Becoming Me (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, #1)

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Becoming Me (Diary of a Teenage Girl #1)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 1,633 ratings · 142 reviews

In the fictional Diary of a Teenage Girl, sixteen-year-old Caitlin O'Conner reveals the inner workings of a girl caught between childhood and womanhood ... an empty life without Christ and a meaningful one with Him. Through Caitlin's candid journal entries we see her grapple with such universal teen issues as peer pressure, loyalty, conflict with parents, the longing for a...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published August 10th 2000 by Multnomah Books (first published August 1st 2000)

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May 20, 2013 Lynna rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am a Christian, and I liked the book upon the first reading, but in all seriousness, it is rather mediocre. Caitlin didn't have much of a personality. There was longing for popularity, dealing with parents going through marriage problems, dating problems, and teen pregnancy. It was a little predictable and cliched. It was also quite preachy at times. I'm all for not having premarital sex, but this is a subject that has been covered in sermons everywhere, and I didn't feel like the book approac...more

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Dec 18, 2012 02TayahL rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-reports

Tayah Lundgreen
P.5
12/3/12
Dairy of a teenage girl
Melody Carlson
Year.2000
Pgs.248

The audience for this book is about everybody that can read at least. The main issues are that Caitlin best friend is pregnant and that the youth leader clay died. Also the setting is in the same place and they never go anywhere new. Caitlin is a nice and very pretty girl, and Josh is a really cute and funny boy, and there is her best friend.

The thing that i think is unique is that it's a real dairy and its from the...more Tayah Lundgreen
P.5
12/3/12
Dairy of a teenage girl
Melody Carlson
Year.2000
Pgs.248

The audience for this book is about everybody that can read at least. The main issues are that Caitlin best friend is pregnant and that the youth leader clay died. Also the setting is in the same place and they never go anywhere new. Caitlin is a nice and very pretty girl, and Josh is a really cute and funny boy, and there is her best friend.

The thing that i think is unique is that it's a real dairy and its from there prospective. I would reccomend this book to anybody because its a really good book and i think anybody would love it. The theme of this book is a dairy about a real persons life and how and whats going on.

In this story Caitlin has barley turned 16 and "she thought 15 was bad"(Pg.1). Well in the beginning she becomes friends with the popular people and she starts to talk to her best friends boyfriend and he asks her to come to the ski resort with him and his church, while they were there they were on the ski lift talking and then he kissed her then she asks him are you going to tell her but he didn't until she threw a fit and didn't wanna loose her other best friend. Then he told Caitlin that he told her and they broke up with her. Then about a week later him and Caitlin started to go out.

He asked her to go to a party and they were drinking and he was drinking and he went a little crazy. A few days later she started to talk to her aunt and she decided to go to church with her and she went with her old best friend, when they went her friend found a boyfriend and he would go to church with them. They were in a youth group with the leader Clay and they went to a few concerts with them. After that they went to lunch then they got a call that Clay had been shot while helping at a school along with 5 other people.

She started to hate Josh because he was a jerk, but then a few days later they started to hangout again, when Caitlin went to she she best friend and she was pregnant she didn't want to tell her mom so they talked to her aunt and she said that she could live with her for a while why she was pregnant. After graduation she was going to tell her boyfriend and she did he was talking to her about getting a abortion because he wasn't ready for a baby. She was mad at him and left him and said if you want that then find someone else im having this baby no matter what. (less)

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May 23, 2012 MS Student rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Diary of a Teenage Girl Becoming Me written by Melody Carlson. This is a fictional book. Caitlin O'Conner Is telling her story in a journal form. Caitlin Was a very confused girl about her faith. At some parts of the book she was in love and couldn't shake the feeling off of falling in love with Josh Miller. The mood of the book is romantic, and rough.
In the Diary of a Teenage Girl, sixteen-year-old Caitlin O'Conner is living an empty life without Christ and is trying to figure how to trust...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Emily Rachelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Becoming Me, a newly sixteen-year-old girl writes about her struggles with new friends, boys, family problems, and life in general. As she climbs the popularity ladder at school, gains the affection of the most popular boy in school, and discovers a secret that could destroy her family, she shares her innermost thoughts and feelings with her diary. Through this book, readers gain a peek inside one teenager's heart and laugh or cry along with her.

