Review Detail

Just listen to people talking and youll hear the word love thrown around a lot. We say that we love a movie, or some kind of food, or the actor on the screen. But what, really, is love? What is true love? What does love mean?

In Being a Girl Who Loves, author Shannon Kubiak Primicerio tries to answer those questions. Beginning with a discussion about the definition of love and continuing on through some of the most important questions love can bring up (who to love, how to love, etc.), the book is a quick read.

As the author is a devout Christian, each chapter also contains scriptural references and examples. Non-Christians may find this a little heavy-handed, but the real world examples included are very enlightening and interesting on their own. Christian readers, of course, will find this to be a very enjoyable and heart-mending book.

Only a few things struck false notes for me, such as when the author tells a story of the new girl in school ignored by the student leader and the leader of Bible Study, but helped out by a loner. While the story is nice at first (you know, kind of a you cant tell a book by its cover kind of thing), it paints a kind of strange picture as the book goes on, as a later paragraph indicates that, perhaps, the other students should have helped her because now the loner might lead her into drug use. ??? The author says she isnt trying to stereotype loners or skateboarders, but it certainly sounds like she is, and not in a good way either. She goes a little farther after that, comparing the situation to that of singer Marilyn Manson (who dropped out of a youth group because the leader didnt put forth enough effort Im paraphrasing, but that was pretty much the message.).

Other than some issues like that, the book has some very good advice and a feel-good message. Recommended for readers age 12 and up.