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Christy Miller #1
Summer Promise
As 14-year old Christy leaves her family's Wisconsin farm to spend the summer at her wealthy aunt and uncle's beach home in Newport, she realizes this could be the best season of her life. . Through it all, will Christy keep her promise to her parents not to do anything she'll regret?.
160 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1988
68 people are currently reading
1698 people want to read
About the author
Robin Jones Gunn
162 books2,630 followersROBIN 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
August 21, 2024
First read (around age 12/13): 5 ⭐️
Second read (around age 16): 4.5 ⭐️
Third read (around age 25): 4 ⭐️
Nostalgic rating: 5 ⭐️
About this book:
“Fourteen-year-old Christy Miller has the dream summer ahead of her in sun-kissed California, staying with her aunt and uncle at their beachfront home. Aunt Marti loves to shop, and those surfers are cute—especially Todd. Christy promised her parents she wouldn’t do anything she’d regret later, and some of her beach friends are a little wild. But Todd and his “God-Lover” friends are giving Christy a new image of all things eternal. Can this summer live up to its promise?”
Spiritual Content- A handful of Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, & discussed; Prayers & Talking to God; Going to a Christian concert & hearing a couple songs; Being witnessed to; Many talks about God, His way, accepting Christ, Heaven, Christians, & faiths; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Christy goes to a funeral and hears someone witnessing about becoming a Christian; Christy wonders if God cares about how people feel, but recalls a Scripture mentioned at the funeral and decides that He must care; Christy thinks that if she talked about “the Lord” with Todd that maybe he will more interested in her; A teen comments on wanting to find peace to ease “all the pain in [her] life”; Christy envies another girl’s openness about God and viewing Him as a friend and not a “distant, almighty power ready to strike whenever someone did something He didn’t like”; ; Many mentions of God, Jesus, His way, faiths, being a Christian, & getting baptized; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of churches, church going, Sunday school, & a clergyman; Mentions of Heaven & Hell (including Christy wondering if Hell is a real place); Mentions of a Christian concert; Mentions of sins & being a sinner (which makes Christy upset to hear others talk about sin so much);
*Note: Christy’s uncle tells her to “always do what [she] wants to do”, “follow your own instincts” and “be your own person” which are all his philosophies (later, Christy questions this because someone else did those exact things and it didn’t go well); Christy’s aunt tells her to “take control of your destiny” & Christy attempts to do that; Christy asks her uncle about God after he says “Thank God” (can be looked at as flippant) and he says that religion is something personal, not to be publicized, and that he’s always felt that God is all around and you don’t have to go to church to worship Him (Christy has never known anyone who believes in God but didn’t go to church); Christy’s aunt tells her that God “helps those who help themselves” and all you have to do is be a good person & Christy asks how you know for sure that you will go to Heaven (her aunt bristles and closes the conversation); Christy’s aunt tells Christy to not “overdo” a religious approach to life as she’s capable of taking care of things without waiting on God (*Spoiler* ); A mention of kismet (which Christy’s uncle describes it as “some things you just can’t explain. You have to figure a higher source is orchestrating the whole program”).
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘give a rip’, a ‘holy mackerel’, a form of ‘idiot’, a ‘sheesh’, a ‘ticked off’, seven ‘dumb’s, and nine ‘stupid’; A few mentions of curses (said, not written); Some sarcasm; A bit of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Grief for someone who passed away (Christy didn’t know him well, but is still sad, up to semi-detailed); Recalling a nightmare (nearly drowning, up to semi-detailed); Christy starts to lie about her age, but corrects herself; After having enough of her aunts comments and advice, Christy is sarcastic, does things to bother her aunt on purpose (called “silently rebel against her aunt’s manipulations”), & goes to spend a lot of money on clothes but feels guilty and doesn’t go through with that fully (Christy notes that this isn’t like her to be vengeful, but lets the bitter darts fly at her aunt and fights back the guilt of acting like a brat); Christy lashes out at someone & then apologizes; Christy goes to a party where there is underage drinking, smoking, & illegal drugs (She recalls when she tried beer at a friend’s house when they were ten and how awful it tasted; There is also a misunderstanding when she’s looking for a Coke to drink and is nearly handed drugs instead (up to semi-detailed); Todd says that he used to smoke marijuana but doesn’t after becoming a Christian, which Christy doesn’t understand what that has to do with it; *Spoiler* ; Mentions of deaths (including from a surfing accident & cancer), grief, & thinking about the accident again and again; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, underage drinking, illegal drugs, smoking, someone being stoned, & parties; Mentions of a mother being a violent alcoholic, her hitting her daughter, injuries, & rehab; Mentions of a nightmare (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of hippies, a protest march, & jail; A couple mentions of almost punching someone & a fight almost happening; A couple mentions of a divorce; A mention of a suicide attempt (*Spoiler* ); A mention of not killing someone (and thus being a good person); A mention of not cheating;
*Note: Christy has negative thoughts about herself after being teased by a group of teens at the beach (this including her looking into the mirror yelling “I hate you!”, saying she has stupid eyes, & crying); Christy thinks badly of a friend in a moment of annoyance; Christy feels very insecure often and sometimes depressed (some are due to comments from her aunt), but feels better at times after getting the right clothes and hairstyle (Later, she feels depressed again and wishes she had something stable to latch on to); Christy hates a girl for being so perfect but at the same time “would have given anything” to be like her (*Spoiler* ); A girl talks harshly to Christy about life being hard, people dying, & that if you want happiness you have to make your own (Christy wants to tell back and tell the girl she’s wrong, but does not); Christy recalls the “lecture” her parents gave her about her trip and making her promise that she wouldn’t do something she would regret later; Christy and her father do not have a close-relationship as he doesn’t leave room for free thought or discussion on topics she’s interested/wondering about; Christy thinks about how she won’t be able to have the freedom back home like she’s had in California (such as full makeup when she’s only allowed to wear lip gloss at home & that her parents will “clamp down on everything—makeup, dating, clothes, curfews.”); *Spoiler* ; Going to & mentions of Disneyland, rides there, & characters; Mentions of car brands; Mentions of brand names, designer brands, & stores; A couple mentions of stuck up people (in Christy’s opinion); A mention of a teen going to a psychiatrist to work through things.
Sexual Content- A barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Remembering a kiss (not detailed); Christy is disappointed to not receive a kiss; Wanting to be kissed & thinking about it (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed on the details but Christy focuses on them and her thoughts); Wanting to be touched & embraced (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Christy has a major crush on Todd shortly after meeting him & often thinks about him (adding that her crush has become “something deeper than she had ever felt for any guy before”); Christy wonders if some guys are checking her out & her uncle confirms and teases her about it (she secretly loves the attention from the guys); Later, she’s excited by other guys noticing her; Christy gets jealous when around other girls due to her own insecurities (sometimes thinking negatively about the other girls & thinking one of the girls is perfect and has it made in every way because of her body and personality; She wishes she could be like her so she would have a better chance of getting a guy like Todd to like her; *Spoiler* ); Christy feels uncomfortable when a certain guy looks at her; When a couple goes off by themselves, Christy is confused by it & Todd looks at her “strangely” (implied the couple is going off to do something sexual); Christy & a friend back home have a contest going about who can go on a date first; Christy finds another girl’s birth control (not named as Christy doesn’t know what it is, but is described) & the teen says she’s been looking for it (*Spoiler* ); A guy tries to take a girl to the bedroom where Christy is at (the other girl tried to stop him and he gets upset about being interrupted); Christy’s aunt thinks that she had her first “intimate encounter with a young man” and feels guilt that she didn’t prepare Christy for it (also commenting that men can make you feel used—“especially the first time”; Christy is stunned because her aunt was imagining much more than the kiss she was thinking about and nothing happened like that); Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of guys touching girls & being wrapped around the other; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, & dating; Mentions of flirting & blushes; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of cute guys, “the perfect guy”, & crushes; A couple mentions of a married couple kissing; A mention of a couple moving in together the day after meeting for the first time; A mention of a teen girl seeming like she’s “been around” and an adult commenting that that’s not the best way to be (regarding her having a lot of boyfriends); A mention of a place not being raunchy;
*Note: Christy feels like she’s as skinny as a green bean and white as a frosty cone after some comments by others; Christy’s aunt calls her a “late bloomer”; Christy’s aunt pushes her to eat healthy & to not eat much at times (to have her skin to gleam and hair to shine (and to have boys notice her), but while Christy follows it a couple times, she mostly sneaks around with her uncle to avoid the healthy foods/snacks); Christy’s aunt comments on her legs and gives the advice for Christy to “watch the starches” and “keep those legs slim as long as you can”, especially if Christy takes after her mother’s side of the family (Christy gets irritated at the endless advice, so her aunt quickly adds the “nobody can ever be too rich or too thin!”); A couple mentions of skimpy bathing suits & bikinis.
