Customer Reviews

What Matters Most (Diary of a Teenage Girl)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Okay, for starters let me say that I have read all of the previous DOATG books and adored them. I was so excited when Melody Carlson decided to continue the series with Maya... and even though, throughout Maya's first two diaries, there were quite a few contradictions from Kim's books, I still enjoyed them. But how can Melody Carlson end the series with this book? Warning: the following contains spoilers.
First of all: there were way too many blatant contradictions. Mike and Jill own the Paradiso again- but in Kim's last book, Than Was Then..., Redemption owned it. Secondly, there are far too many unfinished plot lines. What was the whole point of the issues with Wyatt and Vanessa? It never goes anywhere. Ditto for Siobhan... and by the way, that was one plotline that really interested me. I felt like it had a ton of potential... but it fell flat with merely a few mentions here and there- literally. And Chloe and Jeremy (it was implied in previous books) would end up together, but they apparently broke up (although it's also hinted that they are getting back together, which was a total relief.) And why on earth would Laura quit the band for college when in Face the Music (Chloe book 4) she said something along the lines of "I wouldn't care if I just had to drop [my college classes] if it meant we could hit the road again." And why isn't Willy Redemption's manager? Very few things are explained. This book just created many questions that, apparently, are never going to be answered, seeing as it's the final DOATG book.
I loved the Samantha McGregor books, Carter House Girls, TrueColors... and all of the other DOATG books. Melody Carlson is by far my favorite author (even after this book). I don't understand what happened with What Matters Most- it felt like she threw a fantastic, powerful series under the bus. I mean, I liked certian elements like the relationship between Dominic and Maya, but basically, I wanted to cry when I finished. And, although this sounds harsher than I mean it to be, I wish I had opted never to read the book, so that I might preserve only good memories of this series in my mind.

Maya is trying to figure out what matters most in life. Should she graduate early? Date the boy she likes even though she knows it's a bad idea? Join a rock band and go on the road? Then her mom shows up and threatens everything Maya has worked so hard for. How should a Christian act toward a parent like her mom? Should Maya let her mom ruin her life again? Should she stand up to her?

I really enjoyed this series. Maya is a neat character. She's very independent and hard-working. She always tries to do the right thing, and when she fails and loses her temper, she eventually comes around and does the hard thing of apologizing. This book was really about how to love difficult people. My only wish, I would have liked to see more about how things respovel with Dominic. As with all Maya's stories, each chapter ends with one of Maya's Green Tip for the Day. I highly recommend this series for any teenage girl who loves to read. Maya is an awesome character to get to know.

This is actually the last book in the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. I hadn't read any of the previous books, but I really liked this one. Maya is a carefree girl who has a lot on her plate and a history that got her to where she is. I found Maya to be a very lovable character. She was genuine and real. I feel like I want to go back and read the previous books to understand the journey of how Maya got to where she was in this book. I found this to be a story that I would definitely recommend and I appreciate having a book that relates to teens in a positive way and gives them good examples to follow.

This was a fun, quick read. I like how it is written in a journal type format. It seemed to fit perfectly for Maya and brought me back to my team years when I too journaled my days (of course then we called it a diary). ;)

I found the book to be unique with Maya's Green Tips Of The Day. Loved it. Going into this read I did not know this was the third in a series called Diary Of A Teenage Girl. What I have missed is A Not So Simple Life and Its A Green Thing. Two books that if I came across them, I would not pass up.

Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She's considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable-and Maya's ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything."


"To complicate matters even more, Maya's mother will be released from prison soon, and she'll want Maya to live with her again. That's a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad's old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a "normal" life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most."

What an intense book. I personally do not have a teen girl, but I hope my daughter's life will never be this complicated.

