I received an advanced copy of this ebook from the publisher for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. I enjoyed Tessa's character. This book is set in Riverbend, Indiana and mentions Iceland. ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING INFIDELITY ⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️⚠️. This book is fast paced. The friendships in this book is fantastically described. This book is in stores for $14.99 (USD).

A great teen book about family, relationships, and the struggles young girls can face growing up and why it is important to have a close relationship with God.

Tessa’s life has always been pretty easy; she goes to swim practice, gets good grades and has two loving parents. All of that changes as she comes home one afternoon to find out her parents are getting a divorce and her best friend is moving away. To top things off, she is put in drama, the worst class ever. As Tessa tries to cope with her new family life, her mom gets more and more depressed, her best friend is posting about how great her new life is, and Tessa feels like everyone has a great life except her. Her goal is to convince herself and others that she is fine and nothing is wrong, but it only takes a little bit for her new friends to realize she is anything but fine and they help her discover that it is ok for things to not be perfect.

This was such a great fast read; I loved how real it was (no pun intended). It’s true though, being real and not perfect in this day and age of social media is so hard to do. Everyone tries to put their very best little snap shots up to post for all to see when that isn’t real life. Life is hard and messy and if we realize that and let others see the real life we are living, it will take away the stress and weight of trying to be perfect all the time. Tessa is going through what a lot of kids end up going through these days and to see her angry, hurt and letting her emotions get the best of her at times is what really made this book connect with me. This is the first book in the series about four friends that have different lives but find a way to connect with each other through their struggles and come closer because of it. While Tessa was the main character, readers get to see a small glimpse into the lives of the others that will shine in their own upcoming stories. The fact that Tessa didn’t get the perfect fairy tale ending was something I give props to the author for, very rarely does life give us that fairy tale ending and to see things play out there the way they did is going to be bringing me back for more. I am thankful that teens will have a realistic view of life when picking this one up. I recommend this to young teen girls that are looking for characters they can relate to and want to feel connected to a storyline that is more than just an escape.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Real, Not Perfect is the first title in the new series, Riverbend friends. If this book is any indication, this series is one that will last awhile on the booklist of any Christian teen girl. Teens will identify with the situations that Tessa and her friends encounter. The characters are very identifiable and have some depth to them. The emotions from the characters are real and relatable to many teens. The description of the impact of youth group was again very much like many teens today experience.
Real, Not Perfect is a refreshing entry into the YA Christian fiction area. This book is not preachy and is written like any realistic fiction out there. It is nice to finally read a teen book without too much girl drama but real life situations that impact many of our teens today. There are not many books published each year in the area of YA Christian fiction but even if there were, this book would still be at the top of my list. Looking forward to reading the other entries in this series. This is one title that I highly recommend to any teen girl looking for an good read.
I received an ARC ebook from NetGalley and the publisher, Tyndale House, in exchange for an honest review.

This novel kicks off a new YA series published by Focus on the Family geared toward teens facing real issues depression, death, divorce. The main character and a few of her friends are having a crisis of faith as their worlds are spinning faster than they can catch their breaths. How to make things right again? Is that possible? What to believe? How could a Christian man cheat on his family, then seek a divorce without even trying to reconcile. Both Tessa and her mom cannot believe this is happening to them. What to do when bad things happen to good people? What does that look like? How is someone supposed to deal with that and have faith in God?

Zoe is there for Tessa letting her talk things out not, listens and gives a hug and tissues when needed. I loved the transparency of the whole situation. It was not about a list of scripture verses spoken out loud to go for a quick fix to this major blow up. Tessa must face her friends and her father (the cheater) and her hurt feelings. She wanted her father to make things right. Tell her he was sorry. But that isn’t realistic. She soon realizes the only one she can change is herself and it’s ok to take it one day at a time.

I liked the true emotions and struggles shared by Tessa and her mother as their life blows up, and they navigate uncharted territory, trying to keep it real, recognizing that nothing and no one is perfect (including them) This is a great start to a heart-warming, transparent read about tough issues. I look forward to reading the next book in this series!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have received a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

Major trigger warnings in this story include: divorce, and suicide.

This book made me feel a LOT of emotions throughout the span of me reading it. This has been the first book in a awhile to make me shed tears.

Real, Not Perfect follows Tessa, a Christian teen who’s world just fell apart from her parents’ divorce and her best friend moving away to Florida, all right before a new school year is set to begin. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book since I’m not a Christian myself but I found myself enjoying the religious references that were made.

