More to the Story ebook

Linda Allcock

This book manages to be wise, persuasive, warm, and sensitive in answering the hardest questions, in a hopeful and helpful way. A great resource for giving away, but also worth keeping in your back pocket!

Ed Drew

These are the issues where our teenage children most need help. That help has arrived! This book tells the better story about sex, gender, and sexuality that our teenagers desperately need to hear. Thank you, Jennifer!

“Brilliant resource”

I found Jennifer’s execution of tackling this highly emotive topic, to be one of grace, gentleness and standing firm in truth. This is a very difficult balance to strike so I commend her for her efforts here.

She goes into all kinds of topics that are on our young people’s agendas in the modern age, not shying away from the difficult issues.

The complementary resources online are excellent too, making a great discussion resource for youth groups and the like.

I would highly recommend this book, even to parents, as it equipped me to tackle these conversations with prepared, graceful and loving answers.

“Helping us see the larger story”

More to the Story is an excellent resource for students, parents, youth leaders, and others. It is deeply rooted in Scripture and puts Jesus—his life, death, resurrection, love, wisdom, and power—at the center of things. Jennifer writes with compassion and candor, sympathetic to the real and painful struggles of young people (and others), yet also direct in sharing God’s truth as the standard for navigating life and the basis of true peace and freedom. Far from being moralizing or legalistic, this book insightfully sets human sexuality in the larger context of God’s design in offering human beings relational intimacy with himself. In chapters that explore a variety of aspects of identity and sexuality, Jennifer presents Scriptural reflection, practical counsel, and resources for further exploration. Hers is a sympathetic ear and a winsome voice. Highly recommended.

“Wisdom and Wonder”

What does Scripture have to say about our sexuality? In More to the Story, Jennifer M. Kvamme gives deep answers to real questions on attraction, identity, and relationships.



True Intimacy

What I appreciated most about this book is that it really gets down to the fundamentals of who God created us to be. Kvamme says that our sexuality is actually just a glimpse of something deeper. Sex is supposed to show us, in a tangible way, the love that Jesus has for his people. Our sin makes us out of sync with God’s design. Christ came into the world to show us the reality of true intimacy with God.

I was most interested to read of our three layers of identity. The first is the way that God created you, the second is how God has re-created the believer, and the third is our identity in Christ. These identities are a gift from God to help us see who we are supposed to be.


Wisdom and Wonder

Kvamme carefully teaches on desires, singleness, and intimacy — but what makes this book really stand out is the way that it doesn’t shy away from pornography. Kvamme shares strategies to help: recognize the root, recreate habits, enlist help, and look to Jesus. With the power of the Holy Spirit, there is hope for those who are hurting or broken — including those who have been abused.

Kvamme concludes with encouragement: It is worth it to get to know Jesus and submit your sexuality to him. Perfect for teens and a great resource for parents and pastors — this book champions the wisdom and wonder of God in designing us for his glory.


I received a media copy of More to the Story and this is my honest review.

“Conversation starter”

When I first looked at the cover of this book, and read what it was about: I was somewhat skeptical regarding where the author would take it, and if it would line up with scripture.
I was pleasantly surprised to see the gospel beautifully explained in chapter 3.
The book does a great job at explaining why we were made, and for what purpose.
The author also uses a lot of scripture to back up her reasoning.
I would have liked to see more advice in how to handle certain situations; however I think this book makes a good resource for starting these conversations amongst young adults, and the gender crisis we see that is so prevalent in today’s world.

This book is an easy-to-read resource, with a format that feels geared more towards teens/young adults.
I did appreciate the reflection questions at the end of each chapter, which allow you to really focus on what you’re learning.

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.

“Grace and Truth!”

This is such a hard topic to wrestle with and so controversial in many settings. Jennifer's book is written from a heart of compassion and grace for anyone struggling with these issues. There is no condemnation. And yet, it is also filled with the unwavering truth of Scripture. However, it's not law based expounding the do's and don'ts of the Bible, it's a beautiful telling of God's bigger story, his heart of love towards us, his desire for us to experience a good life, an affirmation of our value, and a hope for the future -- no matter what our past or present. So often we isolate our sexual nature, practices, and desires instead of seeing how our sexuality fits into the whole of who we were created to be. Although it's primarily written to teens and young adults, I think it would be an excellent resource for every parent and youth worker who wants to have meaningful conversations that promote understanding and vulnerability. There are good discussion / journaling questions at the end of each chapter as well as at the end of the book. I think the book empowers readers to sort out the confusion in their minds and take positive steps forward in their created design and purpose.

