Love Will Keep Us Together

Miracle Girls #4

by Anne Dayton, May Vanderbilt

Riley McGee has the whole world open before her. She could get into any college, major in any subject, become whoever she wants to be. . . . But the truth is, Riley has no earthly idea what to do. She's paralyzed by indecision, afraid of the changes she faces, and as graduation day inches closer, it feels more and more like a threat.
  Meanwhile, her autistic brother, Michael, is struggling to fit in at Marina Vista and stay on top of his classes. Riley tries to keep an eye out for him, but when Ms. Moore suggests pulling Michael out of school, Riley has to fight for her brother--and against her favorite teacher. And things take another turn when her ex-boyfriend, Tom, arrives, hoping to give their relationship one more try. On top of that, an ambitious new pastor makes her question everything she thought she knew about faith.

Genres: Young Adult, Christian Fiction, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Chick Lit, Christian, Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this, the final book in the series. I mean, I already like Riley, though she has been a bit enigmatic throughout, so I was looking forward to getting her perspective. Unfortunately, it turns out that she isn't so much enigmatic as she is indecisive.

I had hoped for better from the final year of the girls we've come to know so well. But this book is laden down with so many elements I had little patience for that I spent most of it wondering when we would get to the good stuff. It doesn't help that I've never understood Riley's infatuation with Tom and we get no insight here. I don't understand his motive for being with her and understand her reasons for putting up with him even less.

It isn't unremittingly bad, though. I rather liked a couple of the side plots. The issues with Michael and the temptation of loving someone and wanting them near subverting what is actually best for them was a powerful theme. And the storyline of Ben's sister, Asha, and her unwed pregnancy played out particularly well. The authors did a fantastic job of depicting a rough patch in a religious community's lifespan and ecclesiastical missteps by people who are fundamentally decent but coming across as harsh and judgmental.

So the story was good enough that I was never tempted to leave it, even as I was mildly disappointed to leave the Miracle Girls on a less-than-stellar farewell.

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 3 out of 5]

About this book:

“Riley McGee has the whole world open before her. She could get into any college, major in any subject, become whoever she wants to be. . . . But the truth is, Riley has no earthly idea what to do. She's paralyzed by indecision, afraid of the changes she faces, and as graduation day inches closer, it feels more and more like a threat.
Meanwhile, her autistic brother, Michael, is struggling to fit in at Marina Vista and stay on top of his classes. Riley tries to keep an eye out for him, but when Ms. Moore suggests pulling Michael out of school, Riley has to fight for her brother--and against her favorite teacher. And things take another turn when her ex-boyfriend, Tom, arrives, hoping to give their relationship one more try. On top of that, an ambitious new pastor makes her question everything she thought she knew about faith.”


Series: Book #4 in “The Miracle Girls” series. Review of Book #1 Here!, #2 Here!, and #3 Here!


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are read, mentioned, & discussed; Prayers; Talks about God, Jesus, & church; ‘H’s are not capitalized when referring to God; Going to youth group; Christmas; Riley says that Bible doesn’t have all the answers for her life (she kind of debates this with a guest pastor in youth group and later they talk it through); Mentions of God; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & Scriptures; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of Christians & faiths; Mentions of churches, church going, youth group, pastors/priests, & worship/songs; Mentions of Christmas & the Nativity; Mentions of miracles; A few mentions of thanking God & Jesus (sometimes it doesn’t sound very sincere); A few mentions of sins; A couple mentions of being blessed;
*Note: A mention of a year from hell; A mention of hell on a cold day.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘heck’, a ‘jeez’, a ‘gosh’, a ‘shoot’, two ‘idiot’s, three ‘duh’s, three forms of ‘screw up’, three ‘dumb’s, three forms of ‘shut up’, four forms of ‘oh my gosh’, and forty-one ‘stupid’s; Christine calls her stepmother “The Bimbo” (once); Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Riley lies about being done with college applications; Mentions of fighting & hitting a teacher; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of beheadings; A few mentions of bullying; A few mentions of poop & peeing; A couple mentions of wars & slavery; A couple mentions of a car accident & Christine’s mother’s death; A couple mentions of when Riley almost drowned (Book #1); A couple mentions of Zoe’s parents fighting (Book #3); A couple mentions of jail; A mention of a car bomb; A mention of drugs; A mention of cheating; A mention of slaughtering animals for sins;
*Note: Mentions of celebrities, singers, songs, TV shows, movies, characters, books, & authors; Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of social media; A couple mentions of magazines; A couple mentions of Boy Scouts.


