1 Girl Nation CD Review + Giveaway

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the cd from FlyBy Network in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

When I turned on this cd and listened to the lyrics to the very first song, it reminded me of my youth and some of the great Christian pop artists that it felt like wrote songs specifically for me because they understood what I was going through. As a young pre-teen or teenager it is important to have an outlet like that, to realize that your thoughts, your feelings, your struggles, they are not just things you are the only one going through. For me, SuperChick and Relient K got me through my youth and I think 1 Girl Nation will be for today's youth what those bands were for me growing up. Even as an adult listening to this album, some of the lyrics really hit home for me in some of the songs, particularly "In the Eyes" and "Count Your Rainbows". It's so awesome how God can work that way through music to speak to us when we really need to hear something. 1GN is made up of Carmen, Kayli, Kelsey, Lauryn Taylor and Lindsey, who have a passion for sharing Christ through their music. Their debut single can be heard on radio stations nationwide and their self titled debut album is available now.

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Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It by Nick Carter (Book Review)

About the book:

This book is Nick Carter’s autobiography and self-help hybrid in which he chronicles his struggles with a dysfunctional family and the unimaginable rigors of becoming an internationally successful pop-star at the age of 12. From his battle with addiction to serious health complications and the pain of his younger sister’s tragic death, Nick leaves nothing to the imagination and offers true and heartfelt advice to help readers overcome obstacles in their own lives.

My thoughts:

I was a teenager in the late 90's when boy bands were all the rage. At the time, the Backstreet Boys were at the top of their game. Nick Carter started out in the band at 12 years old. For some reason, I thought he was a little bit older than that, but being thrust into the spotlight would be difficult to deal with for anyone reaching an age where they are about to go through puberty. I knew that Carter and several of his siblings have struggled through some hard addictions, so I wanted to read his book, mostly to see how he is doing now. The book is touted as an autobiography and self-help hybrid. I found that to be true, but I did feel like it was more an attempt at self-help than at an autobiography. Don't get me wrong, Carter is open about the tumultuous family life he had to deal with growing up, about his time with the Backstreet Boys and even about his relationships with his siblings, but that is mostly sprinkled through the book amongst the advice he doles out so that others may choose not to make the same bad decisions he did. As you read the pages filled with heartbreaking revelations about was going on with Nick in his later teen years and on, it is obvious that Carter truly wants to reach out and help anyone who may be going through the same thing. The stories about Carter's parents and the responsibilities they regulated to him at an early age when he should have been carefree and the mentions of his relationship with his siblings and their ups and downs are absolutely heartbreaking. I think writing this book was part therapy for Carter for dealing with his problems and his sister's death from overdose and the other part trying to help anyone he can from going through the same trials as he and his siblings have. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Backstreet Boys fan, anyone who enjoys autobiographies of celebrities and anyone who has suffered through addiction problems.

Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It is now available on Amazon.com