"Kerfuffle " by Kristin N. Spencer Book Tour and GiveAway

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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:

I must say I wasn't so sure about this book when I started reading, I got a complimentary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit, so I really didn't know what the book was about, so was kind of surprised. But, I am not sorry that I read it. 

"Kerfuffle" by Kristin Spencer is the third book in the series and though a reader could read and understand the story, I am glad I read the other two books first because these books are about Olive and her friends and her struggles as a teenager as well as her parents.

This book is about same sex attraction and it is written for young adults but I am 57 and I learned things ( from all three books) about acceptance and friendship and marriage and forgiveness.  These books are full of these things.  It also talks about how Christians judge their sins differently than they do other's sins. This story talks about how temptation isn't sin but how you respond to the temptation  is where sin comes in. 

Don't let the theme of this book stop you from reading it because it is written without anything I would consider inappropriate, as it is a clean read.  The author has done a wonderful job dealing with the subject.

I hope this isn't a spoiler alert but I like the fact that this story didn't end with a happy ending for all, like some stories that deal with subjects like this does. 

This book has Biblical passages as part of the story line, I really liked reading them as it helped to explain the reasons the characters had for their point of views.

I don't really think I have a favorite character or a least favorite character because I could see things I liked and disliked in all of the characters in all three books.

I am giving "Kerfuffle" 5 stars. 

These opinions 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