All That Glitters by Nicole O’Dell is the second book in the Scenarios series – a new Christian fiction series for tween girls and it is another winner! I reviewed the first one Truth or Dare the other day and I have to say that I think this is a great series for young girls.
To recap, what the book does is give us a scenario with a young teenage girl and then the decision she has to face to either go the good way, the way her parents and God would want her to and quite possibly the way she wants to go herself or to submit to peer pressure and go the way her friends want her to instead. The book then gives us the story from both angles and we can see the consequences of both actions. I actually read both endings because I think both are important for any young girl reading the story; there are valuable lessons to learn on both sides.
All That Glitters is about a set a twins, Drew and Dani. Although they are twins they are also different and that is something that is beginning to really come to the forefront for Drew. The girls are starting ninth grade and Drew really wants to be her own person now, not one of the twins. So she gets her hair styled differently and at school she sets out to become one of the popular girls by getting on the cheerleading squad and scoping for a boyfriend even though that is forbidden by her parents at her age yet. Dani is the quieter twin and content with life as she has it now with her friends, family and her faith in God. She doesn’t really know what to make of Drew wanting to make so many changes and she’s worried about losing the very special friendship she has with Drew and of Drew really getting herself into trouble.
Drew achieves her popularity at the expense of her sister who she blows off many times. She starts sneaking around with the very popular Trevor, the captain of the football team and to do this she has to start telling little lies to her parents. Then after one school football game Trevor asks her to join him afterwards at a party that one of the girls is having at her house. Drew is going to have to lie big time to be able to go to this and this is where the decision comes in. Does she lie and tell her parents she’s going to a sleepover at one of the girl’s houses when really she’s attending this party? Or does she go with what she really does feel is right and tell Trevor that she can’t go to this party as her parents wouldn’t let her and if truth be told she’s not ready for anything like that?
I think middle school is hard for most girls. I can still remember feeling pressured by others to do things I wasn’t really comfortable with and I did succumb sometimes. My parents kept me on a pretty tight leash growing up though and I clearly knew what was right or wrong and what I would get into a lot of trouble for. Still the lure of sometimes sneaking around was overwhelming. It’s so difficult because you want to fit in yet at the same time you struggle because you don’t want to disappoint your parents.
Again, another great book to share with your daughter or daughters. Another great lesson in love, forgiveness and having strength in your faith to see you through the difficult years of growing up. My thanks to Nicole O’Dell for my copy of Truth or Dare. You can pick this book up here in the US and here in Canada. Be sure to check out Nicole’s website here and her blog here. There is also a website devoted to the Scenarios books here that looks like a lot of fun for girls.
I kind of felt like this book was a little too old for my daughter, but she enjoyed it anyway. As a mother, I just loved all of the messages!
This one would be ideal for my girls. I wonder if this set of books will be published in the UK.
These do sound like great books for young girls who have to struggle with trying to find their way in a world that's tough to navigate.
I think the 2nd scenario is a fabulous idea! If only I could get my sister (11) to read them…
I like the fact that they have 2 scenarios going on in the book. It is an interesting concept that I haven't seen much. I think these would be great for my daughter.