Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone

LITTLE DO WE KNOW by award-winning author Tamara Ireland Stone is an emotional and compelling young adult novel that explores faith, doubt and relationships. High school Seniors Hannah and Emory were inseparable best friends until a traumatic event, a huge fight and some uncomfortable truths drive them apart. Hannah has been raised to embrace her Christian faith and trust her parents’ guidance – her Dad is the principal of her faith-based high school, but she starts to question her faith and becomes infatuated with a teacher at the school, reflecting her vulnerability and immaturity. Emory is driven and focused on her acting career, applying to UCLA, and on her intimate relationship with boyfriend Luke. When Luke undergoes a near death experience and turns to religion while questioning his own values, an even greater tension develops between Hannah and Emory. Alternating narrators, Stone seeks to develop realistic, relatable characters who care for each other while also being self-centered and immersed in their own issues. LITTLE DO WE KNOW respectfully explores the questions of faith which teens often face, with one character noting “I think the world would be a better place if people stopped every once in a while and questioned everything they thought they knew.” In addition, Stone deftly prompts readers to examine inappropriate relationships and actions since both young women are let down by men in their lives.  

Booklist recommends LITTLE DO WE KNOW to “readers looking for a nuanced treatment of religion;” this title received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.