Just like her other books, Melody Carlson deals...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Caitlin O'Connor is invisible, at least she feels that way until she is noticed by Jenny, one of the "in crowd" girls. After Jenny befriends Caitlin, she finds that her old best friend doesn't seem to fit in with this new crowd and she starts avoiding her. Big mistake! Caitlin finds out that hanging with the in crowd is much harder than just being herself, there is so much pressure, worrying about what to wear, and if certain people are noticing you (aka boys) the pressure is fierce. Her grades...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: christian-fiction, christian-living, christian-parenting-resource, young-adult-fiction, christian-teen-fiction

If you have ever wondered what the average high school girl would write about in her diary, then look no further than Melody Carlson's, Diary of A Teenage Girl, Becoming Me. The reader is taken into the diary of Caitin O'Connor, a sixteen-year old Junior in high school dealing with all the things a typical girl would and chronicles her journey in a diary.

From what it's like with her best friend Beanie, who has been with her through thick and thin, dealing with a father who was addicted to cocain...more If you have ever wondered what the average high school girl would write about in her diary, then look no further than Melody Carlson's, Diary of A Teenage Girl, Becoming Me. The reader is taken into the diary of Caitin O'Connor, a sixteen-year old Junior in high school dealing with all the things a typical girl would and chronicles her journey in a diary.

From what it's like with her best friend Beanie, who has been with her through thick and thin, dealing with a father who was addicted to cocaine and subsequently left her and her mother, Beanie is the friend, who Caitlin believes will always be there for her. Until she wonders what it would be like to hang out with the popular kids. When Caitlin is involved with Jenny Lambert, cheerleader and the most popular girl in school, during a honor society task for decorating for the Valentine's day dance, Caitlin, soon discovers that life on the other side isn't always greener. Choosing to ignore her friend Beanie, rather than risk introducing her to the popular group she is now a part of, she finds life is a whole lot different.

When Caitlin is invited to a birthday party of Heather's boyfriend and her parents agree to let her go, simply because she is attending it with Jenny, she finds out that the parents aren't home and alcohol is now flowing. Even though she knows better than to drink at the party, fearing what may happen to her if her parents find out, she nonetheless agrees to let Jenny driver her home, after Jenny swears she's fine to drive. She writes that even her parents have cautioned her against under age drinking, she tells that no one told her how to avoid what to do when a friend is drunk and you have no way home.

I received this book compliments of Glass Roads Public Relations for my honest review and think that both parents and teens should read this book together. It definitely gives parents an idea from a teen's perspective on what they think and what is important in their lives growing up in high school. It provides an outlet that parents and their teens can open discussions up to what they can do when faced with any of this situations and create a more open communication with their kids. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know what is going on with our kids today and what they are thinking. (less)

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Sep 26, 2011 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

The best quality this book contains is the main character. She was really easy to connect with, very likable. She is brave and intelligent, she experiences a lot of "life" in the short span of this book; some of it is unfortunate, some is makes the reader cheer, and others are more neutral. Caitlin is the readers' guide in the book, speaking in the first person-making it even easier to connect with her too.

It is hard not to experience everything through Caitlin's eyes as if it is happening to yo...more

