Fool's Gold by Melody Carlson

Thank you NavPress for allowing me the opportunity to review this book.

Fool's Gold
by: Melody Carlson
review by: Jennifer Ballew

Fool's Gold is a fiction novel about a missionary kid, Hannah, from Papua New Guinea who came to California to stay with some rich family members while her parents are home on furlough. As Hannah's parents travel the United States raising support to go back to Papau New Guinea, she tries to fit into a "normal" life with her cousin Vanessa and her friends. Hannah new right away she was different. She didn't dress the same, talk the same, or act the same as those she found in California. She left her Bible in "PNG" as she called it and turned away from God. She wanted to earn money for college, or uni as she called it, so she got a job as a receptionist at her Uncle's Janitorial Company. Instead of saving money, she kept spending. Opening new charge accounts at fancy stores, asking for a draw on her salary from her uncle, and opening bank accounts, she got caught in trying to live up to Vanessa and her popular friend's standards. She could never live up to them no matter how hard she tried, or how much debt she got herself into.

She met a young lady named Jessie, who was a Christian, the only one in her family. She tried to show Hannah how important it was to be herself. Hannah was trying to impress Wyatt, a good looking boy that she met at a party. She began by going surfing with him, with little innocent flirting here and there. She tried alcoholic beverages a couple of times, but she did not like them. She even charged a pair of expensive sunglasses for herself and for Wyatt, trying to impress. It worked. He began to like her, but was it really for her, or the money he thought she had.

After all her debt started piling up and realizing she was in way over her head, she hit rock bottom and broke down. She remembered God and how he is always there for you. She asked for his forgiveness, started working extra hours to pay back her debt, stopped hanging out with the wrong crowd, and started going to church with Jessie.

This story was a good story with a wonderful lesson in it. I think personally it is geared for the upper teen age girl group. This would be wonderful for someone who is facing peer pressure. Some of the lingo is a little hard to follow, but the more you read the more you catch on. Overall it was a good book.