On My Own (Diary of a Teenage Girl Series #4) » (~)

Melody Carlson is the bestselling author of more than seventy books for teens, women, and children with total sales over 1 million. She has two grown sons and enjoys an active lifestyle of hiking, skiing, and biking. She lives in the beautiful Oregon Cascade Mountains with her husband and Labrador retriever.

University life isn't what Caitlin expected. Her roommate Liz is hostile to her faith — tormenting her with raunchy music and sleazy boyfriends. Worst of all, suddenly Caitlin doesn't understand herself anymore. Why has she regressed to being the shy, insecure girl she was in junior high? She doesn't even fit in with her new Christian fellowship group! Caitlin tries not to envy Josh and her friends at Christian colleges, but suddenly all she has are questions and few answers. In the story of Caitlin O'Conner's soul, this frustrating year is the most significant one yet, as the homesick freshman eventually remembers there is one companion she can always trust.

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-In this addition to the series, Caitlin, a devout Christian, begins college and meets her bold and brazen roommate, Liz. This mismatch provides the backdrop for Caitlin to seek God's help and guidance. Her fundamentalist attitudes prevent her from dating, kissing, or even allowing any kind of openness to new friends and situations. Expressions are odd and dated: "the fur did fly" when two girls fight over a boy; arguments lead to "cussing"; arriving at a square dance, Caitlin squeals, "we three arrived in high spirits." Liz's mom is portrayed as a distraught woman; she sobs about her prayers that a good Christian girl would straighten out her sinning daughter. Meanwhile, Caitlin and her old friend Josh enter a pre-engagement covenant (not SWAK) to eventually marry. Carlson's heavy-handed tone turns this diary into a fundamentalist treatise, not a novel to inspire and savor.-Linda Beck, Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.