Sexual Content- a forehead kiss, a cheek kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and six semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Tingles, Embraces, Heat, Hand Holding, Winks, & Blushes (semi-detailed); Noticing, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); 2 forms of ‘sexy’; Many, many mentions of boys, boyfriends, dating, dates, homecoming, crushes, cheating, break-ups, & exes; Mentions of a high school guy getting a girl (age 15/16) pregnant, peoples comments (including two girls saying getting knocked up is her punishment for getting down and dirty with the guy), her parents wanting her to give the baby up for adoption, & the birth; Mentions of kisses, kissing, & making out (up to semi-detailed); A mention of blowing a kiss; Teenage attraction, dating, & the emotions;
*Note: [On the newer edition’s cover, there is a back of a girl wearing a bikini shown]; A couple mentions of a baby picture where Riley wasn’t fully clothed (Ben comments on her nice outfit and she replies that she’s always believed less is more); A mention of holding a boy’s hand feeling like heaven; A mention of underwear; A mention of a butt-kicker.

-Riley McGee, age 17/18 (?)
1st person P.O.V. of Riley
287 pages

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Pre Teens- One star
New Teens- One star
Early High School Teens- Two stars
Older High School Teens- Three stars
My personal Rating- Three stars

While reading this final book, I was prepared to give it a personal rating of two stars due to Riley kissing a guy quite a bit and his comments about kissing and needing her. I’ve never really liked him anyway, but the ending was what made this series.
One thing about this series that stands out to me compared to other YA books was how realistic it is, especially in this last book. Riley faces the typical high school senior dilemma about college and stressing about the future, but it’s done in a way that I would totally believe if a friend was telling me her story and thoughts.
This series is realistic also in the dating and relationships. These four girls have more than a handful of guys come in and out of their lives in these four years, and for high school, I think it was reasonably done well—even if I wasn’t a fan of all of them and the kissing.

One extra thing I’d like to note is how there really was nothing about crazy high school parties, drinking, or drugs within this series. There’s plenty of other YA series that discuss those topics, but the Miracle Girl series handled other teen problems with depth and faith.

Riley struggles with the Bible really having the answer for everything in her current, twenty-first century life and doesn’t hesitate to ask. There’s also a misunderstanding/noting of how an unwed pregnant teen girl is treated at church and how the Church’s response matters. It’s interesting to see how it all works out with Riley and the girl’s family being sensitive over words from a pastor and that same pastor trying to get a message of God’s love across. It’s cleared up with no harm or bad intention being meant, but I believe Riley’s thoughts were reasonable with what she knew about the situation.

Overall, it was a really great ending to this series, and even with the most kisses being in this final book, I’ll say that this one was my favorite of the series…but I would have liked it better without said kisses.


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.

[Lulufrances · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must say, all in all I really enjoyed this series.
Although nothing outstanding or overly touching it is lovely and oh-so-very-high-schooly which I like!
If you are looking for entertaining Christian teen fiction, here you go!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be clear, I have long ago read the other three Miracle Girls books, so it feels good to have finished this series. I can't remember the other books, which I'm sure impacted my feelings about this one. Mainly I was sad to see how these books are already a bit dated. I would still recommend them to any Christian family looking for something for their teenage daughter to read.

[Danielle Turko · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the outside, Riley has it all together. Cheerleader, top of her class, involved in most social circles in the school, and has her 3 best friends by her side. Underneath though, the side not even the miracle girls see, her life is up in the air. Not wanting to apply at any of the schools everybody is thinking she should, fighting against her favourite teacher to keep her younger brother with aspbergers in public school, her boyfriend never seeming to be available when she needs him, and finding herself drawn to a classmate who has family issues of his own to deal with are things that she thinks she should have under control but doesn't. When picturing where she goes for college nothing seems to fit, she can't picture herself doing anything at all. Most of all though, she doesn't want to lose everyone she hold closest. All she knows, is that it will take love to keep everyone together.
The last book in the series, I have to say it was probably my favourite. It just seemed the most real to me but all in all it did wrap up the series pretty well

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the character's true wrestling regarding her life and her faith in God. There were many honest, true moments. Good reading for a teenage Christian girl. Unfortunately, there was still the love-crazy aspect where all the characters were falling in love, in love, or just breaking up. Why can't there be girls who are choosing to focus on their relationship with God, family and friendships, waiting until they are old enough to consider who God will provide for a life mate?

[Books I'm Not Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be clear, I have long ago read the other three Miracle Girls books, so it feels good to have finished this series. I can't remember the other books, which I'm sure impacted my feelings about this one. Mainly I was sad to see how these books are already a bit dated. I would still recommend them to any Christian family looking for something for their teenage daughter to read.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Graduation is looming over the Miracle Girls as Pomp and Circumstance can be heard in the distance. Ana, Zoey, and Christine all have their futures planned out, but for Riley, not so much. Even if she is the most well-rounded student at Marina Vista, there are too many roads to take.