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Feb 27, 2011 Rachel Schrock rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is no better feeling then sitting down with a blank page of a diary, just begging you to write on its empty space. Soon that emptiness is full of memories, emotion, and life experiences. A diary can remind us who we are and who we want to be.
I feel that way and most likely so does Melody Carlson, the author of Dairy of a Teenage Girl; Becoming Me. Her writing is brought to life in the main character of timid and lost Caitlin O’Conner. This character is one that readers are able to relate...more There is no better feeling then sitting down with a blank page of a diary, just begging you to write on its empty space. Soon that emptiness is full of memories, emotion, and life experiences. A diary can remind us who we are and who we want to be.
I feel that way and most likely so does Melody Carlson, the author of Dairy of a Teenage Girl; Becoming Me. Her writing is brought to life in the main character of timid and lost Caitlin O’Conner. This character is one that readers are able to relate with. Writing about her life, Caitlin discovers herself in a gradual way—each entry she reveals a slight bit more about herself than the one prior to it. This steady process lets the reader identify with the changes that are taking place in Caitlin’s life. As she goes through both triumphs and trials I find myself feeling the emotions while reading Melody Larsson’s well-thought words. There is a tender sincerity in the writing and it makes me feel a connection to the character’s life.
On page ninety-three I feel the most invested in Caitlin’s life. It is an introduction to a diary entry of one of Caitlin’s lowest times:
"March 16th, Friday (I survived): I know, it’s been a long, long while since I’ve written anything in my diary. I guess that’s because I’ve been living in the black abyss these past two weeks. Somehow I made it to school for the rest of that hopelessly awful week (after I made such a fool of myself). I wore black and kept my head down low and spoke to no one."
This minute glimpse of Caitlin’s emotional life is very powerful. In this entry, Caitlin is describing her trying time because she just found out that her first love Josh fell in love with her best friend Jenny. This plot may sound immature or just petty drama, but Caitlin’s poignant language forces the reader to emotionally connect themselves to her dark anger towards her life situations. Her raw life is distressing and lurid when she comes across evidence of her father having an affair with a woman of his workplace. From this part of the story, Caitlin loses herself as she struggles with the reality that everything shes ever speculated about love turns out to be untrue. Josh is a loss in her life, as is her father. She loses all hope in God and her utmost core values are shaken. On page 93 she gives up all hope: “…Or perhaps it is actually possible to die from a broken heart. Surely the pain is enough to kill you. God, are you still there? Can you even hear me? Did you make all this happen to me? Do you even care?”
These questions that the main character asked are deep and personal. I believe that people reading this book can read her questions and identify with them. They are questions that all people ask at some point of their lives. During the darkness we, broken people, ask questions. Carlson brought a sense of searching to Becoming Me, her background of faith pushed through into her writing in such a graceful and inspirational way. This book is one that inspirits those who give it a chance. The cover may seem soft and calm but the content is polar opposite. The darkness of Caitlin's struggles can remind anyone who reads this book that there are questioning Christians in the world who toil with who they are and who God is. Maybe even more importantly, where God is. When all seems lost, though, there is a strength that is greater than all hopelessness.
Caitlin o'Conner exemplifies this transformation from darkness to light. Through questions of herself and of God, she is able to pick up the broken pieces of her life and spirituality. I took this character metamorphosis to be very refining to my own faith journey. This novel is inspiring to me because it reminds me that I can ask questions. God does not turn away anyone in the dark. There is hope of light to all people who need the Lord's strengthening love. This book shows earthly love and how through the act of sin we can all lose that love very quickly, but it also shows a contradictory love. One that is greater than all despair. When the character changed it was evident that those changes were because of God's involvement in her life. If we, as Christians, also let God into our lives we too can change. (less)

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Oct 13, 2010 Jaedyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Probably my favorite book ever! Caitlyn isn't the popular girl in school, but she has a good friend named Beanie. One day Jenny (popular girl) comes and soon they are best friends, Caitlyn just ingores Beanie so she doesn't look stupid in front of Jenny. Caitlyn is soon falling for Josh Jenny's on and off boyfriend, and he has feelings for her. They get together behind Jenny's back and soon enough Jenny finds out and dumps Josh and Caitylin is all alone now. The Beanie comes to the rescue and i...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Jenelle Morena rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This is the perfect book I have always wanted to read! It made me realize that it is a lot more easier to fulfill your promises to yourself by committing yourself to God. :) It made me see how God can make a wonderful impact in our lives by directing us in the right direction, if only we listen to His still, small voice. It's a wonderful feeling to have read another book that narrates how God can make miracles, be it big or small, in one's life. With God, you can truly have the strength to do th...more

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Apr 18, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

This teenage memoir was an extremely emotional journey. It focuses on Caitlin O'Conner, who begins a journal at the start of the new year for the sake of posterity, and her sheer enjoyment of writing. Caitlin speaks like a regular teenager, and her words are neither pretentiously lofty nor idiotically ignorant. This is refreshing for teenagers to read. I instantly felt that I could relate to her very easily. It is as if she is talking to a friend whilst writing in her journal, so her tone is ve...more This teenage memoir was an extremely emotional journey. It focuses on Caitlin O'Conner, who begins a journal at the start of the new year for the sake of posterity, and her sheer enjoyment of writing. Caitlin speaks like a regular teenager, and her words are neither pretentiously lofty nor idiotically ignorant. This is refreshing for teenagers to read. I instantly felt that I could relate to her very easily. It is as if she is talking to a friend whilst writing in her journal, so her tone is very honest and very genuine. Caitlin begins the journal explaining how she perceives herself, elaborating on social status and home life. She basically sees herself as a "nobody" but it isn't the most important thing to her. Her best friend, Beanie, is a regular oddball, complete with an eccentric fashion sense and wild ideals. Caitlin also talks about being a Christian, and attending church with her family. It seems that Caitlin is under the impression that her family is not the ideal Christian image, but at least they go to church, and she attends youth group. I thought that was a little naive of her. Although Caitlin is very kind and good-hearted, there is no denying that she is sometimes extremely judgmental. Perhaps it is only in the safe, hidden pages of her diary that she feels comfortable admitting these things. One day, Caitlin changes her hairstyle. In turn, one of the most popular girls in school, Jenny, asks her where she had it done, because they are both in the same academic club. As Caitlin and Jenny become closer, Beanie is left in the dust, which is just a pity. I thought it was a sad reality that Caitlin had to lose her friend to gain a new one. Caitlin's popularity skyrockets, but she never feels like she can be herself around the popular kids. I thought this was a depressing theme, that Caitlin couldn't just be comfortable in the midst of the others. The author truly creates real-life problems and emotions that teenagers deal with, so I honestly related to her feelings. Caitlin falls in love with one of the popular boys, and she discovers a shocking fact about where her father is spending most of his time. All in all, it was a terrific book. Though it is written in the journal-entry form, it has a consistent storyline that intrigued me. One thing that could make it better is if it appealed slightly more to boys. I feel like boys might not be interested in reading this book as much as girls because of the secrets Caitlin shares. It was a very good read, indeed! (less)

