Have a Little Faith in Me
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
"Saved!" meets To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy that takes a meaningful look at consent and what it means to give it.
When CeCe’s born-again ex-boyfriend dumps her after they have sex, she follows him to Jesus camp in order to win him back. Problem: She knows nothing about Jesus. But her best friend Paul does. He accompanies CeCe to camp, and the plan—God’s or CeCe’s—goes immediately awry when her ex shows up with a new girlfriend, a True Believer at that.
Scrambling to save face, CeCe ropes Paul into faking a relationship. But as deceptions stack up, she questions whether her ex is really the nice guy he seemed. And what about her strange new feelings for Paul—is this love, lust, or an illusion born of heartbreak? To figure it out, she’ll have to confront the reasons she chased her ex to camp in the first place, including the truth about the night she lost her virginity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Just after junior Francine "CeCe" Wells's first sexual experience, her boyfriend, Ethan, breaks up with her and announces that he is headed to Christian-focused Camp Three SixTeen to restore his virginity. Desperate to hold onto Ethan, CeCe enrolls at the three-week camp, too, even though she's not a Christian and doesn't plan to become one. CeCe's best friend and next-door neighbor, Paul, a veteran of the camp, offers to join impulsive CeCe to help keep her out of trouble. Focused on winning Ethan back, CeCe begins camp grappling with insecurities about her worth. But continual support from Paul and her three female cabinmates who model acceptance, friendship, and love open her mind to the rewards of compassion and what it means to truly care for others. Writing in CeCe's acerbic voice, debut author Hartl talks frankly about teen sexual experiences and her protagonist's initial cynicism about religion: "I may have lacked Christian prowess, but at least I knew enough not to talk about hand jobs in the Jesus camp van." Bitingly funny, this first novel promotes positive and salient themes of love, consent, female empowerment, and accountability. Ages 14 up.
