True Friends

Christy Miller #7

by Robin Jones Gunn

What is a true friend? Christy Miller knows she has two of them: Todd and Katie. But Todd took off for Hawaii where he's attending college and surfing every chance he gets. Katie turns up the encouragement and convinces Christy to join the ski club with her even though Christy is pretty sure skiing is not a sport where she's going to shine. But besties support each other, right? So why is Katie the one laughing the loudest and longest as they bumble their way around the bunny slopes at Lake Tahoe?

Things get complicated when Christy finds herself caught between new friends who invite her into their circle and her loyalty to Katie who is now on the outside. Will Christy find a way to be a true friend when it counts most? And will she ever see Todd again?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Young Adult, Christian, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Teen

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1992

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Since Joe recently pointed out to me that it seems like these books have no plot, I will try to start this review with a plot summary.

Christy wants to be a good friend to Katie, so she asks Katie what she'd like to do. Katie wants to spend a weekend with their HS Ski Club in Tahoe. Christy agrees. They sell candy bars to raise money for the ($150) trip. There is a slight non-fight when Christy's rich Aunt Marti immediately buys all her candy bars AND a new wardrobe for Tahoe.

Katie and Christy are also being encouraged by their church to convert anyone they can to Christianity. Christy quickly makes a 'hit list' of people in her life that she wants to 'save.' This list includes her boss! Her boss takes it well when Christy tries to 'put Jesus in his heart,' but I guess it's too much to expect for a Christian YA novel to illustrate what people's REAL reaction is to proselytizing Christians. o.O That might be too graphic or intense for a Christy Miller book.

When Katie and Christy go to Tahoe, Christy is approached/accepted by three popular rich girls. They are mean girls who insult Katie. Christy is torn. Should she be friends with these mean girls with the hopes of turning them into Christians? Or should she just stay friends with her sweet, loyal old friend Katie?

Things come to a head when Christy uses some "mouthwash" found in the popular girls' bathroom which turns out to be vodka with green food dye in it. Katie reports the girls to the teachers, Christy doesn't back her up, blah blah blah. Happy ending, popular girls get punished, Katie and Christy are true friends again, and Christy learns not to try so hard to fit in.

Neither girl is successful in bringing anyone to Jesus.

No boys or boy problems in this book, which is kind of refreshing and kind of boring. At the very end, Christy gets a coconut shipped to her from Todd (who is now living in Hawaii and she hasn't heard from him in two months, the putz). She takes this as a sign that he loves her, or something.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going for three stars because I got really frustrated with the girls squabbles, but then... Todd... *stares off into the distance*

[Kerith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The seventh book in the series takes a different, and maybe a somewhat refreshing turn, as Christy no longer has a guy to prop her up. Just what she needs, if you ask me. She realizes what a friend she has in Katie and the two go on a ski trip together -- of course, finding their friendship tested along the way.

The storyline is quieter -- the source of tension is almost silly -- but delving into the meaning of friendship is something Robin Jones Gunn does best.

[Megan Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I enjoyed Christy's experience with the ski trainer immensely. I especially liked Todd's message to Christy at the end. It was very sweet.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Friends features Christy and Katie joining the Ski club and going on a ski trip. In order to go, they have to earn money and to do that they sell candy bars. Christy aunt and uncle once again make things very easy for her by buying them all and getting her new clothes for the trip. This causes a brief fight between Christy and Katie, since Katie is struggling to sell hers and she's jealous. Christy helps Katie out by asking her boss if she can sell them in the pet shop and he agrees.

Once on the trip, drama ensues. Katie discovers a group of girls has vodka concealed in a mouthwash bottle. She tells on them but they deny smuggling it in, say it was already there and that they've dumped it. Katie doesn't believe them, but is more annoyed that Christy didn't back her up, since she's the one who accidentally used it and realized it wasn't mouthwash.

By the end of the book they're friends again and got the girls to confess.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. Christy and Katie go on a ski trip (both have never skied before) and some of the other girls who went on the trip are trouble. When Christy asks to use their mouthwash and it burns, Katie figures out it is vodka and the other girls act like they know nothing about it. Long story short, after a series of events, it is finally found out.

