I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read the book He's Making Diamonds: A Teen's Thoughts on Faith in Chronic Illness by S.G. Willoughby. The book contains such wisdom, depth, insight, and encouragement. It was healing, encouraging, enriching, and instructive for me to read, and it made me cry in several places - beginning in the foreword and continuing through the first couple of chapters. Though young, the author of this book is wise far beyond her years, and God is using her to speak to me and countless others.

He's Making Diamonds is targeted toward the demographic of teens who have a chronic illness and their loved ones - and to chronically ill individuals in general - but the book's helpfulness is not limited to this audience. Many people can be helped by it, as I'll mention further later on.

However, I am a member of the target audience, and as such, this book was perfect for me, as I mentioned. I am no longer a teenager, but I was first diagnosed with a serious chronic illness as a teen, and I've been battling it ever since, long and hard. Like me, the author of this book, Sara, is a teen who has been sick with chronic illness for several years. I met her online through her blog and have gotten to know her a little bit through correspondence - she's a wonderful and godly young lady. Her blog posts and book have helped and encouraged me and others so much. It is so easy to feel isolated and alone as a young person who is very sick long-term - each of us feels as if we are the only one. But that isn't true, as Sara often talks about in her book. It is so helpful to know that, and to give and receive support with others who walk through it as well!

This book encouraged me and helped me so much, and God used it to teach me new things and to remind me of important truths he has taught me in the past. As I read the book, it encouraged me in the struggles I was going through right then - during the day I read each section and the summer I read the book - as well as in painful past struggles from my entire long journey of chronic illness. Often, the next chapter I began to read happened to be exactly the topic I had been meditating on or struggling with that day or week, specifically the chapters on hope, peace, rest, faith, and prayer. On those occasions, each chapter was exactly what I needed to read right then - completely unplanned by me - but planned by God. Other topics that were especially helpful and applicable for me were the sections on identity in chronic illness, grief and loss in chronic illness, the mental battles that come with some chronic illness, dealing with life changes from chronic illness, joy and despair, and God's grace and glory in our weakness. In addition, the book includes many practical tips and advice as well as spiritual truths.

Possibly my favorite thing about this book is how much wonderful and quality Scripture is integrated into the book. I really, really appreciate how Sara used Scripture throughout the book to teach, to encourage, and to back up her points. It's not just her own words . . . it's Biblical truth. And each verse she chose is so helpful and encouraging and potent. This book includes so many wonderful Scriptures integrated into the author's own thoughtful text, including countless Scriptures that have meant the most to me and helped me the most deeply in my journey. In addition to these, there are so many other wonderful Scriptures that I hadn't read, studied, or paid attention to before, and I benefited so much from studying and applying them - often feeling like my eyes had been opened to Scriptures and truths I had overlooked.

The writing style is smooth, sophisticated, and clear. Sara does a great job clearly expressing many things that are hard to sum up or explain, and she simply and deeply explains other things. The author conveys her point clearly and concisely, in an organized and easy-to-follow manner. The headings before each section aid understanding and sum up what each section will be about, which is especially helpful for people who have trouble with comprehension and focus because of chronic illness.

I appreciate how Sara is so honest, open, and truthful about her deepest struggles and hardest experiences. She shares them with the reader in order to help others who have been through similar things, and to share what she's learned from them with others.

Throughout the book, Sara urges the reader to apply the book's encouragement to his or her own life, giving guidelines at the end of each chapter for ways to respond to what the chapter covers. This is so helpful for doing more than just reading . . . for allowing the book to be used in our own lives.

While the book is targeted at teens with chronic illness, it's also particularly helpful for individuals of any age who have a chronic illness, for their caretakers, and for anyone else who has a loved one with a chronic illness, though the audience need not be limited to those demographics. It's a great resource to share with family members and friends as a window into what it is like to have chronic illness and how to navigate it alongside them, though that's not the main focus of the book. And for the same reason, it's also helpful for people outside these categories who have not experienced or observed chronic illness. Also, as this book mentions, a wide range of health issues fall under the category of chronic illness, including any health issues that last for more than three months, so it applies to many conditions (for instance, migraines and food sensitivities both count). Many people with such long-term conditions could benefit from this book. In addition, although it is geared toward chronic illness, most of the topics in this book apply to all suffering - not just chronic illness - which means that any other person can benefit from this book with application to their own lives.

Because of this, I recommend the book especially to individuals who have a chronic illness and their loved ones - but also to anyone who doesn't fall in these groups.

Note: While this book does a wonderful job of covering issues related to mental symptoms of chronic illness, such as anxiety and depression, it's best suited for those with mental symptoms of chronic physical illness. It would not be applicable or as helpful for those who solely have a mental illness.

He's Making Diamonds: A Teen's Thoughts on Faith in Chronic Illness by S.G. Willoughby is a wonderful resource whether or not the reader has experience with chronic illness, but it's most definitely a must-read for anyone who has a chronic illness themselves or knows someone who does. I really enjoyed and benefited from this book, and it touched me deeply. I can't recommend it highly enough!

I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I was not obligated to provide a positive review, and all opinions are my own. ( )