New Girl in Town by Nancy Rue

~Saturday Stories~

“I, Laura Duffy, made a decision on October 20th of my junior year. It was a decision that rocked my world. After three days at Panama Beach High, it was obvious that I was essentially the biggest loser in Panama City, if not on the planet, and that nobody was ever going to speak to me. Period. My decision: I couldn’t spend another lunch period pretending I didn’t CARE that I was being ignored. I knew kids believed being a loser was contagious; I believed it too. I wouldn’t be friends with me either.”

New Girl in Town tells a story of a Laura Duffy, a teenager, whose family moves from Missouri, the place she has known as home all her life, to Panama City, Florida. She doesn't know anyone. No one knows her. Her 'home' life isn't too good either: Dad and Mom are always at work plus she has to take care for her six-year-old sister, Bonnie. When Laura somehow gets into trouble at school with two very mean girls, Mrs. Isaacsen takes her under her wing. She gets Laura to meet other girls who feel out of place and tells her about God. Laura's life is about to change.

Genre: realistic. Target audience: girls 15- 18 years old. Issues dealt with: family relationships, friendships, dating relationships, trust in God, self-esteem, and suicide.

This book deals with heavy issues. It talks about the difference between just going to church and really having Jesus in your heart. It shows that you can’t do everything yourself: you need God. God isn’t thrown in briefly; He is a Great Part of the book.  This is the first book in the ‘Nama Beach High series. The second is False Friends and True Strangers; the third and fourth Fault Lines and Totally Unfair.

  "I waited patiently for the Lord;
    he turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1 (NIV)

For more on Nancy Rue visit her website, Facebook page, and blogs for tweens, teens, and new adults.