The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

The Promise of Amazing tells the story of two young people who have a completely unplanned, incongruous encounter that leads to a relationship.
Wren Caswell is an average student in the junior class at Sacred Heart Academy. Her average marks means she's unlikely (according to Mrs. Fiore) to apply to Harvard. Ranked 49th out of 102 students, she has been denied admission to the Sacred Heart Honor Society.

Wren lives with her dad, who is a lawyer and her mother who runs the family wedding business called Camelot where Wren helps out. She also has two older siblings, Josh and Brooke.

She has just come off a break-up with her boyfriend, Trevor DiMarco, who dumped her so he could be free for his first year of college at SUNY Purchase in the fall. Trev was a friend of her brother Josh,when they attended St. Gabriel Prep.

Grayson Barrett lives with his dad and his new wife, Tiffany. His father is in the real estate business and they are well off. Grayson's parents split 6 years ago, with his mother taking off for another man. Grayson was one of the stars of St. Gabriel Prep, a top student and star of the lacrosse team. But last year he was expelled for selling term papers. Gone is his chance to get into Harvard.

While serving at a wedding one night, Wren steps in to save a boy who is choking. The boy happens to be Grayson Barrett. Grayson is immediately attracted to her and decides to pursue Wren. He knows he needs to change the path he has gone down, and Wren seems like the ticket to make that happen. He feels that Wren is a good person, someone he can be himself around. When Grayson comes clean about why he was expelled from St. Gabe's, Wren backs away from him. Undaunted, Grayson decides to apply for a job at Camelot so that he can get to know her better.

But Wren has no idea just what a bad boy Grayson is, because pimping term papers was just the tip of the iceberg. Over the next few weeks Grayson and Wren see each other and fall in love. Motivated by his feelings for Wren, Grayson tries to break away from the group of guys he's been involved with. But this proves to be more difficult than he imagined. His friend Luke, refuses to let Grayson leave. Can Grayson find the inner strength to do what is right and win Wren back?

The Promise of Amazing has some great strengths and some terrible weakness. This book brilliantly portrayed modern life with all its tragedies and difficulties. Especially poignant is the Thanksgiving dinner Grayson experiences with his mother's second family. Grayson is lost between the two worlds his divorced parents have created. He doesn't fit in with either.

His mother has remarried and started a new family, with two young children, Ryder and Gwen. When Grayson goes to the holiday dinner there, he still has a great deal of anger towards his mother for cheating on his dad. He has a disparaging name for his stepfather and ends up leaving the dinner early. This scene realistically portrays the alienation and loneliness teens often feel and are forced to accept when the adults in their lives behave selfishly. It also accurately reflects the anger many children feel towards the parent (in this case, Grayson's mother) who abandons the home without sufficient cause.

"The day my mother left wasn't monumental. My parents' divorce was sickeningly amicable....No glasses thrown across the room. No heated debates over who got what. They simply woke up one day, decided they didn't like the life they were living, and said, "Okay, done with this...next." But the one thing they couldn't split down the middle was me."

His parents divorce seems to be the force behind Grayson's bad behaviour - pimping term papers and becoming involved in a theft ring to finance a graduation trip to Europe. His world seemed, not surprising, to have unraveled. However, Constantine has her character come to realize that his problems have arisen BECAUSE he has not moved on rather than being due to the fact that his world was shattered when his parents divorced. While it's true that Grayson, like all children, must come to terms with his parent's divorce, this is often easier said than done and often assumed by adults to just happen.

Constantine told her story using two narratives, those of the main characters, Grayson and Wren. For the most part their entire relationship was unappealing. Credibility was strained as to how quickly Grayson and Wren's relationship developed, despite Grayson repeatedly stating he wanted to move slowly and develop a friendship first.Wren seemed determined to give Grayson chance after chance despite his behaviour demonstrating again and again that this was not a good boy to be with.

Neither character was particularly appealing. At times the things Grayson says and thinks seem either too mature for someone his age, or too immature. There's plenty of "f" words or variations of the same and a total obsession with sex. Grayson's prime motivation for changing his life was the brief encounter he has with Wren while choking. For some inexplicable reason, Grayson's conscience seemed to assert itself when he was with Wren. Even he was puzzled by this. He was a mostly despicable character whose immoral behaviour, rationalization and lack of conscience made him wholly unlikeable even when he was trying to redeem himself.

Grayson's redemption is accomplished gradually through the novel, although he's a liar right to the very end. He gradually changes from the sexy boy with a bad attitude, a player, thief and liar, to at least a person who has come to the realization that he has been "stealing trust". His attempt to leave the theft ring that he and Luke created, his confession to Wren about his past and the realization that he needs to repair his broken relationship with his mother are commendable but don't outweigh the fact that for the balance of the novel Grayson is genuinely unlikable.

Wren is good, kind and hard-working and in a word boring until she meets Grayson. Her indecision regarding Grayson when it's obvious he's not a good person, and her repeated rationalizing of his behaviour is tiresome. She too experiences her own journey in the novel. Always known as the quiet, obedient daughter and student, she begins to assert herself and even tells Mrs. Fiore how her speech about Harvard affects the students. Wren comes to realize that a piece of paper labeling her doesn't define her.

