This was cute and had some really beautiful moments. Backstrom is, indeed, a talented storyteller. More than once, I found myself chuckling along. We need more anti-MAGA Christian voices, so this is a welcome addition to the Christian memoir shelves.

Admittedly, I did go into this with different expectations. I was ready for Rachel Held Evans and got Jen Hatmaker. At least, I think that’s who she reminds me of—I’ve never actually read any of her books, because they’re just not my vibe. A few of these chapters showcase Backstrom’s ability to weave humor into real insights regarding faith, but there are just as many chapters that feel meandering and, well, pointless. I feel like this was billed as a progressive Christian de/reconstruction journey, and it’s just a little bit about the journey and a just a little bit progressive. That’s all fine and dandy, but again it just wasn’t what I was expecting.

A great perspective on why there are so many people leaving the church. You hear the comment "I left the church, not Jesus." This book explains it all in a beautiful and heartbreaking way. A story of deconstructing and reconstructing faith, piece by piece.

Thank you to NetGalley and Worthy Publishing | Worthy Books for the ARC.

I’ve casually followed Mary Katherine Backstrom for years, and find her to be relatable, funny,and real. I saw a link she posted to a chapter of her book telling a story from her adolescence and I was riveted. It was raw and awful, but yet so well written. I immediately requested the ARC from #netgalley and started reading. It was funny and I think she will find a large audience of people struggling with what it means to be Christian in a world where many churches sometimes seem anything but Christian. It was irreverent, but with real depth and emotion. I found myself reading sections out loud to my husband. Would recommend. 4⭐️

(The ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It comes out Aug 12, 2025.)

3 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️


Not That Wheel, Jesus!: Stories From a Faith That Went Off-Road in the Best (And Worst) Possible Ways by Mary Katherine Backstrom

Format: eBook + Audiobook | Narrator: Mary Katherine Backstrom

So basically, this book is Mary Katherine Backstrom’s spiritual detour story, from "pH 14 youth group kid" to someone actively wrestling with everything she thought she knew about faith. She starts off as the kind of Christian who probably had a WWJD bracelet for every outfit, until one day her kid asks if his Jewish best friend is going to hell.

That one question sends her into a slow spiral, through doubt, deconstruction, therapy, and a whole lot of processing out loud. Eventually, she lands in a place of softer, less certain belief. It’s messy, sometimes funny, sometimes heavy, and you can tell she’s just figuring it out as she goes.

🎧 She Can Talk, but Can She Timeline?

I semi-tandem read this one since I had both the audio and the ebook, and honestly, I’m glad I did. The audio brought out the author’s humor and delivery really well, but structurally? It was a little all over the place. Each chapter jumps to a different point in her life—which, sure, cool concept—but with no real transitions or timeline markers, it just felt…confusing.

The only heads-up you get is a new chapter title, and then you’re dropped into a totally different point in her life with no warning. I’d spend the first few minutes of every chapter just trying to figure out where we were, and more often than not, I’d have to rewind after I finally pieced it together so I could actually listen and process what she was saying. Not a great setup for audio, if you ask me.

✝️ “Christian” with an Asterisk

And now here’s the other thing.

This book is labeled “Christian,” but I think that needs a big ol’ asterisk. I didn’t research the author beforehand, just saw the bright cover and quirky title and thought, “sure, why not?” Turns out, I probably should’ve looked her up. I went in expecting something that aligned more with traditional Christian values or at least offered some biblical encouragement. Instead, it leans heavily into faith deconstruction and progressive spirituality.

I’ve never been burned by a church exactly, but I’ve had faith used against me enough to know how easily it can be twisted...so yeah, I get the urge to question things. I’m not knocking that. But the way she picks and chooses what parts of the Bible to believe just didn’t sit right with me. It felt less like questioning and more like rewriting, and that’s where it lost me a bit.

The political undertones are hard to miss, but I’m not going to unpack all that here.

😂 She’s Got Jokes

That said, she is funny. Like, actually funny. Her stories are engaging and personal, and there were quite a few moments that genuinely made me laugh or caught me off guard emotionally. She’s clearly a talented writer and storyteller, and I can see why people connect with her.

📚 Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for something lighthearted, messy, and honest about faith and personal growth, with a lot of humor and some chaos, this might hit the spot.

But if you’re hoping for a book rooted in Scripture or something that lines up with more traditional theology, you’ll probably end up feeling a little let down like I did.

Thank you to NetGalley, Worthy Publishing, and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to read and listen to this title in exchange for an honest review!

This wasn’t a bad book. It just wasn’t my kind of book.

