Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Stand By Me by Neta Jackson Book Review





"Sometimes the person you most need is the one least like you." 

This book had me right from the beginning...page 1....wondering how the title would fit this catchy phrase. 

  Stand By Me is the first novel in the new SouledOut Sisters series, which follows the Yada Yada Prayer Group Series and the Yada Yada House of Hope series.

I really enjoyed this book and was able to really identify and get to know these characters. Avis, the elementary principal, was easy to relate to as I am an elementary teacher. I appreciated and understood Avis! Kat, a college student, was familiar to my past and youth! I loved how the story led you to believe they would never connect or need each other. But oh how that changes! I really enjoyed the Christian influence each had on one another. I appreciated their faith and how the church family dwelt in all of them. A close knit group of people who relied on each other. 

Set in Chicago, Avis Douglas and her husband, Peter,  dream of selling his software business to go on a mission trip in South Africa. And of course, there are problems. A pastor of SouledOut Community Church passes away suddenly, and Avis and Peter are asked to help and assist with the leadership of the church, but that creates an all-black leadership, stirring up some issues in their multi-cultural church.
Meanwhile, Kate Blanchard arrives in urban Chicago with three friends. Kate feels a closeness herself to Avis, bit Kate's good intentions grates on Avis. With time,  they realize they need each other.


Neta Jackson has a whole series of award winning Yada books! I can't wait to visit all of them. She has such a way to make you feel like you are right there and living their trials and joys and hard aches and blessings. 


This book gets 5 stars! 
Pure, wholesome, good entertainment with a great story line.


A free copy of this book was provided for me through the Booksneeze program through Thomas Nelson. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own.

1 comment:

Dee said...

Sounds interesting...I would enjoy reading the Yada Yada Group series also...I love getting caught up in them and looking eagerly forward to the next book. It has been awhile.