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Reviewed by Karen Pirnot for Readers' Favorite
Stephanie McKenny is a minister who has written her first young adult book called Better Than That. Readers meet four friends, Myra, Monica, Chastity and Chandra, each of whom have their own teen problems. One is overweight and another is emotionally and physically abused. Another doubts her own acceptability to others while the fourth friend wants a boyfriend who will not take advantage of her. All the friends belong to a church which stresses morality and sexual abstinence and the church mother is very active in trying to get the teens to understand that, as it relates to abuse, sex and pressure, they are all "Better Than That."
The four lead characters were all lovely and believable young women. Most were about sixteen and confused about how to be accepted without compromising beliefs and morals. They turned to a school counselor and the church mother in times of stress. As with many teens, the foursome did not want to confide in parents for fear of letting the parents down. The message of turning to an adult is powerful and direct without being "preachy." I loved that author McKenny introduced young men who had honorable intentions toward the young women, as we all too often hear about the "bad boys." Better Than That is a Christian book but its messages apply to all beliefs. Acceptance of oneself is one of the most difficult tasks of the teen years and I loved the way in which Myra in particular was gradually able to believe in her own goodness and take hold of a potentially explosive situation.
