Reviewed by Danelle Petersen for Readers' Favorite

Yella’s Prayers by Nadine C. Keels is a beautifully written coming-of-age novel that will have readers inspired by God and His abilities. Bless Heggins is a sixteen-year-old who has been blessed with a gift: she can hear God speak to her. When two troubled teens, Lamall and T’meal, enter her life, things take an interesting turn. Lamall has a lot of emotional baggage he tries to hide; he is wound tight and it is only a matter of time before he explodes. T’meal, however, is calmer, but the trauma he experienced as a child is always hovering over him, ready to crush what little happiness he may experience. When God instructs Bless to help the two boys, she’s at a loss as to how, plus, it seems that there might even be romantic feelings in the air. With her hands and heart full, how will Bless find the time for her passion, music? Overwhelmed, Bless knows that she can turn to her most trusted tool; prayer.

A bittersweet read, Yella’s Prayers is full of mindful lessons for youth, touching on social issues such as unintended pregnancies, abuse, and also the consequences of reckless behavior. Nadine C. Keels’s easy narrative style fits the theme of Yella’s Prayers and keeps the reader’s attention; I was emotionally invested in Bless and the boys. For a young person, Bless was surprisingly different; her indifference to societal norms was refreshing and lent a uniqueness to her which I loved. I also greatly enjoyed the plot; it was engaging, and I couldn’t wait to find out what was in store for Bless. The romantic element was a welcome reprieve and was greatly satisfying considering the darkness of the storyline. Although Yella’s Prayers is about young adults, I feel that a lot of older adults can learn from it, too.