This book, like basically all research on spirituality in YA lit, is written by devout Christian authors whose bias seeps into every line. While there are many observations made in this book that I agree with, the condescending attitude and low-key racism is very grating. For example, I agree that it's a bit puzzling that such an important subject as spirituality is so rarely addressed directly in YA novels, however the tone used to discuss this phenomenon betrays a feeling that Christians are being persecuted by a secular world who doesn't understand them. Christianity permeates every aspect of American culture, it's hubris of the most annoying kind to assume most readers - regardless of age - aren't familiar with the basic tenants of a Christian faith. The reasons for the absence of spirituality in YA lit are layered and complex and NOT ACTUALLY DISCUSSED AT ALL. Rather the book is an incomplete survey of YA novels that do engage with questions of faith.

I say incomplete for several reasons. I know of several examples that are notably missing. Only one chapter covers all books of non-Christian faiths, and the racism employed is subtle but notable. (She says a character of Indian heritage has a 'preposterous name' among other things.) Also there is an underlying assumption throughout the book that negative portrayals of religions or religious people are inherently bad and inaccurate, or at least incomplete.

There is no room for discussion that many people - young and old - have negative experiences with religion and religious people and those experiences are valid and worth being told. "Fair" representations are equated with "positive" representations. Those are not at all the same thing.

I read this book as research for a paper on the intersection of queerness and religion in YA lit. Unfortunately, I found not even one helpful thing, and only came away enraged that once again, my personal experience with religion had been labeled as a 'negative stereotype' and dismissed out of hand.