The One Who Knows Me By Joan Embola

The One Who Knows Me

by Joan Embola

Publisher: Love Qualified Press

Series: Sovereign Love

ASIN: B09BG6SN7Z                

 

I was looking forward to reading Joan Embola's book after she reached out to me on Instagram. While I'm thankful to add more diversity to the books I read, the storyline is why I wanted to read it. She sent me the ebook for review.

Summary:

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.

My Review:

Is it wrong to start off a review by saying we need more books like this in the world? The One Who Knows Me is so incredible not only for young adults, but for all ages. The author covers SO much in this one book. I think this was also timely having just sent my youngest off to college!

The amount of the Gospel that is shared is excellent! You know I love a good Gospel message, and if it's geared towards college age adults, even better. I appreciate that the author doesn't tiptoe around the difficult things young people deal with in life. Teeyana's struggle with her faith was so true to life. Having a roommate who you don't click with, for sure true to life. I appreciate how the author is part of normalizing seeking help when dealing with depression. She also covers the topic of suicide. See, she hits a lot of hard topics.

I loved how raw and real Teeyana and Jayden were. Their family lives are portrayed like any other in our modern day & age. Life happens and sometimes it brings about a crisis of faith. The secondary characters are proof of how necessary it is to be pouring Truth into our young adults and encouraging their faith walks.

The One Who Knows Me is a story that I think will encourage those who aren't sure about their faith or who are struggling through a time where they're far from the Lord. Time and time again the author shows us through her characters of where our hope lies. 

About the Author:

Joan Embola is a UK-based Cameroonian-Nigerian Christian author who aims to share God's love one word at a time. She writes books about diverse characters whose hope-filled stories point to the sovereign love and goodness of God in our broken world. She is a qualified Physician Associate and also the founder of Love Qualified, a ministry dedicated to encouraging others to experience the sovereign love of the one true God who has qualified us to be His beloved ones. She is a passionate lover and teacher of God’s word, and she shares this passion on her YouTube channel, blog, and podcast. When she’s not writing or curled up with a book, you’ll find her watching movies, YouTube videos, or making memories with her family and friends. 

You can connect with her at www.joanembola.co.uk and on instagram, YouTube, her blog, and her podcast. Join her newsletter to stay up to date with new releases and more book news.