If there was ever a time for a 3.5 star rating, this is it. The writing is uneven in spots - the first chapter, and near the end. It gets tight and compelling when she starts describing her first queer relationship, and at the end when she talks about finding community and interacting with Jesus.
In some ways I’m very close to this story. Heck, my city and my employer are name-checked (rather unnecessarily) in the book. And in other ways I’m not so close. (My departure from the evangelical church wasn’t paired with any self-discovery about my sexuality.) What I resonate with here was the heartbreak of leaving the church, and what I jealously desire is the sense of community she has found in other places. (Will I ever find it?)
For the certain sort of reader who needs to know that leaving church is OK, this book is a godsend. For others it may be less than compelling.
