Book Review: This Is Awkward

I really enjoy authors who  spread a little humour throughout the pages of their books.. the kind of humour that really does make me chuckle and say "Oh, that is so true! I can relate!" Sammy Rhodes, a campus minister,  IS funny. His book This Is Awkward - How Life's Uncomfortable Moments Open the Door to Intimacy and Connection -  is honest and yes, even a little awkward. He lets the reader see his own insecurities, which does make reading it feel a little awkward, but I think in a good way. 

Awkward can mean different things, and Rhodes explains it as "the gap between what we should be and what we actually are. Life is awkward because it doesn't go the way that it should go. People are awkward because they don't do and say and think what they should do and say and think. All of us are awkward because all of us experience this gap in some way." We tend to want to hide our awkwardness (shame), which makes it even more awkward when it shows up. But it is both necessary and freeing to talk about this; this is where we can find connection with others and God.  

Awkward (and sometimes heavy) topics covered in this book include: parent wounds, divorce, porn, depression, marriage expectations, true friendship vs online fame, introversion, and Jesus' love for us (right theology). 

I appreciated Sammy Rhode's transparency about his own life experiences as he wrote this book, including his insecurities about writing a book, journal type entries dispersed throughout.  

This book is relevant for any age, but its target audience is probably primarily young adults. I am going to offer it to my kids and hopefully they will find it worth the read, too.

I received this book for free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.