“Great Book to Study with Others”

A Gospel-rich, grace-filled explanation of what the Bible has to say about sex, singleness, orientation, & so much more, More to the Story is geared toward teenagers & young adults. If a young person is truly seeking what God has to say about these topics, this is the book to read with them.

It's not a book to hand to your teen & hope the truths stick. It's built for discussion in community. It would be a perfect opportunity to work through these topics with your child. I could also see a youth group using this book in a smaller group/discipling group setting. (Previous reviews mention the many Scripture references & I think a group setting would allow for a fuller discussion of each verse.)

The author doesn't shy away from addressing the hard questions. She takes the readers right through the Gospel story, starting all the way back at creation, & points out how each question points us back to God. Definitely a must-read if you're parenting or mentoring young people.

“Brilliant for Teens, Parents and Youth Workers”

In the current culture, everyone is asking big questions about gender and sexuality and the responses of a biblical, orthodox Christian often seem to be knocked back or ignored, being seen as old-fashioned at best and outrageous at worst. And yet I'm increasingly convinced that we will never win this argument by simply answering hot-button questions. Instead, we need to show the better story of God's plan for relationships, how the gospel of Jesus leads us to this conclusion, and only at this point then talk about the implications.

That's why Kvamme's book is so helpful, starting with an explanation of the big story of God, his world and his people (Chapters 1-3) and then exploring some of the implications in areas such as gender, sexuality, abuse, dating and pornography (Chapters 4-13). It makes this book a great resource for youth workers and parents, as well as a helpful read for secondary school-age children and above as they question some of the sexual ethics they are presented with.

“potentially good for teens”

Based on the back cover description and the book title, I was not convinced this book would be written with biblical truths. But after reading further throughout the book, Kvamme demonstrates solid biblical truth in all areas of attraction, identity and relationships.

The content of the book specifically addresses many of our current culture's gripes about Christian's beliefs surrounding sexuality. There is a god mix of scientific, biblical, and cultural explanations to help understand every perspective that we may encounter.

Kvamme structures the book with two parts: The Big Story and The Big Questions. The first part discusses the life, purpose and hope of Jesus. The second part addresses very specific questions that are often argued against scripture. Some of these questions are as follows:

- Why does God care what I do with my body?

- What if I never get married?

- Is the Bible really against gay marriage?

Here writing style seemed to be more geared towards teens rather than adults. I do believe teens are more so bombarded with lies and confusion from everywhere and thus the need for genuine discussion and raw truth.

Every chapter concludes with a Reflection section. This consists of a couple statements from the chapter and questions to discuss and ponder as a follow up.

Two things I disliked:

- I found several grammatical errors throughout the book which just makes it hard to read smoothly.

- I wish Kvamme would have dug into the scriptures a bit deeper. She provided many scriptural references but really only touched on them. It didn't seem like enough for such a controversial topic.

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.

“A Good Source for Teens/Young Adults”

I have three girls, the oldest being in 4th grade, so I naively thought conversations around sex, gender identity, and relationships were at least a few years away. However, even though we do our best to monitor television, books, and friendships, the older they get, the more they are exposed to, and the more questions they have about these topics.

When I saw the sub-title of "More to the Story," I knew I wanted to read this book. The book is written more on a teen/young adult level, which I wasn't prepared for, but it didn't take away from my experience. { I thought the target audience was parents/ adults, which still applies, but I know the audience is young adults}

The book starts with a theology of why we were made, for what purpose, and what that means for us as humans and believers. It then transitions to different topics that young adults ( and, in some cases, older adults) face head-on today. Each chapter is filled with Scripture-supporting the biblical view of the topic, questions for reflection, and, if needed, additional pages of clarification.

I would have liked to see more "how to have these conversations with those engaging in these lifestyles," but I understand that wasn't the book's primary objective. This is an excellent resource for student ministries, parents with children entering middle school ( and beyond), and a good starting point if you want to educate yourself on "why Christians believe these views on attraction and identity."

Kvamme is kind with her words, filled with love and grace while holding to the Truth of Scripture. She doesn't shame but invites readers into the freedom held in Christ.

Read Time: 15 minutes for each chapter ( add in time for reflection)
Level: Easily understood by adults, and young adults
Best for: Personal study, student small groups