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Saving Maddie
Joshua Wynn is a preacher’s son and a “good boy” who always does the right thing. Until Maddie comes back to town. Maddie is the daughter of the former associate pastor of Joshua’s church, and his childhood crush. Now Maddie is all grown up, gorgeous—and troubled. She wears provocative clothes to church, cusses, drinks, and fools around with older men. Joshua’s ears burn just listening to the things she did to get kicked out of boarding school, and her own home.
As time goes on, Josh goes against his parents and his own better instincts to keep Maddie from completely capsizing. Along the way, he begins to question his own rigid understanding of God and whether, as his mother says, a girl like Maddie is beyond redemption. Maddie leads Josh further astray than any girl ever has . . . but is there a way to reconcile his love for her and his love for his life in the church?
As time goes on, Josh goes against his parents and his own better instincts to keep Maddie from completely capsizing. Along the way, he begins to question his own rigid understanding of God and whether, as his mother says, a girl like Maddie is beyond redemption. Maddie leads Josh further astray than any girl ever has . . . but is there a way to reconcile his love for her and his love for his life in the church?
240 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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692 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
April 7, 2010
Favorite, Funniest Lines:
"You look like a chipmunk," she said has she took the bottle from me. "You're supposed to drink it, not store it for the winter."
Review:
Saving Maddie was an interesting, well-written, and unique story full of religion, finding your true self, and romance between two "preacher kids." The story was very different than most young adult novels and had many entertaining characters. Since I'm not very religious, I was a little hesitant to read a book with religion about a preacher's son and his best friend who is a preacher's daughter. The author wrote the story so the religion wasn't such a strong element of the plot but was enough to understand the characters.
It was pretty interesting to read about a male protagonist in his point-of-view instead of a female main character like most of the YA books I've read. Joshua is described as the "good guy" but it's starting to define him which he starts to really dislike. His best friend Maddie moved away when they were still children, but she comes back many years later as a changed woman. She has grown up, and now does things he has never dreamed she would.
With Madeline back in town, chaos stirs up Joshua's life. She doesn't want to be changed and really hates her father who won't let her back home. Her life is really screwed up, but when Joshua and her start talking and become closer physically, she finds herself changing. Sex, drugs, and alcohol is brought up, but it isn't shown to be cool and shows how teenagers are really faced with those issues. Because of that, I really liked how the story and the characters were very realistic. I was intrigued by Saving Maddie, so I'm really interested in reading Varian's other YA novel.
4/5 stars!
"You look like a chipmunk," she said has she took the bottle from me. "You're supposed to drink it, not store it for the winter."
Review:
Saving Maddie was an interesting, well-written, and unique story full of religion, finding your true self, and romance between two "preacher kids." The story was very different than most young adult novels and had many entertaining characters. Since I'm not very religious, I was a little hesitant to read a book with religion about a preacher's son and his best friend who is a preacher's daughter. The author wrote the story so the religion wasn't such a strong element of the plot but was enough to understand the characters.
It was pretty interesting to read about a male protagonist in his point-of-view instead of a female main character like most of the YA books I've read. Joshua is described as the "good guy" but it's starting to define him which he starts to really dislike. His best friend Maddie moved away when they were still children, but she comes back many years later as a changed woman. She has grown up, and now does things he has never dreamed she would.
With Madeline back in town, chaos stirs up Joshua's life. She doesn't want to be changed and really hates her father who won't let her back home. Her life is really screwed up, but when Joshua and her start talking and become closer physically, she finds herself changing. Sex, drugs, and alcohol is brought up, but it isn't shown to be cool and shows how teenagers are really faced with those issues. Because of that, I really liked how the story and the characters were very realistic. I was intrigued by Saving Maddie, so I'm really interested in reading Varian's other YA novel.
4/5 stars!
November 2, 2010
I have a feeling people may shy away from this book just because of the religious aspect. Which is really unfortunate because I thought it was really awesome! Yes it has a lot of religion in it, but I think it is so much more than that.
I think my biggest surprise (which I should have realized from the description) is that it's told from Josh's point of view. It so rare that the guy in the story is the "good" character. And Josh is way more than good, for a teen he's dang near saintly. Josh's issue is that he's never stopped to think for himself. He's grow up with God in the house and from a very young age has had the bible and it's message pounded into his brain. It's amazing to watch him start to realize that not everything needs to be taken at face value. I think it's appropriate for a teen to question their own religious beliefs. They spend so many years thinking how their parents think, it's only natural for them to realize they have a mind of their own. It's not a bad things either.
I liked Maddie as well. She has deep seeded reasons for being troubled. And I was expecting her to be much worse than she actually was (or maybe the author made her seem more tame). I liked that she made Josh question everything. She wasn't trying to get him to go against his beliefs. She just wanted to make sure he knew what HE actually believed in. I think if the story had an epilogue we would have learned she came back to the church. She didn't need saved, she needed to come to terms with what had been done to her (both by others and herself). I was floored by the way her father treated her (and her mother allowed it).
So, if you can handle the religious aspect of this book, I would highly recommend it!
I think my biggest surprise (which I should have realized from the description) is that it's told from Josh's point of view. It so rare that the guy in the story is the "good" character. And Josh is way more than good, for a teen he's dang near saintly. Josh's issue is that he's never stopped to think for himself. He's grow up with God in the house and from a very young age has had the bible and it's message pounded into his brain. It's amazing to watch him start to realize that not everything needs to be taken at face value. I think it's appropriate for a teen to question their own religious beliefs. They spend so many years thinking how their parents think, it's only natural for them to realize they have a mind of their own. It's not a bad things either.
I liked Maddie as well. She has deep seeded reasons for being troubled. And I was expecting her to be much worse than she actually was (or maybe the author made her seem more tame). I liked that she made Josh question everything. She wasn't trying to get him to go against his beliefs. She just wanted to make sure he knew what HE actually believed in. I think if the story had an epilogue we would have learned she came back to the church. She didn't need saved, she needed to come to terms with what had been done to her (both by others and herself). I was floored by the way her father treated her (and her mother allowed it).
So, if you can handle the religious aspect of this book, I would highly recommend it!
January 26, 2010
This book felt so shallow - the religion, the characters, the setting.
Also, when I asked for this book at ALA (it was on display), the girl was like "well, if you want, but I have to warn you, it deals with religion." Um, okay. Thanks for WARNING me.
Also, when I asked for this book at ALA (it was on display), the girl was like "well, if you want, but I have to warn you, it deals with religion." Um, okay. Thanks for WARNING me.
December 15, 2025
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 15, 2010
“I probably should have been thinking about what I was going to say to Madeline- how I was going to lead her back to the path of righteous- but all I could do was think of her lips. Their color. Their ..taste.
I had no doubt that Madeline Smith needed saving. I just wasn’t quite sure if I was interested in being her savior.”- page 25
How far would you go to save someone? And at what point are you in danger of losing yourself in the process? On the surface, Saving Maddie appears to be a black and white story about a preacher’s son and trying to save his childhood love from throwing her life away. But one of the things I loved best about Saving Maddie was that everything wasn't so black and white. Take Maddie for instance. Through her interactions with Joshua, we got to see inside her heart and find out what really made her tick. Turned out she was one heck of a good person with a heart of gold and a clever mind. Too bad she happened to have such a bad father, who as a preacher, was supposed to be one of the "good guys". And if you've read Saving Maddie, you know this man was clearly not.
I didn't bother looking at my watch as I walked to my car, her book in my hand. I knew it was late, and I was sure Mom was freaking out.
I started the car and glanced at my phone. Three messages, all from home.
Yep, Mom was worried, all right. But that made me wonder: Did Madeline have someone who worried about her as much as my mother worried about me?" - page 40
To me, Saving Maddie was more about choices than religion. Faith is an important component of the novel, but in the end it really boiled down to love, forgiveness and finding your own way in the world. Joshua was so consumed with being the perfect preacher’s son, it seemed like he had lost track of what he really wanted. Not what his parents thought best for him, or the church, but his own hopes and dreams. If you spend every minute of every day trying to please others and do only what they think is right from you, while being miserable in the process, what kind of life is that? For someone so young, Joshua’s character seemed so much older to me. He reminded me of a heavily burdened adult who realizes that life is just passing them by. Many of his peers didn’t even feel comfortable around him. Maddie might’ve been the one everyone thought needed saving, but in some ways, it seemed to me like she was the one saving Joshua.
