Just As I Am by Virginia Smith

Christian chicklit may be a new genre, but there already are some good, mature authors working in it. "Just As I Am" is a fine example of a clean, humorous, and thoughtful chicklit novel. I loved it from the first page. The book starts with Mayla, the main character, converting to Christianity. Keeping in mind that Mayla wears two facial piercings and purple hair, her conversion at a small country church proves to be quite a scene. Thus the adventure starts, and it gets better with every page. I found myself snickering and laughing aloud. I found myself wiping off a tear, too. The story flows smoothly, weaving together funny and sad, light and intense moments. Mayla has to deal with a lot during her spiritual journey, one of the hardest things being her best friend's sudden rejection. Settling in at her new church is not easy, either. The book is honest and straightforward, it does not try to paint all the Christians white or show the church and Christian life as problem-free.

As I reached the end, I thought it had come way too soon; I wanted more Mayla, more of her lighthearted personality and insights. Check out this book, you might like her as well.