Christy also received a coconut from the post office from Todd. It was sweet the way he replied to the card that she had sent him. 

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slightly different than previous books in the series, True Friends is yet another good young adult novel from Robin Jones Gunn. It'll be interesting to see where the story arc goes from here.

EDIT: See my review of the entire series at:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/0...

[*Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

i have learned that no matter what happens, your true friends will stick with you and support you and tell you the true honesty about the styation, as unttrue friends will give up on you and judt go away and leave you in a big heap of mess. also, God is your closest friend--no matter WHAT!

[Nikole (dreamingofreadingx) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hold out for a guy that will mail you a coconut. That is all.

[Rollins Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 or 4 stars! the ending bumped it up a star <3

[Hannah Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute, but slow. the coconut was the best part. 4 stars

[Kait_Roc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good change from the other tones given from the rest of the books before this one. I didn’t even realize how much I needed a refresher from a lot of the same drama. In this book it focuses mainly on friendship, morals, and God, in contrast to the others that focus on her love life mostly. I am not saying that I have gotten tired of the Christy and Todd or the Christy and Rick story, but I am saying that I missed Christy and Katie. The friendship lessons in this book are so important because this way Christy handles it is a great example to follow in your own life. The best part is, she isn’t perfect and she has to take care of that too. Just as Christy is a great role model in love and friendship situations, she has great morals for anyone to follow. In this book she mainly faced the struggle with a group of girls who were fairly rude to her best friend, but not her. She had God on her mind through all of her struggles and encounters with the girls and chose to stick to the truth no matter what. I admire Christy for that, because it is really easy to let simple problems go, but she didn’t. This book is good for ages 12 and up. It mentions alcohol a lot towards the end and implies that people had sex in secret on their past ski trip.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are really pretty enjoyable, if not a little predictable at some points. But I still like reading about Christy Miller and how she manages to stumble through life and come out okay in the end. I felt a little sorry for Katie in this book and thought she was just a tad bit under-treated by Christy.

*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...

[Maggie Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supposed to be -62°F wind chill this Wednesday. So this weekend is a beautiful 19°F in comparison. I didn't get as much reading in as I'd liked but did finish rereading a favorite. I won't spoil the whole book but definitely added mailing odd things to my summer bucket list when this winter finally decides to leave us. https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelleporu...

[Jess Ketchum · Rating 5 out of 5]

the ending is my favorite part.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christy begins to wonder what qualities make someone a good friend. Wanting to be a better friend to Katie, she asks if there is anything she and Katie can do together. Katie suggests signing up for the school's ski club trip to Lake Tahoe. On the trip Christy is accepted by a group of older popular girls who exclude Katie. When the older girls cause trouble on the trip, Christy wrestles with deciding what to do in telling the truth to support Katie, or not tell the truth and remain friends with the in-group.

This book wasn't so much focused on Christy and Katie's relationships with boys unlike previous books. Christy and Katie take center stage, a refreshing change of pace up until now.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truthfully don’t understand how Christy finds herself in situations like this all the time!! It must be something about California 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️ I adore her relationship with Katie, and I can’t wait to see how they continue to grow.

[Hannah Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rtc!

[Darya Kowalski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book for young Christians. Full of turmoil and school angst.

[Becky Giovagnoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of my less favorite books in the series. Not enough Todd.

[Eunice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friendship, sharing your faith.

[Jessica Grewe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been enjoying this sweet series. I feel like the characters are maturing more and more as the series progresses.

[Cadee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I liked that they went skiing because I want to go sometime in my life. I like that even though Christy was trying to fit in with the popular girls she found time for Katie." -Cadee, age 10

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sometimes light, sometimes humorous look at what makes a good friend and why you can't trust everyone who acts friendly.

[jaymee ◡̈ · Rating 5 out of 5]

all of the Christy books have such good and simple to understand lessons to them. i was reminded a lot about friendship and sharing the Gospel in this one.

[Olivia Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love my forever friends, and will hold them in my heart forever!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading all of these for nostalgia but I do have some major eye rolls about the way these kids approach their faith. Very 90s Christian but still fun to revisit.

[ToeToe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Katie and Christy's friendship progressed through this and how a lot of it was focused on what a True Friend looks like.

[BookWorm]

boy crazy and preachy