"Sex and the Single Christian Girl"

So, to be honest, I don't recall why I requested this book. Truth is, I'm a bit jaded when it comes to purity books. I grew up in the "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" generation. I devoured every purity book that came out in that time (and there were plenty!). I've taken the pledge, worn the ring, been to the conferences, and bought the t-shirts. And as I've grown, I've watched many of my friends (and the authors of those books) get married....by their early 20s.

Now, I have nothing against people getting married in their early 20s. But as I sit here, as single as can be about to turn 27, it annoys me sometimes. I can't tell you how many times I've heard/read someone say, "It was so hard to wait that long! What a struggle!" And then you learn that they were married by 22. Really? Please, tell me again how hard it was to stay pure until you met and married your husband at 19.

At 27, to most of the world, I'm still young. But in Christian circles, it's a usually unspoken belief that anyone not married by 25 is an old maid. Most people won't actually say anything, but you'll get the impression. So going into this book, I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. But then, right in the first chapter, we learn that the author didn't get married til 38. 38! Ladies, we have an actual real-life example here! She knows what it's like to struggle, and she writes for women, not for teens (though teens could certainly read this). Do you know how rare that is in the purity-book world??

Plus, she admits that she ugly-cried all the way down the aisle and quotes Mean Girls, so I knew I could trust what she had to say.

This book is not your average purity book. Most tend to be a mix of the author's love story, religious rules, and a basic message of:

Sex and the Single Girl takes a different angle. Ellis goes beyond rules to the heart of the matter. She makes the case for why we should seek purity and how to fight the lies of the enemy regarding sex. Ellis wages war against a "no-big-deal" culture to lovingly rescue women who have been burned by the world's mentality, and equips them to fight back for their purity and wholeness. She uses her own experiences, the experiences of others, and lots of Scripture to make the case for purity and healing.

This book is so good. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. What I loved is that much of what she is preaching is applicable to other struggles, not simply sexual sins. Ellis makes the case that purity is impossible on our own, because our nature is sinful. The only way to conquer sexual impurity (or any impurity for that matter) is to be renewed and redeemed. Ellis describes how to get to a place of intimacy with God, and how to stay there. She provides plenty of Scripture passages to help women stand against temptation and is bluntly honest about how to flee it.

I will absolutely be recommending this book to any woman struggling with sexual sin and impurity. Definitely check this one out!

Can you relate to my single-Christian-girl frustrations? Have you read this book? What'd you think?

Highly Recommended
4/5 Stars

I received this book from the published in exchange for an honest review through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer Program.