Books for Christian Girls: "The Miracle Girls" by Anne Dayton & May Vanderbilt

{{This is an updated review. Originally posted May 13^th, 2014, it was updated on November 29^th, 2019 to the Official Rating System.}}

About this book:

“Ana Dominguez was happy in San Jose, but everything changed when her dad moved the family to Half Moon Bay, California, to open a law practice. Her parents think she's settling into her new school nicely, but she has them fooled. Riley, the most popular girl in school, has picked Ana as enemy #1, and Tyler, Ana's crush, doesn't even know Ana exists.
When Ana ends up in detention with Riley, her life suddenly changes. When Ana, Riley, Christine, and Zoe share their essays on "The Day My Life Changed," it turns out they have more in common than they ever would have imagined. Now as Ana lives out her faith, she and Zoe are determined to befriend Riley and Christine. But the drama of high school life has only just begun. . . .”

Series: Book #1 in “The Miracle Girls” series.

Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are mentioned; Prayers & Thanking God; ‘H’s are not capitalized when referring to God; Ana and the other girls all had miracles in their lives; Ana feels let down by God by different things happening; Church, Christmas Eve service, & Youth group going; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, youth group, pastors, worship, & a Christian band; Mentions of Christmas; Mentions of miracles; Mentions of Christians; Mentions of Ana being called “God Girl”; A few mentions of Bibles; A few mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of Nativity sets; A few mentions of people not being religious; A mention of the Trinity; A mention of Christian T-shirts; A mention of an ungodly hour; A mention of Ana calling a girl a Bathsheba;

*Note: A couple mentions of a cheerleader calling Riley a religious freak & making up a (somewhat mocking) cheer about Jesus; A couple mentions of wondering if a woman is a magician or can read minds; A mention of thinking someone would have horns growing out of their head; A mention of a food with a name similar to Satan; A mention of Ana’s mother thinking rock an droll is the devil’s music; A mention of Ana saying her mom wants her to dress like a nun; A mention of a shrine; A mention of a jinx.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘crappy’, a ‘cretins’, a ‘duh’, a ‘freaking’, a ‘wimp’, two ‘gosh’s, two ‘jeez’s, two forms of ‘oh my gosh’, two forms of ‘suck’, three ‘shut up’s, four ‘idiot’s, five ‘dumb’s, and twenty-two forms of ‘stupid’; Christine calls her soon-to-be-stepmother “The Bimbo” (x17) and her daughter “The Bimbot” (x7); A couple mentions of curses (couple mentions of); Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Ana lies/keeps things from her parents as she knows they would freak out (sometimes she does feel guilt later but others she tries to reason within herself that they’re being ridiculous); An accident & someone is hurt badly (semi-detailed); Mentions of Riley’s near drowning, Zoe being bucked off a horse, & Christine being in a car accident and her mom dying (semi-detailed); Mentions of a haunted house at a fall fair; Mentions of cheating; Mentions of hatred (including Ana hating her mom for a bit); Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of throwing up, peeing, poop, & puke; A few mentions of thinking someone is hurt or shot; A few mentions of high schoolers getting drunk at a party and someone doing something dangerous; A few mentions of wine, beer, alcohol, & slurred speech; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of a mean thing being written on Ana’s desk; A couple mentions of tattoos; A couple mentions of acne; A mention of ax murders; A mention of a war; A mention of a state prison; A mention of a whipping as a child; A mention of parents passing a thermos around with something strong in it; A mention of kids getting high; A mention of crack; A mention of a vaccine; A mention of a booger;

*Note: Mentions of celebrities, singers, songs, TV shows, books, & authors; A few mentions of stores & designers; A couple mentions of car brands; A mention of Boy Scouts.

Sexual Content- a cheek kiss; Dancing, Nearness, & Smelling; Hand Holding & Winks; Noticing; Ana’s parents are very strict that she can’t date until she’s 16 and does not want her distracted by boys; Ana dares Christine to streak at a sleepover in the forest; a ‘sexy’ and a slight misunderstanding about a ho (gardening tool) and a hoe; All about many mentions of boys, boyfriends, dating, dates, crushes, & exes; Mentions of kisses, kissing, seeing couples kiss, & a kissing booth (Ana and Christian think/hope the girl kissing will get mono); Mentions of touches, embraces, & seeing others touch/embrace; Mentions of flirting; Mentions of dances; A couple mentions of Christine’s dad getting a girlfriend shortly after her mom died and his girlfriend being at their house at night; A mention of a newly wed couple being crazy for each other & that being why they have a baby already on the way; Teenage attraction & the emotions;

*Note: Mentions of butts (cheerleaders sticking their butts in the air and wiggling them, working a butt off, trying to butt in, landing on a butt, a bug getting up someone’s butt); A few mentions of low-cut & skimpy dresses; A couple mentions of a girl’s long legs; A mention of an outfit showing off curves; A mention of boobs; A mention of bras; A mention of a nude beach; A mention of men’s boxers; A mention of starfish being asexual; A mention of a magnet that says ‘Think Thin Be Thin’; A mention of lewd dance moves.

-Anna Dominguez, age 14
1^st person P.O.V. of Ana
304 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

{Add a full star for girls in Public/Private School }

This book is slightly difficult to rate due to while Ana and the rest of the Miracle Girls are 14/15, because of school situations and some relationship drama, it feels like this book/series should be for older girls, but then Ana lies/deceives/complains about her parents and she seems very young. Personally, I don’t see how she thought keeping things from her parents would make her more “adult like”, but she learns lessons throughout the story.

This series really is best for public school girls or those who like Melody Carlson style teen drama.

See y’all on Friday with a new review!