-Christina Juliet “Christy” Miller, age 14-15
P.O.V. of Christy
176 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Five Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
2024 Reread thoughts:
This is such a nostalgic book! I totally forgot how much is packed into this first book.
It’s a bit wild having read this first when I was a bit younger than Christy, then a bit older than Christy, and now over a decade older than Christy how much my thoughts have changed and yet stayed the same about the events in this book. Christy has her moments of being slightly obnoxious and bratty but she’s fourteen and very innocent (which isn’t a bad thing!) and has been thrusted into a whole other world without much guidance or monitoring. I did find myself a wee bit frustrated with her attitude at times, but in all honesty, I probably would have acted very similar at her age in some of those same situations. Only some of them, though, haha!
I definitely think this is better for teen girls who have already been introduced to boys/crushes because Christy is a little obsessed with Todd very quickly after he appears. There’s a lot of character development for Christy throughout this series, but will mainly straight to take place in the next book. Christy isn’t the best role model for some girls in this book, but it’s the character development and lessons learned that make this a classic series.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
Second read (around age 16): 4.5 ⭐️
Third read (around age 25): 4 ⭐️
Nostalgic rating: 5 ⭐️
About this book:
“Fourteen-year-old Christy Miller has the dream summer ahead of her in sun-kissed California, staying with her aunt and uncle at their beachfront home. Aunt Marti loves to shop, and those surfers are cute—especially Todd. Christy promised her parents she wouldn’t do anything she’d regret later, and some of her beach friends are a little wild. But Todd and his “God-Lover” friends are giving Christy a new image of all things eternal. Can this summer live up to its promise?”
Spiritual Content- A handful of Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, & discussed; Prayers & Talking to God; Going to a Christian concert & hearing a couple songs; Being witnessed to; Many talks about God, His way, accepting Christ, Heaven, Christians, & faiths; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Christy goes to a funeral and hears someone witnessing about becoming a Christian; Christy wonders if God cares about how people feel, but recalls a Scripture mentioned at the funeral and decides that He must care; Christy thinks that if she talked about “the Lord” with Todd that maybe he will more interested in her; A teen comments on wanting to find peace to ease “all the pain in [her] life”; Christy envies another girl’s openness about God and viewing Him as a friend and not a “distant, almighty power ready to strike whenever someone did something He didn’t like”; ; Many mentions of God, Jesus, His way, faiths, being a Christian, & getting baptized; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of churches, church going, Sunday school, & a clergyman; Mentions of Heaven & Hell (including Christy wondering if Hell is a real place); Mentions of a Christian concert; Mentions of sins & being a sinner (which makes Christy upset to hear others talk about sin so much);
*Note: Christy’s uncle tells her to “always do what [she] wants to do”, “follow your own instincts” and “be your own person” which are all his philosophies (later, Christy questions this because someone else did those exact things and it didn’t go well); Christy’s aunt tells her to “take control of your destiny” & Christy attempts to do that; Christy asks her uncle about God after he says “Thank God” (can be looked at as flippant) and he says that religion is something personal, not to be publicized, and that he’s always felt that God is all around and you don’t have to go to church to worship Him (Christy has never known anyone who believes in God but didn’t go to church); Christy’s aunt tells her that God “helps those who help themselves” and all you have to do is be a good person & Christy asks how you know for sure that you will go to Heaven (her aunt bristles and closes the conversation); Christy’s aunt tells Christy to not “overdo” a religious approach to life as she’s capable of taking care of things without waiting on God (*Spoiler* ); A mention of kismet (which Christy’s uncle describes it as “some things you just can’t explain. You have to figure a higher source is orchestrating the whole program”).
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘give a rip’, a ‘holy mackerel’, a form of ‘idiot’, a ‘sheesh’, a ‘ticked off’, seven ‘dumb’s, and nine ‘stupid’; A few mentions of curses (said, not written); Some sarcasm; A bit of pain, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Grief for someone who passed away (Christy didn’t know him well, but is still sad, up to semi-detailed); Recalling a nightmare (nearly drowning, up to semi-detailed); Christy starts to lie about her age, but corrects herself; After having enough of her aunts comments and advice, Christy is sarcastic, does things to bother her aunt on purpose (called “silently rebel against her aunt’s manipulations”), & goes to spend a lot of money on clothes but feels guilty and doesn’t go through with that fully (Christy notes that this isn’t like her to be vengeful, but lets the bitter darts fly at her aunt and fights back the guilt of acting like a brat); Christy lashes out at someone & then apologizes; Christy goes to a party where there is underage drinking, smoking, & illegal drugs (She recalls when she tried beer at a friend’s house when they were ten and how awful it tasted; There is also a misunderstanding when she’s looking for a Coke to drink and is nearly handed drugs instead (up to semi-detailed); Todd says that he used to smoke marijuana but doesn’t after becoming a Christian, which Christy doesn’t understand what that has to do with it; *Spoiler* ; Mentions of deaths (including from a surfing accident & cancer), grief, & thinking about the accident again and again; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, underage drinking, illegal drugs, smoking, someone being stoned, & parties; Mentions of a mother being a violent alcoholic, her hitting her daughter, injuries, & rehab; Mentions of a nightmare (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of hippies, a protest march, & jail; A couple mentions of almost punching someone & a fight almost happening; A couple mentions of a divorce; A mention of a suicide attempt (*Spoiler* ); A mention of not killing someone (and thus being a good person); A mention of not cheating;
*Note: Christy has negative thoughts about herself after being teased by a group of teens at the beach (this including her looking into the mirror yelling “I hate you!”, saying she has stupid eyes, & crying); Christy thinks badly of a friend in a moment of annoyance; Christy feels very insecure often and sometimes depressed (some are due to comments from her aunt), but feels better at times after getting the right clothes and hairstyle (Later, she feels depressed again and wishes she had something stable to latch on to); Christy hates a girl for being so perfect but at the same time “would have given anything” to be like her (*Spoiler* ); A girl talks harshly to Christy about life being hard, people dying, & that if you want happiness you have to make your own (Christy wants to tell back and tell the girl she’s wrong, but does not); Christy recalls the “lecture” her parents gave her about her trip and making her promise that she wouldn’t do something she would regret later; Christy and her father do not have a close-relationship as he doesn’t leave room for free thought or discussion on topics she’s interested/wondering about; Christy thinks about how she won’t be able to have the freedom back home like she’s had in California (such as full makeup when she’s only allowed to wear lip gloss at home & that her parents will “clamp down on everything—makeup, dating, clothes, curfews.”); *Spoiler* ; Going to & mentions of Disneyland, rides there, & characters; Mentions of car brands; Mentions of brand names, designer brands, & stores; A couple mentions of stuck up people (in Christy’s opinion); A mention of a teen going to a psychiatrist to work through things.