Whenever I think of Saving Maddie, it immediately calls to mind blackberries, vanilla shampoo and coffee. The imagery Johnson used to put his scenes together astounded me. For instance, on page 6 Johnson writes-
“The wind picked up around us, pushing her scent toward me, and I took in a deep breath. The smell of her vanilla shampoo seemed right in place with the sweet taste of blackberry in my mouth.”
Johnson’s voice really drew me in- he never got melodramatic but packed each word in each scene with such a punch, I felt like I was almost watching a movie play out. At times I even wondered if he was basing this book on his own experiences. They seemed too real to me; too raw. He painted a vivid picture of the church community for me; the dialogue, the interactions between Joshua and his family- they all worked. The “old timers” at the Senior Citizen home provided the perfect amount of comic relief when things got to heavy as well.
Being someone who normally isn’t comfortable reading books with religious tones, I initially put this one aside. I’m so glad I gave it a chance, because it turned out to be a book I extremely enjoyed. There were quite a few references to sex and drinking; but in the context of the story they fit and seemed realistic. It was also great to read a book written from a male point of view with a male protagonist. I don’t think we have enough of that in YA. I think Saving Maddie could appeal to male readers, though I worry that the pink outer wrapping on the cover might throw them a bit.
Overall, Saving Maddie was a well-written, unflinching look at two complex characters who find themselves in tough situations where their deepest beliefs are challenged. I highly recommend it.
I had no doubt that Madeline Smith needed saving. I just wasn’t quite sure if I was interested in being her savior.”- page 25
How far would you go to save someone? And at what point are you in danger of losing yourself in the process? On the surface, Saving Maddie appears to be a black and white story about a preacher’s son and trying to save his childhood love from throwing her life away. But one of the things I loved best about Saving Maddie was that everything wasn't so black and white. Take Maddie for instance. Through her interactions with Joshua, we got to see inside her heart and find out what really made her tick. Turned out she was one heck of a good person with a heart of gold and a clever mind. Too bad she happened to have such a bad father, who as a preacher, was supposed to be one of the "good guys". And if you've read Saving Maddie, you know this man was clearly not.
I didn't bother looking at my watch as I walked to my car, her book in my hand. I knew it was late, and I was sure Mom was freaking out.
I started the car and glanced at my phone. Three messages, all from home.
Yep, Mom was worried, all right. But that made me wonder: Did Madeline have someone who worried about her as much as my mother worried about me?" - page 40
To me, Saving Maddie was more about choices than religion. Faith is an important component of the novel, but in the end it really boiled down to love, forgiveness and finding your own way in the world. Joshua was so consumed with being the perfect preacher’s son, it seemed like he had lost track of what he really wanted. Not what his parents thought best for him, or the church, but his own hopes and dreams. If you spend every minute of every day trying to please others and do only what they think is right from you, while being miserable in the process, what kind of life is that? For someone so young, Joshua’s character seemed so much older to me. He reminded me of a heavily burdened adult who realizes that life is just passing them by. Many of his peers didn’t even feel comfortable around him. Maddie might’ve been the one everyone thought needed saving, but in some ways, it seemed to me like she was the one saving Joshua.
Whenever I think of Saving Maddie, it immediately calls to mind blackberries, vanilla shampoo and coffee. The imagery Johnson used to put his scenes together astounded me. For instance, on page 6 Johnson writes-
“The wind picked up around us, pushing her scent toward me, and I took in a deep breath. The smell of her vanilla shampoo seemed right in place with the sweet taste of blackberry in my mouth.”
Johnson’s voice really drew me in- he never got melodramatic but packed each word in each scene with such a punch, I felt like I was almost watching a movie play out. At times I even wondered if he was basing this book on his own experiences. They seemed too real to me; too raw. He painted a vivid picture of the church community for me; the dialogue, the interactions between Joshua and his family- they all worked. The “old timers” at the Senior Citizen home provided the perfect amount of comic relief when things got to heavy as well.
Being someone who normally isn’t comfortable reading books with religious tones, I initially put this one aside. I’m so glad I gave it a chance, because it turned out to be a book I extremely enjoyed. There were quite a few references to sex and drinking; but in the context of the story they fit and seemed realistic. It was also great to read a book written from a male point of view with a male protagonist. I don’t think we have enough of that in YA. I think Saving Maddie could appeal to male readers, though I worry that the pink outer wrapping on the cover might throw them a bit.
Overall, Saving Maddie was a well-written, unflinching look at two complex characters who find themselves in tough situations where their deepest beliefs are challenged. I highly recommend it.
February 3, 2016
What is Saving Maddie?
It's a book about faith. About finding your own faith. About the reasons why make our choices. About forgiveness and trying to look beyond others choice's into who they really are.
Joshua knows who he is. He's the preachers son. He's the leader of his church youth group. He's proud that he doesn't drink and not ashamed to be a virgin. Not really.
But when Maddie, his best friend from childhood moves back, it's clear that she's no longer the preacher's daughter that he knew. The way she dresses and behaves is enough to show Joshua (and everyone else in town) that something happened to Maddie to turn her away from church life.
Joshua is asked to save her.
And in the process, of course, he falls for Maddie, who is a mix of the girl he knew and someone else completely. She's not easy to save, though, and she makes him work hard to figure out what he really believes on his own terms.
The book feels real: the church community, the interactions between Joshua and his parents, Joshua's emotional upheaval about Maddie - I believed all that. As much as I didn't like all the language and fooling around amongst the high school crowd, I believed that too. I liked Joshua as a character because as one of those "good kids" myself, I know the desires that always lurk beneath the surface. I like that sleeping around and getting drunk isn't glossed over or portrayed as a great idea, and although I don't love reading about teenagers doing that stuff, I obviously know that they do and that all kids will have to make choices about those issues at some point.
I think what Johnson does with his book that interests me is that he doesn't paint any of his characters as completely black or white - no one is all bad-guy or good-guy. Despite all of Maddie's choices, you can tell that some level of faith is still there. We all SHOULD look at the choices we make and be sure that we're doing what's "moral" because of our own relationship with God, not just because our parents or the Bible tell us so.
Like my friend Melissa said in her review, the book ends with hope, which is a great way to end anything.
It's a book about faith. About finding your own faith. About the reasons why make our choices. About forgiveness and trying to look beyond others choice's into who they really are.
Joshua knows who he is. He's the preachers son. He's the leader of his church youth group. He's proud that he doesn't drink and not ashamed to be a virgin. Not really.
But when Maddie, his best friend from childhood moves back, it's clear that she's no longer the preacher's daughter that he knew. The way she dresses and behaves is enough to show Joshua (and everyone else in town) that something happened to Maddie to turn her away from church life.
Joshua is asked to save her.
And in the process, of course, he falls for Maddie, who is a mix of the girl he knew and someone else completely. She's not easy to save, though, and she makes him work hard to figure out what he really believes on his own terms.
The book feels real: the church community, the interactions between Joshua and his parents, Joshua's emotional upheaval about Maddie - I believed all that. As much as I didn't like all the language and fooling around amongst the high school crowd, I believed that too. I liked Joshua as a character because as one of those "good kids" myself, I know the desires that always lurk beneath the surface. I like that sleeping around and getting drunk isn't glossed over or portrayed as a great idea, and although I don't love reading about teenagers doing that stuff, I obviously know that they do and that all kids will have to make choices about those issues at some point.
I think what Johnson does with his book that interests me is that he doesn't paint any of his characters as completely black or white - no one is all bad-guy or good-guy. Despite all of Maddie's choices, you can tell that some level of faith is still there. We all SHOULD look at the choices we make and be sure that we're doing what's "moral" because of our own relationship with God, not just because our parents or the Bible tell us so.
Like my friend Melissa said in her review, the book ends with hope, which is a great way to end anything.
April 10, 2011
25. Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 231
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No
Maddie and Joshua were best friends. They understood each other, they were both PK - Preacher's Kids. But then one day Maddie's family moves and they grow apart. Five years later she returns, but she is not the same person. Maddie, now Madeline, has left the church and has quite a reputation as a bad girl. Joshua is determined to bring her back into the church, but finds that Madeline is opening his eyes and make him think about his beliefs.