Lesson learned, if a book is labeled as “Christian,” look up the author prior. The bright cover and catchy title peaked my interest, but this book really isn’t for Christians. I will preface the rest of my review by saying, I was also hurt by the Church growing up. I wrestled with a lot of that into adulthood before I found a better way to practice my faith and a wonderful church that was far more welcoming than what I was used to. So, as a Christian, I cringed a lot while reading this book. The author is forgetting one important thing - the Bible is about bad people, people who haven’t listened to God’s wisdom, so you can’t have it both ways girl! You either believe everything in the Bible or none of it, you can’t pick and choose what you want to believe. So in the end, this book was nothing like I thought it was going to be. It’s too bad too because the author is funny, and I think she’s an excellent writer and a great narrator, but our beliefs just don’t align, and at the end of the day that’s okay. I didn’t hate the book, it just went against a few things I believe in, but I did enjoy some of her stories and how great she was at storytelling. I wish our beliefs aligned more because I honestly would go out and buy every one of her books right now, she’s that entertaining!

I enjoyed this funny, honest memoir of Christian deconstruction by a woman who could no longer slap evangelical platitudes over her lived experience. Having gone through a very similar process of breaking down and rebuilding, but never letting go of Jesus, I can relate and am happy for the peace she's found. The hilarious story of explaining Easter to her young kids is worth the price of admission. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

Little it of irreverence, whole lot of realness. This book might make you think different in some ways. Read it.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Not That Wheel, Jesus is part memoir, part stand-up routine, and part spiritual deconstruction, all wrapped in the warm, chatty tone of someone who could absolutely go viral for telling this exact story on TikTok. Mary Katherine Backstrom recounts her journey out of a harmful religious upbringing with humor, vulnerability, and a storyteller’s flair for embellishment—often acknowledging the latter just as you begin to question her.

This isn’t a theological deep-dive or a hard-hitting reckoning with the full spectrum of church trauma. Instead, it’s more of a scroll through funny anecdotes occasionally punctuated by heavier moments. The timeline jumps around quite a bit, which can leave you scrambling to keep up—wondering where we are, which boyfriend this is, or when Texas entered the chat.

Backstrom’s main theological conflict centers around LGBTQI acceptance, which she revisits often. While her affirming stance is admirable, the repeated emphasis can sometimes veer into the territory of virtue signaling—especially when contrasted with the absence of similar grace extended toward other “sinners” she’s encountered (looking at you, stepdad). The core message becomes clear: let gay people into church.

Despite moments of skepticism—both from the reader and, impressively, from the author herself—Backstrom has a knack for anticipating doubt and addressing it head-on, almost like she’s breaking the fourth wall. She owns her role as a storyteller, freely admitting that a good narrative sometimes trumps strict adherence to fact.

All that said, this was an incredibly enjoyable read. Light, funny, occasionally poignant, and full of moments that feel like chatting with a very entertaining friend who’s done some hard work—and is still figuring things out.

3.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First of all, just to get it out of the way, a little bit of user error on my part. I didn’t go into this book knowing much about the author or her beliefs but about halfway through this book I realized I should have looked into it at least to prepare myself. Overall, I agree to disagree with the author on her theology (I believe she is Methodist, I am non-denominational) so if you’re looking for a book to build you up in biblical truth, be aware of that.

Once I got past the theological differences I really did enjoy this book. I don’t really like rating memoirs because it just feels wrong on a certain level to rate someone’s life story as being interesting or uninteresting, but based on her voice as a writer this book is worth the read. And I don’t say that much, but she has a real talent for writing in a humorous style while still packing emotional gut-punches. There’s a lot here, but overall one of the more relatable takes on deconstruction. As a deconstructer myself, I really saw a lot of myself in this book and it kept me turning the page. I found it to be light-hearted at places where it was appropriate and serious where it was warranted. Huge props again to the author and the editor(s) who were able to pack so much into 17 chapters without feeling rushed or overwhelming.

Overall, if you’re looking for entertainment I would strongly recommend, but if you’re looking for biblical truths look elsewhere, this is the author’s story and while Christ is a HUGE part of it, it is not the focus.

Author Mary Katherine Backstrom writes in irreverent humor her life experiences, candidly portraying her faith as it waned and waxed. Backstrom was raised in a Southern Baptist environment and grew into a devout God loving and fearing adult. She led youth ministry, served as a missionary, and went on to become a bestselling Christian author. She knew the Christian lingo, scripture, and all the perfect Sunday school answers to life’s questions. Then BOOM! Her five year old little boy asked her a simple and sincere question: will my Jewish best friend go to hell? Wait a minute, would God do that to a child?

Her beliefs and faith were challenged by this difficult question. She likened it to “a thread tugging loose from a carefully knit sweater I’d been wearing my whole life.” This referenced song written and performed by Weezer.

The simple words of a child caused her to reconsider every part of the faith she’d been raised to accept so completely and without question..

I think you’ll find Mary Katherine’s hilarious journey thought provoking and a fun read as she slowly and painfully finds her way back to a less defined faith.

The book title is a reference to the popular song by Carrie Underwood, “Jesus Take The Wheel.”

Laugh along as MK discusses her own experience of avoiding an animal near miss on the highway and at age 14 attending Heaven’s Gates and Hell’s Flames an alternative to Halloween houses of horror. And if you’ve never heard of the eggbeater Jesus, a quirky landmark in her hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, please do a Google search as I did.

I really enjoyed her writing and her manner of challenging my own perspectives as she looks at this journey called life in a different manner.

This is one for a more open minded believer.