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Hannah doesn't think she'll ever be able to keep up with the rich girls--but that doesn't stop her from trying. In the process, Hannah is forced to come to grips with what she values most: beauty on the inside, or beauty on the outside.
Description:
Hannah Johnson is pretty happy as a missionary kid in Papua New Guinea. But when she visits her cousin Vanessa for a summer in America, everything changes.
Vanessa and her friends try to catch Hannah up on all the latest fashions, but in the end, Hannah feels hopeless. She doesn't think she'll ever be able to keep up with the rich girls--but that doesn't stop her from trying.
In the process, Hannah is forced to come to grips with what she values most: beauty on the inside or beauty on the outside.
The sixth book in the teen fiction series TrueColors, Fool's Gold deals with identity, materialism, values, and money. Includes discussion questions.
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Read a review.
Fool's Gold
ISBN-13:
9781576835340
Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.25
Cover: Paperback
224
Pages
$14.99
Percentage Discounts for Bulk Purchases of Single Items
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Downloadable
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Part of a Series
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Available in Spanish
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Customer Reviews
I liked this book, even though I'm not a "young adult" anymore!
I recently had the chance to read this book as part of the NavPress blogger review program. This is the 6th book in the TrueColors series from Melody Carlson, and is the story of Hannah Johnson, a missionary kid from Papua New Guinea who is sent to spend the summer with her relatives in California.
Once I got past all of the Australian slang that the character uses and figured out what she was saying, I really liked this book. Hannah is very well written, and she’s a very believable character. I have a number of friends who grew up as missionary kids, and I know they often felt like Hannah does in this book- that they are the product of a different culture, even if their passports say they are American.
The book moves quickly and deals with the topics of materialism and shopping. I know this is a problem for women all over the world- we often shop to make ourselves feel better on a bad day. I like how the book shows how easy it is to fall into the trap of buying “just a little something” here and there, and how quickly that can get out of control. It also addresses the very important topic of focusing more on what’s on the inside than how we look on the outside- another universal topic for women!
This is a book that I would really recommend as a great read for a young woman, and for us not-so-young adult women as well. It's a good story with a lot of truth in it!
I received a copy of this book from NavPress as part of their book reviewer program. I was not compensated for the review in any way and all opinions here are mine and mine alone.
Posted by
Carrie
on
1/29/2010 1:52:33 PM
Great lesson on Value!
I try to think of myself as a very religious young lady. In all I do I strive to be a better person. When looking for books to read for pleasure I like to buy ones that I know others will enjoy or that I know has a great moral lesson. Recently I was sent Fool's Gold to review from Navpress. This book is written by Melody Carlson and reaches out to teens to help teach them morals and help them get through real life teen issues. My younger sister is currently in that phase where she is doing her best to be a young role model of god but also seeing and feeling a lot of external pressures.
In Fool's Gold, you read about a young lady, Hannah. A girl who has grown up a Missionary Kid. Living in low income places while trying to spread the word of God to those in New Guinea. There hasn't been a day that Hannah didn't pray, read the bible, or listen to a sermon. The summer of her 17th birthday Hannah's parents send her to stay with her Uncle, Aunt and Cousin. In California. A place unlike any she has lived in before.
While in California, Hannah struggles trying to fit in and be one of the girls. Her struggles on the inside are so though provoking. She leaves her bible behind telling herself she needs a vacation from God. Religion is no longer the most important thing in Hannah's life. Fitting in and looking the part are a top priority. The girls surrounding her only care about one thing. Money. Nothing is too much and soon Hannah see's herself falling to a place she never envisioned.
What I really love about the book is the hidden messages. Little descriptive images in the book strike a chord in your heart. They have you thinking about your daily lives. Are you putting things ahead of God, ahead of your family?
I really love and highly recommend Melody Carlson's book Fool's Gold from the True Colors Series.
