Review of There You'll Find Me by Jenny B Jones

Finely Sinclair travels to Ireland to retrace the footsteps of her brother, Will, who had been killed in a terrorist attack two years previously. She's attempting to compose a song that will honor her brother's memory and use as her audition piece for the Manhattan Music Conservatory. On the plane, she meets Hollywood teen heartthrob, Beckett Rush, who is wrapping up the filming of his latest vampire movie in Ireland. Since she needs a tour guide and he needs an assistant, the two pair up. He's fascinated that she appears to be the only girl immune to his charm. In the midst of Finely's quest for her song, she breaks down and struggles with school, her feelings for Beckett, the overwhelming grief still plaguing her from the loss of her brother, and an English assignment at a local nursing home. Finely knows she's searching, but feels that God isn't listening. It'll take a miracle for her to find what she's searching for.

I selected this book to review because it's set in Ireland. That's really the only reason I selected - because I love anything Irish. I'd never read anything written by Jenny B Jones before, though I have several friends who have recommend her to me multiple times. I started the book thinking it'd be a light, sweet read. I was not prepared for the depths of emotions I felt while reading the book. Finely's soul searching is the biggest theme throughout the book. She's questioning if God is even listening to her anymore. Her host family, specifically the daughter Erin and the mother Nora, are concerned about her health. They can see right through the excuses that she gives. Her music teacher, Sister Maria, hears her play and tells her to follow Will's footsteps and listen to what God is telling her. Yet Finely has a hard time doing that. I've been there. Well not with the composing music part, but the part of having a hard time hearing God. I've questioned if God was even listening, and if He was, then why weren't things better? And I've asked why this had to happen, and I don't understand. All questions that Finely struggled with and discussed with Beckett about. But God still gets through in the end. The search for a specific cross proves to be Finely's breaking point. That and Mrs. Sweeney, her English assignment. Finely must find her hope in order to be able to soar freely.

I think that the message of searching for something that you don't even know about is the ultimate truth in the book. Finely didn't realize she needed hope. She wanted answers to her questions. And I know that those questions are ones I've asked over and over again as I've grown up. But it's the searching and the seeking that helps me grow. Because I discover, as Finely eventually does, that God is always listening and hadn't left. We just aren't truly hearing what He says.

I received this book for free for the purpose of review from Booksneeze.com. My thoughts and opinions are my own.