I Will Follow

by Clare Cook, Bethany Patchin

Meg Atwell, age sixteen and three-quarters, is a young woman with principles. Romantic principles. She’s never been kissed and never been on a date. She’s also never traveled far from her home in Wisconsin, so she’s apprehensive about embarking on a five-week mission trip to Mexico. Little does she know what joys and challenges await her—in the heart of Monterrey, in the faces of its children, and in the eyes of a young man.

225 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great lesson in love from a group of young men and women going through pretty much all stages of love. A good follow up to "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" though it isn't by the same author, and it is fiction, but it shows more of what that lifestyle would look like in "real" life.

I would, however, be heisitant to suggest this book to non-Christians or to spiritually immature Christians because of the ending that will seem to confirm their worst fears. Even though the romance growing between Meg and Diago seems perfect, she decides to tell him she doesn't want to pursue it because she feels God is calling her on a path to pursue Him right now; she doesn't say that they won't ever come back together, but she thinks it best if they focus on being who God wants them to be instead of planning for the other person. Though I believe this is a correct decision for a seventeen year old to make in real life, as the ending of a story it is really harsh and un-satisfying. (Think Jo saying no to Laurie in "Little Women" if Laurie were also Prof. Bear and they were obviously a perfect couple, yeah, it's that traumatic!) The story really needed a final chapter set in the future so that the readers could "see" God working everything out for good, rather than being left with heartache and vague hope.

Content notes: no language, no violence. Sensuality is very vague, mostly the group discuses how men-women relationships should look and some of the group have back stories they aren't proud of, others are currently in un-healthy relationships, but other than kissing, there is no overt sensuality.

[Jaclynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Meg and Theresa, 2 sisters on a missionary trip to Mexico with their father and other college age people. I found the book entertaining, believable, as well as honest in the struggles that girls can and do have. It’s easy to read ( I read it in 2 evenings). You won’t want to put it down. Not a book that gives all the answers but rather makes you really ponder what you would do in 16 year old Meg’s situation. Included are study questions at the end of the book.