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Oct 22, 2009 Iska rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: pretty-good, cute-and-easy-reading

This author is great! Even if the story line is not something you would typically read and pick out for yourself, her writing style makes you want to keep turning the pages just to see what happens to the characters she's created. This book, overall, was very enjoyable about a 16 year old girl struggling with typical teenage hormones and the desire to have a closer relationship with God. What I didn't like is the hidden meaning that teenage girls may take to heart as "ok". Ok, so the main charac...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Peony Minassian added it

The book "Becoming Me" has proven a very powerful message. The book is about an average teenage girl who deals with the average life difficulties. Showing her that life may not always be the way you planned and it's not always going to be a walk in a park. She deals with boyfriend issues, family, being popular, and getting closer to God. With all these issues coming along the way, it helps her to become a stronger individual and a better friend. I personally loved this book because it was a diar...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Title: DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL: Becoming Me
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Multnomah Books
August 2000
ISBN: 978-1-57673-733-4
Genre: Inspirational/young adult

Caitlin O’Conner is a sixteen year old Junior in highschool. Her best friend is Beanie, and other than her dad being really strict, and hanging out at work a lot more than usual, everything is fine. But then she becomes friends with a cheerleader, Jenny, and starts being included in the in-crowd. That totally destroys her friendship with Bea...more

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May 02, 2013 Life Between Coffee Spoons rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sixteen-year-old Caitlin gets a new diary and soon after gets a landslide of life events to share with its pages. I'm not sure why I haven't read this series before, since I was actually a teenager when it came out, but for whatever reason, I delayed. So glad I finally picked it up recently. My 16-year-old self would have related very well to the first half of this book, and the second half delves into many serious issues facing teens today from a positive Christian perspective. Thankfully, thou...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Janel Rodriguez rated it 4 of 5 stars

I decided to read this book because I felt like I could connect to it.At first I really didn't realize that this was a christian novel(otherwise I probably wouldn't of picked up ).The main character interested me she reminded me of myself,and reading about someone else's story really made me confident enough to get through out the book.
This book is basically about a teenagers struggle of really finding her self and her faith.She at first didn't know really what to believe in she felt that her re...more

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May 23, 2011 Lindsey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, teen-books, favorites, romance, christian-books, coming-of-age

I loved this book. I picked it up at the library and almost put it back until I saw it had christian stuff in it. Then I was like "heck yes I'll read it!" Because I'm a christian and a believer in Jesus.

So... it's written to be like a diary of a sixteen year old girl named Catlin. She is struggling to fit in with the popular kids in school. So she starts to put on an act, and pretends she's something she's not just so everyone will like her. Then when her parents start to get into marriage prob...more I loved this book. I picked it up at the library and almost put it back until I saw it had christian stuff in it. Then I was like "heck yes I'll read it!" Because I'm a christian and a believer in Jesus.

So... it's written to be like a diary of a sixteen year old girl named Catlin. She is struggling to fit in with the popular kids in school. So she starts to put on an act, and pretends she's something she's not just so everyone will like her. Then when her parents start to get into marriage problems she stars getting into trouble at parties and other things. Then a friend invites her to a church youth group. She learns about Jesus and she finally accepts the Lord into her heart. Suddenly drastic changes start happening in her life. Her parents get back together. And she is filled with peace and joy. She decides she doesn't need to act for the kids at school any more. And she is more happy that way. But not everything is fixed... her best friend is having a major problem with her boyfriend and sex. Also Catlin is having trouble with deciding if it's a good idea to date or not.

