Safe on Solid Ground

by Chrissy M. Dennis

Fourteen-year-old Kaitlyn Myer dreams of becoming a basketball champion, but making her high school’s varsity team quickly turns into a living nightmare when a gang of bullies targets her. As their abuse erodes her confidence, Kaitlyn slides into destructive patterns and isolates herself from the people who love her most. If God is so good, why is her life so bad? Taryn Thompkins, fifteen-year-old daughter of a heroin addict, is just settling into a group home when an experienced foster family offers to take her in. Embraced by the Myer family, Taryn begins to understand for the first time what family really means. But when Kaitlyn’s rebellion threatens everyone’s peace, Taryn is caught in a crossfire of mistrust and judgment and left wondering if she ever should have agreed to live with them in the first place. Terrified of the repercussions, Kaitlyn cannot speak the truth, and no one’s listening to Taryn. But as secrets, half-truths, and lies upheave the family, one thing is Truth alone will set their feet on solid ground.

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 21, 2019

About the author

Chrissy M. Dennis lives in Saskatchewan, Canada with her foster daughters and calico
kitty.  She is a full-time mom and a part-time administrative assistant
for Renovaré Canada. Chrissy also loves to read, crochet and, of course, write, trusting the
Lord will use her books for the glory of God and the growth of His kingdom through the
healing work of the Gospel.  
 
She carries a Masters of Divinity in Youth and Family Ministry. She loves working with
teens, and has felt the call of God to minister to the needs of youth in this culture. She
hopes to continue writing, specifically regarding issues relevant to today’s teens, offering a
message of salvation and hope. Her first novel, The Lion Cubs, received positive reviews
and deals with themes of abuse and abandonment.

Reviews

[Penny Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters were real and relatable. But oh, the angst! Over and over I wanted to somehow make Kaitlyn come to her senses! And I really felt for Taryn too, and the foster mom, Laura. So thankful that the story ended with safety, peace, and hope. Beautiful message of the love that continues to be available to us even when we push it away, and how truth can set us free.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A powerful story

Safe on Solid Ground follows Kaiti into her first year of high school. We see her go from being a carefree, well-adjusted teen to a dark and haunted girl. Unable to share with anyone the threats and the injuries she has received from the kids at her new school, she retreats further and further into herself.

Honestly, this is not an easy book to read. At one point, I almost put it down. My heart was aching for Kaitlyn and Taryn! As things deteriorated, it was difficult to watch. Yet this is not the first book by Chrissy M. Dennis that I've read and I knew that it would have a satisfying ending so I gave myself a little break and picked it back up to finish.

The message of this book is important, and I hope many people read it and pay attention. If you are being bullied, don't hide it! Talk to someone.

I'm not a mom. Maybe if I had a teenager I could make a better recommendation for whether this would be a good book for a younger teen. A part of me that says it would be great,because it deals with bullying, foster families, and a highly dysfunctional family in a big way. And shines the light of the Lord on all of it. Yet I hesitate to recommend it for younger teens for that same reason. It is a heavy story. So, parents, I encourage you to read it first and determine whether it would be a good fit for your child.

Read my full review at Among the Reads


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.