The Art of Losing Yourself by Katie Ganshert

I really liked this novel. Great characters, superb writing, tantalizing plot – it's a very good novel.

The story centers around Gracie, the younger teen-aged daughter of an alcoholic mom who runs away and ends up living with her older sister and her husband. She is a fierce character, honest to a fault. She's been hurt so many times her outer shell has reinforcements. Just maybe Elias, the nice Christian football receiver who befriends her, can break through the facade.

Gracie's older sister, Carmen, has enough trouble of her own. After six miscarriages, her burning desire to be a mother has singed her relationship with her husband, the high school football coach. Carmen struggles with her own frustration and having Gracie in the house isn't easy.

There is much to think about and discuss in this novel. Perhaps the biggest one is how God directs lives and causes events to work out for good for those who love him. Other issues include alcoholism, the inability to have children, trust, family loyalty, and what it really means to lose yourself.

This is a novel about confronting issues, about growth, about forgiveness, about restoration. It is an exceptionally well crafted novel with characters so realistic I'd forget I was reading a novel. I highly recommend it for youth and adults alike.

Katie Ganshert is an award winning author, born and raised in Iowa, where she lives with her family. She has a degree in education from the University of Wisconsin. You can find out more at http://katieganshert.com/.

WaterBrook, 320 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.