The story revolves around Josh trying to figure out what happened to Madeline in the five years she was gone that could change her so much. She hates her father and the church, but she won't say why. As Josh tries to get Madeline to open up to him, he finds her opening his mind. Forcing him to think about his beliefs instead of blindly doing what he has been taught his whole life. The two grow close and each of them learns so much more about themselves in the process.
4/5
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 231
Acquired: April 2011
Book of Your Shelf? No
Why I have it: Book Battle
Series: No
Maddie and Joshua were best friends. They understood each other, they were both PK - Preacher's Kids. But then one day Maddie's family moves and they grow apart. Five years later she returns, but she is not the same person. Maddie, now Madeline, has left the church and has quite a reputation as a bad girl. Joshua is determined to bring her back into the church, but finds that Madeline is opening his eyes and make him think about his beliefs.
The story revolves around Josh trying to figure out what happened to Madeline in the five years she was gone that could change her so much. She hates her father and the church, but she won't say why. As Josh tries to get Madeline to open up to him, he finds her opening his mind. Forcing him to think about his beliefs instead of blindly doing what he has been taught his whole life. The two grow close and each of them learns so much more about themselves in the process.
4/5
November 17, 2016
It was extremely easy to identify with Joshua, a trait that most teen books seem to be missing these days. The author really draws you into Joshua's world, showing that it isn't that hard to be the "good kid", but when the "good kid" finally snaps, it means that something really is wrong.
I loved reading about the friendship coming back together, and the ways that Joshua was able to connect with his best friend again. The parents drove me a little nuts, because the author allowed you to like them, before the characters pushed you away.
Enjoyable characters, enjoyable dialouge, and a decent Christian message, not the mass-marketed one all equals a pleasurable book.
I loved reading about the friendship coming back together, and the ways that Joshua was able to connect with his best friend again. The parents drove me a little nuts, because the author allowed you to like them, before the characters pushed you away.
Enjoyable characters, enjoyable dialouge, and a decent Christian message, not the mass-marketed one all equals a pleasurable book.
March 23, 2010
Joshua Wynn - son of Reverend Isaiah P. Wynn and First Lady Lily Wynn of Mount Calvary church - is a seventeen year old Christian who lets his light shine. He's president of the church youth group and a member of the choir. He visits senior citizens at the Faith Nursing Home regularly, he can quote scripture as well as any adult Christian and he believes in abstaining from sex until marriage. This young man has a heart for God and he cares about doing the right thing. He also cares about Madeline (Maddie) Marie Smith. He and she were friends when they were younger but then she left Conway, South Carolina and moved to Norfolk, Virginia. Five years later Maddie moves back to Conway and she's certainly not a little girl anymore. Joshua is surprised to see the young woman she's become. Will he be able to remain true to his Christian values and help Maddie renew her faith in Christianity? Or will he forget all about being a good guy and compromise his beliefs?
The Bible is Joshua's moral blueprint just as it should be for every Christian, but his peers (including Maddie) attacked him for his beliefs. He was called names like prude and self-righteous and he was made fun of because of his good choices. Sadly, that is the reality (not in every circumstance, I hope), but I didn't like it. I especially didn't like the way Tony talked to Joshua. Tony was supposed to be Joshua's friend but he was always condemning him for wanting to do the right thing. And Christians are the judgmental ones? Tony should have had the sense to follow Joshua's example. There's nothing wrong with being a good guy. And Joshua's ex-girlfriend, Jennifer - She didn't know what she had when she was with Joshua. Since Joshua's presence bothered his peers so much they must have felt they were doing wrong. They had to try to make him feel bad for his good choices so they could feel better about their not-so-good choices. I'm sure Joshua was intelligent enough to get that, but still, it can be hard to resist peer pressure; especially for a young man who's expected to be an example of all things good. We all break the rules sometimes; that's just being human.
The foul language in this story was a bit much and, surprisingly, most of it came from the female character, Maddie. At age fifteen she made a bad choice and her father's reaction didn't help matters. His hurtful words caused her to rebel by taking on many bad habits that only made her feel even worse about herself. I'm thinking she had such a nasty mouth because she was hurting so badly but she could have gotten her points across without all of the profanity. She was a real good girl on the inside, I could see it. She was just bogged down with so much bad stuff that she couldn't find her way and she was too stubborn, or maybe even feeling too guilty about the bad choices she made to let anybody help her; not even Joshua, whose love for her was unconditional. It would have been nice if Joshua would have discouraged Maddie from bad behavior because I really wanted to see her happy. I wanted to say Maddie was a bad influence on Joshua, but I won't because he was old enough to make his own choices. I was so disappointed, though, when he did the things he did but, sadly, that part of the story was also realistic. It isn't always the good one who uplifts the not-so-good; sometimes the person with bad habits will pull down the one trying to live right.
About Maddie's father, Gregory Smith, Pastor of Sunset Valley Baptist Church: This so-called man of God should have been ashamed of himself for the way he treated his daughter. He didn't just break her heart, he broke her spirit! He's obviously a saved person who thinks he's above everyone else, which shows that he doesn't know what Christianity is all about. God is no respecter of persons; He loves us all the same. He also expects Christians to share His love with others and He surely expects fathers to love and protect their children. It was unfortunate that his actions caused Maddie to mistrust so many who weren't responsible for what he had done (all Christians aren't judgmental, hypocrites), but I am so glad she didn't stop believing in God.
There is content I must address out of respect for the heavenly Father and for the sake of every reader; especially the young people: Maddie says, "For your information, the Bible doesn't even say that premarital sex is wrong. All it talks about is sexual immorality." I'll begin with a definition of fornication: Consensual sexual intercourse between a man and woman who are not married (the definition for premarital sex is the same). What the Bible says: 1 Corinthians 6:18 - Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body - That's from the King James , and, to make it more plain, here is 1 Corinthians 6:18 -The New Living Translation: Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does, for "sexual immorality" is a sin against your own body - God is speaking to Christians. Joshua is a Christian and I'm assuming Maddie is also. I don't know if she really believed what she said or if she was trying to justify her choice to have sex before marriage, but there is a wrong message being sent.
All-in-all Saving Maddie was a good read. Actually, I have to say it was a real page turner and the ending was touching.
The Bible is Joshua's moral blueprint just as it should be for every Christian, but his peers (including Maddie) attacked him for his beliefs. He was called names like prude and self-righteous and he was made fun of because of his good choices. Sadly, that is the reality (not in every circumstance, I hope), but I didn't like it. I especially didn't like the way Tony talked to Joshua. Tony was supposed to be Joshua's friend but he was always condemning him for wanting to do the right thing. And Christians are the judgmental ones? Tony should have had the sense to follow Joshua's example. There's nothing wrong with being a good guy. And Joshua's ex-girlfriend, Jennifer - She didn't know what she had when she was with Joshua. Since Joshua's presence bothered his peers so much they must have felt they were doing wrong. They had to try to make him feel bad for his good choices so they could feel better about their not-so-good choices. I'm sure Joshua was intelligent enough to get that, but still, it can be hard to resist peer pressure; especially for a young man who's expected to be an example of all things good. We all break the rules sometimes; that's just being human.
The foul language in this story was a bit much and, surprisingly, most of it came from the female character, Maddie. At age fifteen she made a bad choice and her father's reaction didn't help matters. His hurtful words caused her to rebel by taking on many bad habits that only made her feel even worse about herself. I'm thinking she had such a nasty mouth because she was hurting so badly but she could have gotten her points across without all of the profanity. She was a real good girl on the inside, I could see it. She was just bogged down with so much bad stuff that she couldn't find her way and she was too stubborn, or maybe even feeling too guilty about the bad choices she made to let anybody help her; not even Joshua, whose love for her was unconditional. It would have been nice if Joshua would have discouraged Maddie from bad behavior because I really wanted to see her happy. I wanted to say Maddie was a bad influence on Joshua, but I won't because he was old enough to make his own choices. I was so disappointed, though, when he did the things he did but, sadly, that part of the story was also realistic. It isn't always the good one who uplifts the not-so-good; sometimes the person with bad habits will pull down the one trying to live right.
