Book Reviews: Krista McGee's First Date, Starring Me, and Right Where I Belong

Krista McGee is a Christian author who writes for a teen audience. I first "met" her when the big girls and I read her Anomaly trilogy, which are dystopian.

First Date, Starring Me, and Right Where I Belong are set in the present day, and are thus very different from her dystopian trilogy.  But I really enjoyed them!

Where do I begin?  Well first, the 3 are loosely connected.  The first stars a girl named Addy, whose best friend is Kara. The second book stars Kara and includes, among other plot points, her walk that results in her becoming a follower of Jesus. The 3rd book stars Natalia (a girl from Spain who comes to Florida with her stepmother) and Natalia becomes friends with Addy and Kara.

Each of the books has a plot loosely based on a Bible story.  First Date revolves around a reality show where the winner gets to go to the prom with the President's son.  Ok, any thoughts on the foundational Biblical story?  Yep, ESTHER!  I thoroughly enjoyed First Date because McGee keeps pulling in little tidbits from the plot of Esther (but without the massive destruction and hangings in the real book of Esther!)

Starring Me is based on the Biblical story of Isaac and Rebekah.  Right Where I Belong is loosely based on the story of Ruth and Naomi.

All 3 have strong romantic themes.  In all 3, the main female character is strongly attracted to a (different) specific male character.  McGee handles it quite well.  The young men and women struggle through complex issues while still clinging to Biblical truth.  The gospel is very directly presented.  I appreciated that in all 3 books, there are serious discussions about male/female relationships and how to have a godly relationship in the midst of physical attraction.  I also loved that the 3rd book includes long discussions about the pain of divorce and the common struggles in a marriage between a Christian and a non-Christian.

There are some moderately "deep" issues in these books, so I would say they are best read by teens.  But there is no random kissing and certainly no one is jumping into bed.  The books are lively and fun to read, and include some excellent points to ponder. I heartily recommend these books.