Synopsis: Grief brought Finley to Ireland. LOVE WILL LEAD HER HOME. Finley Sinclair is not your typical eighteen-year-old. She's witty, tough, and driven. With an upcoming interview at the Manhattan music conservatory, Finley needs to compose her audition piece. But her creativity disappeared with the death of her older brother, Will.
She decides to study abroad in Ireland so she can follow Will's travel journal. It's the place he felt closest to God, and she's hopeful being there will help her make peace over losing him. So she agrees to an exchange program and boards the plane.
Beckett Rush, teen heartthrob and Hollywood bad boy, is flying to Ireland to finish filming his latest vampire movie. On the flight, he meets Finley. She's the one girl who seems immune to his charm. Undeterred, Beckett convinces her to be his assistant in exchange for his help as a tour guide.
Once in Ireland, Finley starts to break down. The loss of her brother and the pressure of school, her audition, and whatever it is that is happening between her and Beckett, leads her to a new and dangerous vice. When is God going to show up for her in this emerald paradise?
Then she experiences something that radically changes her perspective on life. Could it be God convincing her that everything she's been looking for has been with her all along? (Goodreads.com)
What I liked about this book, and what I think teen girls in particular are going to relate to, is Finley's slow breakdown as she tries to deal with all the pressure in her life. She's being courted by a celebrity (think Robert Pattinson but less amusing ), school is another pressure she deals with, as is her constant practice sessions for her upcoming audition to the New York Conservatory. And oh yeah, trying to retrace her brother Will's footsteps. Will is dead but he lives on in Finley's life through her grief about him and she is hard pressed to let it go. Much of this book deals with her relationship to God in terms of her relationship with Will, her grief, and the process of finally letting it go.
Readers will enjoy the lush Irish setting as Finley is studying abroad. Getting to know the various residents of Abbeyglen, spending time sight-seeing, and dealing with a school bully, a crush, making new friends, and the pressures of the future all combine to make this book readers are going to respond to. That being said, this is a definite Christian fiction book and Finley seriously questions her relationship with God. She is dealing with seeing someone dying right before her eyes and that too makes her question where God is leading her. A nun becomes a bit of a guide to Finley and helps her see that prayer is a way to reach God and that even though she feels empty, as if he has abandoned her, he is in fact right there, waiting for her to reconnect. This is not light on the religious message but I didn't find it to be a turn-off. To me, teenagers are at the point in their lives where they are questioning everything and everyone so it felt natural for Finley to be somewhat repelled and scared of her relationship with God, to distrust Him.
And intertwined with all of this is Finley's foray into an eating disorder. I felt this was actually really well done in the story. As Finley starts to feel more and more pressure, as her relationship with God changes, she finds comfort in the emptiness of her stomach. The signs are clearly laid out for readers and things get progressively worse as the story continues. This is not an eating disorder story however; there is a lot more to this book than Finley's trouble with food.
The only thing for me that was a turn-off was the epilogue which rang rather... falsely cheerful. Finley's journey into healing is just beginning by the end of the book so the abrupt switch to the epilogue where she is seems much happier and more resilient was a bit of a shocker for me. All in all though, There You'll Find Me proved to be an engaging foray into Christian teen fiction for me. Religious or not, teens are going to relate to Finley's struggles, her need to achieve, and how down to earth she is in her love for her family and her brother. I obviously need to read more in order to continue to my readers' advisory for my teen customers but I definitely found this to be a great start. I think this is a thoughtful story that teen readers, no matter what denomination or even lack of interest in religion, will find complicated and engaging.
Other reviews:
Much Loved Books reviews There You'll Find Me
Book Review Sisters reviews There You'll Find Me
Born Bookish reviews There You'll Find Me
Reviewed from public library book.