About Maddie's father, Gregory Smith, Pastor of Sunset Valley Baptist Church: This so-called man of God should have been ashamed of himself for the way he treated his daughter. He didn't just break her heart, he broke her spirit! He's obviously a saved person who thinks he's above everyone else, which shows that he doesn't know what Christianity is all about. God is no respecter of persons; He loves us all the same. He also expects Christians to share His love with others and He surely expects fathers to love and protect their children. It was unfortunate that his actions caused Maddie to mistrust so many who weren't responsible for what he had done (all Christians aren't judgmental, hypocrites), but I am so glad she didn't stop believing in God.
There is content I must address out of respect for the heavenly Father and for the sake of every reader; especially the young people: Maddie says, "For your information, the Bible doesn't even say that premarital sex is wrong. All it talks about is sexual immorality." I'll begin with a definition of fornication: Consensual sexual intercourse between a man and woman who are not married (the definition for premarital sex is the same). What the Bible says: 1 Corinthians 6:18 - Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body - That's from the King James , and, to make it more plain, here is 1 Corinthians 6:18 -The New Living Translation: Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does, for "sexual immorality" is a sin against your own body - God is speaking to Christians. Joshua is a Christian and I'm assuming Maddie is also. I don't know if she really believed what she said or if she was trying to justify her choice to have sex before marriage, but there is a wrong message being sent.
All-in-all Saving Maddie was a good read. Actually, I have to say it was a real page turner and the ending was touching.
November 24, 2025
why would Madeline and Joshua not ended up tgt? ☹️☹️
July 1, 2010
Joshua Wynn has grown up being an example for other kids: The Wynn Boy. He doesn't seem to mind too much, except that he had to give up on his school's basketball team to lead the youth group and that everyone his age thinks he's some kind of prude. But even these things don't dampen his spirits, and he works very hard to keep his reputation. He has to; he's "Joshua Wynn, the preacher's son. ... a shining example of what [is:] good and righteous and wholesome in the world" (28). More like some kind of super-hero than a real person, don't you think? It's not until Maddie comes back into his life that Joshua starts to object to the perceptions that other people have of him and the pressure that he is under, from his parents and the community, to do and be good. And no, he never liked that he gets left out of things because he's such a goodie-two-shoes, that he's the guy other kids hide their beer from at parties, but until Maddie comes along, it's as though he didn't know he could be any different. She opens up a world for him where he is not an extension of his father and his father's work.
Now, I've never been a PK, but I was raised by one, and I was definitely a goodie-two-shoes in high school who had more friends at youth group than at school. I think that Johnson has absolutely nailed that experience, or at least mirrored mine. The feelings and internal conflicts that Joshua goes through felt so authentic. His struggle to reconcile what he wants to do with what he's supposed to do with what everyone else is doing was ongoing. The lectures from his parents ("I'm not mad, I'm disappointed." -- the worst!) and the advice from his friends to just go for it (the BIG it, no less), were so familiar. And then there's Maddie, who seems so much more grown-up, experienced, and figured out than Joshua. Of course he falls for her! There is definitely attraction involved, but Joshua also gets one of those I-want-to-be-you crushes on her.
Saving Maddie is told from Joshua's perspective, so we don't get to see the inner workings of Maddie's head. Through her talks with Joshua, however, she becomes a fully realized and complex character. Something that makes up a large part of Maddie, and everyone else's problem with her, is that she is no longer religious. BUT she still has her faith. This disconnect between faith and religion is something that a lot of teens struggle with, not just PKs. Without going into great detail or getting bogged down in theology, Johnson makes Maddie an example of what it can mean to believe in God without participating in a specific religious tradition. She still considers herself spiritual and a Christian, but she doesn't go to church. Joshua sees her spirituality acted out in her life, rather than her Sunday attendance. It's a less obvious way of teaching-by-example than the kind of life he has been living, and while he may not change to be non-religious like Maddie, he definitely learns from her. Seeing how she acts out her faith in what she does rather than what she doesn't do gives him more choices for how he can show his. And he finally does that by sticking up for Maddie.
I could go on and on about Saving Maddie; there are at least half a dozen more quotes left in my notes. Johnson has done something wonderful here. He's managed to capture the PK experience, and the growing-up-at-church experience, so well! And he's managed to do it in a way that, I think, will be attractive and relevant to readers who've grown up without these experiences as well.
Book source: Philly Free Library
Now, I've never been a PK, but I was raised by one, and I was definitely a goodie-two-shoes in high school who had more friends at youth group than at school. I think that Johnson has absolutely nailed that experience, or at least mirrored mine. The feelings and internal conflicts that Joshua goes through felt so authentic. His struggle to reconcile what he wants to do with what he's supposed to do with what everyone else is doing was ongoing. The lectures from his parents ("I'm not mad, I'm disappointed." -- the worst!) and the advice from his friends to just go for it (the BIG it, no less), were so familiar. And then there's Maddie, who seems so much more grown-up, experienced, and figured out than Joshua. Of course he falls for her! There is definitely attraction involved, but Joshua also gets one of those I-want-to-be-you crushes on her.
Saving Maddie is told from Joshua's perspective, so we don't get to see the inner workings of Maddie's head. Through her talks with Joshua, however, she becomes a fully realized and complex character. Something that makes up a large part of Maddie, and everyone else's problem with her, is that she is no longer religious. BUT she still has her faith. This disconnect between faith and religion is something that a lot of teens struggle with, not just PKs. Without going into great detail or getting bogged down in theology, Johnson makes Maddie an example of what it can mean to believe in God without participating in a specific religious tradition. She still considers herself spiritual and a Christian, but she doesn't go to church. Joshua sees her spirituality acted out in her life, rather than her Sunday attendance. It's a less obvious way of teaching-by-example than the kind of life he has been living, and while he may not change to be non-religious like Maddie, he definitely learns from her. Seeing how she acts out her faith in what she does rather than what she doesn't do gives him more choices for how he can show his. And he finally does that by sticking up for Maddie.
I could go on and on about Saving Maddie; there are at least half a dozen more quotes left in my notes. Johnson has done something wonderful here. He's managed to capture the PK experience, and the growing-up-at-church experience, so well! And he's managed to do it in a way that, I think, will be attractive and relevant to readers who've grown up without these experiences as well.
Book source: Philly Free Library
May 9, 2017
“Just because he doesn’t want to hear it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say it” - Madeline Smith. Varian Johnson’s Saving Maddie astonished me with its intertwine of religion and teenage rebellion. Showing two polar opposite things being so similar was riveting.
Varian’s style of writing was very informative. You were never left with questions about the scenery of the book or what was happening in that exact moment. He described every moment as if you were experiencing it for yourself. When reading it the book engulfed you into the story. I am religious but this book wasn’t about religion completely. The protagonist (Joshua Wynn) encouraged, but never forced, the antagonist (Maddie Smith) into church. When you read it, it seems like Varian is trying to say it’s okay to be yourself. The ultimate theme of Saving Maddie was that just because someone else has beaten you down doesn’t mean you should stop trying.
The main characters identified in the book were Madeline Smith and Joshua Wynn. Joshua was seen as the “good guy”. He was the preacher's kid so he had no choice but to be good. Everyone always depended on him to be a good role model. Joshua’s character really spoke to me because you could feel how irritated he was for never being able to reveal his true self for so long. Madeline (Maddie) Smith was foreshadowed as the “slut”. She had a continuously bad reputation because of her father. I personally related a lot to her character. There is a scene in the book where she was yelling at the parent of Joshua and said, “And you need to stay out of other people’s business!” Another moment during this argument she added, “All you preachers are alike. You think you can control everybody.” When she said this I never felt closer to the character because I have felt that way towards people in churches a good portion of my life. She gives you the vibe that she truly doesn’t care what people think unless she knows that it is good for herself.
The setting of the book was very modern and set in Virginia. The story doesn’t really contrast to how you see the world now. You feel as if you were in Virginia on their hot summer days that were full of humidity and tasty blackberry bushes. However, while Varian does exceedingly add vivid details to whatever he is trying to describe, he lacks the ability to describe the whole picture. Although Varian lacks in this department, when I read it I always had more of a heightened feeling towards the the book. I was turning the pages so quick and appreciating every little detail I could get.
