A Braver Version of Me

Solid Christian HS Story. Hale does an excellent job here of showing the all-too-real mindset of Southern Baptist HS kids as it relates to the Church of Latter Day Saints, at minimum circa the turn of the Millenium when I was in HS myself. While I never actually went to a private school myself, growing up in Ga not far from the Tennessee regions described here, Hale paints the pictures pretty dang accurately there from both the kid and adult perspectives. Solid introduction to a much larger story, by the time of the somewhat abrupt ending to this particular tale, you'll be invested and interested enough to want to have the next one handy. Very much recommended.

(And as a postscript not overly relevant to this book perse, reading it completely on the beach was awesome, though reading it immediately after the much-more-mature-oriented book I had read earlier in the day I started this one was very interesting, to say the least. :D)

I didn't expect religion to play such a prominent part in this story, and, to be honest, the concept of religion (not necessarily faith) having such a strong influence on everyday life - who your friends are, who you are ‘allowed' to talk to, who to like - is unfamiliar to me, to say the least.

That being said, it was interesting to get a peek behind the curtains of faiths I am not (that) familiar with.

I like Destiny as a main character, and although she seems to attract a certain amount of drama, it's rarely her own, mostly other people's.
I'm not sure if I like Isaac (yet?). I might be biased because I really don't like his folks, but in the last chapters it looks like there might be hope for him, yet. ;)