It's Not About Me (Second Glances Series #1) [Paperback]

Michelle Sutton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

When a young woman's life is shattered by a brutal attack, she is torn between two brothers, both of whom claim to love her. She is attracted to both, but which one does she love? How can she choose when her decision may cause a permanent rift between them? And more important, will she give her heart to the One who will sustain her even when human love fails?

Editorial Reviews

Review

It's Not About Me is a must read for every young adult in today's world, boy or girl. Not only does it explore in depth the intense sexual pressures placed upon today's youth, but also the serious effects of alcoholism and rape. More importantly, it addresses issues of true faith and Christianity which cut at the core of our beliefs, issues such as what does it really mean to follow Jesus? Does going to church or even being a pastor's son make you a Christian? As you follow the lives and the ardurous love triangle of three young adults, Annie, Tony, and Dan, you'll not only fall in love with them, you'll cry with them, yearn along side them and weep for their heartaches and struggles. Kudos to Michelle Sutton for addressing such timely topics with such finesse. -- MaryLu Tyndall, Christy Award Finalist

It's Not About Me is a wonderfully entertaining and deliciously suspenseful read that will keep you turning the pages. Sutton doesn't back away from the drama and with all of the twists and turns. It's Not About Me is hard to put down. I cannot wait for the sequel! Bravo! -- Victoria Christopher Murray, Essence best-selling author of The Ex Files and the upcoming YA series The Divine Divas

Annie captured my heart on the first page and kept me enthralled to the very end. This edgy, yet surprisingly poignant story travels the inroads of intimate relationships--man to woman, brother to brother, parent to child, friend to friend. But especially satisfying is the author's delicate handling of the relationship between a searching soul and the loving Savior who alone possesses the power to work all things out for the good. A terrific debut for Michelle Sutton. I can't wait to read more from this talented author! -- Virginia Smith, award-winning author of Just As I Am and Sincerely, Mayla

I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Gritty and about as real life (unfortunately!) as Christian fiction can get. -- Barb Huff, author of the ON TOUR series and co-author of the upcoming Girlfriend Codes Series

Michelle Sutton's It's Not About Me tackles many issues: temptation, deception, forgiveness, and trust, to name a few. The story is most strong when its players are weak. Readers will identify with Annie, Dan, Tony, and maybe even Susie, because these characters struggle--as we all do--with very human failings. You can't read Annie's story without renewing your appreciation for our powerful and loving God. -- Trish Perry, author of Beach Dreams

From the Publisher

Michelle Sutton has written an edgy, gritty romance that offers a no-holds-barred take on the temptations and trials young adults wrestle with. An eye-opening must-read for all mature teens and their parents.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 13 and up
  
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sheaf House Publishers (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979748518
• ISBN-13: 978-0979748516
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,834,398 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michelle Sutton is the inspirational author of over a dozen novels, a member of ACFW, an avid blogger and book reviewer, the mother of two college students, a wife of over two decades, and a follower of Jesus Christ. She resides with her family in Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is Edgy?, October 23, 2008

By 

James L. Rubart (Woodinville, WA. USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: It's Not About Me (Second Glances Series #1) (Paperback)

Why is everyone calling this book edgy? I don't get it. Actually I do. When you compare this book to most of what's out there in YA Christian fiction it definitely grabs the envelope and pushes. But I know very few 15-25 year olds living in opaque bubble these days. Do you? Compared to the state of the world kids live in today, this book is mild. The content might shock some readers of CBA fiction but few teenagers and young adults would describe this book as edgy.

My sons went to private Christian school through sixth and fourth grades respectively. After my oldest son's first day in 7th grade he said, "Well, Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore." Over the next three years he saw and heard things Michelle's book doesn't even come close to.

We're fairly judicious with the movies and TV we let our boys watch, but the reality is the majority of Christian kids are getting messages vastly more provocative and gritty than Sutton's on TV screens every day and movie screens every weekend. Oh, and there's this new invention called the computer and the Internet where they're getting even more "edgy" content. And the message being proliferated through those channels isn't choosing God's way of life, it's that sleeping with your boyfriend is normal, drinking is cool, etc.