Overall, the plot of the story was the following: an uptight preacher’s kid who was always known as the guy who abstained from everything changes for the better. Joshua Wynn, the preacher’s son, rekindles his old friendship with a girl that came back to town. Through this he begins to lose a lot of aspects of the way he was seen by his church and family. His friend, Madeline Smith, was seen as the “whore” that would corrupt his poor soul. However in the end, she actually reveals the person Joshua wanted to be. Some connections you could try and apply to this book would be the contriversy teenages face now. In school you are frowned upon, or even seen as a bad person, if you do anything sexual at all.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this if you can get past all the religion tied in. As a young adult it helped me realize a few things today that most people don’t notice in our day to day life. Personally, this showed me that it’s alright to disagree with confidence rather than hide in fear of the opposing view.
Varian’s style of writing was very informative. You were never left with questions about the scenery of the book or what was happening in that exact moment. He described every moment as if you were experiencing it for yourself. When reading it the book engulfed you into the story. I am religious but this book wasn’t about religion completely. The protagonist (Joshua Wynn) encouraged, but never forced, the antagonist (Maddie Smith) into church. When you read it, it seems like Varian is trying to say it’s okay to be yourself. The ultimate theme of Saving Maddie was that just because someone else has beaten you down doesn’t mean you should stop trying.
The main characters identified in the book were Madeline Smith and Joshua Wynn. Joshua was seen as the “good guy”. He was the preacher's kid so he had no choice but to be good. Everyone always depended on him to be a good role model. Joshua’s character really spoke to me because you could feel how irritated he was for never being able to reveal his true self for so long. Madeline (Maddie) Smith was foreshadowed as the “slut”. She had a continuously bad reputation because of her father. I personally related a lot to her character. There is a scene in the book where she was yelling at the parent of Joshua and said, “And you need to stay out of other people’s business!” Another moment during this argument she added, “All you preachers are alike. You think you can control everybody.” When she said this I never felt closer to the character because I have felt that way towards people in churches a good portion of my life. She gives you the vibe that she truly doesn’t care what people think unless she knows that it is good for herself.
The setting of the book was very modern and set in Virginia. The story doesn’t really contrast to how you see the world now. You feel as if you were in Virginia on their hot summer days that were full of humidity and tasty blackberry bushes. However, while Varian does exceedingly add vivid details to whatever he is trying to describe, he lacks the ability to describe the whole picture. Although Varian lacks in this department, when I read it I always had more of a heightened feeling towards the the book. I was turning the pages so quick and appreciating every little detail I could get.
Overall, the plot of the story was the following: an uptight preacher’s kid who was always known as the guy who abstained from everything changes for the better. Joshua Wynn, the preacher’s son, rekindles his old friendship with a girl that came back to town. Through this he begins to lose a lot of aspects of the way he was seen by his church and family. His friend, Madeline Smith, was seen as the “whore” that would corrupt his poor soul. However in the end, she actually reveals the person Joshua wanted to be. Some connections you could try and apply to this book would be the contriversy teenages face now. In school you are frowned upon, or even seen as a bad person, if you do anything sexual at all.
In conclusion, I highly recommend this if you can get past all the religion tied in. As a young adult it helped me realize a few things today that most people don’t notice in our day to day life. Personally, this showed me that it’s alright to disagree with confidence rather than hide in fear of the opposing view.
April 20, 2012
Joshua & Maddie are not star-crossed lovers. Rather, these two are the best & truest of friends. They share a different kind of love that goes beyond what anyone thinks about them. As children they spent all their time together in and out of church while their fathers were the ministers preaching the gospel. But when Maddie's father is transferred to another parish, Maddie & Joshua vow to write each other every day to keep in touch. For a while that works until Maddie stops writing back.
Eventually Joshua gives up writing her & begins to move on with his faith by being the pinnacle preacher's son. He leads the youth group, he volunteers at the nursing home & he even abstains from all morally compromising situations. While it makes him an outcast at parties (who really wants to drink alcohol & get frisky with their date with the preacher's kid?) Joshua has settled into a comfortable existence. And just like that Maddie shows up all dark & jaded.
Now Joshua has to decide who he's living his life for & why. There are so many questions & so little time. Events are escalating all over town with pressure from every imaginable direction baring down on Joshua. The only thing he can do is choose, but who & what?
I really enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I was expecting it to be in all the right ways. As a teen I spent a week each summer at a church camp in the mountains of North Carolina. While we were all feeling our way around our faith, there were several campers who were preacher's kids (pk's) that we all looked to for example & spiritual guidance. The second day of my sophomore year one of them said it wasn't easy to be a pk & that they were just as lost as we were. While they had a duty to uphold & represent their parent's ministry, they were really just putting on a brave face because it's what was expected of them.
Joshua is in the exact same predicament. He's been following the predetermined path thinking he had free will all along until free will actually showed up & said 'hi.' Now he's kind of floating along trying to wrestle not only with his faith, but his family, his friends, his emotions & definitely his hormones. Maddie is the typical rebel, except she's deeply spiritual leading the reader to become endeared to her. Able to quote chapter & verse on command, Maddie is also lost. Unlike Joshua though, she claims she doesn't want to find the right path.
There is so much going on in this book that I felt consumed by it. Again, in a good way. It has been a long time since I have really been able to soak up the feeling of a book & completely relate to all characters involved. No one in this book is anywhere near perfect, but they all blend together to make you understand that that's okay.
Truly, I don't have enough words to adequately explain my love for this book. While there are many "controversial" topics (sex, alcohol, promiscuity, etc) they are needed in the context of the book & the main characters' struggles. I think I'd feel comfortable with a 7th or 8th grader reading this, as long as they could question anything & everything they read. :)
Eventually Joshua gives up writing her & begins to move on with his faith by being the pinnacle preacher's son. He leads the youth group, he volunteers at the nursing home & he even abstains from all morally compromising situations. While it makes him an outcast at parties (who really wants to drink alcohol & get frisky with their date with the preacher's kid?) Joshua has settled into a comfortable existence. And just like that Maddie shows up all dark & jaded.
Now Joshua has to decide who he's living his life for & why. There are so many questions & so little time. Events are escalating all over town with pressure from every imaginable direction baring down on Joshua. The only thing he can do is choose, but who & what?
I really enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I was expecting it to be in all the right ways. As a teen I spent a week each summer at a church camp in the mountains of North Carolina. While we were all feeling our way around our faith, there were several campers who were preacher's kids (pk's) that we all looked to for example & spiritual guidance. The second day of my sophomore year one of them said it wasn't easy to be a pk & that they were just as lost as we were. While they had a duty to uphold & represent their parent's ministry, they were really just putting on a brave face because it's what was expected of them.
Joshua is in the exact same predicament. He's been following the predetermined path thinking he had free will all along until free will actually showed up & said 'hi.' Now he's kind of floating along trying to wrestle not only with his faith, but his family, his friends, his emotions & definitely his hormones. Maddie is the typical rebel, except she's deeply spiritual leading the reader to become endeared to her. Able to quote chapter & verse on command, Maddie is also lost. Unlike Joshua though, she claims she doesn't want to find the right path.
There is so much going on in this book that I felt consumed by it. Again, in a good way. It has been a long time since I have really been able to soak up the feeling of a book & completely relate to all characters involved. No one in this book is anywhere near perfect, but they all blend together to make you understand that that's okay.
Truly, I don't have enough words to adequately explain my love for this book. While there are many "controversial" topics (sex, alcohol, promiscuity, etc) they are needed in the context of the book & the main characters' struggles. I think I'd feel comfortable with a 7th or 8th grader reading this, as long as they could question anything & everything they read. :)
April 14, 2011
Saving Maddie by Varian Johnson
Delacourte Press, 2010
231 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Library
Read for YA Overlooked Book Battle.
I remember seeing this book last year and being interested that the character had a cross on her neck; I really enjoy reading about modern struggles with the Christian faith, which is largely what this book about.
Maddie is a character who has been largely written off as irredeemable; by her father, by her congregation, by almost everyone except for her aunt and her best friend Joshua.
Now Joshua is the narrator who has been fascinated by the boldness of Maddie for most of his life. She examines her life, questioning and challenging sources of authority unlike Joshua. He's a preacher's son whose girlfriend dumped him when he wouldn't sleep with her, who doesn't really have any friends because they all feel like they have to be perfect around him, and who feels severely constrained by the expectations of his parents and their congregation. But the reappearance of Maddie pushes him outside of his little bubble to a big new world.
