Uninvited - Review

Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely

By: Lysa TerKeurst

Publication: August 9th 2016 by Thomas Nelson

240 pages

Genre: Non-fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The enemy wants us to feel rejected . . . left out, lonely, and less than. When we allow him to speak lies through our rejection, he pickpockets our purpose. Cripples our courage. Dismantles our dreams. And blinds us to the beauty of Christ’s powerful love.

In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences with rejection—from the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father to the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over.

With biblical depth, gut-honest vulnerability, and refreshing wit, Lysa helps readers:

Release the desire to fall apart or control the actions of others by embracing God-honoring ways to process their hurt. Know exactly what to pray for the next ten days to steady their soul and restore their confidence. Overcome the two core fears that feed our insecurities by understanding the secret of belonging. Stop feeling left out and start believing that "set apart" does not mean "set aside." End the cycle of perceived rejection by refusing to turn a small incident into a full blown issue.

I really enjoyed Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst so when I saw that she had a new book coming out I was excited to check it out. Yet when I read the title and description, I felt like maybe this book wasn't exactly for me. See, I don't tend to get my feelings hurt when others don't invite me to specific events and while I definitely have my struggles, I'm pretty comfortable with who I am and don't feel like I need the approval of others to make me feel valuable. But then I saw it on NetGalley and thought it would be a good one for me to review. And I'm glad that even though I wasn't initially approved, the publisher changed their minds and let me review this one because it was about so much more than not being invited to places or events with others.

The truth is that we have all been rejected in one way or other in various aspects of our lives. Maybe it was a relationship that didn't last, or one that never started, or a job that you didn't get, or a parent that left, or any number of rejections. Lysa shares her personal rejections in the areas of a relationship she once thought would be her forever, a friendship that ended, her father who left, and ministry opportunities that didn't pan out. Her own personal vulnerability in sharing her struggles and her heart helps the reader understand that they are not alone with their own rejections. Ms. TerKeurst's writing style is as easy to read as her stories are relate-able. I highlighted a ton from her wording and her message.

Favorite quotes:

-In the quiet of an early morning, honesty finds me. It calls to me through a crack in my soul and invites the real me to come out, come out, wherever you are.

-As long as I suspect that honesty's intention is to expose me and hurt me, it will always feel like a dangerous thing.

-Rejection steals the best of who I am by reinforcing the worst of what's been said to me.

-Things of this world all eventually reveal what incapable anchors they really are.

-I couldn't keep my old broken beliefs, nail a little Jesus truth to the side, and expect stability.

-We must tie our identities to our unchanging, unflinching, unyielding, undeniably good, and unquestionably loving God.

-...when we go to the truth instead of our feelings for the answer to this question, we can understand God's goodness in a whole new light.

-What consumes my thinking will be the making or the breaking of my identity.

-"God, I want Your truth to be the loudest voice in my life. Correct me. Comfort me. Come closer still. And I will trust. God, You are good at being God."

Truthfully I highlighted so much that I wish I could share them all with you, but I had to cut them off somewhere.

All of this to say that Uninvited was so much more than I first assumed it would be based off the title. Lysa TerKeurst writes in a way that is beautiful at times, moving, and certainly relate-able to all. I'd highly recommend Uninvited to all women (and men too really). I love how she approached the questions "Is God good? Is God good to me? And is God good at being God?" Uninvited gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Uninvited? What did you think? Let me know!

Waiting on Uninvited

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely

By: Lysa TerKeurst

Expected Publication: August 9th 2016 by Thomas Nelson

240 pages

Genre: Non-fiction

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The enemy wants us to feel rejected . . . left out, lonely, and less than. When we allow him to speak lies through our rejection, he pickpockets our purpose. Cripples our courage. Dismantles our dreams. And blinds us to the beauty of Christ’s powerful love.

In Uninvited, Lysa shares her own deeply personal experiences with rejection—from the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father to the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over.

With biblical depth, gut-honest vulnerability, and refreshing wit, Lysa helps readers:

Release the desire to fall apart or control the actions of others by embracing God-honoring ways to process their hurt. Know exactly what to pray for the next ten days to steady their soul and restore their confidence. Overcome the two core fears that feed our insecurities by understanding the secret of belonging. Stop feeling left out and start believing that "set apart" does not mean "set aside." End the cycle of perceived rejection by refusing to turn a small incident into a full blown issue.

I don't normally feature non-fiction books in my Waiting on Wednesday posts, but I've really enjoyed Lysa TerKeurst in the past. I can't say this is a particular subject that I struggle with, but I know some people that it might help, and I always like to read books first before I recommend them to others. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Waiting on Unleashed

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Unleashed (Uninvited, # 2)

By: Sophie Jordan

Expected Publication: February 24th 2015 by HarperTeen

368 pages

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--What if the worst thing you ever did was unforgivable?

Davy’s world fell apart after she tested positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome. She was expelled from her school, dumped by her boyfriend, abandoned by friends, and shipped off to a camp that turns HTS carriers into soldiers. Davy may have escaped, but the damage has already been done. The unthinkable has happened. Now, even worse than having everyone else see her as a monster is the knowledge that they may have been right about her all along. Because Davy has killed.