Sexual Content- A barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Remembering a kiss (not detailed); Christy is disappointed to not receive a kiss; Wanting to be kissed & thinking about it (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed on the details but Christy focuses on them and her thoughts); Wanting to be touched & embraced (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Christy has a major crush on Todd shortly after meeting him & often thinks about him (adding that her crush has become “something deeper than she had ever felt for any guy before”); Christy wonders if some guys are checking her out & her uncle confirms and teases her about it (she secretly loves the attention from the guys); Later, she’s excited by other guys noticing her; Christy gets jealous when around other girls due to her own insecurities (sometimes thinking negatively about the other girls & thinking one of the girls is perfect and has it made in every way because of her body and personality; She wishes she could be like her so she would have a better chance of getting a guy like Todd to like her; *Spoiler* ); Christy feels uncomfortable when a certain guy looks at her; When a couple goes off by themselves, Christy is confused by it & Todd looks at her “strangely” (implied the couple is going off to do something sexual); Christy & a friend back home have a contest going about who can go on a date first; Christy finds another girl’s birth control (not named as Christy doesn’t know what it is, but is described) & the teen says she’s been looking for it (*Spoiler* ); A guy tries to take a girl to the bedroom where Christy is at (the other girl tried to stop him and he gets upset about being interrupted); Christy’s aunt thinks that she had her first “intimate encounter with a young man” and feels guilt that she didn’t prepare Christy for it (also commenting that men can make you feel used—“especially the first time”; Christy is stunned because her aunt was imagining much more than the kiss she was thinking about and nothing happened like that); Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of guys touching girls & being wrapped around the other; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, & dating; Mentions of flirting & blushes; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of cute guys, “the perfect guy”, & crushes; A couple mentions of a married couple kissing; A mention of a couple moving in together the day after meeting for the first time; A mention of a teen girl seeming like she’s “been around” and an adult commenting that that’s not the best way to be (regarding her having a lot of boyfriends); A mention of a place not being raunchy;
*Note: Christy feels like she’s as skinny as a green bean and white as a frosty cone after some comments by others; Christy’s aunt calls her a “late bloomer”; Christy’s aunt pushes her to eat healthy & to not eat much at times (to have her skin to gleam and hair to shine (and to have boys notice her), but while Christy follows it a couple times, she mostly sneaks around with her uncle to avoid the healthy foods/snacks); Christy’s aunt comments on her legs and gives the advice for Christy to “watch the starches” and “keep those legs slim as long as you can”, especially if Christy takes after her mother’s side of the family (Christy gets irritated at the endless advice, so her aunt quickly adds the “nobody can ever be too rich or too thin!”); A couple mentions of skimpy bathing suits & bikinis.
-Christina Juliet “Christy” Miller, age 14-15
P.O.V. of Christy
176 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Five Stars
My personal Rating- Four Stars
2024 Reread thoughts:
This is such a nostalgic book! I totally forgot how much is packed into this first book.
It’s a bit wild having read this first when I was a bit younger than Christy, then a bit older than Christy, and now over a decade older than Christy how much my thoughts have changed and yet stayed the same about the events in this book. Christy has her moments of being slightly obnoxious and bratty but she’s fourteen and very innocent (which isn’t a bad thing!) and has been thrusted into a whole other world without much guidance or monitoring. I did find myself a wee bit frustrated with her attitude at times, but in all honesty, I probably would have acted very similar at her age in some of those same situations. Only some of them, though, haha!
I definitely think this is better for teen girls who have already been introduced to boys/crushes because Christy is a little obsessed with Todd very quickly after he appears. There’s a lot of character development for Christy throughout this series, but will mainly straight to take place in the next book. Christy isn’t the best role model for some girls in this book, but it’s the character development and lessons learned that make this a classic series.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
April 29, 2015
I think it's safe to say that I am not the intended audience for this book.
The best thing about this book is that my edition was written in blue ink!!! I love when authors/publishers take the extra money to do this. My favorite is Cherie Priest's BONESHAKER, published in brown ink.
Christy is a farm girl from Wisconsin who goes to spend the summer with her aunt and uncle in California. They are rich and spoil her rotten. They buy her new wardrobes, get her hair styled, buy her tons of make-up, swimsuits, etc.
At the beginning, Christy is moaning about how unattractive she is. She thinks she's unattractive because she is "too thin" and has blue-green eyes. OH, THE HORROR! *rolls eyes
Even after her extensive make-over from her shallow, materialistic and looks-oriented aunt, she still spends the whole book calling herself ugly, stupid, and clumsy. Self-hate much? I understand she's 14, but it's painful to read.
Boys. Christy meets a cute boy on the beach! His name is Todd. He's Christian. Not like Christy is Christian, but a "real Christian" who was "born-again." Even though Christy was born and raised in the church and was baptized as a baby and her parents are strict Christians and she is a "good-girl" that's NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Todd informs her that she's still a sinner and needs to "ask Jesus into her heart" otherwise she is not really Christian, she's not really "saved" - no, she's going to HELL.
And that's the love interest.
I thought he was a lousy love interest. For one thing, I felt like he only really pays attention to Christy when she's asking him about his faith and what it means to be a Christian. He also listens to her and encourages her when she makes noise about being saved herself. Otherwise, he's a big flake. He shows up late for dates, sometimes tells her he'll be at a party and doesn't show, blah blah blah. Not worth all the angst and prettifying that Christy goes through for him, in my opinion.
Also, there's this girl named Tracy who hangs around him all the time and he is constantly driving her to work and etc. etc. Christy is jealous and acts like a brat around Tracy. Tracy seems like a great person, but I understand Christy - it's her first date, first boyfriend/sort-of boyfriend etc. and she's insecure. Unfortunately, she NEVER ASKS WHAT'S GOING ON. I mean, she should straight-up ask Tracy, or Todd (whichever one she's more comfortable with) what's going on. I mean, are you guys together? Just friends? Used to date? I fully expected Gunn to reveal Tracy was Todd's cousin, or something. NOTHING. They never explain why Tracy and Todd are together all the time. Instead, we're supposed to be judging Christy for being too insecure, or not trusting Todd enough, or something. GEEZ. It's her first boyfriend (sort-of boyfriend?)! Give her a break. Todd and Tracy give her a joint gift of A BIBLE for her birthday. o.O I don't even know what to make of that.
Then, there's this other girl named Alissa. She's seventeen and dates a 20-year-old! She's on birth control! (We are supposed to be shocked and appalled to learn she's sexually active, but I give her major props for being safe. Hopefully she uses condoms, too!) She tells Christy that there is no God. You have to enjoy life here on Earth while you've got it, because there is no afterlife. We are supposed to feel extreme pity for this woman because her dad's dead and her mom's an alcoholic. Which is why she's "so messed-up." Whatever. Being on the pill and dating slightly older guys is not "messed-up" in my opinion. There's a scene late in the book where Christy witnesses a fight between Alissa and her boyfriend in which it sounds like Alissa's bf wants sex and is having a... difficult time with Alissa saying "no." But I want to stress that Alissa DID say no and the guy leaves in a huff. I don't know what Gunn is trying to say with that. Alissa can be redeemed because she refused to give in to this guy's demands for sex? Or is she saying "loose" women like Alissa end up in dangerous situations where guys might pressure them to have sex and they might give in/get raped? This last one is the kind of bullshit victim-blaming that I HATE. GRRRRRR. Hopefully it's the former and not the latter.
There's one hilarious scene that made me laugh out loud. Christy gets invited to a beach party and she keeps asking people for Coke (because, of course, she doesn't drink beer), and everyone she asks thinks she's looking for COCAINE. This was hilarious to me and I laughed out loud when picturing this little innocent Christian girl asking random guys if they have coke. :)
Oh, yeah, the anti-drug message in this book. A character in the book who will remain anonymous smokes pot and dies. That's right, he DIES. From smoking pot. How, you ask? Well, he decides to surf stoned and this results in him drowning, or bashing his head on some rocks or something. Gunn's anti-drug message was a little...forceful in my opinion. The most hilarious part (to me) was when Todd uses his funeral as a platform to try and turn everyone to Jesus. Seriously. His eulogy is basically slamming his dead friend for not accepting Jesus into his heart and then begging everyone, while crying, to please accept Jesus into their hearts before it's too late. (He doesn't scream, "YOU'RE ALL GOING TO HELL!" but he might as well have.) o.O Very uncomfortable for everyone involved.
In short, I have read Gunn's Gardenias for Breakfast and liked that it was a little more subtle with the Christianity. This one is very forceful and brutal with it's "BE A CHRISTIAN OR BURN IN HELL" message, and I didn't appreciate it. Especially since the book was blatantly saying, "Even though you think you're Christian, you're not really. You're not really Christian until you're MY KIND OF CHRISTIAN. Even Christians who aren't born-again are going to hell." This is very depressing and isolating and self-defeating. I can't understand why Christians insist on dividing each other so much. When I was young, I was shocked to learn about all the animosity between Catholics and Protestants. You'd think people would have some sense of reality, but I guess not.
Christy, the main character, was also unlikeable. Whiny, self-hating, manipulative, insecure, bratlike (throwing temper tantrums a few times), and judging other females and hating on them just because they are "prettier than her". Fail.
P.S. The Dieting. Christy's image obsessed aunt is always a.) lecturing Christy about how much fat is in food, b.) urging her to eat salad, c.) urging her to eat less, d.) shaming her for ordering chocolate cake in a restaurant. If Christy lived with this woman full-time she would end up either a.) morbidly obese or b.) anorexic. She's already hiding food from her aunt, sneaking food when she thinks her aunt can't see her, and eating even when she's not hungry to spite her aunt. Horrible, horrible child-care on the aunt's part. Way to screw up Christy's eating habits and self-image, Aunt Marti.
