Book Review- Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely, by Lysa TerKeurst

This book has been on my shelf for months, so I was pleasantly surprised when a number of newsletter subscribers asked for the review.

In Uninvited, TerKeurst shares of several personal struggles with rejection while mingling in corresponding biblical lessons. Written for women, the book considers loneliness, rejection, making connections, trust issues, and break-ups. She also considers the way that we view our present through the lens of our past and may project onto others what they likely have not said or thought. She rounds out the book with examples of prayers and active ways to overcome rejection and its lingering feelings in our lives.

The Good

This is the first Christian Living book that I have read this year (perhaps even longer) that does a good job of tying in biblical lessons, accounts, and verses to illustrate the issue addressed. They are found in virtually every chapter. The book opens with a foundational belief of the goodness of God and unfolds from there with a succession of personal stories balanced with biblical insight. The last half of the book includes truths, prayers, and other practical help for healing from these “uninvited” feelings.

The Bad

As an author myself, I understand the need to narrow the audience by half and address women, rather than men and women. However, the self-deprecation and the references to cellulite could have been toned down. They started in the first chapter and continued throughout, which simply made me roll my eyes. Some of the thoughts that she shared having had when considering others were not relatable to me, however I know that some (women) will readily identify with the brain dump about others. All-in-all, if these are the issues, the book did well.

Conclusion, 5/5 stars

I have not considered that rejection was something that I needed healing for, however I did find that opening myself up to consider it, there are certainly things in my past that I am now addressing with the Lord, forgiveness and truth. In that sense, the book did its job in freeing this reader from past chains. It was an effective book in addressing the issue it set out to address: left out, lonely, rejected, uninvited.