A Simple Song by Melody Carlson ~ review

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Revell (June 1, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800722256
• ISBN-13: 978-0800722258

This book is also available as an e-book.

Click here to purchase a copy of "A Simple Song" by Melody Carlson.

Publication Date: June 1, 2013

Katrina Yoder loves to sing, but her Amish parents view singing as vainglory and a sin. Katrina's best friend, Bekka, is convinced Katrina should try out for American Star, a televised singing competition that Bekka has been secretly watching. Katrina resists the temptation until her father's health worsens. He desperately needs a surgery the family cannot afford. Katrina decides she must go against her parents' wishes to win the money needed to help her father. But how will she handle herself as an Amish teenager out in the world?

Teen girls will be swept into the excitement as Katrina ventures out of her quiet Amish world to become a reality television star. Will she be successful? And will she be accepted back into her community when it's over?

My take on this book:

I have been a fan of Melody Carlson for years. She does a wonderful job of pulling me into whatever story she is writing, making me understand the characters and whatever they might be going thru. 

"A Simple Song" is the story of Katrina Yoder. She has always enjoyed singing, but in her Amish world it is a sin, and therefore it is forbidden.Katrina's friend Bekka has been watching a show called American Star and really thinks that Katrina should try out for the show. For Katrina though the reason to step out into the Englisher world is more complicated than that. Her father needs to have surgery, and "American Star" just might be the way that Katrina could win the money, and since she hasn't been baptized into the church yet, she will go while on her rumspringa. What will her parents and community say? Will they accept her back into the community, and if she wins the money will her parents accept it! Can an Amish girl stay true to her roots while thrust into the Englisher spotlight! Read this page turning story to find out!

I found "A Simple Song," to be a nice, quick read that is filled with interesting characters that are easy to like. I could easily understand Katrina and the choices she made. I thought it was interesting how her grandfather encouraged singing at her grandmother's funeral. The reason that was revealed was touching and allowed me to further understand Katrina's story. I found the behind the scenes descriptions of "American Star" interesting, and while I kind of knew how things might work out it was still fun to see how Melody Carlson would allow things to work out! Overall, this fun little read, is great for teens but also a quick read for adults who enjoy Amish fiction as well. 

A complimentary copy of this book was provided for review.

"Available June 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group."