Sunday, May 17, 2020

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Taking Chances by Melody Carlson

Book: Taking Chances
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Middle Grade
Release Date: April 15, 2020

Zoey knows her days are numbered. At least when it comes to remaining in Cedarville. So when Louisa coaxes her to be part of a garage band, Zoey tosses her insecurities aside to make music with her friends. And she even goes out for the basketball team. But what will happen when her mom shows up and pulls the plug on everything?

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I really enjoying reading books by Melody Carlson, she is one of my favorite Christian Fiction Authors. I had never read her books for Middle School ages, and I figured it would be a good change.

Zoey and her BFF, Louisa, have been trying to find an activity for them to enjoy together. Louisa talks Zoey into trying out for a "Garage Band". Zoey wants to enjoy the time left in the town before Zoey and her Mother move back to Seattle. Zoey is enjoying the Garage Band and then an old "enemy" comes around and makes Zoey very uncomfortable. The one thing that Zoey has been really growing in is her faith. She really feels the need to lean on her faith and be gracious to her "enemy" during these times. Will Zoey succeed or will her faith falter to the hurts of "enemy friends"??

I really like the message in this book. Many Middle School aged girls experience so many changes at once and can succumb to the bullying and such. Forgiveness and being a better person then the "enemy' is a GREAT message for Girls and Boys in middle school. A quick read, but a WONDERFUL book! Taking Chances is the final book in this series. It is a good standalone book, but reading the books in order makes for GREAT reading!

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women, and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, True Colors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including RT’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita, and the Gold medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog.

More from Melody

Sometimes I feel guilty for ‘torturing’ my teen and tween characters, but I do it for my readers. It’s not easy being an adolescent, and reading about someone who’s facing hard times is comforting. But in the final Zoey book, I really wanted to give her some victories too. So when challenges come her way, she stands up to them. And she even puts her newly found faith to work. The goal is for readers to feel hopeful about their own lives when they see Zoey rise above her tough circumstances.