The best thing about this book is that my edition was written in blue ink!!! I love when authors/publishers take the extra money to do this. My favorite is Cherie Priest's BONESHAKER, published in brown ink.
Christy is a farm girl from Wisconsin who goes to spend the summer with her aunt and uncle in California. They are rich and spoil her rotten. They buy her new wardrobes, get her hair styled, buy her tons of make-up, swimsuits, etc.
At the beginning, Christy is moaning about how unattractive she is. She thinks she's unattractive because she is "too thin" and has blue-green eyes. OH, THE HORROR! *rolls eyes
Even after her extensive make-over from her shallow, materialistic and looks-oriented aunt, she still spends the whole book calling herself ugly, stupid, and clumsy. Self-hate much? I understand she's 14, but it's painful to read.
Boys. Christy meets a cute boy on the beach! His name is Todd. He's Christian. Not like Christy is Christian, but a "real Christian" who was "born-again." Even though Christy was born and raised in the church and was baptized as a baby and her parents are strict Christians and she is a "good-girl" that's NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Todd informs her that she's still a sinner and needs to "ask Jesus into her heart" otherwise she is not really Christian, she's not really "saved" - no, she's going to HELL.
And that's the love interest.
I thought he was a lousy love interest. For one thing, I felt like he only really pays attention to Christy when she's asking him about his faith and what it means to be a Christian. He also listens to her and encourages her when she makes noise about being saved herself. Otherwise, he's a big flake. He shows up late for dates, sometimes tells her he'll be at a party and doesn't show, blah blah blah. Not worth all the angst and prettifying that Christy goes through for him, in my opinion.
Also, there's this girl named Tracy who hangs around him all the time and he is constantly driving her to work and etc. etc. Christy is jealous and acts like a brat around Tracy. Tracy seems like a great person, but I understand Christy - it's her first date, first boyfriend/sort-of boyfriend etc. and she's insecure. Unfortunately, she NEVER ASKS WHAT'S GOING ON. I mean, she should straight-up ask Tracy, or Todd (whichever one she's more comfortable with) what's going on. I mean, are you guys together? Just friends? Used to date? I fully expected Gunn to reveal Tracy was Todd's cousin, or something. NOTHING. They never explain why Tracy and Todd are together all the time. Instead, we're supposed to be judging Christy for being too insecure, or not trusting Todd enough, or something. GEEZ. It's her first boyfriend (sort-of boyfriend?)! Give her a break. Todd and Tracy give her a joint gift of A BIBLE for her birthday. o.O I don't even know what to make of that.
Then, there's this other girl named Alissa. She's seventeen and dates a 20-year-old! She's on birth control! (We are supposed to be shocked and appalled to learn she's sexually active, but I give her major props for being safe. Hopefully she uses condoms, too!) She tells Christy that there is no God. You have to enjoy life here on Earth while you've got it, because there is no afterlife. We are supposed to feel extreme pity for this woman because her dad's dead and her mom's an alcoholic. Which is why she's "so messed-up." Whatever. Being on the pill and dating slightly older guys is not "messed-up" in my opinion. There's a scene late in the book where Christy witnesses a fight between Alissa and her boyfriend in which it sounds like Alissa's bf wants sex and is having a... difficult time with Alissa saying "no." But I want to stress that Alissa DID say no and the guy leaves in a huff. I don't know what Gunn is trying to say with that. Alissa can be redeemed because she refused to give in to this guy's demands for sex? Or is she saying "loose" women like Alissa end up in dangerous situations where guys might pressure them to have sex and they might give in/get raped? This last one is the kind of bullshit victim-blaming that I HATE. GRRRRRR. Hopefully it's the former and not the latter.
There's one hilarious scene that made me laugh out loud. Christy gets invited to a beach party and she keeps asking people for Coke (because, of course, she doesn't drink beer), and everyone she asks thinks she's looking for COCAINE. This was hilarious to me and I laughed out loud when picturing this little innocent Christian girl asking random guys if they have coke. :)
Oh, yeah, the anti-drug message in this book. A character in the book who will remain anonymous smokes pot and dies. That's right, he DIES. From smoking pot. How, you ask? Well, he decides to surf stoned and this results in him drowning, or bashing his head on some rocks or something. Gunn's anti-drug message was a little...forceful in my opinion. The most hilarious part (to me) was when Todd uses his funeral as a platform to try and turn everyone to Jesus. Seriously. His eulogy is basically slamming his dead friend for not accepting Jesus into his heart and then begging everyone, while crying, to please accept Jesus into their hearts before it's too late. (He doesn't scream, "YOU'RE ALL GOING TO HELL!" but he might as well have.) o.O Very uncomfortable for everyone involved.
In short, I have read Gunn's Gardenias for Breakfast and liked that it was a little more subtle with the Christianity. This one is very forceful and brutal with it's "BE A CHRISTIAN OR BURN IN HELL" message, and I didn't appreciate it. Especially since the book was blatantly saying, "Even though you think you're Christian, you're not really. You're not really Christian until you're MY KIND OF CHRISTIAN. Even Christians who aren't born-again are going to hell." This is very depressing and isolating and self-defeating. I can't understand why Christians insist on dividing each other so much. When I was young, I was shocked to learn about all the animosity between Catholics and Protestants. You'd think people would have some sense of reality, but I guess not.
Christy, the main character, was also unlikeable. Whiny, self-hating, manipulative, insecure, bratlike (throwing temper tantrums a few times), and judging other females and hating on them just because they are "prettier than her". Fail.
P.S. The Dieting. Christy's image obsessed aunt is always a.) lecturing Christy about how much fat is in food, b.) urging her to eat salad, c.) urging her to eat less, d.) shaming her for ordering chocolate cake in a restaurant. If Christy lived with this woman full-time she would end up either a.) morbidly obese or b.) anorexic. She's already hiding food from her aunt, sneaking food when she thinks her aunt can't see her, and eating even when she's not hungry to spite her aunt. Horrible, horrible child-care on the aunt's part. Way to screw up Christy's eating habits and self-image, Aunt Marti.
Read
March 18, 2008this book is awesome i gave my life to christ before i even finished the story. two of my friends did too. its amazing.
Read
May 24, 2025DNF @ 59%
I was really enjoying this but I think the age group and attitude was just a little too young for me I guess. Also I was a little confused by the Christian philosophy in the book where I believe the author was saying you simply have to accept Jesus into your heart and you’ll be saved? But then Todd got baptized so I was generally confused. There were other elements that I didn’t agree with when it came to salvation so I decided just to stop it here. Idk why but I’ve been on an odd DNF streak this year 😭.
I was really enjoying this but I think the age group and attitude was just a little too young for me I guess. Also I was a little confused by the Christian philosophy in the book where I believe the author was saying you simply have to accept Jesus into your heart and you’ll be saved? But then Todd got baptized so I was generally confused. There were other elements that I didn’t agree with when it came to salvation so I decided just to stop it here. Idk why but I’ve been on an odd DNF streak this year 😭.
March 21, 2018
I finished Summer Promise. In short, it was all so shallow it was bad. Now here is the long version.
Christy makes me sick. Her shallow, stereotyped, self conscious crybaby attitude and her mood swings. Literally bleh. She is the most general boring girl contemporary character ever. She struggled with her self image and yet not really the way a girl who actually struggled with it does. The author touched on most topics that girls struggle with, but just touched on them. That's all. Christy felt like a bag of problems and emotions with no backbone. And her "amazing" turn to Christ at the end was a little dull. Like maybe it was forced so that the rest of the series she would be a Christian.
Sorry. I don't mean to bash your guys' fav character, but so far the only thing she's done for me is make me sick.
So did Todd and his "drop dead gorgeousness." *eyeroll* the line where the second day she meets him she says she "realizes she felt for him something that was more than a crush" I snorted SO LOUD the people around me stopped talking for a moment. He seemed so shallow! My heart is crying out for someone who actually has a backbone. The whole deal with Shawn was so predictable. And the way he led Christy on, making her think that he was taking her to the concert, and then all those other folks in the van. And then when he took her to Disneyland totally leading her on. It was horrid. He is an awful character. If he wasn't hiding the fact that her aunt had funded the escapade then he would have mentioned it earlier, like when she said that she appreciated him buying all those things for her. *eyeroll* I think that was a mistake on the authors part maybe? The way that there were places he should have told her and he didn't. Either he is a jerk, or the author didn't do a very good job.
