It's A Green Thing

Title: IT’S A GREEN THING (Diary of a Teenage Girl)
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Multnomah
April 2009
ISBN: 978-1-80142-118-0
Genre: Inspirational/young adult



Maya Stark has moved in with her aunt, uncle, and cousin, and is attending public school like a normal teenager since her mother is in jail, and her pop-star father is touring overseas. Summer vacation is just beginning, and Maya has volunteered to help paint a mural on the community youth building. The only thing is that the only other person working with her is a girl who is only doing it because she has to serve time doing community service because she was caught in possession of alcohol.

Maya quickly calls for some church youth back-up, but the two girls who respond are convinced everything is “evil” and spend time running everyone else off by their “preaching”, and one quiet boy, who is a good worker. But even he doesn’t stay long, he found a real job.

When Maya finds a boyfriend, a job, and a car (hybrid, of course), she thinks things is looking up. But life doesn’t get any easier. Living green is not easy, and sometimes, dealing with other Christians are not exactly easy…

IT’S A GREEN THING is the sequel to A Not-So-Simple Life. Like the first book in the series, “green tips” are included at the end of each chapter, and some of them are very good. I have to be impressed by her dedication to preserving the world that God created. All of us can learn from her.

Maya is a character that most teens will be able to identify with. My thirteen-year-old daughter is anxious to read this book when I finish. Melody Carlson is one of her favorite authors. And the challenges and struggles that Maya has are common to most teens, no matter what their locale. $12.99. 248 pages.