Themes of 'Born Again' spark opportunity for thought, discussion

Any book that has a main character questioning his or her belief in God is going to upset some people. "Born Again" by Kelly Kerney, a 26-year-old author who grew up in a Pentecostal household, is just such a book. \nMel, the main character in "Born Again," is a 14-year-old girl who has been raised by devout Pentecostal parents, and although she is well-versed in the Bible and attends church at least once every week, she has not yet felt the spirit overtaking her. So she starts to ask questions. She can't ask her parents because that is not allowed: Whenever she asks for clarification about the family's religious beliefs, her mom's response is a quick slap across Mel's face. \nTo complicate Mel's confusion, her family is in great denial about all of their deep, dark (against the literal teachings of the Good Book) secrets. But as the secrets slowly reveal themselves, Mel is left confused and lost with no adult to turn to who will answer her questions.\nSo when Mel has the opportunity to attend an academic summer camp, she must hide the fact that on the required reading list are books like "Wuthering Heights" and Darwin's "The Origin of Species." After all, according to Mel's mother and Pastor Lyle, all that is contained in "The Origin of Species" are lies insisting God does not exist and men are related to monkeys.\nMel forces herself to read "The Origin of Species" because she wants to hate the book and confirm the fact that the book is full of evil and sacrilegious thoughts. But as she reads, she begins to ask questions about the validity of her mother's claims. \n"Born Again" is not an attack on religion, but then again, with enough time and desire, anything can be used as a defense for one's beliefs. \nInstead, "Born Again" is the story of a young girl's journey through questioning her religion and, more importantly, the unerring perfection that young people expect from their parents.\n"Born Again" is not a book to fear (notice the theme running through the book) but, a book to read and ponder and discuss. It is a book that can be used to open lines of communication, or it can be used as an excuse to never discuss what individuals truly believe.