“She knew who she was. And she knew Whose she was.” The delightful coming-of-age Christy Miller Series takes you on a journey of self-realization and faith. It has been one of my favorites for a while. It carries such a great message of hope and redemption and is relatable for anyone who reads it. I could go on and on about the things that delight me about this series, but just for you, I have stuck to a few. It’s relatable nature, inspiring reminders, entertaining features, and moving storyline make it a must-read.

Relatable Character

Often it feels like the main character from a good, coming-of-age story has a certain level of perfection I can never reach. They are too innocent and pretty for me. They are some diamond in the rough with far more hidden skills or virtues than I possess. They make small mistakes that were not really their fault and merely help you to sympathize with them.

Christy Miller is not like that at all. She is a mess, inside and sometimes outside. She overreacts to situations. She can be self-conscious or get frustrated with her circumstances. She does some dumb things that she regrets quickly and fully. She stresses over boys and finds herself struggling to get their attention or praise. But throughout the series, she grows in her faith and maturity in a way that is beautiful to see. She desperately wants to do the right thing and works hard to make up for her mistakes. It is an inspiring story of redemption in many ways.

I find myself in situations just like Christy constantly. I make mistakes, overreact to things, or act out in a way that I do not want to. I see a lot of myself in Christy’s life as displayed in the book series. Just like her I want so badly to do the right thing time and time again and instead see myself failing. Her story is an inspiring one because I see her grow in ways that I too aspire to grow. I can appreciate the challenges she faces and learn from her response to them.

Faith-Life Balance

It can be very hard to draw the line between being in the world and being of the world. Especially in my teenage years, knowing what appealing or entertaining things are good and fun for me to participate in and which are wrong or inappropriate can be challenging. I never want to be uncultured or legalistic but I also want to secure clear principles and follow through on them.

Christy faces many of the same obstacles throughout her high school years. She is faced with several temptations. Other teenagers do things such as drinking, taking prescription drugs, starting eating disorders, shoplifting, and much more. They try to convince her to join them and sometimes she comes close to it. She also has to answer some questions on her own. What friends are good for her? Where is the line between cute clothes and immodesty? What movies are good for her to see?

Watching her struggle through these choices and temptations is inspiring. It is an excellent reminder that it is ok, even expected, to have some difficulty with these things. But it is encouraging to see her learn to resist temptation and prioritize her faith. Watching her Christian relationships grow and her closeness with God makes it feel both feasible and desirable to maintain my Christian faith in a fallen world. While not overly “preachy,” the spiritual messages are clear and applicable.

Boys, boys, boys

I remember many a sleepover where we would play dolls, sing songs, and watch movies. But as soon as the lights were out, the real sleepover began. We would play games such as MASH or Truth or Dare. We would chat about crushes, compare the guys we knew mutually, and playfully try to call them. Even guys we did not like would get discussed. It is one of the things that most commonly gets talked about between good girlfriends: those boys. It plagues our minds as a young teenager and even as we get older it continues to press on us.

This book series has the perfect amount of romance to keep my young, girl mind satisfied but not distract from the message. Christy experiences a few relationships throughout her high school years. They are great examples of a girl learning how to date Biblically and still romantically. She learns how to keep her standards high but to have grace. And one relationship that ends up taking several years to develop turns out to be with the guy she marries. In that, we get to see a picture of how a relationship between two imperfect Christians should look: full of grace and centered on God.

This gives me some great references for my relationships. It is a reminder of what priorities I should have when looking for a partner. It is also super encouraging to be reminded that small mistakes or disagreements are not the end of the world and having forgiveness and understanding for each other is possible. And it definitely satisfies my romance itch!

As I have gotten older, my responsibilities have proportionally increased. Once, I merely had to worry about schoolwork and any extracurriculars I chose to burden myself with. Then slowly, things such as a part-time job (or two), more family chores, learning to drive, and gaining my own social life began to pile on me. I also have seen myself mature and learn to do things that before filled me with fear. I have seen my relationships grow along with my confidence.

Growing Up

Christy Miller is much the same way. When we are first introduced to her, she is a fourteen-year-old still learning to be comfortable in her own body. She has trouble standing up to people and lacks a true knowledge of her faith. We get to watch her learn how to have confidence and self-esteem but also exhibit humility. We get to see her get her first job, her first boyfriend, and discover what she wants to do with her future. She learns how to make decisions and respond when she makes a mistake.

This extremely well-portrayed picture of a maturing young woman is a great reminder of the beautiful process of growing up. It is so fun to get to reflect on Christy at the end of the series versus Christy at the beginning. It is both special and moving to watch her grow in her faith. She becomes a light that shines on others instead of a fly on the wall.

There are countless things I love about the Christy Miller series, but this gives a snapshot of just a few of them. I highly recommend it for teenage girls but even adults can enjoy it. It is a beautiful and riveting story of the meaning and purpose of a Christian girl growing up in our culture. It carries so many inspiring messages, as well as being entertaining and an easy read. I would urge you to discover the amazing message it carries for yourself.