When a horrible tragedy happens in your life, how do you move on from it? In Finding Hope in Texas by Ryan T. Petty, Hope Kilpatrick finds herself asking that question when her family is killed in a terrible car crash before the Christmas holiday. She finds the pain to be unbearable and she leaves the memories and home of New York to go to Texas where an aunt, from whom she has been estranged for years, lives. She is lost in the pain of loss and culture shock and finds that she must also deal with a school bully; one that has decided she is the perfect target. Hope must find the strength to navigate a painful teenage life and recover.

This story is emotional, tragic, at times overwhelming, and yet it is also inspirational. Watching as Hope must struggle not only with being a teenager, but the loss of her family and adjusting to a new home, hooks you into the story. I felt for Hope and I could relate some of her struggles to ones in my own life. To me that is the hallmark of a good book, one that makes us think and feel and relate to the characters. Hope shows strength of character that is hard to find and that you hope even as an adult to have yourself. The few people around her that she goes to for solace are also amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a truly ‘heroic feeling’ coming of age story.

When an accident took her whole family and completely shattered her life, sixteen-year-old Hope had no choice but to move to her estranged aunt in Texas. Hope's move from New York to Texas was meant to put distance between her and her sad memories and give her a fresh start, but it came with its own challenges. Staying with an aunt she barely knew and did not really care to get to know, and going to a new school where the most popular girl in school swiftly became her biggest enemy only made her miss her previous life even more. Her life was only slightly brightened by her new friend at school and an understanding teacher who always had her back. Eventually Hope started getting to know her aunt better and even understanding her past actions, and then God brought Jason into her life and together they started healing each other's broken souls.

Finding Hope in Texas by Ryan T. Petty is a beautiful young adult novel that shares a moving story about family, loss, grief and learning to live and love again. Ryan T. Petty’s excellent writing skills brought to life the beautiful story of a young girl whose personal journey after loss touched and healed other souls. The writing style perfectly fits the story and brings to life each character in a way that will captivate your heart as you read and connect with each of them. The plot has all the perfect elements that make a captivating young adult story and it is written so flawlessly, making it a pleasure to read. It is an inspirational story and fans of this genre will definitely love it.