There were two things that I liked in the book, that I could relax and actually enjoy reading. The Disneyland trip (beside the above mentioned) and when Tracy came in. She felt like the only person in the whole book that I could trust. She was sweet and honest and forgiving. I just didn't know where she stood with Todd, which I blame on Todd. Note, (just my personal opinion, I'm not pushing this on any of you guys) you can't be such close friends with a guy ESPECIALLY a Christian guy-girl relationship without any further attractions. Anyway.
And Christy's aunt and uncle killed me. Literally. Her aunt, so shallow. Her uncle, no backbone. At all. A floppy jellyfish that bent to whatever Marti said.
I can't believe how badly I sound like a hater. I am not. I just was so disappointed with this book. I still got the next to in the volume that I'm reading, so we'll see if she gets any better. Right now. Bleh.
Christy makes me sick. Her shallow, stereotyped, self conscious crybaby attitude and her mood swings. Literally bleh. She is the most general boring girl contemporary character ever. She struggled with her self image and yet not really the way a girl who actually struggled with it does. The author touched on most topics that girls struggle with, but just touched on them. That's all. Christy felt like a bag of problems and emotions with no backbone. And her "amazing" turn to Christ at the end was a little dull. Like maybe it was forced so that the rest of the series she would be a Christian.
Sorry. I don't mean to bash your guys' fav character, but so far the only thing she's done for me is make me sick.
So did Todd and his "drop dead gorgeousness." *eyeroll* the line where the second day she meets him she says she "realizes she felt for him something that was more than a crush" I snorted SO LOUD the people around me stopped talking for a moment. He seemed so shallow! My heart is crying out for someone who actually has a backbone. The whole deal with Shawn was so predictable. And the way he led Christy on, making her think that he was taking her to the concert, and then all those other folks in the van. And then when he took her to Disneyland totally leading her on. It was horrid. He is an awful character. If he wasn't hiding the fact that her aunt had funded the escapade then he would have mentioned it earlier, like when she said that she appreciated him buying all those things for her. *eyeroll* I think that was a mistake on the authors part maybe? The way that there were places he should have told her and he didn't. Either he is a jerk, or the author didn't do a very good job.
There were two things that I liked in the book, that I could relax and actually enjoy reading. The Disneyland trip (beside the above mentioned) and when Tracy came in. She felt like the only person in the whole book that I could trust. She was sweet and honest and forgiving. I just didn't know where she stood with Todd, which I blame on Todd. Note, (just my personal opinion, I'm not pushing this on any of you guys) you can't be such close friends with a guy ESPECIALLY a Christian guy-girl relationship without any further attractions. Anyway.
And Christy's aunt and uncle killed me. Literally. Her aunt, so shallow. Her uncle, no backbone. At all. A floppy jellyfish that bent to whatever Marti said.
I can't believe how badly I sound like a hater. I am not. I just was so disappointed with this book. I still got the next to in the volume that I'm reading, so we'll see if she gets any better. Right now. Bleh.
January 30, 2019
I've heard so much about this series and I finally read the first book! I LOVED how Christy grew spiritually throughout the book, the beach setting, the outfit descriptions, and the Disneyland scene. I didn't like that teenagers so young and far away from marriage kissed. I liked seeing how the different characters reacted to an unexpected death. Warning: There are some teen partying scenes and mature themes. That's why I didn't read it until now.
November 21, 2024
Overview:
Language/Profanity: A use of 'My God'that sounded flippant, a use of 'Holy mackerel' both by the same person who is not a Christian
Faith: Christy is told she needs to repent of her sin, give her life to God, and change her life. I agree totally with this (I read a comment that was talking about this and saying it was wrong.... I admit that comment riled me.) We see that we are not automatically Christians just because we are 'going to church' or living in a family that are Christians. We need to submit ourselves under God's control and live for Him.
Romance/Sex: Some amounts of Christy liking the way a guy looks, and somewhat obsessing over whether or not he likes her but nothing else, not even kisses.
Action/Adventure: Nothing really.
Other: There is mention of a girl in a bikini, and drugs, alcohol, and a bad party... Christy is often thinking about how another girl is better than her and has more than her because she is beautiful, has boys hanging off her arm, and wears a bikini.
Synopsis:
This is a cool book, that has a good message in it. I liked to see Christy's growth through the book and the way she went from someone who said she was a Christian to actually repenting, and giving her life and heart to God. I liked the friendships between the characters, though Christy did annoy me in many places... just by the way she acted and thought etc. I found the writing to not be superb, but it was one of the author's first books, so there is that.
Favourites:
Part: The concert
Quote:
“Men!” sputtered Christy. “You’re all weird! Weird! Weird! Weird!”
Chapter 10.
Character: Doug, or Todd. (I know Todd annoys a lot of people but I can really see why. Sure Christy may have thought the the invite to the Concert was just for her, but Todd never said it was. He is just a normal teen guy who forgets to mention things.)
A three and a half/four star book. It was a good book, just not a favorite, I'm sure some of Robin Jones Gunn books (The Sierra Jensen Books) are going to be re-readable but this one not so much. But I would recommend it to younger girls who struggle with normal fourteen/fifteen year old girl things.
Language/Profanity: A use of 'My God'that sounded flippant, a use of 'Holy mackerel' both by the same person who is not a Christian
Faith: Christy is told she needs to repent of her sin, give her life to God, and change her life. I agree totally with this (I read a comment that was talking about this and saying it was wrong.... I admit that comment riled me.) We see that we are not automatically Christians just because we are 'going to church' or living in a family that are Christians. We need to submit ourselves under God's control and live for Him.
Romance/Sex: Some amounts of Christy liking the way a guy looks, and somewhat obsessing over whether or not he likes her but nothing else, not even kisses.
Action/Adventure: Nothing really.
Other: There is mention of a girl in a bikini, and drugs, alcohol, and a bad party... Christy is often thinking about how another girl is better than her and has more than her because she is beautiful, has boys hanging off her arm, and wears a bikini.
Synopsis:
This is a cool book, that has a good message in it. I liked to see Christy's growth through the book and the way she went from someone who said she was a Christian to actually repenting, and giving her life and heart to God. I liked the friendships between the characters, though Christy did annoy me in many places... just by the way she acted and thought etc. I found the writing to not be superb, but it was one of the author's first books, so there is that.
Favourites:
Part: The concert
Quote:
“Men!” sputtered Christy. “You’re all weird! Weird! Weird! Weird!”
Chapter 10.
Character: Doug, or Todd. (I know Todd annoys a lot of people but I can really see why. Sure Christy may have thought the the invite to the Concert was just for her, but Todd never said it was. He is just a normal teen guy who forgets to mention things.)
A three and a half/four star book. It was a good book, just not a favorite, I'm sure some of Robin Jones Gunn books (The Sierra Jensen Books) are going to be re-readable but this one not so much. But I would recommend it to younger girls who struggle with normal fourteen/fifteen year old girl things.
March 4, 2020
I've seen countless reviews complaining about how whiny Christy is and how she's a brat . Whiny she may be and at times a brat yes I agree but guess what this is an accurate picture of a teenager . She's awkward , insecure , doesn't really know how to act around people , and may I remind you that she's ONLY FOURTEEN !
Good grief when I was fourteen I was a lot worse ,and let me just say if you were such an angel and never had a single thing to apologize for , well good for you sweetie I'm happy for you .
The other point people make is that whenever Christy meets someone that's not a Christian they ALWAYS have a terrible problem with something ,while the characters that are Christians don't . I can see the point in this truly I can . I know so many Christians that have had problems with things that are sinful or mental health issues . Becoming a Christian doesn't make you perfect all of your problems don't just go away. While I do think her Christian characters could use a few problems . I think she kind of uses the problems of the ( non Christian) characters as something that can help Christy talk to them and show them the love of God . I don't remember really what happens with said characters but that's just what I assume .
With that being said it was so great to be back reading a book that I read so long ago ! Not everything was as I remembered it , and I won't say that it was perfect but let's be real there isn't one excepting the Bible .
Good grief when I was fourteen I was a lot worse ,and let me just say if you were such an angel and never had a single thing to apologize for , well good for you sweetie I'm happy for you .
