Raised in evangelical churches that preach apocalypse now, Carlene Bauer grows up happy to oblige the God who resides over her New Jersey childhood. But in high school and in college, her intellectual and spiritual horizons widen, though still she finds it hard to let go of her ingrained ideals and to rebel as she knows she should.
She loves rock n roll but politely declines offers of sex and drugs, and hovers between a hunger for the world and a suspicion of it. In her twenties, however, determined to make up for lost time, Bauer undertakes a belated and often comic coming of age in New York City - ultimately fall in love and losing her religion, and left wondering just what it means to be good.
Sharply written, hilarious, and touching, Not That Kind of Girl is the story of one young woman's effort to define worldliness, ambition, and love on her own terms. (Excerpt back cover).
My Review:
In Not That Kind of Girl, Carlene Bauer takes us through her personal memoir of growing up like I did, raised in the Catholic church. There were the days of watching a Thief in The Night and then lying awake wondering just when Jesus was going to come back and take people away while leaving the unbelievers behind.
She shares the story of struggle with her faith in her early childhood, where her lifestyle with the Catholic religion didn't give her the personal relationship we know is possible with Jesus Christ. The Christians should mentions in the memoir are the Bible thumping kind that define things in black and white, which TV shows, music and movies are of the devil and influenced by Satan. It is easy to understand the conflict that Carlene faces throughout high school and even in college dealing with her question of faith, and dealing with peer pressure that every single one of us has had to deal with.
While I don't believe along the same lines as Carlene with regards to who God truly is, and thus willing to take risks while searching for it, I didn't grow up as a child with the same upbringing as she did. I didn't find my personal relationship with Jesus until my late 20's. This book is truly believable and in certain aspects of it, I could relate to her on a personal level with regards to the questions she asks of herself.
I received Not That Kind of Girl by Carlene Bauer, compliments of TLC Book Tours for my honest review. I would rate this book 3 out of 5 stars for the overall content of the book. For more information about this book, the author and where to purchase a copy, please click on the link below:
http://tlcbooktours.com/2010/04/carlene-bauer-author-of-not-that-kind-of-girl-on-tour-july-2010/
TLC Tours is happy to offer one lucky follower of mine the opportunity to win a copy of this book. Here are the guidelines for this giveaway:
1. Simply be a follower of my blog
2. Be a resident of the US and Canada only
3. No P.O. Boxes
4. Leave a comment and tell me when you discovered God.
The giveaway will end on July 27th. Winner will be notified via email, so please make sure I have a way to contact you.