I feel like this story brings up a lot of topics that I think should be talked about more in literature such as grief and opening up about your inner pain. I personally feel like these topics were handled well, but one thing I didn’t like was how Tessa held all her feelings inside for as long as she did. I feel like it was dragged on for longer than it should have since after awhile it felt repetitive.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me this book as an arc in exchange for an honest review!
#RealNotPerfect #NetGalley

I’m not an avid YA reader, and I think that has impacted how this book hit me. I struggled to understand the purpose of this story while I was reading Real, Not Perfect. The characters all felt self-centered. No one talked about what was really bothering them, and big feelings about big life issues were addressed by the main character “tucking herself in her turtle shell.” This book is filled with triggers: divorce and suicide being the main ones, and really, they aren’t addressed or handled in ways that I would want to see characters in a Christian book for young adults being handled. The only redeeming character in this story is Zoe who tries to point Tessa, the protagonist struggling through her parents divorce, towards God and offers to help her talk through her emotions. The rest of the story is filled with stuffing feelings, no one truly helping this young girl who is suffering immensely.

Unfortunately, this is not a book I can or would recommend anyone read.

I was so excited when I saw this new Christian YA series was being released! I feel like there’s not a whole lot of YA contemporaries on the Christian fiction market which is a shame since I love them! Real, Not Perfect is the first book in the Riverbend Friends series.

After Tessa finds out her parents are separating, she feels like the nearly perfect life she’s always known is starting to crumble. On top of her parents divorce, her best friend moved away, she’s stuck in a drama class she didn’t sign up for, and the boy she likes sees her as just a friend.
While her mom sinks into heartache, Tessa deals with her anger and hurt. She hides her emotions behind smiles and “I’m fine” but inside, she feels anything but fine. There’s only so much pretending she can do. What if she could embrace that being real is so much better than being perfect?

I really liked this book. While it is sad, it also has it’s light moments that made me laugh and smile.
I really liked Tessa and found her relatable in so many ways. Her struggle with opening up to people and stop pretending that she’s okay is something I could especially relate to. As for side characters, I really liked Izzy, Shay, and Alex, especially Izzy. I’m so excited for her story! As for Amelia, I think she’ll grow on me. :)
I really enjoyed seeing Tessa’s friendship with Izzy, Shay, and Amelia grow. It reminded me that sometimes we’re put in situations we don’t like but a lot of good can come from it, like valuable friendships that can change our life for the better. They were a fun group and I’m so happy they each get their own story!
I also really liked watching her relationship with her mom. I was getting all teared up several times!
This book really shows just how social media can affect you. It’s so easy to forget that people are posting the highlights of their life. You don’t always see the side of their lives that’s less than perfect. You only get a small glimpse but it can make you feel like your life isn’t as great as everyone else’s. So much connection yet it can make you feel even more lonely. I think this is something soo many teens can relate to. I know I could! Tessa’s struggle with this was very realistically done. I felt her struggle.

It also touches on some tough topics like divorce and someone you love dealing with mental illness. While this made it a sadder book, it also makes it real and relatable for a lot of people.

Tessa’s struggles with her relationship with God was authentic and relatable. Her hurt and anger along with her struggle to forgive was very real and I felt it. I teared up multiple times throughout this book, something I didn’t expect to happen.

Overall, I really liked this book! I really liked the characters, and I’m so looking forward to the other girls’ stories!
If you’ve dealt with the struggle to forgive when someone you love hurts you or felt the pressure to act like you’re okay when you’re really not, I think you can relate to this story. If you’ve went through friendship complications or feeling the loneliness of social media, you’ll understand.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

*Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure about this one. A few chapters in, I began to think I wasn't the correct audience. But then the shoe dropped and I was captivated! Perfect for teen girls, and for the ones who love them.

My initial thoughts on this book as I started reading was superficial teen nonsense. But I soon realised how deep the story was and relevant to all people. The reminder constantly about being real and being who God called me to be was helpful. As was the encouragement to rise above difficult circumstances and see God in all life's dramas.

REAL NOT PERFECT by STEPHANIE COLEMAN i s the first novel in the Riverbend Friends series. It is aimed at young people as part of Focus on the Family, and I found it really excellent.
When Tessa Hart's nearly perfect life gets turned upside down by her parents' break up and her mother goes into a decline, it is a friend from church and girls in her drama group, plus her very special friend Alex, who support her. Her best friend Mackenzie moves away and other girls, who she has been friends with for years seem to have their own agenda. She comes to realize that posts on Snapchat and other social media, are not really true descriptions of peoples' lives.
Having always aimed for perfection she finds it hard when she ends up in Intro to Drama, for which she has no aptitude and is frankly terrified of being on stage, but feels that maybe God wants her there for a reason.
It is a story about being real with God and real with people rather than striving for perfection.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Tyndale House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.