Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce ~ 4 stars

Amy Inspired

Bethany Pierce

Bethany House

About the book:

With rejections piling up, she could use just a little inspiration...

Amy Gallagher, aspiring writer, has an unabashed obsession with words. She gave up a steady, albeit unexciting, job to pursue a life of writing. However, two years and one master's degree later, she finds herself almost exactly right back where she started. Discouraged by the growing pile of rejections from publishers and afraid that she has settled, Amy knows something has to change.

Then she meets the mysterious, attractive, and unavailable Eli. Amy finds herself struggling to walk the fine line between friendship and something more with Eli, even as she tries to cope with the feeling that her friends and family are moving on without her. When the unexpected begins pouring in, Amy doubts the love and fulfillment she seeks will ever come her way. Forced to take a close look at who she has become, the state of her faith, and her aspirations for her life, she must make a choice: play it safe yet again or finally find the courage to follow her dreams.

My review:
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was fresh and original, and, though not my normal taste, I really liked it. I could relate to Amy on many points, and looked forward to seeing her grow throughout the book. However, although her character did grow, it was very subtle and in some instances I didn’t feel she had a strong conclusion. It was more like a small piece of a person’s life than a changed character by the end of the book. She still had a lot of growing to do, and I felt like there wasn’t a solid resolution to some of her questions about her faith.

The writing was very frank, and I liked the tell-it-like-it-is approach she took to things. (However on some issues, I know this will make people uncomfortable, especially younger readers.) The book had what I call an “open” ending. It leaves the reader with the option of imagining the specifics of the ending, rather than tying up all the loose ends itself. I think readers who tend to like chick-lit type books will find this story best to their liking.

Thanks to Bethany House for my review copy of this book!