After a tragic accident claims the life of her father and stepmother, Kelli Huddleston discovers hidden documents in her father's office that prove her entire life has been a lie.
Determined to find the truth about her father and her true family, Kelli embarks on a journey that will lead to new friends, hard truths, and challenging decisions destined to change her life forever.
I didn't recognize Kathryn Cushman at first, but when I looked up her website, I realized I had considered reading a few of her books before but never got around to it. I was excited to be testing the waters in this first novel I've read by her.
Finding Me is a trembling story full of disheveled priorities and barred love. A story full of anger and forgiveness, it is one that grips you tight and has you missing your oven beeping to announce your dinner.
While beginning this book, I thought I had everything figured out and thought that while it was an enjoyable read, it wasn't going to be anything special. However, don't be fooled. Cushman folded and twisted this story just enough to capture my entire focus, and soon I was reaching for the tissues and realized I had read chapters 8-50 of this book in one day.
Not to say it wasn't entirely unpredictable, but what I appreciated about this story and its characters is how subtly they've been crafted. The dialogue is easy and believable, the chapters are short but far from choppy, and most of the characters are so real you might just wonder if the author researched your own neighbors.
I thought the relationships were unique in this story. Kelli Huddleston has a mission and it is not to make close friends, and that stuck throughout the story. Even with the possibility of a love interest, a romantic relationship isn't taken far or even in the picture until much later in the book. It was refreshing to read a Christian fiction story that didn't focus on a romantic entanglement.
Considering the Christian side, as this is Christian fiction, I thought the author handled this element well. I've become fairly picky when it comes to Christian fiction, so I appreciate when a story sticks to its beliefs without treating the reader like a naive child. That being said, verbally proclaiming the "gospel message" wasn't the focus of this story, but rather subtly shown in the lives of those around our protagonist. We are shown both ends of the spectrum and the ending is wrapped up neatly with a beacon of hope.
As far as contemporary Christian fiction goes, I've really only read one author of the genre in the past five years, so I'm anxious to discover more of Cushman's work in the future.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Have you read the book? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments!
**I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
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