Book Review: Be Loved by Emma Mae Jenkins

A Fervr reader gives her perspective on this new book for teen girls.

Emma Mae Jenkins is a 20-year-old American YouTuber with over 60,000 subscribers. She's also doing pretty well on Instagram with 138,000 followers!

But unlike a lot of other young influencers, Emma Mae isn't seeking fame and fortune for herself. Instead, she's using her popularity to share the love of God with her followers, and encourage Christians in their faith.

Now, Emma is spreading her message to page form with her debut book, Be Loved.

What's Be Loved about?

Be Loved is a book written for teenage girls (like me!) about how we are to live as God’s children.

Although the topics covered in Be Loved are relevant across all of high school, the length, style of writing and presentation suggest it's probably best suited to a younger audience (Junior High).

In each of the ten chapters, Emma uses her own personal experiences as a way of showing how God has worked in her life, and why each one of us needs to acknowledge and praise him in everything we do.

Some of the themes discussed include identity, school and friendships. And with every piece of advice Emma gives, a Bible verse is shown or referenced to keep pointing you back towards God and his Word.

What kind of book is Be Loved?

The book is written in a scrapbook format, with lots of visual aids and images supporting the topics discussed. It gives the impression of a journal, as if each chapter is an entry with a story and lesson.

There are often several boxes of text on a page, most continuing the main text and another highlighting a main idea. This makes the book easier to read, understand and remember.

And although it is an easier and shorter read than other books, Be Loved manages to cover a wide range of topics and scenarios, paired with helpful Bible verses and prayers.

What I liked most about Be Loved

I really like that Be Loved is written in a casual and personal way. Emma shares experiences with you as if you were a good friend. These were experiences that I could understand but also learn from.

Everything good that Emma ever encountered was acknowledged as God’s work, whether it was a friend, an experience or an opportunity. This made me realise how active God is in our lives, as well as how grateful we can be to God. Reading this book, I felt like I was taking advice from a big sister.

Who should read Be Loved?

I would recommend this book to anyone who feels insufficient or lacks confidence, because you'll be encouraged that your value comes from what God says of you and what Jesus has done for you.

I would also reccomend this book to girls who need some motivation in their faith, because Be Loved is super helpful for applying your faith to your life in a refreshing and new way.

Be Loved taught me that showing God’s love to others is something that can happen every single day of our lives. I also learned we can be confident in ourselves because of our identity in Christ and relationship with God.

“The Bible is truth, and it’s so important to know who he is and who he says I am, because I know the moment I walk out of my door to enter the day, I will be told many lies about who he is and who I am." – Be Loved.