I’m often asked about YA titles, and since I don’t write them, I’m always excited to promote one. I LOVE this cover, and I’m happy to welcome author Carol Raj to the blog.
“Why would I go to church? Those Christians are all hypocrites. Just look in the front pew.”
How often have you heard words like that? And could they possibly be true? To answer that, we have to define our terms. What is a hypocrite? And what is a Christian? A hypocrite is defined as a person who pretends to be something good – generous or loving or faithful — but is actually the opposite.
One of the most despicable characters in literature is Ebenezer Scrooge. He loved money and had no respect for other people. But was he a hypocrite? No. He never pretended to be generous. He was a miser and proud of it.
And how do we define a Christian? The one thing every born-again Christian claims to be is a sinner. A sinner whose only hope for salvation is being washed in the blood of Jesus.
We may dress up when we go to church. We may smile on the outside while inside we’re sad, discouraged, or even angry. That only means we can overcome our inner flaws in an effort to make others comfortable. But it does not make us hypocrites. We claim to be sinners, and we are.
In Charlotte Masterson Gets a Life, high school sophomore Charlotte discovers that appearances can be deceiving. As she uncovers her boyfriend’s motivations and her strict mother’s shady past, her world is turned upside down. In the process, she discovers what true love is. True love. Sacrificial love. Like Jesus has for us.
Carol Raj published several stories in children’s magazines before her first YA novel, Charlotte Masterson Gets a Life. Part of her inspiration came from working in a public high school library. What an eye-opener! One student asked for a copy of one of Shakespeare’s plays. In English, please. Still another said he hated all the rules in the high school so he planned to join the army. Good luck with that one!