Advance copy. ( )

I really liked this book. I think it is a perfect book for the 12-18 year old crowd because it does a great job of exploring religion without bashing it. Like Kate, many people within this age group are starting to question the religion they were raised with and need to find a reason to believe other than the fact that their parents do. Reading this book reminded me of when I was going through this time in life myself and even references my favorite bible verse--1 Cor. 13:12. A truly interesting and thoughtful novel about the growing pains we all feel when we outgrow our parents faith and struggle to find our own. ( )

Although this book deals particularly with religion, I think it would be appreciated by any teen who finds they feel differently about a significant issue than their parents. ( )

Reviewed by Marta Morrison for TeensReadToo.com

CONVERTING KATE was a thought-provoking story.

Kate has been raised by a mother who is deeply involved with a church called the Church of the Holy Divine. This church influences everything that Kate and her family does. It comes between her mom and dad and they get divorced. After the divorce, her dad has a heart attack and Kate and her mom move to Maine to live with Kate's Aunt Katherine so her mom can manage the inn her aunt owns.

Kate loves to run so she joins the cross country team at the high school and she makes new friends -- but she rejects her mom's church. The conflict between Kate and her mother, and Kate finding her own beliefs, are the focal point of the story.

The church that Kate belongs to is a church in the extreme. I would have classified it as a cult. It monitors everything that Kate does. I am quite religious and believe that God is my savior, but my beliefs are joyous and my God is loving and kind. Kate's church believes that only the members of her own church will be saved. This is contrary to the belief that there are many branches to the love of Christ.

I liked the journey that Kate went on but I was sad that she didn't realize that God lives in each of us and that a church can be as flawed as the people that attend it, but that doesn't mean that God can't be there in a lot of its members. I believe that the road that Kate takes is the most important, and that most teens take that path and everyone comes to different conclusions.

Please read CONVERTING KATE if you have any questions about your faith or want to find out about different faiths. ( )

loved, loved, loved this book. it shows that just because someone you love is really into something, such as religion, you dont have to be. and you dont have to like someone just because they touch you, you want it because they love you and you want to be with them. ( )