Joan Embola’s debut novel, The One Who Knows Me, is a sweet coming of age romance that isn’t afraid to tackle the tough issues! I SO respect the author for being willing to address topics such a mental health, suicide, bullying, and family loss/tragedy. All of it is handled in a sensitive, God-honoring way while still being open and honest. I think we’ve all been in a place at one point or another where we doubted our beliefs, or struggled to reconcile the pain and evil in life with our knowledge of a good and loving God. That age old question of “if God is good, then why does He allow bad things to happen?” is examined in depth here in a way that is moving and uplifting. I could see Joan’s love for God shining through her writing, which is something I really love to see in books.
Teeyana and Jaydon’s relationship is pure sweetness and I really appreciated how they started out as best friends before anything more developed. This made their relationship feel real and relatable and starkly different from most contemporary teen/young adult stories you see today.
I also loved getting a glimpse into African culture! This is my first book by an author of African descent and my first book to read featuring African main characters. We definitely need more books and authors like this in the Christian fiction world!
That said, there were a few things I didn’t love quite as much–ugh, I always hate mentioning the negative things about authors’ book babies ?. Sometimes the diologue felt a little cheesy, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether or not someone would actually say some of the things the characters did. There were also some areas of the story/ characters that I thought could have been developed more. And lastly, something that stood out to me (though this might be more of a personal preference thing than a true problem) was the fact that the American characters used a lot of British terms. I understand (and love) the fact that the author is British so I understand British spellings being used, but the book is written in first person and a lot of British terms such as car park (parking lot), jumper (sweater), trainers (tennis shoes), etc. were used in both their narration and dialogue. I think if the book had been in third person and the terms hadn’t been used in the dialogue at least, it wouldn’t have bothered me, but since it was in first person and the characters are Americans, it just kept throwing me off.
Overall, I think this is a great, uplifting, squeaky-clean romance that is perfect for teen and young adult readers, especially any experiencing similar struggles to Teeyana and Jaydon. Great job to this debut author! 3.5/5 Stars!
**I received a copy of this book from the author for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
IS GOD SOVEREIGN OVER TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY?
Bullies and family disasters have left eighteen-year-old Teeyana Sparks filled with anxiety and doubt. She feels pressured to believe in God, but as she embarks on her college journey in the hope of one day working at Google as a graphic designer, the only thing she believes in is controlling her own life. Things change when she meets Jayden Williams—the guy with a charming smile and kind heart.
Struggling with grief and recovering from a season of depression, nineteen-year-old Jayden is determined to help Teeyana believe in God’s goodness again. But when yet another tragedy strikes close to home, Teeyana’s response exposes Jayden’s unhealed wounds and tips him into a mental health relapse.
With the looming possibility of not getting her dream life, Teeyana is caught between holding on to her illusion of control and surrendering to a God she’s rejected. And as Jayden strives to break out of his despondency, he has to face that letting God in may involve him letting go of his friendship with Teeyana. Teeyana and Jayden must wrestle with uncomfortable truths, and the pride in their hearts, in order to face their biggest giant—God’s sovereignty over both triumph and tragedy.
