This Changes Everything, by Jaquelle Crowe

This Changes Everything: How the Gospel Transforms the Teen Years was written for teens by a teen.  Jaquelle Crowe was 18 when she wrote this practical, challenging book.  Ms. Crowe doesn't want her peers to merely blend in with culture, failing to live out their Christian faith.  Being a Christian, she writes, "should transform everything about how you live--how you talk and dress and think and engage with culture and who you hang out with and what you post on social media and read and find funny and watch."

Crowe covers what it means to be a Christian, the importance of being a part of a church, dealing with sin, pursuing spiritual disciplines, growing in Christ, how we spend our time, and relating to other people.  For a teen, she demonstrates wisdom well beyond her years.  She is an exceptionally well-read and mature Christian.  Her target audience is teens, but any Christian can read this and get some challenging reminders of what it means to live as a Christian.

As a parent of teens who have been in church all their lives, I appreciated Crowe's insights.  She has a deep appreciation for the discipline and example that her parents have provided all her life.  Young Christians should not be satisfied with coasting along, being dragged to church by their parents, and stopping their Christian growth with a Sunday school profession of faith.  Crowe provides a model and template for young Christians to follow, and demonstrates attitudes, actions, and behaviors that parents can promote and encourage in their Christian teens.  


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!