Title: What Matters Most Author First Name: Melody Author Last Name: Carlson Co-Author First Name:   Co-Author Last Name:   Series: Diary Of A Teeage Girl: Maya Series #: 3 Publisher: Multnomah Publishing ISBN: 1601421192 Genre: Realistic Sub Genre: None Target Gender: Females Target Age: 16 and up Issue: Death: None Issue: Lifestyle: Alcohol/Drugs Issue: Physical: None Issue: Relationships: Parents Issue: Religion: Christianity Issue: Self Image: None Issue: Spiritual: Gods Will/Calling Summary: Maya thought she'd learned her lesson about forgiveness. Then her mom re-enters her world. Her drug-addict mom who destroyed her life. And her mom wants her to live with her again. Maya spend the last few years of her life completely caring for her mom, working to earn enough money to get away, only to have it stolen by her mom and spend on drugs and alcohol. How is she supposed to forgive that? Especially when her mom shows every intention of doing it again now that she's back in Maya's life? That's not all though. Maya has a huge decision to make. Laura has left Redemption and Chloe and Allie want Maya to take her place. All Maya wanted was to be normal but it seems she can everything but that! Will she ever have a normal life? Extra Notes: Ouch! Melody Carlson touches tough subjects here! Maya's friend is struggling to get her life back together after she was in a car wreck after drinking. Maya had told her time and time again that she worried about her. And her friend went and did exactly what Maya said could happen. But Maya's supposed to be kind and loving to her now? And her issues with her mom! Someone actually has to point out to Maya that she doesn't have to parent her mom. But when Maya's mom finds out that her daughter has no intention of living with her again she makes it really hard for Maya. And the decisions about whether or not to join Redemption and the results of that. Add to that the tension of her relationship with her former boyfriend and her attempts to figure out what to do about dating in general and you've got one deep book. That's alot going on here, alot of lessons for Maya and for the reader. Reviewer: J:-)mi Recommendation Scale: 5