This is Awkward - Book Review

I think it's safe to say that we've all had awkward moments in our lives. And that's okay. It's part of living! But the kind of awkwardness that author Sammy Rhodes writes about in his book This is Awkward goes deeper than two actresses wearing the same dress at the Oscars. 

The type of awkward moments in this book are actually the moments that bring you shame. The moments that cause you to face your vulnerability, even when you don't want to be vulnerable. The moments no one really talks about because, well, it's just too awkward.

Parenting, divorce, porn addiction (or any addiction), the challenges of marriage, the challenges of making and keeping friends, introversion, weight, living online. And accepting that no matter which awkward moment brings us shame, God loves us just the same.

If you're feeling a little awkward and need some reassurance from someone who has definitely been there, done that, then you might want to pick up Rhodes' book. I think the target audience would be high schoolers through 30-somethings. I can't imagine my mom's Bible study reading this book and understanding most of the references or finding Rhodes' awkward stream-of-consciousness digressions through each chapter charming. (Those parts of the book were not really my favorite either.)

And while I appreciate reading a Christian author who has actually seen the Harry Potter movies and/or read the books instead of condemning them as the work of Satan, if you're going to use so many Harry Potter references, you might want to correctly spell "Gryffindor" (incorrectly spelled on page 112) and "Hufflepuff" (spelled wrong on page 98).

Also, wasn't really sure why Rhodes spent so much time making fun of engineering students in the beginning of the chapter on friendship. I was not an engineering student, but I'm pretty sure that if you're trying to make friends, making fun of how someone looks is not really the way to win people over to your side.

Awkward.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”