Friday, April 23, 2010

Review: Revolve 2010: The Complete New Testament

 Title: Revolve 2010: the complete New Testament
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (2009)
Editor: Amy Weiner
Paperback: 288 pages
Rating:  4 stars
Copy provided to me from Thomas Nelson Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Product Description:
 GOD'S WORD ROCKS…IN REVOLVE 2010! Now in its sixth edition, the Revolve series has proven effective in reaching teenage girls by featuring the Bible in a cool, magazine design. Interspersed throughout the scriptures, girls find articles and images that speak to their concerns and interests: how-to articles, lifestyle features, beauty tips, quizzes, and more. Everything about Revolve 2010 relates directly to teen girls, making it the New Testament they can understand in a format to which they can relate.


My thoughts:

I grew up in a Christian home, but I  know that when I was a teenager, Sunday morning church was more of a chore than a blessing. As a teen, I was so involved in school and sports that I longed for a Sunday when I could sleep in, a favorite teen pasttime. It wasn't that I didn't want a relationship with Jesus, but  I felt removed from the sermons and the concerns of the other adults in church.  What kept me at church was a loving youth group leader and a small, but active youth group. In youth group we learned about a living and contemporary God who cared about us and was with us in our challenges. Our youth group spent all year fundraising to get to our state youth conference and there we learned about the living God who knew our concerns. We learned that although the Bible is old, God's message is now. I think any teen Christian product needs to show the relevance of this living God.

Revolve 2010 is a timely product aimed at the teenage girl. This "Biblezine" is eye candy for girls with the familiar fashion magazine type of cover of beautiful, clear-faced, smiling teens, pops of color, a promise of quizzes, articles on real teens sharing real stories, celebrity articles and of course, the free music download promise.

What I found most attractive about this new testament Biblezine is that the layout was familiar, especially if I'm used to reading magazines like Teen Vogue or Seventeen. There is a lot of information, mainly because they have to include the whole new testament from Matthew to Revelations, but I really liked the colorful info. boxes, brightly colored headings, graphics, pictures and some kind of side story on every two-page spread. If was a nice visual rest from the text.

I think this Biblezine does a good job of reinforcing the role that Jesus can play in a teenager's life, and when teens have to think about WWJD (what would Jesus do?), Revolve 2010 is a nice source to find specific Bible-centered advice for many typical teen dramas and traumas.

1 comment:

Sheila (Bookjourney) said...

I love this! I pick it up every year when I go to Women Of Faith. Excellent review!