Friendships for Grown Ups ~ Lisa Whelchel

I think that writing a book would be one of the hardest things to do. Not only would you have to be a good writer (which I am not) but you would also have to be willing to be transparent and make yourself vulnerable. After all, your book will in some way reveal a part of your life, your thoughts and emotions. Then when your book is reviewed, you are putting yourself in a position of those qualities that you've shared being criticized.

In her book Friendships for Grown Ups, Lisa Whelchel does just that. She candidly discusses walls that she had built around herself for protection and the lack of ability to build friendships because of those walls. Lisa openly and honestly shares her deep, personal struggles and how God began to break down those walls in her life. She discusses how needy she felt and how she was finally able to begin building deep, lasting relationships.

I did enjoy the book and at times could empathize with Lisa's struggles. I felt that the book offered some good tips,but I will say that at times I was grateful not to be a friend of Lisa's with all of her expectations for friendship and the details of relationships being shared so publicly! My first thought was that the book would be better if it were geared toward teens or young adults. Yet as I've read reviews for her book, I was amazed at how many adults shared how they too could relate with Lisa's experiences and insecurities. One real problem I had with the book is when she shares about having a male "sponsor" that she called daily to talk about her problems. Lisa did end the relationship when she realized where it could lead, but perhaps she could be a bit clearer that a relationship of that type should never be started. This would be a good book for women who struggle with developing friendships.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255