Whatever Tomorrow Brings

The Lindell High School Series Book 2

Young Adult - Religious Theme
220 Pages
Reviewed on 10/14/2021
Buy on Amazon

Author Biography

Claire Nance is the indie author of three Christian teen romance novels in The Lindell High School Series. Each novel won the Readers’ Choice Five-Star rating award. Claire has also published Joy to My Soul: A Photographic Devotional that contains her favorite photographs taken from her backyard. She has most recently published "Foul Weather", a just-for-fun short short mystery spoof.

Claire is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). She lives in Texas with her husband and a precocious chihuahua named Esther. Connect with Claire at https://clairenanceauthor.blogspot.com or on goodreads.com.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Joy Hannabass for Readers' Favorite

Whatever Tomorrow Brings by Claire Nance takes me back to my high school years with hanging out at lockers, sliding into class as the tardy bell rings, and all of the drama with boyfriends and girlfriends. The story revolves around Dee Anderson, her boyfriend Slate, and her sister and friends at the local high school. Dee is going out with the most popular boy in school, but she is not happy with the way he sometimes acts. Then along comes Marc, who seems to pay her more attention. Oh, what is a girl to do?

Author Claire Nance writes an awesome Christian teen romance that is great for any teenage girl to read. The characters are so well-created and realistic that any teen girl can relate to them. The plot flows smoothly and has a few twists and turns with the boyfriends, making it more interesting. With the vivid details of the high school setting, the story sounds so realistic I felt I was there with this group. I like Dee, but I sometimes got frustrated with her because she let Slate treat her badly, which is normal for this age. Slate was another story. He acted out his popularity role in an arrogant way. The supporting characters were fun and entertaining, giving the story a much deeper meaning. This is my first story by Claire Nance, and I hope to read more of her work soon. If you have a teenage girl, or maybe you know a few, Whatever Tomorrow Brings would be a great gift for them.

Emily-Jane Hills Orford

Sometimes events from our past affect how we interact with the world in the present. Scary things that happened in our childhood can come back to haunt us at unexpected intervals throughout our lives. That’s what’s happening to Dee. She thought a new school year would change things, but that one frightening event from her childhood keeps rearing its ugly head. No one knows about it outside her family, and she wants to keep it that way. She has enough problems, particularly with her football-star boyfriend, who lives primarily for the game and his growing popularity. It all contributes to Dee’s mounting insecurities. High school dynamics is difficult enough, but this?

Claire Nance’s young adult novel, Whatever Tomorrow Brings, is the second book in the Lindell High School series. Told in the first person, from Dee’s point of view, a lot of the story, particularly at the beginning, is told through dialogue. Although it’s difficult to get a clear picture of the setting and characters with all the dialogue, this alleviates partway into the novel as a more descriptive narrative takes over. The reader is then able to get a better sense of the individual characters, particularly the narrator, Dee. The plot moves slowly and delves into pretty typical teen issues, particularly young romance and finding one’s confidence and sense of place. The author includes a love triangle situation, which presents a growing conflict between Dee and her football-star boyfriend and someone else who’s elbowing his way into her life. This is an interesting read for the young adult reader.

Natalie Soine

Whatever Tomorrow Brings, written by Claire Nance, is set in the spring of 1970 and tells the story of teenager Dee Anderson, her boyfriend, Slate Garrett, her friend Marcus Easton and her sister, Carol. They are all students at Lindell High School, where Slate plays football and Dee is a twirler. She enjoys Bible study and teaching Sunday school for four-year-old children, and she sings in the church choir. Dee is dating “Slate the Great,” an all-district, all-state linebacker, but Slate is obsessed with football to the extent that it becomes a priority over his health and spending time with Dee. Dee feels her confidence dwindle as a result. She becomes insecure about their relationship, feeling threatened by prettier girls, especially Slate’s friend and locker girl Gwen Lichen. Marcus Easton is a long-time friend to Dee, and she confides in him, which Slate finds disturbing. Dee turns to her faith in times of trouble, something she will find herself doing more and more until she finally makes her life-changing decision.

Whatever Tomorrow Brings is a delightful story, skillfully written with characters that seem to come to life as they are so well described. The plot is carefully thought out, and while it may take some time for the characters to get there, it is worth it. The flow of the story makes it easy to read as the characters deal with all the obstacles that life throws at them. I particularly enjoyed reading about how these teenagers manage their relationships, reminding me of my own youth. I highly recommend Whatever Tomorrow Brings by Claire Nance, not only for teenagers but for parents as a reminder of what it is like to be young. There are no profanities or erotic scenes, so this novel is suitable for all ages. A lovely, enjoyable book.

Debby Tibbetts

It was a great book and it brought back my times in high school. The storyline was good and the description of the characters made the book come alive! I thoroughly enjoyed it! I look forward to reading more of Claire Nance’s books.

Liz

I enjoyed this novel. I think it would appeal to high school teens, those who can remember being a teen in any era, and also those who can remember being young in the 1970s. The Christian element in this novel should appeal to those of that faith but is not too intrusive for non-Christian readers.