Stephanie Cardel’s novel reminds me how tough it is to be a teenager. Romantic desires compete with career goals, while parents and friends warn you that the choices you make will resonate the rest of your life. And if you’re like Madison Ragland, determined to be a good Christian girl, pleasing yourself often conflicts with pleasing God.

Madison begins her senior year with hopes of becoming a ballet dancer. Her boyfriend, Calvin Westfall, is leaving for college. Madison hopes to marry him one day, but her best friend Sophie disapproves of Calvin, who drinks and keeps pressuring Madison to engage in premarital sex. 

Another complication is Madison’s mother, who wants her to become a schoolteacher rather than pursue the unlikely goal of dancing professionally. Financial considerations pose an additional problem. Then there’s Nathan Ford, a boy Madison rejected when she was fifteen and who now works with her at a pizza restaurant. And of course there’s the daily pressure of schoolwork. We learn all this from Madison herself, who has memorized many lines from Shakespeare and has a habit of quoting him in moments of contemplation. 

Madison’s hopes rise when she gets a chance for a ballet scholarship. But only one is available, and the competition is tough.

You can see from the opening page how this story will turn out. It’s Madison’s honest accounting of herself, expressed through the author’s gift with words, that makes it an entertaining and valuable lesson for the teenage reader. Be aware that the sexual references are rather explicit for a Christian novel.

Chevron Ross's novels include Weapons of Remorse, The Seven-Day Resurrection, and The Samaritan's Patient. Click here for more information.