Customer Reviews

Trouble in My Way

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4 star:		(3)
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Karis Reed has only two things on her mind - well maybe for today. She just turned 16 years-old and she is on her way to getting her driver's license. In her first young adult novel, Trouble In My Way, Michelle Stimpson, gives her readers a lesson in integrity and truth.

Karis has a way of getting into situations and blaming others for her fall. After her mother grounds her, Karis, with the help of her two best friends, finds a way for her to stay in touch with the world - actually, with her boyfriend, Javon. Then, there is her father's girlfriend, who appeared to be her friend but she turned out be a snake. Karis makes one mistake on top of another. She does not like lying, especially to God but she says they have given her no choice. All her mother wants is for her to face the consequences of her own actions. But how is she supposed to do that when it is everyone else's fault.

Stimpson made me laugh and cry at the same time as I thought about my own antics as a teenagers and the logic I came up with to justify my actions. This is a story about choices, faith, friendship and acceptance. Stimpson captured the voice of a young teenage woman that was fresh, enlightening and funny. There were times when I became the teenager and then her mother. This was the first young adult book that I have read in a long time and thanks to Stimpson it will not be the last. I recommend this book for everyone.

Reviewed by: Priscilla C. Johnson
APOOO BookClub

Trouble in My Way is a thoroughly engrossing and realistic portrayal of how young people often see nothing wrong with bending the rules and trying to weasel out of punishment. I loved how the entire story was told from Karis's point of view. Karis doesn't see her faults, and compared to many kids, she really is pretty good. But she still finds trouble even when she tries to behave. She simply can't stand to be grounded all the time, so she sneaks behind her mother's back and does what she wants to do despite the restrictions. I did the very same thing when I was a teen. The more my parents tried to chokehold me, the harder I fought to get free. This is one of the reasons I don't do this with my teens, and you know what? They are really good kids. So being harder isn't always better. Listening is important as is praising them when they do the right thing. But I digress.

Karis reminds me so much of when I was young. Because when you're a teen think you know everything, but you are really quite naive. You think your decision is always the right one, but you only see one side of every issue. The author does a great job portraying the mother/daughter tension and the issues that come from being a child with divorced parents. I have seen this same scenario many times when counseling teens. The parents continue to tighten the screws and the teens just keep fighting everything. Unfortunately this oftentimes makes things worse. Like when Karis started to believe she might as well do the unthinkable since her mom always seems to think it of her anyway. Only Karis really did try to be good. And she prayed and did have faith. But when she put herself in difficult circumstances, she had to fight to keep safe. The world is a dangerous place, and Karis discovered that truth the hard way.

In the midst of her struggles, Karis learns some tough lessons. I love how the author let that play out so naturally that teen readers will have the benefit of learning the same lessons without getting themselves in the same situations that Karis had. The characterization was flawless, too. I remember the days when all that mattered was the guy was cute. The rest was irrelevant. But we adults all know many young people who married those messed up, but very good-looking men and they totally ruined their lives. That message is portrayed very well in this story, too. I highly recommend this book because unlike many YA novels, this one offers hope and shows how faith can make all the difference to a struggling teen.

Karis Reed is like most teen girls her age, weighted with the decision to do the right thing or what she, herself, deems as right. She and her mom clash after her mom invaded her privacy and read her diary. While that isn't the important factor, Karis knows that she was so wrong for going to Derrick's house, but she had everything under control. Besides, she doesn't even like him anymore. Doesn't that count for something? Um, no! While forced to do hard time, no computer, cell phone or I-Pod, Karis may have stumbled across a way to serve her time while keeping in touch. Though she may have been able to bend the technicalities in the law, Karis may not be out of trouble. It appears that she may have gotten her nights and weekends mixed up and as a result she could be facing a stiffer penalty. Can there be a way around this sentence as well?

Michelle Stimpson's Trouble In My Way is comical, charming, encouraging as well as compassionate. I loved the characters, the excitement, the trueness and the storyline; I especially enjoyed the fact that while it's based on faith, it isn't so preachy that you can't possibly see yourself or understand what is being conveyed. Karis was able to grasp all of the teachings and not only does she learn that she can rely on God, she also learns that how she carries herself is reflective of what she says. Trouble In My Way is a spectacular read for teens and parents alike, and I consider it one of my favorite books for 2009!

Reviewed by Nardsbaby
for Urban Reviews

Unable to write a review -- I gave this book to one of my teens that I teach!

Michelle Stimpson has proven once again to be a good writer for all ages.
This book is about a teen who just happens to keep getting herself into trouble and of course all for a boy. Reading this book took me back to what it was like to be a teenager all over again. After I read it, I passed it on to my friends teen-age daughter who loved it.

This was an easy read and a great story line. It went inside the head of a teenager during a tough time in her life. I would definitely recommend it to preteens.

Diva Reviewer - Robyn Fletcher
www.divasread2.com

Karis Reed went to a guy's house without her mother's permission and she wrote about it in her journal. Janice Reed found out about her daughter's little visit and she was not pleased. She did not hesitate to ground Karis for being with this guy in his home without adult supervision. Karis felt the punishment she received was unfair, so she decided she was going to do what her mother told her not to. She soon dealt with feelings of guilt, followed by one problem after the next.
Karis thought she was always being punished because of the mistakes her mother had made as a teenager, as if her disobedience had nothing to do with it. For a good while there it was obvious she had no clue how to take responsibility for her actions. Instead of seeing her part, the problems in her life were always someone else's fault. Yes, there were times when her parents blamed her for things she did not do and that was unfair, but she brought it on herself with all of the scheming and dishonesty. It became difficult for her parents to believe her even when she was telling the truth.
Karis kept a journal and that helped her to cope with life's situations; especially when she had no friends to reach out to. But when she learned to take her issues to God and to pray for others she began to care about making better choices, honoring her mother and becoming a person of integrity.
Trouble in My Way is Stimpson's first young adult novel. She did a really good job! I loved the story, mostly because it made me laugh.