What is normal? Was my upbringing, my life normal? Howe do we know what normal is? These were questions I asked myself as I read Melody Carlson's book, "What Matters Most". I was disappointed to find out that this was the 6th book in this series and I had not read numbers one through five. Melody Carlson was a new author to me. To that end I must now get books one through five so I can catch up. This book was a great and easy read and although it was part of a series iwas worked well as a stand alone book. My students kept picking it up from my desk and asking if I had finished it yet so they could check it out. It already has a waiting list of 7 readers. Not bad for a group of kids who don't like to read.
May is like so many of my students. She has a rough life and she has had to learn to deal with these issues on her own. Maya's father is the famous musician Nick Stark. Her mother Shannon is in prison. Maya lives with her uncle and has managed to get her GED. Still she has gone back to high school. Now all the counselor wants to know is what grade to put her in. After much praying and soul searching, Maya decides to become a senior.
Maya finds herself with guy troubles. She and dominic are no longer dating. She just wants them to be friends. Her troubles don't end there. Vanessa has targeted her and she doesn't know why until a friend points out to her that Vanessa's ex-boyfriend Wyatt has been making eyes at her. How could she have missed this? She does everything to discourage him. She finally gets everyone together to try to cfreate peace. She invites Dominic to help her by performing during Open Mike. She has written som pieces of music. Her father has tried to discourage her from entering the world of musicl On the night of Open Mike, Chloe and Aliie from the group Redemption hear her sing. They invite her to jam with them. From this moment on Maya's life changes and she is faced with many difficult decisions. She has been invited to join the group and tour with them. This will mean becoming emancipated. This is something she has been working on since her mother landed in prison. Since her mother has just been released and is trying to get back into her life Maya is working harder on her emancipation. Joining Redemption means leaving her friend Melissa who is back home recovering from a terrible auto accident that left her brain damaged. all of this means doing a lot of praying and searching for God's will. After all of her decision making she often wonders if she made the right decision. She constantly asks God to guide her as she makes her way. This book came at the right time. I found myself looking at the scriptures and looking at the advice given and realizing that it came at just the right time. This is a message of hope and putting all of our faith and trust in God so that we may lead a Christ filled life. I can't wait for it to make the rounds of my students. This is a great book with a great message.
I am so glad that Multnomah gave me the opportunity to participate in this book tour and to read and review such an awesome book. I was introduce to a writer I had never heard of and have found a new author to follow. ( )