First Date

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Author(s)

Krista McGee

Publisher

Thomas Nelson

Genre(s)

Age Range

14+

Release Date

January 12, 2012

ISBN

9781401684884

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Addy Davidson discovers God's unexpected plans for her life when a reality TV show turns her quiet existence on its head.

The orphaned daughter of missionaries, Addy is quite content to stay in the shadows and never draw attention to herself. But when she's selected for a reality TV show to try to become the President son's prom date-a show she didn't audition for-she's suddenly in America's spotlight.

The lights, the make-up, the competitions, and the blogs discussing every move she makes all make Addy incredibly uncomfortable. But through her time at The Mansion, Addy comes to realize that first impressions aren't always right, that hiding out may not be what God had planned for her life, and that her faith should affect everything she does. It may just be that her selection wasn't random at all and that she's on this show "for such a time as this."

Addy Davidson discovers God's unexpected plans for her life when a reality TV show turns her quiet existence on its head.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

First Date

December 16, 2011

Overall rating

5.0

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Thank you to Thomas Nelson for this heartwarming story of sacrifice, obedience and love.

What do you get when take "The Bachelor", "Survivor" a little bit of "Miss America" and give them a good dose of Biblical principals? "The Book of Love" of course! This modern day version of "Esther" has all the same elements that the Biblical version does; a young girl is chosen to live in a world that is unlike her own, a place where her "kind" has been persecuted but through her example of God's love and obedience to him, she's able to fulfill His purpose for her life.

In "First Date", we meet Addy Davidson, the orphaned daughter of missionaries who reluctantly finds herself as a contestant on "The Book of Love" - a reality T.V. show where teenage girls are vying to become the prom date of the President's only son, Jonathon. Addy, who lives with her Uncle Mike is used to living a life of relative quiet and routine; she goes to school, leads a Bible study, hangs out with her BFF and is focused on getting into an Ivy League College. She's never really questioned God's plan for her life but that will change after she moves into The Mansion with the other girls who are "in it to win it".

Jonathon, the First Son, is beautiful, smart, charming and beautiful (did I mention that already?) but his life is far from perfect or quiet like Addy's. He's got his very own BFF's aka Secret Service agents who are with him 24/7. (The poor guy can't even go to the bathroom without company.) Let's not forget the paparazzi who lurk around corners and hide out in bushes just waiting to get the "money" shot as they chronicle his every move in the daily tabloids. He also can't be too careful of new people, never really knowing who he can trust. Then there's all the expectations for his future. Does he even get a choice about what he wants to be when he grows up? Now, with all those pretty girls practically throwing themselves at him, he's living every teenage boy's fantasy. Or is he?

"The Book of Love" may be a dream come true for the other girls but Addy isn't thrilled about being a part of this competition and she makes sure everyone knows, especially Jonathon. When the footage of the girls' first impressions is played back on live T.V., Addy gets to see just how badly she treated him right along with the rest of America. She's embarrassed by her behavior and wants nothing more than to fix her mistake. In doing so, she'll discover that everyone deserves a second chance to make a first impression and you can't believe everything you see on T.V. (Those guys in the editing department make the big bucks for a reason.)

The more time Addy spends with Jonathon the more she finds he's nothing like what she thought he was. In fact, she kinda likes him...maybe enough to want to win the whole contest. What's happening to her?! Her feelings of inadequacy increase the longer she's around the other girls who she feels are more talented, smarter and definitely more beautiful than she is. Kara, a fellow contestant, tries to reassure Addy that she has every right to be there, if not more than those other girls. Even Jonathon does his best to reassure her but she just can't seem to find the peace she needs.

The longer she's in the spotlight the more changes Addy begins to notice in herself and they aren't all positive. Her patience is being pushed to it's limits and her faith stretched in ways she never imagined. How in the world is she supposed to shine in such a hostile environment? Before it's all over, she'll be faced with making a decision that could jeopardize her place in the competition and she'll be left wondering if maybe, just maybe, God has brought her here for "such a time as this."

This has a reading group guide at the end which makes this a great book to read through with a small group.

Good Points

Includes a reading group guide in the back of the book.

Jen Top 10 Reviewer 415 reviews

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2 reviews

Overall rating

3.3

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3.5(2)

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3.5(2)

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3.0(2)

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First Date

November 24, 2012

Overall rating

3.7

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I enjoyed this book, but it can come across at preachy, so don't read it if you aren't interested in that.

Good Points

This was such a cute book!! This is a Christian fiction young adult book about a reality television show. I loved watching Addy's relationship with Jonathan develop. I was rooting for them from the very beginning, which is what you want in a book. You want to love the main characters and "encourage" them throughout the book.

Morgan Top 500 Reviewer 17 reviews

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Cute and wholesome YA read

February 24, 2012

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3.0

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You’re either going to love it or hate it. I usually don’t read books with obvious religious undertones because I want to avoid the cliché that seems to always pop up in that type of book; however, I found myself reading First Date. The lure of the plot line had me intrigued. I couldn’t resist a teenage version of The Bachelor in book form.

The idea of having the President’s son act as said “bachelor” to find a prom date was unique. Wondering why the First Son would be on a t.v. reality show with 100 eager and manipulative teenage girls? That’s a secret that you can only find in the book. I’m not telling…

The characters are special. Some are of the stereotypical snotty teenage girl category, while others are a little more likeable. The MC (Addy) is likeable (thank goodness). She seems humble and down to earth. Her life is good, but not so sugar-coated that it makes you want to puke. She has a history that comes complete with tragedy to overcome. Addy is also the most religious of all the characters in the book. She believes God has allowed her the opportunity to be on this reality show for a reason (which she doesn’t know until the end). I admit, I was leery at first. The moment I noticed this book going down the Christian fiction path, I started to stop reading. I’m glad I didn’t though. It was a clean read that had just the right amount of romance without being sappy or X-rated. Honestly, it would be the perfect book to introduce a teenage girl to the genre of Christian fiction.

I could go on to dissect the underlying message in the book, but I’m going to leave that for the readers to determine. Everyone is different; therefore, what you get from a book will differ also. If you’re looking for a cute story, then you will like this book for the plot. If you seek out Christian fiction novels, then you should definitely read this book. You’ll enjoy the story regardless of your reasons for reading.

Good Points

Fun plot; unique idea