Posted by
Valorie
on
1/15/2010 6:54:53 PM
totally consumed
I like Melody's style in this book. She dug deep to make the story compelling and brought out the real issue of materialism. At first I really wasn't sure what to expect but as Melody took you in deeper to the story you couldn't help but wonder how far was it going to go. I loved Hannah's lingo-- I couldn't help but say "reckon" after a lot.. but perhaps it's not far off from my Canadian idioms lol. I don't think you can read this book and walk away without getting the point. Even though the setting is in LA and talks about extreme money issues, I think it is easy to relate to because at some point or another most of us have had to make the decision of how to deal with money.
Posted by
amydeanne
on
1/14/2010 12:44:38 PM
Overall Good Book
Fool's Gold is a fiction novel about a missionary kid, Hannah, from Papua New Guinea who came to California to stay with some rich family members while her parents are home on furlough. As Hannah's parents travel the United States raising support to go back to Papau New Guinea, she tries to fit into a "normal" life with her cousin Vanessa and her friends. Hannah new right away she was different. She didn't dress the same, talk the same, or act the same as those she found in California. She left her Bible in "PNG" as she called it and turned away from God. She wanted to earn money for college, or uni as she called it, so she got a job as a receptionist at her Uncle's Janitorial Company. Instead of saving money, she kept spending. Opening new charge accounts at fancy stores, asking for a draw on her salary from her uncle, and opening bank accounts, she got caught in trying to live up to Vanessa and her popular friend's standards. She could never live up to them no matter how hard she tried, or how much debt she got herself into.
She met a young lady named Jessie, who was a Christian, the only one in her family. She tried to show Hannah how important it was to be herself. Hannah was trying to impress Wyatt, a good looking boy that she met at a party. She began by going surfing with him, with little innocent flirting here and there. She tried alcoholic beverages a couple of times, but she did not like them. She even charged a pair of expensive sunglasses for herself and for Wyatt, trying to impress. It worked. He began to like her, but was it really for her, or the money he thought she had.
After all her debt started piling up and realizing she was in way over her head, she hit rock bottom and broke down. She remembered God and how he is always there for you. She asked for his forgiveness, started working extra hours to pay back her debt, stopped hanging out with the wrong crowd, and started going to church with Jessie.
This story was a good story with a wonderful lesson in it. I think personally it is geared for the upper teen age girl group. This would be wonderful for someone who is facing peer pressure. Some of the lingo is a little hard to follow, but the more you read the more you catch on. Overall it was a good book.
Posted by
Jennifer Ballew
on
12/31/2009 1:24:07 PM
Fool's Gold by Melody Carlson
In Fool's Gold, Hannah Johnson was perfectly content as a missionary kid until she spent the summer with her rich relatives. High style and a skimpy budget didn't mix very well, and Hannah finds out how fast money can slip through her fingers when she tries to keep up with Cousin Vanessa and her rich friends. Through her misadventures, Hannah learns a valuable lesson about who brings true peace and happiness into her life.
Melody Carlson speaks to girls in their language. Her books communicate truth through situations real girls face everyday. I have appreciated her edgy style and look forward to reading more of Carlson's books as well as adding them to our church library. As an added bonus, Melody Carlson's books are AR books (if you have school children, you know what this means). So my kids can read her books for credit at school. I love the fact that my children can read good Christian fiction for school.
I am a Blogger Reviewer for NavPress.
Posted by
Lori Poppinga
on
12/22/2009 12:02:27 PM
Review - Fool's Gold
In Fool's Gold,Melody Carlson introduces us to Hannah, the daughter of missionaries to Papua New Guinea who is staying with family for the summer while her parents are trying to raise funds for their mission work. Hannah is thrown into a lifestyle completely opposite from the one to which she was accustomed in PNG. Over the course of a summer, Hannah turns away from the God she has always followed and falls into the age old trap of serving the worldly gods of money and popularity.
The book is definitely geared towards teenagers and addresses the age old issue of peer pressure. Carlson's story of fall and redemption certainly speaks to legions of teenagers who feel, succumb to, and overcome the pressure to be one of the crowd. Hannah must learn through her mistakes that it takes true strength to turn away from the things of the world and to turn to God.
