In their bestselling Taste Berries
books, the Youngs utilized the power of stories to connect with teenagers. Their latest offering gathers such stories together in the last section, a change that will greatly reduce the readability of the book, which is otherwise a rather didactic series of questions and answers about Christianity. If the stories had been interwoven with the "answer" content, the result would have been much more effective. The first section of the book, Who is God (and Why Does It Matter)?, offers background material about the Bible and the Christian faith. It is hard to imagine that teenagers with burning questions will find much to engage them in these heavy, historically and theologically driven chapters. Other sections of the book (How is God a Part of My Everyday Life?) are more interesting and relevant to adolescents. While some social issues, like pornography, are given a thorough discussion, other topics, such as "cussing," are addressed too simplistically or dodged altogether. Personal reflection questions at the end of each chapter attempt to bring lessons home to young readers. Although the book contains some material teens would find helpful, the lack of a topical index means that such nuggets may be difficult to find. Nor is it likely that most teens will wade through the book's almost 400 pages. (Aug.)