I really enjoyed the debates between Joshua and Maddie but also between characters over what the appropriate behavior is and over how Christians ought to behave. I don't agree with every conclusion (premarital albeit protected sex among teenagers is unduly championed, in my opinion) but the fact that they're discussed is promising. Joshua starts to question his beliefs and tries to prove to Maddie that she is worth saving.
The conclusion of the book is open-ended with Maddie leaving to find answers but Joshua unsure if she's safe/content/happy. I felt it was abrupt and I didn't really like it but then I generally prefer more closure in my books.
Warning: Language, drugs, and sexual content for those who may be wary. I think they are all important for the story though.
Overall: Interesting questions explored in this book with a good plot and characters.
Cover: Very accurate! Maddie's purple lipstick is especially important.
Delacourte Press, 2010
231 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Library
Read for YA Overlooked Book Battle.
I remember seeing this book last year and being interested that the character had a cross on her neck; I really enjoy reading about modern struggles with the Christian faith, which is largely what this book about.
Maddie is a character who has been largely written off as irredeemable; by her father, by her congregation, by almost everyone except for her aunt and her best friend Joshua.
Now Joshua is the narrator who has been fascinated by the boldness of Maddie for most of his life. She examines her life, questioning and challenging sources of authority unlike Joshua. He's a preacher's son whose girlfriend dumped him when he wouldn't sleep with her, who doesn't really have any friends because they all feel like they have to be perfect around him, and who feels severely constrained by the expectations of his parents and their congregation. But the reappearance of Maddie pushes him outside of his little bubble to a big new world.
I really enjoyed the debates between Joshua and Maddie but also between characters over what the appropriate behavior is and over how Christians ought to behave. I don't agree with every conclusion (premarital albeit protected sex among teenagers is unduly championed, in my opinion) but the fact that they're discussed is promising. Joshua starts to question his beliefs and tries to prove to Maddie that she is worth saving.
The conclusion of the book is open-ended with Maddie leaving to find answers but Joshua unsure if she's safe/content/happy. I felt it was abrupt and I didn't really like it but then I generally prefer more closure in my books.
Warning: Language, drugs, and sexual content for those who may be wary. I think they are all important for the story though.
Overall: Interesting questions explored in this book with a good plot and characters.
Cover: Very accurate! Maddie's purple lipstick is especially important.
November 13, 2012
Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com
Maddie and Joshua are best friends. Both kids of preachers, they have a lot in common. But then, one day Maddie and her family move away. The two vow to keep in touch, but as the years go by....the letters and communication stop.
Now, it's five years later and Joshua is the perfect son. He does everything expected of him. He's involved in all the right activities. He's gone so far as to give up basketball because it doesn't fit in with all his church obligations.
It's at church, as one could expect, that Joshua lays eyes on Maddie again. Though she's nothing like the awkward girl he recalls. She's definitely grown up (in all the right places) and goes by Madeline now. Coming to church dressed inappropriately immediately labels Madeline as a bad girl. Everyone has already written her off as trouble. But Joshua can't forget his friend and, with the blessing of his father, he sets out to save Madeline.
Madeline has been sent to live with her aunt for the summer. She got in trouble back home, and her father has shipped her off to the small town. But Madeline doesn't need saving. She's happy with who she is and resists any attempts at any interference. As the summer unfolds, Joshua and Madeline become reacquainted, and surprisingly, it's Joshua who might just be saved.
As with MY LIFE AS A RHOMBUS, I absolutely loved SAVING MADDIE. Joshua is pulled by what is expected of him, what he perceives as right and wrong, and ultimately, what he really wants for himself. Madeline makes him question everything he grew up accepting to be true. Madeline may not be a saint, far from it, but she is comfortable with who she has become and that causes Joshua much inner turmoil.
There is some discussion of sex and partying, but in the context of the story, it's far from offensive and gives a complete picture of the struggle going on inside Joshua.
Maddie and Joshua are best friends. Both kids of preachers, they have a lot in common. But then, one day Maddie and her family move away. The two vow to keep in touch, but as the years go by....the letters and communication stop.
Now, it's five years later and Joshua is the perfect son. He does everything expected of him. He's involved in all the right activities. He's gone so far as to give up basketball because it doesn't fit in with all his church obligations.
It's at church, as one could expect, that Joshua lays eyes on Maddie again. Though she's nothing like the awkward girl he recalls. She's definitely grown up (in all the right places) and goes by Madeline now. Coming to church dressed inappropriately immediately labels Madeline as a bad girl. Everyone has already written her off as trouble. But Joshua can't forget his friend and, with the blessing of his father, he sets out to save Madeline.
Madeline has been sent to live with her aunt for the summer. She got in trouble back home, and her father has shipped her off to the small town. But Madeline doesn't need saving. She's happy with who she is and resists any attempts at any interference. As the summer unfolds, Joshua and Madeline become reacquainted, and surprisingly, it's Joshua who might just be saved.
As with MY LIFE AS A RHOMBUS, I absolutely loved SAVING MADDIE. Joshua is pulled by what is expected of him, what he perceives as right and wrong, and ultimately, what he really wants for himself. Madeline makes him question everything he grew up accepting to be true. Madeline may not be a saint, far from it, but she is comfortable with who she has become and that causes Joshua much inner turmoil.
There is some discussion of sex and partying, but in the context of the story, it's far from offensive and gives a complete picture of the struggle going on inside Joshua.
Read
September 22, 2011One of the things that I enjoy about reading is getting into the mind and experience of someone else that I might never experience otherwise. The story follows Joshua, a preacher's kid and all around good guy, who tries really hard to not let anyone down and live up to the expectations other's place on him. The only problem is that he doesn't really know who he is down deep or what he truly wants. In his quest to be a good kid he displaces himself nearly completely.
Then enters Maddie, an old friend from his younger years who is back in town. She has changed in ways he can not understand and while he catches glimpses of the old Maddie he doesn't understand the parts of her that are new. Further complicating matters are the fact that his father wants him to be Maddie's savior and pull her back into "the Church" while his mother wants him to stay far from a girl she sees as a bad influence who could lead her son astray. His friends assume that all he could want from her are physical things as she dresses very provocatively and that is the label they place on her. Josh doesn't understand all the conflicting feelings she raises in him, but he does genuinely want to see through to who she is inside.
This is ultimately the story of Joshua realizing that he doesn't know who he is or who he wants to be but starting down that path. Maddie is a lot more complicated than initially seems and is a great example of how ostracized people can be when there is still so much good about them. But they start to believe the nay sayers and give in to the labels placed on them. The story ends a little bit ambiguously, but that feels fairly appropriate to the book. Not having had the kinds of pressures placed on me that Joshua has as well as not being a male in a world that is exceptionally hard on a "good boy" I didn't always follow some of his actions and thoughts at the very end. But it seemed realistic enough.
Then enters Maddie, an old friend from his younger years who is back in town. She has changed in ways he can not understand and while he catches glimpses of the old Maddie he doesn't understand the parts of her that are new. Further complicating matters are the fact that his father wants him to be Maddie's savior and pull her back into "the Church" while his mother wants him to stay far from a girl she sees as a bad influence who could lead her son astray. His friends assume that all he could want from her are physical things as she dresses very provocatively and that is the label they place on her. Josh doesn't understand all the conflicting feelings she raises in him, but he does genuinely want to see through to who she is inside.
This is ultimately the story of Joshua realizing that he doesn't know who he is or who he wants to be but starting down that path. Maddie is a lot more complicated than initially seems and is a great example of how ostracized people can be when there is still so much good about them. But they start to believe the nay sayers and give in to the labels placed on them. The story ends a little bit ambiguously, but that feels fairly appropriate to the book. Not having had the kinds of pressures placed on me that Joshua has as well as not being a male in a world that is exceptionally hard on a "good boy" I didn't always follow some of his actions and thoughts at the very end. But it seemed realistic enough.
December 9, 2010
Seventeen year-old Joshua Wynn is the preacher’s son. He does everything he’s told to and thinks he should do like visiting the nursing home, leading the youth group, and abstaining from sex before marriage. But then his best friend from 5 years ago comes back to town and changes how he views things.
Once Madeline is back, Joshua starts to think about why he has faith in the sermons his father preaches every Sunday and if he believes in them just because being the preacher’s son makes him a role model and he should believe in them.