I think this was an awesome book for teen girls and I think every one should read it.(Of course OLDER teenage girls. I'm 14 and I think even I was a bit too young for this.)

*GOOD*
It shows Catlin in the situation a lot of teens are in these days. It shows how Catlin was able to fix problems and over come sadness and trial. It also tells about how much she was changed by Jesus and how happy it made her. It has good morals and I learned A LOT from this book. It totally changed my POV about dating and sex. I think every teenage girl should read this. But I would not recommend any one 15 or under should read it.

*BAD*
There was a lot of descriptions of kissing. There were parts were Catlin was at parties with teens drinking alcohol and doing drugs. There was a lot of parts that talk about sex out of marriage.(Although it has this stuff in it, it does show it as sin. And it also shows the consequences for it all later. And how Catlin was able to get through it all with Jesus.)

It was written in a special type to make it look as if it was hand written. And the type made it difficult to read.(less)

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May 16, 2013 Hilary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-teen, christian-fiction

With one exception(view spoiler) this story fairly accurately portrays some of the problems, thought processes, joys and difficulties that a 16-year old girl is likely to encounter.

It covers popularity, friendship, loyalty, dating, betrayal a...more

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Feb 18, 2010 Emilie W rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Diary of a Teenage Girl: Becoming Me narrates the story of Caitlin just your average girl searching for answers in her life. The book’s appeal is its honesty because it is a diary that feels...well, REAL. In her writing, the author chose a font that gives it that handwritten appearance and like any girl who just needs to download Caitlin writes with parentheses, underlined words, and all caps to get her point across. It is a book of soul searching, which may relate to this generation’s unans...more

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Mar 20, 2008 Jason Six rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

You may be asking yourself, "Why did he read a teenage girl's diary?" THe simple answer is that I was looking for some good Christian testimonial type of books for the kids in my youth group I worked with at the time... plus I have a daughter who is now a teenager.

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Feb 25, 2011 Jacey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Caitlin is a regular girl, going through high school. She hasn’t made any huge mistakes, and her life isn’t that difficult, until she becomes caught up with the “need” to be “popular”. She then finds out some information about her dad that is hard to ignore. She figures out that her dad was having an affair. Caitlin struggles with trying to figure out how to deal with her dad, care for her mother, keep her best friend, stay popular, tell her boyfriend how far is too far, and figure out her relat...more

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Sep 23, 2009 Samantha Caraveo rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book really portrayed the life of a teenage girl, trying to stay away from all the temptations of high school and staying true to God. It made me feel like I knew her, and i could sort of understand what was happening to her. Caitlin (the main character) goes through a lot of rough times,family problems,issues with friends,and "true love". This book made me want to cry at certain parts, but I really liked how through everything that happened to her, she turned to God and gave her heart to C...more

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Oct 12, 2010 Jaedyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-quarter

This was my favorite book so far. It's about a girl named Caitlin who is going through tough times. Her dad left her family to be with another younger women. She lost her best friend becausee Caitlin wanted to be popular so she ditched Beanie (her friend). Caitlin starts to fall for her new friend's boyfriend named Josh. She does her best to avoid him but ends up kissing him on a skiing trip. Caitlin's popularity dies down and she's best friends with Beani again. Together they, go to youth grou...more

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Jan 03, 2010 $hanel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Caitlin O`Connor is in her freshman year of High School and is dealing with all of the main teenage struggles ;boys,body image,abstinance,grades and a lot more! Caitlin puts all her thoughts and feelings into a diary (the book is written in diary form.) Caitlin is very close to God and is very sweet and easy to like. When you read this exciting novel you`ll laugh and cry with Caitlin. Caitlin meets the boy of her dreams in this novel and is torn between being an abstinance or staying with God....more

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Oct 10, 2011 Holly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: before-2011

When I was in high school The Diary of a Teenage Girl series was huge. I remember I even did a book report on one of the books in the series in the 9th grade. For the first time I was reading a Christian teen book that was candid about the struggles encountered. Becoming Me is the first book in the whole series, and features, Caitlin.
Caitlin is in high school, and she is beginning to realize how the world her parents raised her in is actually nothing like that. She discovers problems in her par...more

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Apr 04, 2010 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: xx-2010-xx

