Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life with Everything You Haveby Annie F. Downs

I really wanted to like this book. And I did somewhat.

In Let’s All Be Brave, Annie F. Downs tells some amazing stories of how God has led her through each stage of life and how she just had to be brave. After that awesome things happened. Which is great! So cool. I honestly do think it would be an inspiring book for someone else, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

It just wasn’t what I was expecting nor something I really wanted to finish reading once I started it. But, of course, for the purposes of this review, I did finish it.

To me, it felt like she went on and on about the same thing for the whole book. Maybe the repetition would appeal to someone at a crossroads in their life, who just really needs to hear encouragement about doing the hard thing and trusting God. Maybe it didn’t appeal to me because right now my life is marked more by staying and being faithful than by going and doing. Maybe I would have loved it when I was deciding about studying abroad in Chile. But in this season in my life, the point felt beleaguered and hackneyed.

That being said.

I really liked her emphasis on living big, as ourselves and not someone else. It speaks of the bigger God I believe in. We are not limited to society’s expectations. Or even our own. Our responsibility is to follow God and to do what he says. Period.

I underlined a few quotes when I was still fresh in the reading that felt encouraging to me:

“I’m here to ask you to do that thing that scares you to death. To make that move or leap or step or sound you wouldn’t have made a week ago.”

“Remember, it’s not only the X [on the map] that matters; it’s the getting there.”

After following God to a new city, Annie says: “Nashville now? Years after that moving day? It’s been my home in every way. I am a better Annie than I’ve ever been before – less comfortable, to be sure, but more confident. I know God better and deepr. I know myself better as well.”

And that is about all I have to say.

I know that many people have love this book and I would love to pass it on to someone who might enjoy it. So talk to me. Do you know a college or high school aged girl who needs a touch of brave and loves to hear other people’s stories? Tell me about her and I’d love to mail this (once read, slightly worn) copy to you.

I’m making this giveaway open to my family as well since they are a good portion of my readers, but I can only ship to U.S addresses.

Tell me about your person for an entry, and if you want, then like my facebook page and tell me about that for another entry. I’ll let you know who won in a couple weeks.
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{I was sent this book by BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for my honest opinion.}