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Diary of a Teenage Girl #13
That Was Then...
This Is Now
It's Kim's senior year and, while everyone's looking forward to graduation, she's got so much going on she can barely make it through the day. Natalie, pregnant with Benjamin O'Conner's baby, believes it's God's will for them to marry, and Ben sees it as his Christian responsibility to do so. Major red flag? He doesn't love her. Then-surprise! Kim's birth mother in Korea sends her an intriguing letter, making Kim question her reluctance to get to know another "mom." And what about Maya? Is God calling Kim and her father to open their hearts and home to Kim's biracial cousin whose mother was just sentenced to five years in state prison? Kim has been through so much already, but that was then ... Does she have enough faith for now?
Saturday, November 11
I've talked to Nat twice this week. But only on the phone. Both times she just glossed over what happened last weekend. She told me everything was "fine." But without any details. It was the kind of reassurance that isn't reassuring at all. I know she's covering something up.
That was then...Kim Peterson has had a lot going on the past few years: writing a teen advice column, finding a new faith, dating and breaking up for the first time, losing her mom to cancer...Kim has learned to turn it all over to God day by day, relying on Him like she never has before.
Now Kim's best friend, Nat, is pregnant and soon to be married to Ben O'Conner, Caitlin's younger brother. Nat is starry-eyed, believing that once she and Ben are married, God will bless them and everything will work out because they're doing the right thing. Kim's not so sure. Is marriage the only solution for two seventeen-year-olds with a baby on the way? Why won't they consider adoption? Kim knows about that firsthand-and is about to find out even more...
Reader's guide included
Story Behind the Book
"In book four, Kim's life is still shadowed by the loss of her mother, but her faith is deepening. My best friend lost her mother to cancer in high school, and I was very involved in counseling, encouraging, and praying with my friend as she worked through her grief. That experience helped me write Kim's story from an insider's perspective." - Melody Carlson
It's Kim's senior year and, while everyone's looking forward to graduation, she's got so much going on she can barely make it through the day. Natalie, pregnant with Benjamin O'Conner's baby, believes it's God's will for them to marry, and Ben sees it as his Christian responsibility to do so. Major red flag? He doesn't love her. Then-surprise! Kim's birth mother in Korea sends her an intriguing letter, making Kim question her reluctance to get to know another "mom." And what about Maya? Is God calling Kim and her father to open their hearts and home to Kim's biracial cousin whose mother was just sentenced to five years in state prison? Kim has been through so much already, but that was then ... Does she have enough faith for now?
Saturday, November 11
I've talked to Nat twice this week. But only on the phone. Both times she just glossed over what happened last weekend. She told me everything was "fine." But without any details. It was the kind of reassurance that isn't reassuring at all. I know she's covering something up.
That was then...Kim Peterson has had a lot going on the past few years: writing a teen advice column, finding a new faith, dating and breaking up for the first time, losing her mom to cancer...Kim has learned to turn it all over to God day by day, relying on Him like she never has before.
Now Kim's best friend, Nat, is pregnant and soon to be married to Ben O'Conner, Caitlin's younger brother. Nat is starry-eyed, believing that once she and Ben are married, God will bless them and everything will work out because they're doing the right thing. Kim's not so sure. Is marriage the only solution for two seventeen-year-olds with a baby on the way? Why won't they consider adoption? Kim knows about that firsthand-and is about to find out even more...
Reader's guide included
Story Behind the Book
"In book four, Kim's life is still shadowed by the loss of her mother, but her faith is deepening. My best friend lost her mother to cancer in high school, and I was very involved in counseling, encouraging, and praying with my friend as she worked through her grief. That experience helped me write Kim's story from an insider's perspective." - Melody Carlson
258 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2006
12 people are currently reading
606 people want to read
About the author
Melody Carlson
420 books3,266 followersMelody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.
She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.
Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.
She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.
Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 6, 2017
An enjoyable conclusion!
May 30, 2017
This book was a very relateable, over-dramatized representation of a high school teenage life. Kim, the main character, struggles in her day to day life with keeping up with her pregnant best friend and staying her positive, uplifting, christian life. As a religious teen it is very easy for me to understand some of the challenges Kim goes through. Especially when you don't agree with someone's decisions. Even though Natalie (the pregnant one) is Kim's best friend, Kim sometimes has a tough time supporting her. Natalie's life is also very hard. She has a life that is not very common for teenagers. She get's pregnant, married, and her husband becomes a raging alcoholic. One extremely hard decision she has to face is one that will tremendously affect her babies life. Whether or not she should keep the baby as a single mother or give it up for abortion consumers her life and Kim's families life. Read the book to find out what her choice is.
May 22, 2019
I still can’t believe the Kim books were my least favorite when I originally read these! I’m glad I decided to re-read them again after all these years, and now I’m really looking forward to re-reading Maya’s diaries next.
December 5, 2017
I have read the falling up one which is the 3rd one and I love it so much. I can't wait to read the That Was Then of Kim.