3.5 stars. Solid book for middle and high-school aged kids. This is the diary of high school junior Caitlin O'Conner. She struggles with many of the issues teens face, including questions about dating, sex, and alcohol. Midway through the book she becomes a Christian, and she and God then tackle those issues together. Other topics that come up include adultery, teen pregnancy, and adult alcoholism. This is a fantastic book for kids who are looking for a good example when faced with difficult cho...more

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Apr 25, 2010 Sandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: melody-carlson, christian

ATTENTION!!! I'm adding this paragraph to the beginning of my review because I just read some other reviews. Everyone seems to think the book was "preachy." This, my friends, is called a-feeling-of-guilt-or-uneasiness-when-one-is-shown-how-similar-they-are-to-a-character-who-isn't-Christian. You read about Caitlin pointing out her own faults, realize you are the same way, and decide you don't want to hear about it. This book makes you THINK, and seeing your faults is good. If you take one look a...more ATTENTION!!! I'm adding this paragraph to the beginning of my review because I just read some other reviews. Everyone seems to think the book was "preachy." This, my friends, is called a-feeling-of-guilt-or-uneasiness-when-one-is-shown-how-similar-they-are-to-a-character-who-isn't-Christian. You read about Caitlin pointing out her own faults, realize you are the same way, and decide you don't want to hear about it. This book makes you THINK, and seeing your faults is good. If you take one look at it and say it's preachy, well, then you probably need to hear what Caitlin has to say.

I think this is my favorite series. One Sunday in December, it snowed so much that my church was cancelled. So, I needed to do something with my time. My sister said I could borrow Becoming Me from her, and it looked interesting, so I figured I'd start it. ...And finish it on the same day.

Happiness is hot chocolate and a good book. Happierness is hot chocolate with cinnamon and a Melody Carlson novel. But happiestness is hot chocolate with cinnamon and vanilla, AND a book from the Diary of a Teenage Girl Series. There you have it, lesson #1 in Sandy Crow's Book of Wisdom.

This proved to be a very worthwhile Christian book. At first it seems like it's just going to be another book in which Christianity plays a small part, but only in the beginning, before Caitlyn becomes a Christian. Her life up until that point is just as important as the rest - it helps the reader see the changes that go on in Caitlyn, and the "new man" she is in Christ can be seen more clearly when compared to her old self.

I would recommend it for any Christian teen. However, I had one problem with it. One of the themes in this book is personal convictions. And in one of Caitlin's entries, she decides that God wants her to abstain from sex until marriage. She calls it a personal conviction.

Okay, now I have no problem with the virginity vow itself. But she shares her "personal conviction" with the youth group, and the message in the book is that this is pretty much something between you and God. Basically, that God calls some people to obey it, and others are off the hook.

But besides that one issue, it is a really good book. The second one, It's My Life, is even better, and I haven't currently read Who I Am yet. (less)

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Oct 17, 2009 Mackenzie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, 2009

I really enjoyed this book! It really moved me in ways books normally don't move me. I love the way Carlson writes, especially the way she wrote this one. The font looked as if someone had actually written by hand, which I thought was pretty neat.

This book was about a girl, Caitlin, realizing and accepting God in her life. I love this type of book, it's not for everyone because of the religious content but I just find it interesting. Anyways, I really enjoyed the characters in this book, and I l...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Lexie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book was interesting, but it started out really, really slow. For about the first 100 pages, this girl was whiny, selfish and annoying. Plus, her mood swings were just insane! Happy one second, in tears the next. There were a few interesting plot twists, but twice as many cliches.
After that though, it got pretty good and I have to say tha It genuinely enjoyed the last 2/3 or so of the book. Her faith and other struggles are real and definitely an interesting read.

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Jun 25, 2012 Jean rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I picked this book up cheap at a sale one day and was introduced to a story I probably wouldn't have chosen otherwise. Caitlin diary is interesting and detailed and I really enjoyed this novel. I liked the ups and downs, the choices she makes and the events that occured around her made for a great read. Despite it being about her struggle to maintain her faith (while being a teenager) the whole novel is not about that. It is not hard to read and quite a great novel.

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About Melody Carlson

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus.

She also writes many teen books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series.

Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspi...more

More about Melody Carlson...

Books by Melody Carlson

Dark Blue: Color Me Lonely (TrueColors, #1)

Blade Silver: Color Me Scarred (TrueColors, #7)

It's My Life (Diary of a Teenage Girl: Caitlin, #2)

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/363453.Becoming_Me?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320530093l/363453.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/363453.Becoming_Me?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Becoming Me by Melody Carlson[/url]

Becoming Me (Diary of a Teenage Girl #1)

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