Title: Amanda’s Hope: A Choice for Life
Author: Barbara N. Stewart
Publisher: Toplink Publishing
ISBN: 978-1949169133
Pages: 307
Genre: Literature & Fiction
Reviewed by: Allison Walker

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Amanda is almost an adult, so she doesn’t understand why her parents keep treating her like a child. Only her new best friend, Delilah, seems to understand. While Amanda is biddable and sweet, Delilah is rebellious and exciting. Together the girls contrive to deceive Amanda’s parents and go to a party, the kind with drinking and college boys. But what was suppose to be the start of Amanda’s new, cool life becomes a nightmare when she gets drunk and is raped. Just when Amanda thinks she can put the entire, horrific event out of her mind and move on with her life, she misses her period.

Both Delilah and Amanda discover they are pregnant, Amanda with the child of her rapist, and Delilah through a one night stand. From here, the girls follow widely different paths. Delilah quickly decides her college education and future career is too important to spend time raising a child, and has a first trimester abortion. Amanda is afraid of what could happen to her as a single mother trying to raise a baby and complete a degree, but with the support of her mother and father, eventually decides to give birth to her child.

Amanda and Delilah are the two sides of a coin, as different as night and day, the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. Yet despite their obvious juxtaposition, each girl is extremely relatable, neither over-done in their opposing extremes. Even Delilah is a likable character despite her obvious flaws. She’s not the prototypical antagonist; she has virtuous and villainous attributes, just like us all. Despite her unchristian-like decisions and luring Amanda away from her Godly path, her motives rest in being a friend to Amanda. For example, when Amanda is hungover after the party, Delilah cares for her throughout the night. She seems legitimately concerned about Amanda’s wellbeing, even if many of Amanda’s troubles are enabled by Delilah.

The only time Amanda’s high school persona is questionable is her sometimes uncharacteristically mature dialogue. She has long, eloquent speeches repenting her actions, and pledging obedience to her parents and God. This change of heart is important to Amanda’s personal development, but the sudden flip from young adult to formal English alters the flow of the novel. The morality theme is apparent by Amanda’s actions and written voice.

Amanda eventually finds the solution to her troubles through the love and support of her family. By being honest with her parents, she discovers they truly care about her and only want what’s best for her life and future. It’s a beautiful family, full of respect and support of each other, and embodying the unconditional love of God.

So many times we become mired down in our troubles, overwhelmed by them and feeling helpless. Even though both girls start with the same crisis, they each handled it differently and in the end both are reminded that forgiveness and love is available to them if only they’re willing to ask for help. Amanda’s Hope is exactly the kind of novel a young Christian girl needs to remind her that no matter what happens to her, it’s alright to be afraid and it’s alright to ask for help, and most importantly, that God’s love never waivers, even if you are blinded to it.