I also didn't like that this novel perpetuated the all too common perspective that hooking up with multiple people is a normal part of teenage years as expressed by Wren's girlfriend, Jazz who advises "What I'm getting at is -- so what if he's been with other girls? It only means he's experienced.....We're sixteen... this is what it's supposed to be." This kind of boy drama is best left to older girls in college, or maybe never. Sixteen year old girls should be focused on school, sports and other extra curricular activities that build character and social awareness.

The Promise of Amazing doesn't deliver the promise of the title. There is lots of mature content in the book making it more suitable for older teens who will likely find Grayson and Wren's relationship silly. Most annoying was the repeated us of phrases such as "a hormonal puddle of hotness" that are awkward and cliched. The Promise of Amazing is a take on the good girl meets "the sexy, troubled bad boy" theme with an ending that is most unsatisfying, making it a novel that is best passed over.

Book Details:
The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine
New York: Balzer & Bray An imprint of HarperCollins     2014
371 pp.

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker

Small Town Sinners explores the conflicts one young woman experiences between her faith and living in the modern world.

Lacey Anne Byer is the sixteen-year-old daughter of Ted and Theresa Byer, who are "pillars of the community" of West River. Lacey's dad is one of the pastors at the House of Enlightenment, an evangelical Christian church in the town of West River. Her best friend, Starla Joy Minter is a free spirit, with a caring, easy going manner. Starla lives with her older sister, Tessa, and their mother, a single woman who has been abandoned by her husband. Lacey's other best friend, is Dean Perkins, a boy who has gained considerable weight in the last year and is being bullied by Geoff Parsons.

Like other girls in her church community, Lacey wears a purity ring, symbolizing her decision to remain chaste until marriage. Lacey's life is characterized by always following the rules, something she's not happy about because she feels that she is missing out on life and excitement. She also feels this makes her boring and unattractive. She longs to step out of her comfort zone and try new things instead of always following the rules.

The novel opens with Lacey taking her drivers test and noticing a cute blond boy at the DMV office. A few days later, that same boy initiates their first meeting when he stops the car in the street to introduce himself. Lacey eventually recognizes him as Tyson (Ty) Davis, a kid she remembers from her first grade class and who left town ten years ago. Now sixteen-years-old, he's back living with his aunt, Vivian Moss who is the church librarian. Lacey and Ty begin a friendship that sees them meet up at Ulster Hill and sit and talk about life, about their faith and what it means to them. Lacey's parents do not know that she is meeting Ty on a regular basis.

Meanwhile at the church, efforts are on to prepare for their annual Hell House, which happens just before Halloween. The Youth Leaders meet to plan the Hell House which Lacey describes as follows: "They're kind of like haunted houses, which is why we do ours over Halloween weekend. Tour guides dressed as demons take the audience through the church, room by room, to view scenes of sin: a drunk driving crash, a suicide, domestic abuse, and an abortion."  The purpose behind Hell House is to show young people the reality of sin and to draw them into committing to Christ. Lacey is fully committed to participating in Hell House and desperately wants to be Abortion Girl, a role usually only given to a senior student. This year's Hell House will include scenes on gay marriage, drunk driving, abortion, and spousal abuse. Lacey decides to audition for the part of Abortion Girl despite her parents reservations.  "In the past, I haven't gone for what I want. I've been safe and good and all those things that were expected of me...."

Against the backdrop of her faith community's preparations for Hell House, Lacey begins to question her beliefs, especially when she learns that her best friend Starla Joy's sister, Tessa is pregnant.  She questions what she believes in, and how her community treats those who have made choices similar to the ones portrayed in Hell House. In an effort to resolve her conflicts, Lacey talks to both Ty who urges one approach - a nonjudgmental and more liberal view, and her father who urges another - faithfulness to Biblical teachings.

Discussion

In her novel, Small Town Sinners, Walker explores the use of the haunted houses, known as Hell Houses to evangelize Christian teens about their faith and social issues. This is done through the character of  Christian teen, Lacey Anne Byer, whose father is one of the pastors of their evangelical church. Lacey along with her friends, Starla Joy and Tessa Minter, Dean, and classmate, Geoff participate in their church's Hell House. Newcomer, Tyson Davis however, is the older teen questioning their beliefs and motives.

An alternative to haunted houses, Hell Houses use tableaus or scenes depicting a specific serious sin such as a teen drunk driving or a girl undergoing an abortion. The scenes are often gory and vivid but the purpose is not to scare but to evangelize. There are over three thousand churches in the United States that participate in the Hell House movement which was started by Jerry Falwell. However, most mainstream Christian churches do not subscribe to this type of fire and brimstone Christianity. Walker does address this in the novel, through the character of Starla Joy who tells a questioning Ty,  "But Hell House is our chance to show people our own age what the consequences are if you don't accept Jesus into your heart. And it's shocking -- it has to be so they'll pay attention."  However, Ty believes there are better ways to get teens to turn to Jesus and live good lives.