I loved seeing how Joshua’s thinking on life and how to act changes from the first page to the last. He starts to understand that he has to make himself happy and worry less about making the people around him happy.
This book also brought to light how much everyone, humans in general, judge one another. A lot of this happened during Saving Maddie, and it bothered me, not because it was in the book, but because I know this happens all the time. I know I’m guilty of it myself. Varian Johnson has showed me that judging people doesn’t do any good for either party and I think we could all learn from this.
I like crying when I read books; in real life…I hate crying. To me, a book can be great if it can get me cry. And Saving Maddie made me cry quite a few times and of course, like many books, a TON at the end.
It seems lately I’ve been reading many books with the main character being the son/daughter of a preacher. It’s really odd to me that I’m wanting to read these when I’m not a religious person whatsoever. I guess that goes to show you that even with a bit of religious material in the book, I’m still able to enjoy it.
Once Madeline is back, Joshua starts to think about why he has faith in the sermons his father preaches every Sunday and if he believes in them just because being the preacher’s son makes him a role model and he should believe in them.
I loved seeing how Joshua’s thinking on life and how to act changes from the first page to the last. He starts to understand that he has to make himself happy and worry less about making the people around him happy.
This book also brought to light how much everyone, humans in general, judge one another. A lot of this happened during Saving Maddie, and it bothered me, not because it was in the book, but because I know this happens all the time. I know I’m guilty of it myself. Varian Johnson has showed me that judging people doesn’t do any good for either party and I think we could all learn from this.
I like crying when I read books; in real life…I hate crying. To me, a book can be great if it can get me cry. And Saving Maddie made me cry quite a few times and of course, like many books, a TON at the end.
It seems lately I’ve been reading many books with the main character being the son/daughter of a preacher. It’s really odd to me that I’m wanting to read these when I’m not a religious person whatsoever. I guess that goes to show you that even with a bit of religious material in the book, I’m still able to enjoy it.
April 4, 2011
As with other well-written religious kids coming-of-age stories, this book had me at page 1. I wasn’t quite a Preacher’s Kid, but as a teenager I was as close as you could voluntarily get to being one—but at the same time, it puts you in that awkward label land—the Good Kid. The One Who Doesn’t Get In Trouble. The one all the other kids get quiet around, even though you know they were having a loud, raucous (and probably raunchy) conversation right before you joined the group.
Saving Maddie is as much about Joshua, the Good Boy, as it is about Maddie, the Good Girl Gone Bad. The “saving” the title refers to, seems to be a superficial one at first—Joshua trying to get her to come back to church, to recommit to Jesus, to stop dressing so provocatively, but by the end of the story the characters have arrived at a far more nuanced notion of what it means to be saved—and of the good and bad parts inside all of us, the way we let ourselves get covered up with societal labels, and the pressure and difficulty involved in making a change.
I found this book so endearingly honest about what it means to be a teenager trying to figure out one’s place in the world, about the way things that get so screwed up anyway, and how you keep trying to work your way through life’s many mazes. In a way this book is about how nothing is as easy as it seems, nothing as clear cut as our parents or our religion would have us believe. And maybe sometimes it takes a purple-lipped outsider to help pull us out of the box we’ve grown up our whole lives in.
Saving Maddie is as much about Joshua, the Good Boy, as it is about Maddie, the Good Girl Gone Bad. The “saving” the title refers to, seems to be a superficial one at first—Joshua trying to get her to come back to church, to recommit to Jesus, to stop dressing so provocatively, but by the end of the story the characters have arrived at a far more nuanced notion of what it means to be saved—and of the good and bad parts inside all of us, the way we let ourselves get covered up with societal labels, and the pressure and difficulty involved in making a change.
I found this book so endearingly honest about what it means to be a teenager trying to figure out one’s place in the world, about the way things that get so screwed up anyway, and how you keep trying to work your way through life’s many mazes. In a way this book is about how nothing is as easy as it seems, nothing as clear cut as our parents or our religion would have us believe. And maybe sometimes it takes a purple-lipped outsider to help pull us out of the box we’ve grown up our whole lives in.
June 26, 2016
This book was okay. I have mixed feelings about it, as I do with most books that revolve around Christianity and premarital sex. I picked it up at the library today while I was there picking up another book I had on hold and after reading the synopsis, I knew it was something I wanted to read.
I loved that the main character was a guy and that it's YA written by a man. I liked that Maddie had a past and that Joshua didn't want to give up on her. Joshua has to struggle with being the preacher's kid and all the expectations and pressure that comes with that. He struggles with peer pressure and being The Good Guy, all realistic struggles during the teen years. And I liked how she wanted Joshua to believe the things he'd been taught because it's what he truly believed, that it wasn't just his parents' faith.
We - parents, men and women, teachers, aunts, uncles, but especially the Church - can't be silent about sex. And when we choose to speak about it we can't just say, "No." We have to stop being weird about it and stop allowing culture, our society, music, books, the internet, and peers doing the talking about it first. We need to be a safe place for teens, husbands and wives, single moms and dads, everyone to talk about not just sex, but The Hard Things, the difficult things, even the most private, sacred things in life. God created sex, just like he did everything else, and in the context of marriage, it is a beautiful thing. And I wish Saving Maddie had expanded on that more.
I loved that the main character was a guy and that it's YA written by a man. I liked that Maddie had a past and that Joshua didn't want to give up on her. Joshua has to struggle with being the preacher's kid and all the expectations and pressure that comes with that. He struggles with peer pressure and being The Good Guy, all realistic struggles during the teen years. And I liked how she wanted Joshua to believe the things he'd been taught because it's what he truly believed, that it wasn't just his parents' faith.
We - parents, men and women, teachers, aunts, uncles, but especially the Church - can't be silent about sex. And when we choose to speak about it we can't just say, "No." We have to stop being weird about it and stop allowing culture, our society, music, books, the internet, and peers doing the talking about it first. We need to be a safe place for teens, husbands and wives, single moms and dads, everyone to talk about not just sex, but The Hard Things, the difficult things, even the most private, sacred things in life. God created sex, just like he did everything else, and in the context of marriage, it is a beautiful thing. And I wish Saving Maddie had expanded on that more.
May 10, 2010
Joshua is the son of a Preacher, and when he was a child, his best friend Maddie was also the daughter of a Preacher.
Now Maddie's back in town and a "fallen woman" but Joshua is still the strait-laced, virginal, head-of-the-youth group Preacher's son.
Problem is, he wants to care for Maddie and it keeps getting him in trouble. His parents want him back on the straight and narrow path to righteousness, but Joshua's going to have to figure out what true caring means.
Joshua and Maddie are great characters, and it was cool to see what would go on in the mind of a young boy caught up in very narrow ideas of right and wrong.
Coming from a more permissive background, it was sometimes slightly hard for me to understand what the whole big deal was regarding "praise-dance" ministries and other attitudes toward sexual mores that so riled up Joshua's adult community.
However, that said, the book was engrossing and the characters were ones I liked spending time with.
This Book's Food Desgination Rating: Whole-grain tortilla chips and organic salsa for the good-for-you versus temptation Joshua deals with throughout the book, and the compulsive munchy way the book invites you in to his world.
Now Maddie's back in town and a "fallen woman" but Joshua is still the strait-laced, virginal, head-of-the-youth group Preacher's son.
Problem is, he wants to care for Maddie and it keeps getting him in trouble. His parents want him back on the straight and narrow path to righteousness, but Joshua's going to have to figure out what true caring means.
Joshua and Maddie are great characters, and it was cool to see what would go on in the mind of a young boy caught up in very narrow ideas of right and wrong.
Coming from a more permissive background, it was sometimes slightly hard for me to understand what the whole big deal was regarding "praise-dance" ministries and other attitudes toward sexual mores that so riled up Joshua's adult community.
However, that said, the book was engrossing and the characters were ones I liked spending time with.
This Book's Food Desgination Rating: Whole-grain tortilla chips and organic salsa for the good-for-you versus temptation Joshua deals with throughout the book, and the compulsive munchy way the book invites you in to his world.
June 17, 2010
Maddie's story just about broke my heart.