Maya Stark is one strong teenage girl. But then with her childhood, she's had to be strong, with a rock star for a dad, a user as a mom, she was the one who always had to be the parent, the responsible one. Now with her chance to have a normal life by living with her uncle, going to an actual high school, and being a real kid... she wants nothing more than to just be that, a normal kid, with normal problems. Then BAM! A christian rock group wants her to join them, her mom gets released from jail and shows up on her doorstep, and her emancipation hearing is happening. So much for normal.

I thoroughly enjoyed What Matters Most by Melody Carlson, although geared for teens, it was still a great read with a great message getting to the heart of things that normal teenage girls deal with each and every day. Giving them hope that with God in their lives they can and will make it.

This appears to be the third book of a series since the cover says "No. 3" on it, but I didn't get the sense that I'd missed anything except for the back.

This book is obviously written for teenagers (that's a shocking thought!) in mainstream America. The book deals with typical school drama, coming of age uncertainties, insecurities, and all the little things that can become big ones in a hurry. Maya is delightfully flawed without it getting old, has a compassionate side, and definitely grows throughout the story. I think the average fourteen-fifteen year old girl would probably enjoy seeing the strengths, weaknesses, and growth of a girl who truly does, at the core of everything, love the Lord and wants to serve Him.

I found the "green notes" at the end of each chapter to be doable and yet a little disconnected from the book. I wasn't sure what the point of them being there was but I finally figured out that there was another book about her where she becomes (or promotes) environmentally conscious.

I'm not a good judge of the best audience for this book (I wouldn't buy it for my girls), but I am guessing that if you have daughters or nieces, little sisters, etc who are average girls in average American schools, and who need encouragement in their walk with the Lord but maybe get a little tired of preachy devotionals or novels, this might just be a great alternative.

Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She's considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable-and Maya's ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything.

To complicate matters even more, Maya's mother will be released from prison soon, and she'll want Maya to live with her again. That's a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad's old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a "normal" life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most.

My Review: I wasn't sure if I would like this book- I really didn't care much for the cover but I did find it interesting reading in diary form.
Maya, the main character, is a 16 year old girl in high school who is going through a difficult time. She struggles from teenage happenings like peer pressure, bullying, breakup, and a mother getting released from prison. She finds her dad's guitar and she likes it. She also finds God to guide her through her many daily struggles about what to do.
All-in-all I did enjoy the book - it would be very good reading for a teenage girl going through many of the same problems and struggles.

If you would like to purchse this book click on the link below
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This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

This is the third book in the Maya part of Diary of a Teenage Girl series. I have only read one other Maya book. I thought both books were good. The green tips at the end of each chapter are informative. Maya is a interesting character as far as her background and interests. My only wish is that the end of the book did not have so may loose ends. I want to know what she ends up doing and how faith progresses. This is not a preachy book at all. Teen girls will probably like it more than mama although I liked it (26). Definitely recommended. :)

Thank you to WaterBrook Multnomah Books, a division of Random House for my review copy.

Maya's Green Tip for the Day: Recycled fashion is one of the most fun ways to go green. A pair of jeans could be transformed into a denim skirt. A sweater into a vest. A bunch of old ties into a dress. A blanket into a poncho. Accessorize it in new way-with beads, buttons, appliqués, buckles, stencils, or ribbons...your imagination is only the limit. (65 words)

Sixteen-year-old Maya Stark has a lot to sort through. She could graduate from high school early if she wants to. She's considering it, especially when popular cheerleader Vanessa Hartman decides to make her life miserable-and Maya's ex-boyfriend Dominic gets the wrong idea about everything.

To complicate matters even more, Maya's mother will be released from prison soon, and she'll want Maya to live with her again. That's a disaster waiting to happen. And when Maya plays her dad's old acoustic guitar in front of an audience, she discovers talents and opportunities she never expected. Faced with new options, Maya must choose between a "normal" life and a glamorous one. Ultimately, she has to figure out what matters most.

I enjoyed this book as I compared Maya's life to the lives of my teenage nieces and nephews. Then I stop and thank God they don't have major life issues to contemplate at 16; however, life in general at that age and in high school can be difficult.