I’ve been bursting with joy because of two young readers and their responses to This Seat’s Saved. When you publish a book, you never really know what readers will think. Since this is my first time writing fiction for this age group, I’m eagerly awaiting the reviews from actual children.
Last night, I received this review from a teen reader who runs the review website called Fantastic Books and Where to Find Them. I love the part where she writes, “There is nothing that I would change about this book. It was amazing and I loved every minute of it!” and “This book taught an amazing lesson and had an amazing story. It was really impactful to me as a young teen and I don’t think that you can walk away from this book without being changed. It teaches you the ultimate lesson: It doesn’t matter what other people think of you because God sees you as His beautiful child!”
Then, early this morning, I saw the first amazon.com review from a mom who wrote about her daughter’s experience with reading This Seat’s Saved. She titled the review “Got my daughter to read!” and wrote this: “My 12 year old, who hates reading, was gifted this book. She loves it so much, she skipped movie night with friends to read! She asked me to order another copy to keep at home so she can pass on her copy. I am in tears and can’t wait to read it. To give a 12 year old the gift of reading, AND the love of Christ, is a MIRACLE. THANK YOU HEATHER!”
Now, if no more reviews come in, or if I received some negative ones, it doesn’t matter. At least two girls were encouraged by this book, and in the end, that’s enough for me. I’m thanking God for the opportunity to write for young people. It’s not only helping them know Jesus better, but it’s also helping them love to read and connect with their parents over tough middle school issues. Praise God for that!