-6774-5
Genre: Inspirational/women’s fiction

Rachel Westing was born in a Christian home and wanted to do everything Christian. She is engaged to a man and making exciting plans for her future while trying to solve all the problems of the teens she knows.

But when Rachel discovers that her fiancé is cheating on her, and that her parents are filing for divorce, Rachel decides to forget God—since He let her down—and she moves to Chicago to be with her childhood friend, Daphne.

When fun-loving Daphne tries to help Rachel get back on her feet, Rachel finds her new life exciting. But then another tragedy hits…

REINVENTING RACHEL is the first book I’ve read by Alison Strobel. I quickly pegged Rachel as a “cookie-cutter Christian”, one who can talk the talk and walk the walk as long as everything is perfect, but when life hits, she crumbles. That disappointed me, but unfortunately there are a lot of Christians like that in the world.

The story is realistic and well-written. Readers will want to keep reading to see what happens with Rachel and find out if she’d turn back to God and develop a real faith that will survive the storms. $14.99. 240 pages.

[Narelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book despite not particularly liking the main character. At the start of the story Rachel comes across as shallow and naive. She views the non-church attending people in her life as potential ‘projects’ to convert rather than potential friends. Her world falls apart and her faith is shaken because God hasn’t given her a perfect life.

I struggled to identify with Rachel during the first few chapters because she acted like a spoilt princess and seemed to lack an understanding of how suffering is part of the Christian journey. I nearly put the book down but I was intrigued by the story premise. I’m glad I kept reading.

We journey with Rachel as she turns her back on her childhood faith. She explores a different world in Chicago that is foreign to her previously sheltered life experiences in California. Without her faith to define her decisions, Rachel struggles to build a meaningful new life. Tragedy strikes and Rachel is forced to evaluate the direction of her life. I recommend this book to those interested in reading a story that shows what could happen to young believers who fall away from a childhood faith that hasn’t prepared them to face real world challenges.