The age old "what are you going to do when you graduate" question is one that Riley can't answer quite yet. This becomes even more evident during the college tours. Not sure who to talk to, or who the best person to talk to is, for some reason Tom's number is the one she presses the most. However, with the announcement of his return and the fact that the other Miracle Girls despise him, Riley is once again conflicted. Riley knows that letting Tom back in isn't safe for her heart.

While protecting her heart, Riley must also protect her brother, Michael, who has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. Still having a rough time at school, Michael faces those who aren't receptive to a person who is different then them. Riley may feel guilty for feeling a little embarrassed by him, but she still has to stand up for him. She is on a mission to find a doctor to help her brother out, because if she decides to go away, no one will look out for him.

Riley also begins to develop a relationship with Ben, someone who she never thought she would hang out with or even talk to. But Ben is having family problems of his own, mainly involving his sister, Asha, and he's someone Riley can easily talk to. Riley also must console Ana, as tragedy strikes someone close to her, and stand up for Asha, who everyone turns their back on for a decision she made.

Join Riley in the fourth installment of the MIRACLE GIRLS series as she struggles in finding the right path for herself and for others. Riley just needs to remember that there still is that special person who will guide her.

LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER continues the series that is full of substance and reality. Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt keep the momentum going from the very first page to the heartwarming ending. This installment focuses on so many issues that teens go through, from selecting a college, to figuring out your future, to pregnancies, autism, and death.

Readers will be flipping the pages with one hand while holding a tissue in the other. The love that the Miracle Girls have for one another is awe-inspiring, and it's great to know that it will keep them together.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick enjoyable read. At times I didn't really know what I thought of Riley, the main character, but by the end of the book I understood this was the point. I'm sure Riley's indecisiveness will resonate with a lot of teenagers over deciding what to do with their life. I enjoyed this look at "The Miracle Girls" senior year - a lot of time is covered so a lot is glossed over, but the main plot points shine through and the lessons that are learned are wonderful.

I have not read the rest of this series but was able to read this book with no problem. I'm sure knowing more about each of the girls' background and more about The Miracle Girls would have been helpful but it is not a must. I didn't feel lost as things from the past are mentioned in enough detail to understand how they affect the present.

The characters are good in this book. Riley has always had things easy but suddenly she can't decide what to do with her life. She's trying to decide on college and what to do now that Tom is back in her life and also with Ben, the boy at school who interests her. She grows a lot in this book and that was great to watch. I laughed and shed tears through this book and I loved it for that.

As I mentioned earlier, at times the book feels hurried, but then again it's covering a school year in ~280 pages so it is natural that it is rushed. I think the authors do a great job capturing a wide-variety of teenagers in The Miracle Girls and I look forward to starting from the beginning of this series to see how it all came about.

Christianity is important in this book, but yet not preachy. I found Riley's questioning of how sometimes the church or people in the church don't always do the right thing very interesting and true. How many of us have known someone in our church or other churches that acts like they are better and yet their actions don't show their love for Jesus. How many of us have been that way ourselves? I found this to be a very real and effective plot line. It's so true and I hope it helps each of us question how we act in and out of church.

All-in-all I think Ms. Dayton and Ms. Vanderbilt did a wonderful job with this book. It is both entertaining and thought-provoking and that makes it great to me.

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable conclusion to a good series. I read the book from cover to cover in one day. The issues addressed were realistic and relevant to teens today. There was even a bit of romance that made me smile. While nothing written took any risks in regards to confronting some of the tougher issues in life, I still found it enjoyable.

One thing was a downside for me as a reader and social worker. The scenes with Michael, the brother with Asperger's Syndrome, were not what I've experienced in my work over the past eight years with hundreds of children and adults who have a diagnosis of Autism. Michael definitely exhibited more traits of classic autism than Asperger's based on his characterization in this novel, but that wasn't enough to ruin the book for me.

On a different note, the realistic thoughts the heroine Riley had regarding her feelings toward their church and how things had changed (and not necessarily for the better) was refreshingly honest. Same goes for the situation with the teen pregnancy and the church's initial response to it. The overall theme of this book was to be true to yourself. The conclusion was for young people to be true to their own dreams and not just do what other people expect of them. Also, it's okay to admit your faults and mistakes as long as it keeps you real. I appreciated the message that not making a decision is still making one. That's a great lesson for today's youth.