October 14, 2013
The main character of this story is Nat, Ben and Kim. Nat and Ben are couples and Kim is Nat best friend. The setting took in different type of places, in a hospital, school, Nat and Ben house and Kim house. Nat and Ben are 16 and 17 year old teenagers. They got married and Nat got pregnant of Ben child. After he found out she is pregnant he start acting up and doing unnecessary things. One day her and Kim went out shopping and when they came back she found Ben sleeping with another women. She start stressing and start getting marks on her stomach. She always thought he would be the one, but she wrong. She thought he is different from other guys but again she was wrong about that. She moved out and move to Kim house ( her best friend). She decide to go to an adoption center where they adopt babies when their born. She was told to fill out some paper and she did even though the dad didn't sign it. Her due date was here ( December 25) the baby was born.The foster parents was there to take the baby with them, she wasn't to happy about it because she said " Giving up a child of your own is hard" from a mother being told, but it was the best for her. She knew if she would've of kept the baby she would of been stress out, she couldn't finish school and her and Ben wasn't together. Now the baby is with the foster parents, she is living life happy, finishing school & being on her own.
This book is a really interesting book to read! I liked that it gives detail about whats going on, i don't have to say that i was confuse in a part of the story because it gave specific details. i ALSO liked how Kim, her best friend was there for her Thur thick and thin . Even though they argued or what so ever. One part i disliked about the story is the decision Nat made about the baby, if i was here i would've kept the baby because when the baby grow up she going to be wondering who is the real mother and dad. I would recommend this story to a teenage because it teaches you a lesson about relationship and young teenagers being pregnant how the relationships ends up being.
This book is a really interesting book to read! I liked that it gives detail about whats going on, i don't have to say that i was confuse in a part of the story because it gave specific details. i ALSO liked how Kim, her best friend was there for her Thur thick and thin . Even though they argued or what so ever. One part i disliked about the story is the decision Nat made about the baby, if i was here i would've kept the baby because when the baby grow up she going to be wondering who is the real mother and dad. I would recommend this story to a teenage because it teaches you a lesson about relationship and young teenagers being pregnant how the relationships ends up being.
August 16, 2008
I accidently picked this one up thinking it was the first in the series. I don't know if it's going to be any good....
REVIEW (April 21st, 08) : Though this is a Christian series, don't care much for stories about teenage pregnancy and stuff like that.
I like Kim as the main character. This series is diffidently for girls who are or have friends going through pregnancies, meeting their birthparents, or just have some problems-but I'm not one of those girls so I can't really relate. But overall it did have a message: make good choices-be smart about your future.
I really like how Carlson writes...
REVIEW (April 21st, 08) : Though this is a Christian series, don't care much for stories about teenage pregnancy and stuff like that.
I like Kim as the main character. This series is diffidently for girls who are or have friends going through pregnancies, meeting their birthparents, or just have some problems-but I'm not one of those girls so I can't really relate. But overall it did have a message: make good choices-be smart about your future.
I really like how Carlson writes...
September 29, 2010
Kim (main character) is adopted by an american family, her real mom is from Korea and her best friend is pregnant. This book is awesome for a teenage over 12 so that she could have more experience. Every teenage will love this book because it talks about a teen´s diary and her life. How do she lives and acts. The main conflict doesnt exist but it show tiny conflicts and it tells how does she fixes her problems and how does she gets over them. You will love this book specially the main character. You will enjoy it and you will liked to read it twice or more.
April 27, 2011
This is a great book about teenage pregnany, getting married too young. What a great book for all high school kids who think that having a kid would be a great idea and that this will not help your relationship. The main character also got to meet her birth mother. This was a girl who was given up for adoption at 4 months and brought to the US. At 18 met her mother.
December 8, 2016
This book was amazing, i loved how she was just a normal teenager with a sister teenager that was getting married and having children. She had to figure out a way to become a happy girl with a happy family so her life can be completed. I recommend this book to other children in the world, so they can experience this fun, crazy, and furious adventure.
November 23, 2009
I think this book did a great job wrapping up the series. It was good to see how Kim is grieving the loss of her mother and also moving on with her life. It is good to show readers that losing a parent is not something you get over in a year, but is a slow and painful process.
October 1, 2011
WAAAHHH!!!! The series is over! These books will continue over and over in my mind. I can't wait to start Chloe and Maya. I think I'll do Chloe first, but then again... I don't know. It's so hard 2 choose!
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July 23, 2008I like this one cuz. It goes through alot of different trans. and characters in the book. friends and family. And how she moves on and tries to help her best friend.
August 19, 2008
this book was pretty good, except it's the fourth in a series. i didn't find that out until i was done with the book. but it's really good.
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March 22, 2010F CAR doatg kim bk.4
May 9, 2010
i read this before i read some of the other ones so i didn't know what was going on for a while, but i got into it and it was good.
June 20, 2011
I want more!
February 10, 2012
Very Inspirational and Uplifting. <3
September 10, 2012
Great ending to a great mini-series! :) I love these books.
November 29, 2014
It has a great moral. People always need others by their side when they're going through life situations whether it's good or bad.
July 3, 2013
Very enjoyable and great message for young girls!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews