Reviewing Face Time: Your Identity in a Selfie World (Kristen Hatton)

I could not be more excited to tell you about the newly released Face Time: Your Identity in a Selfie World, a wonderful book written by one of our own beloved Rooted writers, Kristen Hatton.

Face Time is Hatton’s second book and it is directed toward Christian, teenage girls and young women. However, I would highly recommend this read to any who are ministering or parenting to this demographic. Hatton designed this book to either be read on your own or in the context of a small group discussion.

Above and beyond anything else I would highlight about this book is its true centeredness on the gospel’s supremacy in changing hearts. As a girls’ minister, I am constantly wading through books directed toward girls that focus on feelings, but often negate the sole power of the gospel to redeem. The first part of the book is devoted to just that: the proclamation of the gospel and the understanding of justification. Hatton is careful to lay our only solid foundation before ever jumping into the weeds.

Later, she helps the reader (whether teen or parent) to navigate very specific struggles that are common to young women today. Hatton exposes in each of these struggles two biblical realities: idols and sin. Her goal is for girls not to simply seek a “fix” to their struggles, but rather to see all sin as rooted in disbelief – disbelief in some aspect of the gospel. So often, our identity struggles are an outworking of idols that our hearts themselves have created.

Hatton does not shy away from the harsh realities that young women face, nor does she cover them up with a false assumption that the world is to blame. Instead, she trains her readers in uncovering gospel-unbelief, and identifying the deep-seeded idols that have led to these struggles.

Face Time is a gospel-rooted, helpful book for all. As the publishers themselves said, Hatton “takes girls on a step-by-step, hope-filled journey toward understanding who they are, who loves them, and how to live out of that love every day.”

Here’s what Jon Nielson, editor of Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry and author of Faith That Lasts, has to say about the book:

“Kristen has offered Christian girls and young women a rich, gospel-saturated gift in this book! She blends biblical theology and the story of redemption with frank and realistic engagement with today’s youth culture and its dangers, and does so conversationally and winsomely. As a pastor/chaplain to high school and college students for the last ten years and now a father to daughters of my own, I commend this book to you as a solid resource for guiding young women toward an unshakeable identity that is grounded in the promises of a good and gracious God.”

For a chance to WIN a free copy of FaceTime, check out Rooted’s social media contest on Facebook and Instagram.