Review: Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair @JamieMBlair

Leap of Faith by Jamie Blair

Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Page Count: 240
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Source: eArc provided in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis From Goodreads:

Can true love be built on lies? A teen on the run seeks relief and redemption in this gripping, romantic read.

Leah Kurtz has finally found a place to call home, a town where she and baby Addy can live in peace, far from the drug-infested place she grew up. Chris is one of the best parts of her new life, the only person who’s ever made her feel safe. And now that she’s found him, there’s no way she can tell the truth:

Her real name is Faith, not Leah. She’s seventeen, not nineteen. And the baby isn’t hers—Faith kidnapped her.

Faith’s history catches up with her when a cop starts asking questions and Chris’s aunt spots her picture in the newspaper. She knows it’s time to run again, but if Faith leaves, she’ll lose Chris. If Chris is in love with a lie, though, did Faith ever really have him in the first place?

I have a thing for contemporary stories, and I had been interested in reading Leap of Faith since I saw the cover and read the synopsis. I was really excited to start reading it, and I was not disappointed. It was definitely a unique story, and it had me hooked right away. My constant worry over Faith's past catching up to her really kept me reading to find out what would happen to her.

I felt that Faith's original reasons for wanting to take the baby were selfish and immature. But I could tell that Faith was a good person with a big heart, and she was trying to do the right thing by removing the baby from a terrible home. As the story progressed, Faith became surrounded by people who started to care about her and who wanted the best for her and 'her' baby. Because of the support of those around her, Faith was eventually able to see things more clearly and she tried to correct her mistakes. But what will everyone think when they realize that Faith kidnapped the baby and is on the run? Will Faith be able to go back and make things right?

I really, really liked Chris, and I thought he was sweet and adorable. He was willing to take on a huge responsibility with Faith and her baby. However, I couldn't fully support or get behind the relationship because it literally came out of nowhere and was more like insta-love or insta-relationship or insta- get deeply involved with a perfect stranger and her baby daughter. Don't get me wrong - I understand that these things can and do happen, I just really would have preferred a longer getting to know you period before things got so serious between them. So I am completely torn over Chris and his actions. On one hand I really admire him for genuinely caring about Faith and the baby, and wanting to take care of them. But on the other hand, I want to shake him and demand to know what the heck he is thinking taking on a young mother and a baby and immersing himself in their lives so completely.

While parts of this story have a slight dark tone that makes it sad, there was still an overall feeling of hope. There were also a lot of cute and uplifting moments that really balanced out the book. The situation that Faith found herself in was certainly unique. The road she chose to go down was not easy, so it was obviously not all sunshine and roses. She faced huge obstacles and had to make serious decisions and face the consequences of her actions all by herself.

I'm not convinced the story was perfectly executed, but it was powerful, and I really enjoyed it. Even though I couldn't relate to them, I still liked most of the characters. Except for Faith's drugged out mom and pseudo boyfriend - because they were awful! I also didn't like Faith's sister because she came off as selfish, and she didn't want to help Faith after she took the baby. I adored most of Chris's extended family, especially the grandma and the aunt. Faith also made friends with 2 women, and even though they weren't the greatest people, they were still good to Faith and the baby.

I'm okay with the story ending the way it did. Even though I would have preferred to see firsthand how it all played out, it made perfect sense to me.

Leap of Faith was such a heartfelt story. I really enjoyed the writing, and I loved how the author was able to make me feel such strong emotions. Overall, this was definitely a satisfying read and I highly recommend it.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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