The devastation of a ruined summer.The gift of a second chance.Can Josie learn the lessons she needs in order to discover her true self?After a humiliating event and overwhelming peer pressure, 16-year-old Josie flees her home to spend the summer with her Aunt on a South Carolina island. Her fresh start turns into the summer of her dreams as friendships grow, romance blossoms, and a series of … friendships grow, romance blossoms, and a series of thefts surround her with excitement. However, when tragedy strikes someone close to her, Josie realizes there are more important things than her reputation. As she sets out to solve the mystery she has become entangled in, she not only realizes the importance of relying on her faith but along the way also discovers who God wants her to be.
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At first Josie can’t wait for the summer between her sophomore and Junior year. She has a lot she is looking forward to–until her classmates start making fun of her after her. Jose’s mom has just published a book with about a teen girl who has some embarrassing moments–and they assume the book is about Josie so start teasing her about it and playing pranks. Then in An Unexpected Role by Leslea Wahl, Josie’s summer takes a whole new turn when she decides to spend the summer with her Aunt in South Carolina. That is when the real adventure begins and Josie learns who she really is and what she is about.
An Unexpected Role is written for teenage readers–and specifically for Catholic youth. This book starts out with some moments for Josie that would be embarrassing for any teenage girl I think. I didn’t like the book at the start because of that and Josie’s family didn’t seem to be really hearing how hard this was for her. At the same time, though, Josie wasn’t talking much either. I think that might be true in many families regardless of the issues. Throughout the book, Wahl does seem to do a good job of portraying Josie’s thoughts and feelings accurately. I like that there is a mystery in the book and I didn’t guess the outcome either. I also really liked that Josie grew spiritually through various sources–going to mass, situations with those she encounters and through her mom’s postcards. I also like that the characters in the book become friends even though they are various ages and it did seem natural within the story. Josie also was a good model for getting out of herself and volunteering and visiting with other age groups. I am not Catholic but I think the good points of An Unexpected Role would work well for any Christian young person to apply to their lives. The awkward family talks and miscommunication in Josie’s family that I didn’t like at the beginning of the book also seemed to get better as the book went on. I also thought that the book was a little slow in places but the last half of the book flew by pretty fast for me. Honestly, I think it would be better for a teenager girl than an adult–which is who the book is aimed at. It has mystery, romance, and more.
I received a copy of this book from the author as part of Just Read Tours Blind Date with a book. All opinions within this review are my own.
This book is AMAZING!!!!!! “Leslea Wahl’s you are awesome!!!!!!!” Christian-friendly teen fiction is sooooo hard to come by, but Ms. Wahl’s has written such amazing books and I love all of them!!!!!!!!! (And I can’t wait till there is more Leslea Wahl books to read!!!!!!!)
This book is such a good mystery I didn’t want it too end. And the only thing that could maybe be consider a “con” would be the mean jokes some kids said to the main character. They weren’t inappropriate, just mean. (Honestly I didn’t think of this as a ‘con’ but some people may so I put it up there.) And there was some violence, but just normal mystery violence. Mad bad guy, someone gets hurt, evil jellyfish… Normal mystery violence.
Over all, I LOVED IT SOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!! And I wished it didn’t end!!!!!!! “Thank you soooo much Ms. Wahl’s! Never stop writing!!!!!! I love your amazing books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” And I hope many teenage girls find and love this book like I did! -The Young Llama Reader.
Pros
Another amazing Christian-friendly book!
Totally teen-friendly!!!
Cons
Some violence
Mean jokes?
Looking for a fun summer teen mystery…with themes of faith and coming-of-age?
The characters were dynamic, and as the MC (Josie) is confronted with situations–and people–out of her comfort zone, the lessons she learns about how to treat others (and how to find yourself) change her and her future. I liked that Josie’s character had flaws and quirks–and that the author showed how those traits can be…inspiring!
The plot was interesting with a touch of mystery, and I liked that the author employed a little of the enemies-to-lovers trope. I also very much enjoyed the diversity and different struggles represented in this story (from forgotten Veterans to immigrants to bullies). Oh! Plus! The. Beach. And Josie’s knowledge of old musicals was fun to read as well!
Things that weren’t my favorite:
-Her mom’s decision (that causes Josie’s blow-up) was VERY inconsiderate and unkind. Although Josie does tend toward dramatic, her reaction was completely understandable.
-BOY. CRAZY. TEENS. This did fade a bit toward the end of the story, but Josie’s outright obsession with cute/hot/gorgeous boys was a bit much to stomach.
-Josie’s decision to solve the mystery and catch the bad guy was extremely…naive and unwise. Of course, everything turns out in the end, but in reality, such a decision is downright fool-hardy.
THREE STARS for a sweet, clean teen mystery.
Content Advisories: This book was overall very clean. There were a couple of teen kisses and some robberies as well as an almost cuss-word.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book from the author for FREE, and a positive review was not required.