This book focuses on the issues faced by today’s teenagers in a world that expects them to grow up too fast. The main difficulty that is addressed is premarital sex, and all of the negative consequences it brings. The author does a good job of using many different arguments, all from a Christian perspective, as to why teenagers should abstain.
The author should be commended for writing a book for teens that talks openly and honestly about the decision to become sexually active. There are some minor grammatical and editing mistakes that could be fixed. At times the dialog seems unrealistic; that is, it doesn’t sound the way teenagers really talk. There are also times when it seems redundant, like the same arguments are being made over and over. There is very little physical description until closer to the end of the book; more detailed descriptions of the characters and the settings would add a lot to the story.
The story revolves around two couples, Edward and Marie, and Lisa and Leon, and their friends and classmates. In the opening chapter, Marie tries to convince her best friend Lisa that prom night is the time for them to physically express their love for their boyfriends. Lisa is thoroughly convinced that sex should not take place outside of marriage, and reminds Marie of the vows they made when they were younger, to themselves and to God, to wait.
Some of the characters in the book make good decisions, and others make poor decisions, regarding sexual behavior and alcohol use. For all of the bad decisions made, negative consequences always result. At a church lock-in, a young woman who contracted HIV talks to a group of teens about the importance of waiting until marriage. One of the high school girls is a mom, and she talks about the difficulties she is now facing because of her decision to have sex with her boyfriend. “A Lesson in Red Beans and Rice” contains a lot of honest, open discussion between young people as they weigh their options and make important, life-changing decisions. This book can easily be Dove approved for ages twelve and above.