As the daughter of one of the pastors of their church, Lacey Anne begins struggling with what she believes and why she believes what she does. When initially discussing the concept of Hell House, Ty asks asks Lacey, "Do you think murder and using drugs are the same level of offense in God's eyes?" to which Lacey responds that they are both sins. Later on Lacey explains that having a pregnancy tableau in Hell House show "...girls that the wrong choices can lead to really painful consequences."  Ty tells Lacey that it's not that he doesn't believe in God, it's that doesn't agree with what he's been taught. He asks Lacey if she believes "all the people who commit sins are bad?" Unfortunately Lacey doesn't provide that answer, that it's the sin that is bad, and not the person.

When Starla Joy's sister, Tessa becomes pregnant by her boyfriend Jeremy Jackson, the town and the faith community is thrown into a crisis. Tessa is taken that night to Saint Angeles Home to stay until she gives birth. Meanwhile the next day Jeremy is seen having fun with friends. This leads Starla Joy to note: "The guys get to go on with their lives, doing whatever they want, taking no responsibility because they're not physically tied to the sin they've committed."  Lacey is disappointed with how her parents and her church community are responding to the situation of Tessa Minter's pregnancy. She tells Ty, "...there's something about the way people are acting in his name that isn't sitting right with me."

Once Tessa's pregnancy becomes known, Lacey's parents suggest that she distance herself from Starla Joy, in effect, encouraging her to abandon her friend in her hour of need. "Lacey Ann... when girls like that get themselves into trouble, they can affect other girls in the community too." This leads Lacey to remember how unaffected Jeremy seemed at school, while Tessa has been sent away. And she wonders why her parents don't refer to Jeremy Jackson as "boys like that". Instead Lacey tells her parents she is not abandoning Starla Joy, "...I'm also not going to stop spending time with my best friend when she needs me the most. That's not what I was taught."  and refuses to obey their request to find new friends.

Later on, Lacey and her father talk about how the consequences of sin seem uneven. When she mentions that Jeremy seems unaffected by what's happening, her father tells her that she doesn't know what Jeremy is experiencing because there is no obvious physical manifestation. Lacey questions Jeremy's participation in Hell House to which her father counters that Jeremy should be "taking his mind off things" and that "He's got a bright future, that boy. With basketball and --" Lacey is stunned by her father's inability to understand how unfair this seems. She asks her father, "What about Tessa and her bright future?" Lacey wonders, "How does he not see that Jeremy gets to do everything the he wants to do while Tessa is locked away like she's contagious until after she's had the baby?" She is further upset when her father seems to blame Tessa for the situation she's in because she's expected to be the gatekeeper of self-control. There is no such requirement placed on Jeremy.

In Small Town Sinners readers are presented with a group of Christian teens who are struggling to understand their faith.  Lacey believes certain behaviours are sinful but is often  unable to provide answers for why she holds the beliefs she does.  For example, when Lacey and Ty are discussing the abortion scene and its very gory depiction of a late term abortion, Ty states that he's "pretty sure it's quick and clean and safe ninety-nine percent of the time.....And I'm positive that it doesn't involve major blood or anything really violent. Most women walk out the same day."  Lacey really has no response to Ty, instead acknowledging to herself that "I guess I hadn't ever really thought about what an actual abortion might be like."  It would seem that Lacey is against abortion simply because she's been told its wrong. It doesn't appear that she's thought much about the issue, done some research to explore what's involved or determined why she thinks it is wrong. 

Later on after the friends visit Tessa at Saint Angeles, Starla Joy reveals that her sister is "pro-choice and anti-abortion" because while she wouldn't would choose abortion, "...she thinks it should be everyone's individual choice." However, Dean correctly points out that the girl who was abused and became pregnant is an extreme situation and that there is another life involved. Everyone rightly seems confused by what Tessa believes,  including Lacey. Ty accuses Lacey of not listening and states that "Tessa's not in favor of abortion. But she does believe in choice."  Which is what most supporters of abortion believe: killing an unborn child is a "choice", a euphemism to cover up what is truly being done.

Nevertheless, Tessa's "choice" to follow through with the pregnancy and place her baby for adoption has a positive ending, demonstrating that choosing life can result in many blessings: Tessa doesn't have to deal with the spiritual, emotional and physical effects of an abortion, she has brought a new life into the world, and a couple gets a baby they deeply want. Walker in her Nine Months Later chapter demonstrates the positives of choosing life: despite her pregnancy, Tessa is able to attend prom, graduate and go to university. 

Walker's dialogue and the information she incorporates into her novel comes from an article she did for ElleGirl in 2006 on Hell Houses. For a different perspective on Hell Houses please read Rethinking Youth Ministry from the website Patheos: https://www.patheos.com/resources/additional-resources/2011/10/christian-haunted-houses-brian-kirk-10-20-2011.

There's no doubt this is a provocative look at the extreme religious right that in no way represents the majority of those Christians who hold that abortion and premarital sex are wrong.  The cover, showing an apple with a bite taken out is a reference to the fall of Adam and Eve, after Eve takes a bite out of the apple from the Tree of Life. However, the bite is in the shape of a heart, suggesting the "hate the sin, love the sinner" is important. 

Book Details:
Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker
New York: Bloomsbury     2011
273 pp.