[Christy Trever · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Will Keep Us Together by Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt is the fourth and final book in the Miracle Girls series. Riley McGee, Supergirl, finally gets to carry her own title. Readers have seen her through the eyes of her friends, now she can tell her own story. At the beginning of her senior year, the pressure is finally starting to weigh her down. Her parents have dreams of her attending Harvard. Her friends want to go to USC with them, but Riley has no idea what she wants to do with her life. Ex-boyfriend Tom reappears wanting to rekindle their romance, but fellow youth group member Ben strikes something in Riley that she didn't even know existed. Senior year is a tough time for any teen, but it's incredibly difficult for Riley who has always achieved perfection. Straight As, cheerleader, and she takes good care of her brother Mike who has Asperger's. She's never really had a chance to need anyone or ask for help, so when Riley faces the confusion and fears of moving to adulthood, she has no one to turn to. Riley was hard to relate to in the previous books; she always came across as Miss Perfect, so seeing her heartache and pain makes her very sympathetic for teens and their moms. She's also struggling with faith and church in a way that many will relate to as well. I am truly sad to see the end of the Miracle Girls, but the authors end it just right.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh to be young again! Actually, I wouldn’t want to relive my high school days, but this book did bring back some fond memories of that time in my life when I made the transition from high school to college. It is a fun and exciting time, and a bit scary. The authors captured that emotion so well in Riley’s story. I can definitely understand her fears and uncertainties as she gets ready to become a grown-up. Even though I have not read the previous Miracle Girls stories, I really did enjoy this one and the special friendship the Miracle Girls share.

This book has a very positive message for teenage girls. It shows that you do not have to be perfect to make a difference in this world. You just have to do your best and be yourself and God will bless you. I would recommend this book, and I’m sure all the Miracle Girls books, to any young woman on the verge of this milestone. I truly enjoyed each moment of Love Will Keep Us Together.

[Janna Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. This is book #4 and the end of the series, I am sorry to see it go. We have followed 4 very different girls through their 4 years of high school. This book is their senior year through Riley's eyes. There is no doubt that along with a senior year comes many decisions and choices that have to be made. Riley learns that first hand and is trying to figure out how to make everybody happy when she doesn't know what it is that will make her happy. In the process she manages to make no one happy including herself.

What college will each girl go to? Will they manage to all make it into the same college and stay together? Who might mess up the plan? Except for the fact that Riley is kind of whiny about not knowing what she wants I really liked this book. I love that this is a series that is perfect for my daughter to read, I am thankful for books like this.

[Cheryl Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too sure..

Well I've liked all the books I the series but this was a twist of character. Riely always held everything together even when she was a risking her safety. This book puts Autism in the perspective view of the sacrifice the whole family makes. Faith was at the forefront in this book and of complete reality. Seen first hand how judgmental Christian's can be when a trial is very controversial or they don't know how to handle things. The outcome is what I thought it would be as far as where the girl's would go to school. Actual glad Riely is taking the journey she is. Would like a reunion book of marriage for the girls later on.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not care for this last (?) instalment of the Miracle Girls. There were great supporting characters, Michael, Asha and Ben, that did not play as big as a role as I expected. The story followed off on too many subplots without exploring any one of them with depth. Questions were left unanswered by the end of the story making me question if there will be another novel. What was Mr. Moore doing with Nick when he bought Zoe's filly? - Is the stage being set for another story or is that some weird tidbit that will be left unexplained?

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! This series was awesome! These four girls with four amazing stories coming together as best friends and overcame any obstacle that they were faced with... as best friends known as the Miracle Girls. At the end of it all, I cried. I wish it would have went on a little longer because I am a big fan of the Miracle Girls. Overall, I loved every book in the series. I highly recommend this series to any teenage girl that likes to read these kinds of books.

[Judy]

Riley McGee has the whole world open before her. She could get into any college, major in any subject, become whoever she wants to be. . . . But the truth is, Riley has no earthly idea what to do. She's paralyzed by indecision, afraid of the changes she faces, and as graduation day inches closer, it feels more and more like a threat.
Meanwhile, her autistic brother, Mich FIC Dayton 334366

[Margaret Chind]

*Thanks to FaithWords for providing a copy for review.*

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love these books! Sad to see them end

[BCPL Youth Services Librarian]

Click to see book in BCPL's online catalog

[Erynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! CAN I SAY LIKE ONE OF THE BEST SERIES I EVER READ!!!!!!!!! seriuosly i love how well i can connect with the characters and i love how its a christian book series too! :)

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sad that the series is over! I will truly miss these beloved characters! :(

[Emmah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish there were more books in this series showing their college years.

[Kaitlin Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was an awesome book

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent ending to a book series very special to me. Took me forever to finally get here but none the less it was bittersweet to read about the miracle girls again.