The other point people make is that whenever Christy meets someone that's not a Christian they ALWAYS have a terrible problem with something ,while the characters that are Christians don't . I can see the point in this truly I can . I know so many Christians that have had problems with things that are sinful or mental health issues . Becoming a Christian doesn't make you perfect all of your problems don't just go away. While I do think her Christian characters could use a few problems . I think she kind of uses the problems of the ( non Christian) characters as something that can help Christy talk to them and show them the love of God . I don't remember really what happens with said characters but that's just what I assume .
With that being said it was so great to be back reading a book that I read so long ago ! Not everything was as I remembered it , and I won't say that it was perfect but let's be real there isn't one excepting the Bible .
July 1, 2025
5 stars
I'm counting this as a separate book even though I'm reading the edition that's in one collection because I haven't read a lot of books this month so counting this book seperately so I can have another book on my challenge this month, lol.
This book is amazing, and definitely one of my favorite books!!!
I'm counting this as a separate book even though I'm reading the edition that's in one collection because I haven't read a lot of books this month so counting this book seperately so I can have another book on my challenge this month, lol.
This book is amazing, and definitely one of my favorite books!!!
August 4, 2011
The first time I heard about the Christy Miller series I was only ten or eleven years old. I had won them in a Focus on the Family reading contest. I barely understood the choices that Christy faced and many of the concepts were a little over my head at the time. But when I reread the first 6 or so books again after turning 15, they made a big impact on me. I love Christy. If she were real she would be the closest of my "book" friends- except for maybe Mallory from the Babysitter's Club or Kate O'Connell from the Northwoods Series. She is so sweet and when she doesn't understand something she sits and listens rather than reacting.
I remember my copy of the book, Summer Promise, it looked like an adult romance novel- not at all like the nice updated versions. I learned about drugs for the first time. Not up to this point can I recall hearing the expression "stoned". The Guess teddy-bear t-shirt she wears to the party- I had one of those. I can relate to the way Christy picks out her clothes- underdressed for one event, overdressed for the next. I am rereading this book for I would say fourth or fifth time. Christy's innocences and the simplicity of the story are what I love about Robin Jones Gunn. As I reread the chapter Questions and Answers, I am a lot more emotional about Shawn's funeral. I barely knew Jared Nagel (he was a Christian- praise God!) when he died at age 18 or 19. The youngest person's funeral I have ever attended. Todd is an amazing and to use Doug's word "awesome" young man. Every girl needs a Todd (or Gilbert if you are an Anne of Green Gables fan)!!!
I grew up in California so I knew about many of the places in this book. Especially when they go to San Francisco. Makes you want some Rice-a-Roni. When I go to San Francisco again I am going to find that music box and an Alcatraz sweatshirt for my husband.
Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book...Christy is responding to her Uncle Bob about being true to herself.
"I'm not sure I want to live on the edge like that. I mean, what about God? Where does He fit in? Does He just let me go my merry way, and if I don't happen to 'pull myself in' in time, then splat splat, that's that, too bad Christy?"
I remember my copy of the book, Summer Promise, it looked like an adult romance novel- not at all like the nice updated versions. I learned about drugs for the first time. Not up to this point can I recall hearing the expression "stoned". The Guess teddy-bear t-shirt she wears to the party- I had one of those. I can relate to the way Christy picks out her clothes- underdressed for one event, overdressed for the next. I am rereading this book for I would say fourth or fifth time. Christy's innocences and the simplicity of the story are what I love about Robin Jones Gunn. As I reread the chapter Questions and Answers, I am a lot more emotional about Shawn's funeral. I barely knew Jared Nagel (he was a Christian- praise God!) when he died at age 18 or 19. The youngest person's funeral I have ever attended. Todd is an amazing and to use Doug's word "awesome" young man. Every girl needs a Todd (or Gilbert if you are an Anne of Green Gables fan)!!!
I grew up in California so I knew about many of the places in this book. Especially when they go to San Francisco. Makes you want some Rice-a-Roni. When I go to San Francisco again I am going to find that music box and an Alcatraz sweatshirt for my husband.
Here is one of my favorite quotes from the book...Christy is responding to her Uncle Bob about being true to herself.
"I'm not sure I want to live on the edge like that. I mean, what about God? Where does He fit in? Does He just let me go my merry way, and if I don't happen to 'pull myself in' in time, then splat splat, that's that, too bad Christy?"
December 24, 2016
I first read this book a little over a year ago and now I'm coming back to it and reading it again - partly because I am desperate to finish my 2016 Reading Challenge and I can finish three of these books in a day, and partly because I just love it so much.
This book is super sweet. Part of what I love about it so much is the main character, Christy Miller, and her thoughts and feelings are so relateable. I mean sure I can't really relate to going to parties like the one Christy went to, but her thoughts about Todd and friendship and things like that I can definitely empathize with.
I think it's also super fun to have read all the way up to Christy and Todd: The College Years and then go back to the very first book. A little remark or scene like the green-bean bathing suit makes you grin as you think about the scene in later books where Christy learned that THAT was actually the first time he saw her. ;)
The only thing is Christy is technically going out on what she considers a "date" when she is 14 which is something I would never do but you know yolo Christy do what you want your family has your own standards. xD
Since this book deals with more serious issues I wouldn't recommend these books to, I don't know, 8-year-olds but any mature 11-year-olds and up would be a good age-range.
5 stars out of 5. Love it!! :D
This book is super sweet. Part of what I love about it so much is the main character, Christy Miller, and her thoughts and feelings are so relateable. I mean sure I can't really relate to going to parties like the one Christy went to, but her thoughts about Todd and friendship and things like that I can definitely empathize with.
I think it's also super fun to have read all the way up to Christy and Todd: The College Years and then go back to the very first book. A little remark or scene like the green-bean bathing suit makes you grin as you think about the scene in later books where Christy learned that THAT was actually the first time he saw her. ;)
The only thing is Christy is technically going out on what she considers a "date" when she is 14 which is something I would never do but you know yolo Christy do what you want your family has your own standards. xD
Since this book deals with more serious issues I wouldn't recommend these books to, I don't know, 8-year-olds but any mature 11-year-olds and up would be a good age-range.
5 stars out of 5. Love it!! :D
July 23, 2015
I first read this series when I was 12 years old. I was absolutely in love with Todd and I adored the lessons that I learned in this book. I am now seventeen and I still am such a huge fan of Christy Miller. The first book, this book, is my least favorite book in the series but I still enjoy it. I just have trouble getting through it because Christy is such a whiny little baby!! I am not an emotional person and I have trouble trying to be patient with Christy because all she does it cry... She does mature later on though and love watching her grow!! If you're a Christian lady and want to grow spiritually while enjoying a cute romantic series, I suggest you pick up Christy Miller!! :)
February 6, 2016
This was a great Christian teen book. After making a promise to her parents not to do anything she will regret, 14 yr. old Christy goes to stay at her aunt and uncles at the coast of California. Here she learns, as her aunt tries to change her and make her into a fashionable girl, that getting everything you want can't bring you happiness.
She meets a girl named Alissa and really wants to be like her, not knowing how hard Alissa's life is.
Then she meets handsome surfer Todd Spencer. She gets to be friends with him and his friend group. They are all Christians but Christy is not. She thought she was, but she hadn't trusted in Jesus as her savior. Todd helps her understand what it is to be a Christian.
After bad influences, tragedy, and help and prayers of friends, Christy finally makes a life changing decision which is definitely something she will not regret!
She meets a girl named Alissa and really wants to be like her, not knowing how hard Alissa's life is.
Then she meets handsome surfer Todd Spencer. She gets to be friends with him and his friend group. They are all Christians but Christy is not. She thought she was, but she hadn't trusted in Jesus as her savior. Todd helps her understand what it is to be a Christian.
After bad influences, tragedy, and help and prayers of friends, Christy finally makes a life changing decision which is definitely something she will not regret!
September 7, 2011
Check out more reviews at Books to the Sky.
(I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.)
I honestly couldn't finish this book. I had no idea this was going to be religious.
The entire time I was reading the book I felt like I was being preached at. There was a part where Todd, Christy's love interest, made it seem like if you weren't Christian then you weren't worthy.
I strongly disliked her Aunt Marti. From the beginning she was trying to change everything about Christy; what she ate, what she wore and how she acted. I did like her Uncle Bob though. He told her to be herself and that was good enough.