What I like about Carlson's novel is that she really does relate to teenagers and relays a story that can truly make an impact. As teenagers, most of us felt the pressure to fit into a mold. Carlson leads Hannah on this journey of losing herself to the crowd and then finding her way back to the One who asks us to break the mold, not fit into it. Carlson's story is an easy read and one to which it is easy to relate. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this novel for adult readers, I would certainly recommend this for their teenage children. Carlson has truly found her niche in writing for young adults and does a wonderful job of addreessing the issues that face them in their daily lives.
Posted by
Robin Gwaro
on
12/20/2009 6:25:17 PM
Glamorous Life
This is a topic that almost any high school girl can totally relate to. Clothes are almost the biggest factor of what makes you part of the in crowd and what leave you on the outskirts. These days especially, labels are the ticket to popularity. Having lots of money almost guarantees being in the in crowd. Why are we so fascinated with having lots of money? Melody Carlson perfectly translates the feelings of a teen girl struggling with not having the money to buy everything and having to face those who do.
I was a bit worried at first that Hannah would be a total goody two shoe because of her background. She is a bit naive about somethings because she hasn't been in the country that long and isn't up to the pop culture. However she acts pretty normal which is good because it's more relatable to reader. Ikept getting really annoyed with Vanessa throughout the book. The same with her mother as well. I cannot stand being around those type of people and it just made me want to scream throughout the entire book. I can accept this type of behavior if you earned the money you were spending. However, teens who spend credit cards using their parents money "just cause" really annoys me. I wish all parents realized that giving your kids everything they want does not make them love you more or make you a better parent. That being said, I rather enjoyed the ending and what happened to Vanessa and her mom. Almost like justice was finally served.
Something I found a bit weird and annoying after awhile was the continued calling of Ross Dress for Less. Let me say, I love the store. I get stuff there all the time. They have great deals and a really good selection. I just have never heard anyone keep calling it by it's full name. I could understand the first time it was mentioned but repeatedly calling it that way? At that point, it seemed like an ad for them, and that Ross Dress for Less had paid for product placement.
Other than this, I really enjoyed this book. The subject matter is one that many teen girls will be able to relate to and even women in their 20s and 30s can get advice out of this book. Sadly we live in a material world and when you don't share that lifestyle it can be incredibly hard. Again another great YA book from Melody Carlson.
Posted by
Deborah
on
12/18/2009 6:41:27 AM
Best book of the series
This to me has been the best book of the series,
i felt like it was the one i could relate to the most, and i liked how that characters were really thought out.
Thanks for a great read!
Posted by
Nel
on
4/17/2008 10:40:00 PM
It's Okay
I think this book is kind of boring. of course all her books are good but this one wasn't as exciting as most of her other books. My favorite book so far is Burnt Orange.
Posted by
LeAh MaRiE
on
5/2/2007 4:25:00 PM
AWSOME
best book not qutie finshed with it just yet
Posted by
nicolle
on
4/27/2007 1:02:00 PM
...
Whoa, calm down there. Nobody is stupid, we just have different opinions.
Posted by
Kasia*
on
10/30/2006 8:53:00 PM
great book
Fools gold helped me relize i was starting to get absessed with what i wear and look like. i know alot of girls strugle with this. Every girl should read this book.Carlson really writes books that relate to teenage girls.
Posted by
allissa
on
8/22/2006 11:39:00 AM
execllent
these books are really good the held my attention so i give these books 9/10
please keep writing
thanks
Posted by
Zara
on
8/1/2006 2:40:00 PM
IDOIT
are you stupid, that book was good. You're just mad because that book described you perfectly. They're all good.
Posted by
lysa
on
5/25/2006 2:01:00 PM
nothing
The book was so boring. I think that all of the others were better.
Posted by
alicia
on
4/29/2006 10:39:00 AM