Sutton has created real characters she puts in real situations and let's them react with real emotion and struggle. But instead of them going the way of the world, hope is given for a better way. God's way. The way of lasting love.

We don't need cotton candy pretend land books for teens and young adults. We need more books like Sutton's that will inspire young people to make different choices than the world wants them to take.

Edgy? Yes. And no. Let's keep pushing that envelope.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Not About Me - Review by Caroline Friday, April 21, 2009

By 

Caroline Friday (Marietta, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It's Not About Me (Second Glances Series #1) (Paperback)

This is a great read for mature teens and young adults waging the war of staying sexually pure until marriage. As an adult and mother of three teenaged children, it brought home the terrific pressure the world puts on young people to give way to the momentary pleasures of sin, particularly Christian teens and young adults, some of whom are children of pastors and bible study teachers!

In this story, sweet and innocent Annie fights off the advances of her high school love, Tony, who is also an avid churchgoer and son of the local pastor. Tony is handsome and dreamy, but has succumbed to the worldly idea that "waiting" isn't realistic, particularly with the girl he loves and plans to marry. Sound familiar? Despite Annie's resistance, she caves under the pressure of an enormous diamond engagement ring - one owned by his grandmother. But, as fate would have it, the night Annie plans to give herself to him, she is brutally attacked and maimed and left for dead - a victim of robbery (you guessed it - over that precious ring!) Tony's guilt for not having been there to protect her will not allow him to forgive himself or face her in her time of need; he instead turns to alcohol to assuage the pain in his heart.

Enter Tony's older brother, Dan, who is equally handsome and dreamy and who has loved Annie from afar for several years. With Tony going AWOL, he now becomes the friend she needs and helps her recover from her injuries, both physically and spiritually. Dan tells her she is beautiful and treats her with tenderness and affection without the pressure of a sexual relationship looming in the background. Of course, when Tony comes to his senses and wants to resume his romance with Annie, she is torn. Was what they had real love? Or has Dan showed her something far deeper and richer: a love that comes only by first having a love relationship with the Savior, Jesus?

This book is a quick read and makes a great ministry tool. The characters are wonderful and realistic and are easy for young women and men alike to relate to. I enjoyed it as an adult - I especially liked Dan, who is the epitome of the romantic hunk: handsome, buff, smart, sweet, and saved, with an unwavering moral compass. For parents of teenaged girls, you will be convicted to pray your sweet, innocent daughter rejects the Tonys of the world and waits for her God-ordained Dan. And for those of you with teenaged sons, pray he becomes the Dan (and not the Tony!) to his Annie, who God has prepared especially for him.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Those Golden Teenaged Years, December 9, 2008

By 

Patti Lacy "Contemporary Christian women's fi... (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: It's Not About Me (Second Glances Series #1) (Paperback)

Book Review, It's Not About Me by Michelle Sutton

For a recent overnight train trip, I packed Michelle's new novel, It's Not About Me, in my bag. As we clickety-clacked toward Texas, time spun backward to my teenaged years. From the first-chapter girlfriend/boyfriend wrestling match, Michelle perfectly captures the tension created when overactive hormones spar with God's mandates to purity--even in the throes of young love.

Annie Myers has vocal talent, good grades, and a handsome boyfriend named Tony, who adores every perfect inch of her. Then an intruder slashes his way into her life and throws her future into uncertainty. Suddenly the once-attentive Tony has disappeared...to be replaced by Dan, Tony's older brother.

As Annie's physical scars continue to heal, God holds up a mirror to her spiritual life and asks her to let Him help choose the brother best suited for her future. Suddenly Annie is thrust into a competition for her attention...and into an examination of her own values.

With edgy writing and unexpected twists and turns, Michelle kept me reading long into the night...long after my fellow travelers had extinguished their reading lights. Luckily I had time the next day to finish this exciting YA novel. A great read not just for teenagers but for their parents. And a great debut for Michelle and her "Second Glances" series!