Note: This book was originally published in 1988, it was republished this year for the Kindle.
(I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review.)
I honestly couldn't finish this book. I had no idea this was going to be religious.
The entire time I was reading the book I felt like I was being preached at. There was a part where Todd, Christy's love interest, made it seem like if you weren't Christian then you weren't worthy.
I strongly disliked her Aunt Marti. From the beginning she was trying to change everything about Christy; what she ate, what she wore and how she acted. I did like her Uncle Bob though. He told her to be herself and that was good enough.
Note: This book was originally published in 1988, it was republished this year for the Kindle.
August 12, 2015
I read this whole series when I was about 13 and I really liked it. Probably would have given it 5 stars.
I just re-read this first book today because I was curious to see if it was as good the second time around. I'll be honest... 2 1/2 stars is the most I would give it. Perhaps it's because I have different taste in books now. Perhaps it's because I'm ten years older than the main character. Or perhaps I was just too young when I read it the first time to realize that it really wasn't that great of a book. Whatever the case, it's definitely not as good as I used to think it was.
I just re-read this first book today because I was curious to see if it was as good the second time around. I'll be honest... 2 1/2 stars is the most I would give it. Perhaps it's because I have different taste in books now. Perhaps it's because I'm ten years older than the main character. Or perhaps I was just too young when I read it the first time to realize that it really wasn't that great of a book. Whatever the case, it's definitely not as good as I used to think it was.
July 27, 2024
I grew up reading Christy Miller and now I get to reread as I share them with my daughters! They still have me kicking my feet and giggling.
July 10, 2025
cute little summer read(: 4.5 stars-- Christy got a little annoying.
July 4, 2016
It seems a fairly common question to ask someone what book changed their life. Whenever I hear this, I immediately go to the Christy Miller series (and then feel like a bad English major because it's far from literature). But it's the truth. It's certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but for young teen girls confused about God and life as they fully transition into adolescence, it's perfect. It shows that there is more to romance than what is currently marketed to teens and that taking it slow has its rewards. It's certainly not as brutally honest as Becoming Me and the rest of the Diary of a Teenage Girl series by Carlson, but they make a nice pairing.
As for unrealistic expectations about how being good=getting the perfect guy... I'm going on 27 and still waiting on my Todd but don't seem too damaged by these novels. The broader theme of waiting on God's timing is one that remains applicable throughout our lives, not just when we're super young. And yes, the Bible does tell us that we will be rewarded for our faithfulness. Those rewards don't necessarily manifest in a husband, but I'm not sure that's the message this book is sending.
As for unrealistic expectations about how being good=getting the perfect guy... I'm going on 27 and still waiting on my Todd but don't seem too damaged by these novels. The broader theme of waiting on God's timing is one that remains applicable throughout our lives, not just when we're super young. And yes, the Bible does tell us that we will be rewarded for our faithfulness. Those rewards don't necessarily manifest in a husband, but I'm not sure that's the message this book is sending.
November 29, 2013
In a Judy-Blume-meets-Karen-Kingsbury style, this opening novel in the Christy Miller deals with serious issues--some spiritual, some not--from a youngster's perspective. Frankly, as a longtime reader of Christian fiction, I've seen this kind of thing before in the works of other authors, such as Melody Carlson. Summer Promise is well-done, don't get me wrong; I just found it to be everything that I expected from a female-fronted young adult novel...and nothing that I didn't expect from such a book. If you enjoy teen-oriented Christian novels, you'll probably like this; still, I can't fight the generic, basic-cable-esque vibe it had.
EDIT: Read this again to familiarize myself before beginning the rest of the series; my feelings are about the same, but a little more positive.
EDIT 2: Now that I have finished the twelve-volume series, you can read my thoughts on the whole thing at: http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/0...
EDIT: Read this again to familiarize myself before beginning the rest of the series; my feelings are about the same, but a little more positive.
EDIT 2: Now that I have finished the twelve-volume series, you can read my thoughts on the whole thing at: http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2013/0...
March 2, 2023
This was such a nostalgic read! I read this book who knows how long ago and so it was interesting to see how much I remembered of the story...ended up being more than I expected. In this book you have the start of Christy and Todd's relationship, which is sweet and young. Christy is sometimes a too little emotional about things, but I found it believable for her age.
All in all, a fun reread and looking forward to the next book.
All in all, a fun reread and looking forward to the next book.
November 2, 2020
Summery, wonderful and the beginning of a new adventure!
July 21, 2019
*2.5
*heavy sigh* i think I'll definitely need to review this
*heavy sigh* i think I'll definitely need to review this
August 1, 2011
Robin Jones Gunn posted this week on a social media site that during a radio interview she was introduced as Christy Miller. I can see why. The character she created is so realistic that I, as a non-fiction aficionado, enjoyed this book greatly.
This is a Christian book, and I normally have a bias against books that weave the "plan of salvation" into the story line, but aside from that I want to read the rest of this series, and I'm not even the target age range!
I believe this was ooriginally published in the mid 90s, it's a bit dated in the fact the teenagers have no cell phones! I thought different times how crazy it was none of them texted! What a difference fifteen years makes!
The book doesn't shy away from difficult topics. Drinking. Drugs. Death. Sexually active friends. An alcoholic mother of a friend. These might make this book not a great choice for a tween, but unfortunately this is the world in which teens live, so tackling these topics in a book would likely be a great help to some girls.
Christy is from Wisconsin, but living with her aunt and uncle for the summer. She makes new friends who are different from those she knows back home. She takes risks in wardrobe and changes her hair, starts wearing make up and she falls for a guy who takes her to Disneyland for her birthday, but then at the end of the day things aren't quite the way she thought they were. . .
The biggest thing I disliked about this book is it's part of a series, and of course, when the end comes, you're left wondering what is going to happen next. But, I solved that by reading reviews online of book two in the series. I do want to finish reading this series at some point!
FTC disclaimer: I received a digital download of this book for review purposes. The opinions are my own.
This is a Christian book, and I normally have a bias against books that weave the "plan of salvation" into the story line, but aside from that I want to read the rest of this series, and I'm not even the target age range!
I believe this was ooriginally published in the mid 90s, it's a bit dated in the fact the teenagers have no cell phones! I thought different times how crazy it was none of them texted! What a difference fifteen years makes!
The book doesn't shy away from difficult topics. Drinking. Drugs. Death. Sexually active friends. An alcoholic mother of a friend. These might make this book not a great choice for a tween, but unfortunately this is the world in which teens live, so tackling these topics in a book would likely be a great help to some girls.
Christy is from Wisconsin, but living with her aunt and uncle for the summer. She makes new friends who are different from those she knows back home. She takes risks in wardrobe and changes her hair, starts wearing make up and she falls for a guy who takes her to Disneyland for her birthday, but then at the end of the day things aren't quite the way she thought they were. . .
The biggest thing I disliked about this book is it's part of a series, and of course, when the end comes, you're left wondering what is going to happen next. But, I solved that by reading reviews online of book two in the series. I do want to finish reading this series at some point!
FTC disclaimer: I received a digital download of this book for review purposes. The opinions are my own.
July 19, 2013
***The following review may contain slight spoilers. You have been warned.***
Summer Promise is the first book in the Christy Miller series. This is a book series aimed at young Christian girls. I think I would have liked this one better back when I was really big into Melody Carlson's True Colors series. I thought that this was at least worth checking out because I read Beverly Lewis' Holly's Heart series a while back and enjoyed it. Christy Miller seemed similar.
I'd probably actually give this a 2.5, but it really was just "okay." There were some things that I liked, but also things that I didn't.
WHAT I LIKED:
The text is blue!
Main character (Christy) is mostly realistic. She's not perfect, she's naive at times, she throws temper tantrums. Definitely no Mary Sue.
Good message overall.
Enjoyed Christy's uncle.
Dealt with REAL issues (drugs, boys, friendship, death, religion).
Great setting (the beach!).
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
I felt that Christy was mostly realistic except for a few parts which seemed forced. Usually these parts were the ones that dealt with religion or salvation.
Christy's aunt really got on my nerves.
Didn't care for the love interest at all.
The Christian singer at the concert got on my nerves.
The book was "too preachy" at times.
I would recommend this one for young girls discovering their faith who don't mind books that are a bit too preachy. I just don't tend to enjoy books (Christian or non-Christian) that makes me feel like I'm being preached to.