The two preacher's kids, Joshua and Maddie (now going by Madeleine), have long been defined by outside expectations. Joshua is "the good kid" - expected to be an upstanding member of the church community, forgoing academic extracurriculars in favor of church-sponsored activities like volunteering and youth basketball leagues. Joshua is indelibly marked as the good guy, and no matter how much he wants to, no one will see him as anything but. Madeleine, on the other hand, rebelled against her preacher's kid status, started smoking and drinking and fooling around with guys, and is now marked as a "fallen woman" - a temptress like Eve. Unlike Joshua, who thinks he might be able to do something about his label, Madeleine has accepted hers and what it means to be the bad girl.
Madeleine's dad wins the dubious honor of being one of the worst parents in YA literature I've had the misfortune to come across. We never meet him on the page, so really we only have Madeleine's descriptions of him, but if she's even half accurate he's terrible. Easily the worst parent I'e read about since Shawna's dad in Say the Word
The two preacher's kids, Joshua and Maddie (now going by Madeleine), have long been defined by outside expectations. Joshua is "the good kid" - expected to be an upstanding member of the church community, forgoing academic extracurriculars in favor of church-sponsored activities like volunteering and youth basketball leagues. Joshua is indelibly marked as the good guy, and no matter how much he wants to, no one will see him as anything but. Madeleine, on the other hand, rebelled against her preacher's kid status, started smoking and drinking and fooling around with guys, and is now marked as a "fallen woman" - a temptress like Eve. Unlike Joshua, who thinks he might be able to do something about his label, Madeleine has accepted hers and what it means to be the bad girl.
Madeleine's dad wins the dubious honor of being one of the worst parents in YA literature I've had the misfortune to come across. We never meet him on the page, so really we only have Madeleine's descriptions of him, but if she's even half accurate he's terrible. Easily the worst parent I'e read about since Shawna's dad in Say the Word
July 1, 2025
"Okay, so I just finished reading this book, and wow, it messed with my head in the best way possible. Joshua, the preacher's kid, is like, the definition of a 'good boy,' you know? Always doing what he's told, following the rules. Then Maddie rolls back into town, and everything flips.
Maddie's a total rebel. She's been through stuff, and she's not afraid to show it. She's got this 'I don't care' attitude, but you can tell she's hurting inside. The whole 'good boy falls for the troubled girl' thing is a classic, but this book takes it deeper. Joshua starts questioning everything he's ever believed in because of her.
The real kicker is how the book makes you think about what's right and wrong. Is Maddie beyond saving, like Joshua's mom says? Or is there more to her than meets the eye? It's not just a love story; it's about figuring out who you are and what you believe in, even when it goes against everything you've ever known. Definitely a must-read if you're into stories that make you think."
Maddie's a total rebel. She's been through stuff, and she's not afraid to show it. She's got this 'I don't care' attitude, but you can tell she's hurting inside. The whole 'good boy falls for the troubled girl' thing is a classic, but this book takes it deeper. Joshua starts questioning everything he's ever believed in because of her.
The real kicker is how the book makes you think about what's right and wrong. Is Maddie beyond saving, like Joshua's mom says? Or is there more to her than meets the eye? It's not just a love story; it's about figuring out who you are and what you believe in, even when it goes against everything you've ever known. Definitely a must-read if you're into stories that make you think."
March 2, 2015
I loved the honesty of the voice of Joshua as he grappled with friendship and religion. Joshua's childhood friend, Madeline, returns to his community, confronting him with issues of morality, religion, church and personal beliefs. She challenges him to think for himself and I enjoyed reading the story from Joshua's point of view.
Given the length of the book, Varian Johnson did a good job in bringing the characters and their struggles to life. This is also why anyone looking for a happy ending should look elsewhere. While loose ends are tied up nicely, the story doesn't stop right there where the book does. Instead, Maddie's and Joshua's lives very evidently continue beyond this chapter in their lives where their paths cross, before they diverge again.
However, for me, the book would have worked better for me if there would have been a little bit more depth to Joshua as he tries to work out his personal convictions.
Given the length of the book, Varian Johnson did a good job in bringing the characters and their struggles to life. This is also why anyone looking for a happy ending should look elsewhere. While loose ends are tied up nicely, the story doesn't stop right there where the book does. Instead, Maddie's and Joshua's lives very evidently continue beyond this chapter in their lives where their paths cross, before they diverge again.
However, for me, the book would have worked better for me if there would have been a little bit more depth to Joshua as he tries to work out his personal convictions.
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March 3, 2010Varian Johnson has a knack for creating complex characters who aren't afraid to ask difficult questions, and who end up in tough situations that challenge their deepest beliefs. This one's got a pretty fascinating premise--a kid who's a preacher's son, whom everyone expects to be a perfect model citizen, learns that right and wrong can be somewhat complicated outside of the idealism of religious belief. A "bad girl" isn't just a bad girl. Challenging your own beliefs can be educational and help you clarify just what it is you do believe. Doing something crazy or stupid isn't necessarily the end of the world.
March 30, 2010
In clear, understated prose, Johnson writes a love story about a "good" boy in love with the "bad" girl. He is unflinching and direct, dramatic but never melodramatic, and the reader is pulled along without feeling manipulated to a partially-open ending that leaves room for thought yet still satisfies.
Johnson's voice (as well as his emotional honesty and directness) is a real draw. Johnson's ability to write simply and not fear using a word twice in the same sentence reminds me of Hemingway or Carver -- it's a good, clearly conscious decision.
What's too bad is the pink wrap-around cover. Probably not the most boy-friendly packaging for a very boy-friendly book.
Johnson's voice (as well as his emotional honesty and directness) is a real draw. Johnson's ability to write simply and not fear using a word twice in the same sentence reminds me of Hemingway or Carver -- it's a good, clearly conscious decision.
What's too bad is the pink wrap-around cover. Probably not the most boy-friendly packaging for a very boy-friendly book.
Currently reading
November 12, 2010I think this is a very good book.So far this book is a book that grabs my attention because very few books do that .I am eager to keep reading this book because the book always leaves me in suspense . While reading this book when our class reading time is up i want to keep reading . I like this book so much , because i like the words they use to make what they say way more exiting then it really is . Its like me saying i want to go shopping , they would say i really really want to go shopping so i can enhance the fashion of my closet.
September 16, 2011
Oh my gosh, I could NOT put this book down, and when I got to the end, which was so ragged and sad and yet full of hope, I felt exhausted, having carried the weight of the problems of the main characters for what felt like so long. (What a horrible sentence. English major? Yeah, right.)
Anyway, I very much enjoyed this book. And it didn't even do that thing that bothers me so much - paints christians/catholics as black-and-white type evil characters with no good in them, or makes them this awful antagonistic force. I think the religion is handled very well.
Anyway, I very much enjoyed this book. And it didn't even do that thing that bothers me so much - paints christians/catholics as black-and-white type evil characters with no good in them, or makes them this awful antagonistic force. I think the religion is handled very well.
December 19, 2016
True confession--this book caught my eye because it had fallen back behind the other books on the shelf, and when I pulled it out, I thought--whoa...this is probably pretty YA. But wait...Varian Johnson wrote it? The guy who wrote The Great Greene Heist, who visited our school last year???
So, I dove in. And yes...it's very YA. But it's a type of book that fascinates me...maybe it's a subgenre? The main character...the protagonist...is not the one who undergoes the greatest change, IMHO. I'd be interested to hear what others think. I really, really liked the end.
So, I dove in. And yes...it's very YA. But it's a type of book that fascinates me...maybe it's a subgenre? The main character...the protagonist...is not the one who undergoes the greatest change, IMHO. I'd be interested to hear what others think. I really, really liked the end.
April 29, 2011
This was a really good book. The only reason this book only got 4 stars is because towards the end of the book I was getting annoyed. The reason being, I was kind of getting annoying with the whole "celibate" act that authors do, and the characters come close to "doing it" anyway. Not to sound nasty or anything but I felt like screaming "just do it already!" xD. Pardon me! But anyway, besides that, good book.
June 28, 2013
I didn't like it at first, or any of the characters, but it's hard not to appreciate something so well-written. I love the clear romance that doesn't go over-the-top, and I was glad to see that Madeleine was portrayed as someone with an actual personality and someone who freaks out over books and such instead of being a mindless slut. I did find it hard to believe that a teenage boy will defend the Bible and the wrongness of premarital sex with such zeal, but it did help the story move along.
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