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Book Review of Converting Kate

Converting Kate
blackeyedsusan avatar reviewed on + 22 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3


You know those times when you want that hopeful ending and a little sugar isn't so bad? Well, that's _Converting Kate_. If you've ever questioned your faith or actually left your family's religion, then you'd probably appreciate this story. Yep, it's YA and as an adult who reads a lot of contemporary YA let me tell you this is no Disney show converted to print. Kate and her mom belong to a pretty strict faith that preaches they are the one true church. After the death of her father (a non-believer), Kate's doubts turn to anger and rejection. It's not a matter of letting her dad die but her questions that have been building as she matures. When Kate and her mom move to her dad's birthplace, Kate meets new friends, new school and exposed to ideas and experiences she had been cut off from previously. The story has a good range of characters including Pastor Browning who is turns out to be agnostic and gay and open-minded. He helps Kate navigate through her doubts and anger. Beckie Weinheimer writes from personal experience that lends an authenticity that strikes a chord with all of us who remember our own crisis of faith.