Good afternoon, Arrowheads! Today I’d like to share with you a book review I posted on Goodreads a few years back for a contemporary young-adult Christian novel, Becoming Nikki by Ashley Elliott. I first came to find out about the novel through Pinterest after following Ashley’s boards, which are pretty awesome! The novel itself is unique in the world of contemporary young-adult novels, in that it’s main plotline is focused on the relationship strain of two ice dancing siblings, Nikki and Alec. Check out the full review below!

Book Review: Becoming Nikki

It is rare for me to enjoy a book that is centered around a hobby or activity that I am usually bored by (in this case, the ice dancing), but Elliott’s writing about the topic is informative, as well as interesting. I found Nikki and Alec’s relationship to be an accurate representation of a typical sibling relationship, especially when a relationship is strained because one of the siblings is attempting to branch out and have a life of their own. Becoming Nikki not only highlights the struggle of maintaining relationships with siblings, but incorporates a message of following God’s plan instead of trying to force God to abide by the conditions of your prayers. Additionally, this is by far one of the funniest (yes, you can be funny without cussing, as Elliott proved constantly) YA books I’ve read in a while, and fandom/movie references were abundant and well placed. Overall, Becoming Nikki is proof that Christian fiction can be well written, thought-provoking, and enjoyable all while glorifying God without being “overly preachy” (a label I’ve seen used in the reviews of other books in this genre). I can’t wait to read more by this author!

(Originally posted on Goodreads on December 31, 2015.) Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

According to Ashley’s blog, inklingspress.wordpress.com, she’s working on a second novel, entitled The Art of Letting Go. I’m excited to read it as well!

-Allyson 😀