Kerfuffle by Kristin N. Spencer

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About the Book

 

Book title: Kerfuffle  
Author: Kristin N. Spencer  
Release date: June 1, 2017  
Genre: Young Adult

Olive’s best friend needs her now more than ever, but can she piece together everything in time to help him? When an anonymous email circulates through Normandie High, everything Olive knows about her family, church, and friends will change. In the midst of controversy, Olive finds she has been entrusted to protect her best friend and his secrets, though revealing them would make her life much easier. Meanwhile, she struggles to figure out what the Bible teaches about homosexuality while the members of Revive church lobby accusations back and forth, threatening to cause a church split. In a twist that even Olive couldn’t anticipate, family relationships waiver as Olive tries to decode her mother’s mysterious behavior. When the past stirs up new accusations against Olive’s family, she learns that some secrets are more painful to reveal than others. Though a helpful guy in Spanish class has her attention, Olive realizes that boy problems are the least of her worries. Can she balance drama, schoolwork, and still be the supportive friend and daughter God wants her to be?

My Review

First of all, just wow- great job by Mrs. Spencer. The high school drama was on point through the eyes of a Christian girl trying to follow the Lord. Olive and her family were fun, caring, and overall just endearing even while dealing with great spiritual conflict. The characters were so real to me, and the plot was so much like reality, I forgot I was reading a fiction. Having worked with many in the young adult age, I would recommend it without reservation. Mrs. Spencer fearlessly "goes there" which is something we as the church should've done a long time ago. Kerfuffle reminded me that just because we are uncomfortable with a certain sin, doesn't mean the Lord doesn't call us to love and share the Gospel with these people. There were no exceptions to the Great Commission. There is no sin or past that is too much for the Lord to forgive or heal. I have to say I cried- although our characters are fictional, I know the issues tackled in this book have to do with real people who have been hurt and who may know they have a need for the Lord, but don't feel welcome at all by His people. In many topics, young adults today are told that the temptation to have sex, do drugs, etc. is normal and should be fully explored and celebrated by outside influences. We as the church should be able to talk about the hard topics and lift up those struggling in any of these areas. We should have an atmosphere in the church that anyone struggling with temptation in any sin should be able to come forward without judgment and seek understanding and accountability from his/her church family. Biblical truth, honest reality, and an eye-opening experience await you in Kerfuffle. 

I received this book for free, and all opinions given are my own. 

About the Author

Kristin N. Spencer is an American expat living in a 68 square meter flat with her husband and three kids near the Aegean Sea. When she isn’t wifing, mothering, counseling, discipling, or writing, she enjoys sewing cosplay costumes for her family, baking, and hanging out with other geeks. She writes whatever she wants, including Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy. Her favorite person is Jesus and her favorite X-men character is Jean Grey. Kristin studied Comparative World Literature at California State University, Long Beach and received a Bachelors, which she fondly calls a degree in reading

Guest Post from Kristin N. Spencer

Retrospective thoughts are so powerful, aren’t they? Now that I’m an adult I often look back on my adolescence and think, “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” As a YA author, I read a lot of books in my own genre, and I’ve noticed a pattern. Though many of the secular YA authors are brave enough to talk about the tough stuff, not many Christian authors go after the real world difficulties that face our young people. The passage of time constantly rips through generations creating new problems and situations. The world that my children are growing up in is very different from what I experienced, and the challenges that they face as Christians are also different. The Desires & Decisions series was born out of the need for me to able to address these controversial topics with my own children. Olive, a teenage girl growing up in Southern California, serves as the lens of perspective as we see almost everything from her point of view. Her world provides a safe, fictional place for Christians to flesh out these thoughts and think through what the Bible teaches about topics like racism, bullying, loving one’s neighbor, what real love is, and addiction.

Kerfuffle specifically explores the complex emotions associated with the Church and the temptation of same sex attraction. We get to experience the conflict Olive feels and also witness the varied reactions from different generations through Olive’s parents and other members of Revive Church. This issue isn’t going away, and as a Church we must be able to talk about it without alienating ourselves from those that struggle with this temptation. There is hope for every person through the blood of Jesus Christ, whether you struggle to love those who experience same sex attraction or you struggle with that temptation yourself. I hope Kerfuffle encourages you as you seek to walk closer to Christ.

Blog Stops

August 15: Bukwurmzzz

August 16: Book Reviews From an Avid Reader

August 17: Ashley’s Bookshelf

August 18: Blogging With Carol

August 19: Just the Write Escape

August 20: Carpe Diem

August 21: A Reader’s Brain

August 22: Remembrancy

August 23: Margaret Kazmierczak

August 24: Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations

August 25: Baker Kella

August 26: Avid Reader Book Reviews

August 27: The Power of Words (Spotlight)

                                                   August 28: JosephineAnneWrites

Giveaway!

To celebrate her tour, Kristin is giving away a grand prize of all three of her books: Newfangled, Flummoxed, and Kerfuffle and a T-shirt of your choice from the WritersLife Artist Shop ( https://writerslife.threadless.com)!! Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/bb66