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A review by chrissymcbooknerd
Roadside Assistance by Amy Clipston
4.0
I'd never heard of this book when I selected it, which I admit I did based mainly on the cover. I'd been reading a lot of YA paranormal-types series lately and wanted something more from the realistic genre this time around. I also wasn't aware it was Christian fiction, although I clearly wasn't paying attention since I recognize the publisher (Zondervan) from titles I've read in the past. I have absolutely no issue whatsoever with Christian fiction as long as it, like any other genre, is done well. I know a lot of Christian fiction, especially of the YA persuasion, tends to be too overly idealized to feel realistic, although I can still appreciate the inspirational aspect even in these cases.
Beginning with the plot, ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE basically details the spiritual struggles of a teenage girl named Emily, who is dealing with the recent death of her mother. Emily and her father have been forced to move in with a rich aunt, after the hospital bills force Emily's father to sell his worldly possessions. While her cousin Whitney is constantly praised by the family for being a straight-A cheerleader, with a seemingly unending supply of both beauty and brains, Emily feels constantly chided for being an average student who isn't quite "feminine" or "pretty" enough for the world.
It's not just that Emily isn't into makeup, fashion, and girly magazines -- she actually spends most of her time restoring and repairing cars, a hobby she picked up from her father. So while Emily has always felt that she stands out, quite unfortunately, from other teenage girls, she is feeling particularly lost after the loss of her mother and the move into a world that feels even more foreign than the last.
To make matters worse, Emily has found herself falling (of course) for the cutest guy at her high school -- who just happens to have a car obsession that just may rival her own. As Emily and Zander grow closer, Emily begins to fear that Zander sees her only as a religious project -- someone to befriend in order to bring her closer to God. While Emily has always been religious in the past, she's afraid that her mother's death and her new life changes have created a wall between herself and God that she may never be able to break. And, sometimes she's not even sure it's what she wants to do.
I actually did enjoy the storyline, likely in part due to the fact that I found Emily to be a relateable character that most teenage (and older) girls could ultimately understand. While the reader may have no interest in cars, she can certainly sympathize with feelings of alienation, confusion, and spiritual hardship -- and Emily is definitely written in a way that feels familiar and realistic for the most part.
While Emily's struggles did feel real, I'm not sure the love interest was equally realistic, nor were the friendships. What is the likelihood that someone would be "forced" to move into a beautiful mansion, which just happened to be next door to a perfect guy who just happened to have the same secret passion as their own? And, did everyone in this town go to the same church? While certain aspects of the story were absolutely heart-warming, they could hardly be called realistic based on the fact that things were just TOO perfect, even when they were awful.
Even so, I did like the characters, I enjoyed the plot, and I did find myself interested in the "love" story, despite its flaws, mainly because I could understand the insecurities that Emily displayed throughout the process. While the love story is definitely prominent here, the real story is that of Emily finding her faith. Some of the side characters may be a bit overly preachy, but they seem to be written this way on purpose, to draw a contrast against Emily as she deals with the fears and doubts of her faith.
I think the ultimate message in ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE is that it's easy to feel alone in difficult times, but that God's presence may not always manifest in a neatly packaged manner. Emily realizes in the end that she may be looking for grand gestures and easy answers as a signification of God's hand in her life -- but that God was actually always there, in ways that she had never bothered to recognize in the past.
Beginning with the plot, ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE basically details the spiritual struggles of a teenage girl named Emily, who is dealing with the recent death of her mother. Emily and her father have been forced to move in with a rich aunt, after the hospital bills force Emily's father to sell his worldly possessions. While her cousin Whitney is constantly praised by the family for being a straight-A cheerleader, with a seemingly unending supply of both beauty and brains, Emily feels constantly chided for being an average student who isn't quite "feminine" or "pretty" enough for the world.
It's not just that Emily isn't into makeup, fashion, and girly magazines -- she actually spends most of her time restoring and repairing cars, a hobby she picked up from her father. So while Emily has always felt that she stands out, quite unfortunately, from other teenage girls, she is feeling particularly lost after the loss of her mother and the move into a world that feels even more foreign than the last.
To make matters worse, Emily has found herself falling (of course) for the cutest guy at her high school -- who just happens to have a car obsession that just may rival her own. As Emily and Zander grow closer, Emily begins to fear that Zander sees her only as a religious project -- someone to befriend in order to bring her closer to God. While Emily has always been religious in the past, she's afraid that her mother's death and her new life changes have created a wall between herself and God that she may never be able to break. And, sometimes she's not even sure it's what she wants to do.
I actually did enjoy the storyline, likely in part due to the fact that I found Emily to be a relateable character that most teenage (and older) girls could ultimately understand. While the reader may have no interest in cars, she can certainly sympathize with feelings of alienation, confusion, and spiritual hardship -- and Emily is definitely written in a way that feels familiar and realistic for the most part.
While Emily's struggles did feel real, I'm not sure the love interest was equally realistic, nor were the friendships. What is the likelihood that someone would be "forced" to move into a beautiful mansion, which just happened to be next door to a perfect guy who just happened to have the same secret passion as their own? And, did everyone in this town go to the same church? While certain aspects of the story were absolutely heart-warming, they could hardly be called realistic based on the fact that things were just TOO perfect, even when they were awful.
Even so, I did like the characters, I enjoyed the plot, and I did find myself interested in the "love" story, despite its flaws, mainly because I could understand the insecurities that Emily displayed throughout the process. While the love story is definitely prominent here, the real story is that of Emily finding her faith. Some of the side characters may be a bit overly preachy, but they seem to be written this way on purpose, to draw a contrast against Emily as she deals with the fears and doubts of her faith.
I think the ultimate message in ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE is that it's easy to feel alone in difficult times, but that God's presence may not always manifest in a neatly packaged manner. Emily realizes in the end that she may be looking for grand gestures and easy answers as a signification of God's hand in her life -- but that God was actually always there, in ways that she had never bothered to recognize in the past.