Review: My Life, Unscripted

There are a lot of "girl's guides" out there, I know; as Jo has crept steadily towards her pre-teen years, I've kept my eyes and ears open for anything that might help us navigate the potentially rocky waters of her coming of age. I have a small collection of what I consider "tour books" set aside for her--things that I can draw on to help her find God's way for her as she journeys toward womanhood.

Tricia Goyer takes a stab at the genre with the autobiographical "My Life, Unscripted." Written directly to the young ladies she is hoping to guide and inspire, Goyer uses a unique, non-confrontational approach in presenting her material. Each themed section begins with a screenplay-like vignette drawn, presumably, from the author's real life and relating to the topic. The style is engaging, and most importantly, gives Goyer credibility as she tackles some of the nastier sides of growing up in a fallen world.

And therein lies the rub for this particular guidebook: Goyer's personal teen experiences involved alcohol, sex, mean girls, abortion and finally, carrying a pregnancy to term in her senior year. In other words, this book is not likely to make a good selection for a relatively sheltered young lady who has had little or no exposure to the school settings described or the pressures inherent within them.

For the record, Goyer presents all of the drama in a tasteful and completely non-glorifying manner. It is clear that she is writing this tell-all as a cautionary tale, with all the wisdom of adulthood and firm commitment to her faith underlining every incident. And no doubt there is quite an audience for the topics covered here--there are far too many teens in America this very minute that need to read this book to get an honest look at the cultural norms they are embracing.

For families who want to deal with these brutal realities in a frank and Biblical manner, "My Life, Unscripted" is a relational, approachable starting place. "Beautiful Girlhood," it's not. But needed ... yes.