On the run from government agents, Davy is rescued by Caden, the charismatic leader of an underground group of rebels. Despite Caden’s assurances that the Resistance is made up of carriers like her, Davy isn’t sure she can trust them. Then again, she doesn’t even know if she can trust herself . . . or her growing feelings for Caden. But if she doesn’t belong with Caden and his followers, is there anywhere she can call home?

I enjoyed book 1, Uninvited, and I am looking forward to seeing how this series wraps up. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Uninvited - Review

Uninvited (Uninvited, # 1)

By: Sophie Jordan

Published: January 28th 2014 by HarperTeen

384 pages

Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | Booksamillion.com )

*Note: The above links to Amazon, Book Depository, and Booksamillion.com are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report in bestselling author Sophie Jordan's chilling new novel about a teenage girl who is ostracized when her genetic test proves she's destined to become a murderer.

When Davy Hamilton's tests come back positive for Homicidal Tendency Syndrome (HTS)-aka the kill gene-she loses everything. Her boyfriend ditches her, her parents are scared of her, and she can forget about her bright future at Juilliard. Davy doesn't feel any different, but genes don't lie. One day she will kill someone.

Only Sean, a fellow HTS carrier, can relate to her new life. Davy wants to trust him; maybe he's not as dangerous as he seems. Or maybe Davy is just as deadly.

The first in a two-book series, Uninvited tackles intriguing questions about free will, identity, and human nature. Steeped in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's trademark mix of gripping action and breathless romance, this suspenseful tale is perfect for fans of James Patterson, Michelle Hodkin, and Lisa McMann.

I really got hooked into Sophie Jordan’s writing style with her Firelight series. So that had me extremely interested in checking out this book. The description of “The Scarlet Letter meets Minority Report” had me intrigued. I’ve said this a dozen times, but I always feel like I need to say it again whenever the description spells out too much. I read the description of books when I add them to my TBR list or when I decide to pick them up/check them out. However, a varying amount of time goes by between when I read the description and when I pick up any particular book. That being said, this is another book where the description spells out some things for sure that I predicted while reading and I would have known them to be fact had I re-read the description before actually picking it up. But, this is the way that I like it. I don’t enjoy knowing too much information before starting a book.

The description above does state that Davy’s boyfriend Zac ditches her. And well I’ve kind of come to expect that from any book where the main character has an existing relationship at the start of the book. Truthfully, I think I’ve only read a handful of books that start like this, but still. Whenever I don’t have the opportunity to witness the buildup and establishment of a romantic relationship in a book, I’m not as emotionally attached to that relationship. And that’s essentially the case here.

It took me a good 20-30% of Uninvited to feel invested in what was going on. I’m not quite sure if that’s the books fault or because I’ve been trying to take things easier the last couple of weeks. Either way, I can see some readers abandoning this one before they have an opportunity to get hooked. Regardless, I did end up getting hooked, and read the majority of the book in one day.

Davy is a character designed to stir up sympathy within your heart. She’s got a bright future ahead of her. Her parents live in the good neighborhood. She goes to a private school. She’s musically gifted in just about every area possible. She’s already been accepted to Julliard. She’s dating the guy that every other female wants. She’s the good child between her and her brother. But then she finds out the results of her DNA test. She’s positive for the “kill gene.” And despite what the past 17 years of her life shows, everyone around her is now wary of her. They’re afraid that she’ll flip at any moment.

I liked the concept of how even though your actions should be the determining factor when it comes to your character—who you are—people labeled you what they project onto you. It happens all the time. And sometimes there’s just nothing we can do to change the minds of others. I also liked showing how drastically people will respond out of fear. While some of Uninvited is probably extreme to the point of unrealistic, people are definitely afraid of what they can’t see and understand. And fear motivates people to behave inhumanely all the time. And normally, I really don’t like books that have some sort of political undertone or message, I did enjoy the show of how ridiculous the government can be.

Uninvited has wide variety of male depictions in comparison to female ones. We’ve got Davy’s brother, Mitchell, who is a perpetual screw up. Everyone probably should have been more wary of him based off his actions than Davy. But I love the relationship he has with her. Mitchell isn’t perfect, but he’s got Davy’s back despite the recently revelation of her “kill gene.” Davy’s dad is furious at the news of his daughter’s DNA and the treatment of her by those around her. Yet his own behavior is confusing. Zac is Davy’s boyfriend at the start of the book. We all know that he abandons her, but all of that doesn’t go down as quickly as one might expect. He does some really crappy things, but at the same time, you can tell that he still cares for Davy even though he allows himself to be influenced by those around him. We’ve got the perverted teacher who takes advantage of his position as well as the fact that his word is better than that of someone with the “kill gene.” There are no shortage of sociopaths either.

Overall Uninvited turned out to be an average book for me. I enjoyed reading it once I got hooked, but now that a couple of days have passed since I finished it, well I’m just not that stoked about it. Honestly, I was debating on not continuing with the series until I saw that this is only planned to be a two book series. I think I can handle one more. Uninvited gets 3 stars for me. Have you read Uninvited? What did you think? Let me know!