I have the other two books in the series. I *may* read them just so I can give the series a fair chance, but we'll see.
Summer Promise is the first book in the Christy Miller series. This is a book series aimed at young Christian girls. I think I would have liked this one better back when I was really big into Melody Carlson's True Colors series. I thought that this was at least worth checking out because I read Beverly Lewis' Holly's Heart series a while back and enjoyed it. Christy Miller seemed similar.
I'd probably actually give this a 2.5, but it really was just "okay." There were some things that I liked, but also things that I didn't.
WHAT I LIKED:
The text is blue!
Main character (Christy) is mostly realistic. She's not perfect, she's naive at times, she throws temper tantrums. Definitely no Mary Sue.
Good message overall.
Enjoyed Christy's uncle.
Dealt with REAL issues (drugs, boys, friendship, death, religion).
Great setting (the beach!).
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
I felt that Christy was mostly realistic except for a few parts which seemed forced. Usually these parts were the ones that dealt with religion or salvation.
Christy's aunt really got on my nerves.
Didn't care for the love interest at all.
The Christian singer at the concert got on my nerves.
The book was "too preachy" at times.
I would recommend this one for young girls discovering their faith who don't mind books that are a bit too preachy. I just don't tend to enjoy books (Christian or non-Christian) that makes me feel like I'm being preached to.
I have the other two books in the series. I *may* read them just so I can give the series a fair chance, but we'll see.
August 2, 2011
I received an electronic copy of this book from Librarything's Early Review program in exchange for an honest review.
Book Summary from Amazon:
"As 14-year-old Christy leaves her family's Wisconisn farm to spend the summer at her wealthy aunt and uncle's beach home in Newport, she realizes this could be the best season of her life. She's full of hope that surfer Todd will like her; the beach crowd will accept her; and she can become like her gorgeous new friend, Alissa.
But the summer doesn't unfold as Christy hoped; she discovers this season also holds heartache. Todd wavers between Christy and another girl; 16-year-old Shawn dies in a drug-related surfing accident-and the police want to know how Christy was involved; Alissa discloses that her sophistication hides a painful past.
Through it all, will Christy keep her promise to her parents not to do anything she'll regret? Or will she do anything to get Todd, to be accepted, to force her summer to give her everything it promised?"
What I liked about this book: The message. Gunn's story provides a positive message for teens. Even as an adult Christian I found passages that spoke to me. Though the book touches on several serious issues, it has a light tone. It doesn't weigh the reader down.
What I didn't like about the book: The writing was all over the place. Some passages were beautifully written with great depth. Other passages were rather flat. Sometimes, I wasn't sure if the writer knew where she was going with the story. Christy is a mostly likable character, but she seems rather immature for her age.
The series has great potential and I'm interested to see where she goes with the series.
Book Summary from Amazon:
"As 14-year-old Christy leaves her family's Wisconisn farm to spend the summer at her wealthy aunt and uncle's beach home in Newport, she realizes this could be the best season of her life. She's full of hope that surfer Todd will like her; the beach crowd will accept her; and she can become like her gorgeous new friend, Alissa.
But the summer doesn't unfold as Christy hoped; she discovers this season also holds heartache. Todd wavers between Christy and another girl; 16-year-old Shawn dies in a drug-related surfing accident-and the police want to know how Christy was involved; Alissa discloses that her sophistication hides a painful past.
Through it all, will Christy keep her promise to her parents not to do anything she'll regret? Or will she do anything to get Todd, to be accepted, to force her summer to give her everything it promised?"
What I liked about this book: The message. Gunn's story provides a positive message for teens. Even as an adult Christian I found passages that spoke to me. Though the book touches on several serious issues, it has a light tone. It doesn't weigh the reader down.
What I didn't like about the book: The writing was all over the place. Some passages were beautifully written with great depth. Other passages were rather flat. Sometimes, I wasn't sure if the writer knew where she was going with the story. Christy is a mostly likable character, but she seems rather immature for her age.
The series has great potential and I'm interested to see where she goes with the series.
October 27, 2013
I finally got the chance to read my first Christy Miller book, after hearing so many great things about the series. Summer Promise is definitely an enjoyable read! Christy's story drew me in from the start and I finished it in one sitting.
Christy is such a sweet and innocent character that I think a lot of younger girls can relate to. She reminded me a lot of my younger self. Occasionally I thought some of her actions made her appear younger than a fourteen-year-old girl, and that sort of drew me out of the story. However, the majority of Christy's actions was realistic.
Summer Promise deals with real issues that a lot of teens face today. Christy's journey to become a true Christian is believable, and not preachy or forced at any point. The questions she asks about her faith are true concerns that many teens have. I wish I had read this when I was a little younger, but I still loved it and I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
This is a very cute and sweet book that I think a lot of younger girls will love. I recommend it to middle school/high school girls!
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
Christy is such a sweet and innocent character that I think a lot of younger girls can relate to. She reminded me a lot of my younger self. Occasionally I thought some of her actions made her appear younger than a fourteen-year-old girl, and that sort of drew me out of the story. However, the majority of Christy's actions was realistic.
Summer Promise deals with real issues that a lot of teens face today. Christy's journey to become a true Christian is believable, and not preachy or forced at any point. The questions she asks about her faith are true concerns that many teens have. I wish I had read this when I was a little younger, but I still loved it and I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
This is a very cute and sweet book that I think a lot of younger girls will love. I recommend it to middle school/high school girls!
I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
July 25, 2011
Targeted toward tweens to young teens, this well written story tackles the challenges of being a teenager and kicks it up a notch by focusing on the Christian teen. Christy is the average teen who only wants to be accepted and ends up in some very uncomfortable and unsafe situations. She lives on a farm, goes to church every Sunday, and is the all around "good" girl. She is soon to be 15 and not only wants friends, but wants a summer romance while she stays with her Aunt and Uncle. Her being boy crazy has an influence on how she looks at things and at times, her attitude is down-right annoying.
This book focuses heavily on peer pressure and how it can change one's life by making wrong decisions. After a particularly disturbing incident that happens to one of Christy's friends, there comes to light a very strong salvation message making this a wonderful tool to give to the teen that is beginning to question things about God.
All in all, this is a great book to give to any girl who struggles with peer pressure!!
This book focuses heavily on peer pressure and how it can change one's life by making wrong decisions. After a particularly disturbing incident that happens to one of Christy's friends, there comes to light a very strong salvation message making this a wonderful tool to give to the teen that is beginning to question things about God.
All in all, this is a great book to give to any girl who struggles with peer pressure!!
March 2, 2023
I read this Christy Miller series years ago, but decided to give them a reread to refresh myself and then to read all the books about her later years.
Christy is fourteen at the start of the book, though her fifteenth birthday isn't far away (July 27th). She is from Wisconsin, but is spending the summer with her aunt and uncle at their home in California.
Shortly after arriving, Christy's Aunt Marti takes her on a shopping trip and gives her makeover. I think her aunt's heart is in the right place, but it doesn't always come across that way. I love the relationship between Christy and her Uncle Bob!
The ending was good and I'm looking forward to seeing how things go in the next book.
Christy is fourteen at the start of the book, though her fifteenth birthday isn't far away (July 27th). She is from Wisconsin, but is spending the summer with her aunt and uncle at their home in California.
Shortly after arriving, Christy's Aunt Marti takes her on a shopping trip and gives her makeover. I think her aunt's heart is in the right place, but it doesn't always come across that way. I love the relationship between Christy and her Uncle Bob!
The ending was good and I'm looking forward to seeing how things go in the next book.
November 27, 2008
There were elements of this book that I really enjoyed and thought were totally appropriate and applicable in a young girl's life today, issues that she would be hungering to know more about and I liked how the author dealt with these heavy topics. What I didn't care for was how young Christy was to be obsessed over some boy that she had only just met, I felt like she was a little too immature to try juggling a boyfriend. While this book had some good points I wasn't too impressed with the quality of the material or characters.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
September 10, 2010
Young teenager Christy spends the summer in California with her rich and worldly aunt and uncle. Christy faces challenges in her friendships and self-image and questions what is important in this life. I've wanted to read these books since being impressed with other titles by Robin Jones Gunn. I thought this was a very realistic look at some issues facing teenagers in the 90's (its a tad bit dated! :-)) and maybe even a little too realistic. I would recommend it for teenagers on the mature side. Looking forward to Book 2!
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