More Than Friends
I grabbed my books and headed off to see what Marta wanted.
She was sitting on the raised cement ledge in front of the apartment building. “It’s about Charlie,” she said. “I need to tell you what he said to me.”
I sat down a few feet away from her. “Okay, tell me what Charlie said.”
“It’s not so much what he said as how he said it,” she replied cryptically.
I sighed. “Explain.”
“Well, you went outside with Phil and Mac and Brett. After school today, I mean. And I went out a little after you. By myself. And Charlie was standing there watching you. And he looked—I don’t know—kind of funny. It’s hard to explain, but he looked as though he didn’t know what to do. And that isn’t him.”
“Not so you’d notice,” I agreed.
“Then he realized I was there,” she continued, “and he came closer and said, ‘I’m going to make him wish he’d never been born.’ And I said ‘What are you talking about?’ And he said, ‘Sauten. And you can tell him I said so.’ So I said, ‘What’s it to me?’ And he said, ‘I thought he was your hero since he helped save you from that fire?’ And I said, ‘I can take him or leave him.’ So he said, ‘I’ll pay you to help me.’ So I said, ‘Tell me what you want me to do.’ But then he said, ‘You’re lying. You’re trying to set me up.’ And he started backing up, like he was afraid of me. Then he stopped and yelled, ‘You tell him!’ So here I am telling you.”
“He seemed fine at Harry’s.”
“I know.” She shrugged. “But that’s what he said just a little while before.”
“Are you sure he wasn’t joking?”
She shook her head.
“You didn’t see him. His eyes looked wild. He was really weird, even for Charlie.”
“What’s with this party he’s planning for Phil for tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. It just kind of snowballed from something Nicole said about looking for things Phil could still do.” She looked away for a minute, and then back at me. “Anyway, I’d keep my eyes open if I were you. And watch my back.”
“I guess.”
“I mean it. Be careful.”
“I will.”
Her big black eyes stared at me. “So are you and Nicole doing okay now? No more misunderstandings or fights?”
“Yeah.”
She looked down. “Well, that’s good,” she said finally.
“Uh huh,” I said.
“So how come she wasn’t sitting beside you at Harry’s?”
“I don’t know. I was looking after Phil.”
“He seems to need a lot of looking after.”
“Just until he gets used to this. And he’s getting a new wheelchair. In fact, it was supposed to be here yesterday, but it hasn’t come yet. It has a motor, so he’ll be able to control it himself.”
“Hmm.”
“Well, I should be going.”
“Yeah.”
I had only taken a few steps when Marta called out, “Glen?”
I stopped and looked back.
“Do you buy all that stuff they talk about at the group? About forgiving people and all? My dad always said religious people were wimps. Maybe for once he was right.”
“Christians don’t go around clobbering other people,” I said. “But that doesn’t make them wimps.”
“Oh, I forgot. You’re one of them, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
I waited for her to say that I’d always been a wimp, but for a change she didn’t say anything nasty.
“I’m not going to become one, you know. No matter what John and Katherine say. Or how nice they are to me. Or how much they pray. No one, not even God, can make me do anything I don’t want to do.”
“That’s right. We all have a choice.”
“I don’t want to turn into a wimp like Nicole and Joyce. I know you like them, but I don’t. They’re phony. They aren’t honest about their feelings.”
“Marta, that’s—”
“I know,” her voice grew louder, “I shouldn’t say anything against your precious Nicole. After all, she’s perfect. Not like stupid me!” She dashed into the apartment block.
Every muscle in my body wanted to forget about her and go home, but I knew I shouldn’t leave with her so upset. So, forcing my feet to go into the apartment block, I followed.
The door to John and Katherine’s apartment was shutting as I reached the top of the stairs.
I trudged toward the door, expecting to find it locked and wondering whether I should knock. I didn’t want to explain why I was there to either Katherine or John.
But as I neared the door it flew open and Marta popped back out. Her face was red from racing upstairs and being angry, but it was also kind of white.
“Katherine!” she yelled. “She’s hurt!”
Pushing Marta aside, I ran into the apartment.
“In the kitchen!” she yelled.
Katherine was lying on her side on the kitchen floor. Her nightgown and housecoat were plastered to her body and beads of sweat were dripping from her forehead. Her eyes were open. “Glen?” she said softly. She seemed dazed.
“Yeah, it’s me. Are you okay? What happened?”
“I don’t…I fell…Don’t know how long ago.”
I started to put my arm around her to help her up, but she pushed me away. Then she cried out in pain and I saw that the part of her right hand and arm I could see under her sleeve was swollen and bruised.
“My wrist!” she cried. She grabbed it with her left hand and pulled it to her chest. She moaned, then gave a big sigh. Her body seemed to relax. “I fell. But that’s not the worst. I’m in labor,” she gasped. “I was rushing to the phone to call John, but I fell. I guess I was hurrying. These slippers… I must have been knocked out. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. But I’m definitely in labor.”
Summary
Glen finds himself juggling various relationships: he does his best to help Phil cope with his new way of life; encourages Marta to deal with her past; struggles to maintain a viable relationship with Charlie; and takes the next steps in his friendship with Nicole. As Glen clings to God and his cell group for help, he finds himself taking a bold public stand in defense of his beliefs. He also discovers, to his surprise, that he knows what he wants to do in the future.
Winner of The Word Guild 2004 Award for Best Young Adult Book
Winner of The Word Guild 2004 Award Best Independently Published Book
Read for Life pick, 2007
Reviews
Rosemarie DiCristo, Christian Library Journal
"More Than Friends, the fourth and last book in N. J. Lindquist’s Circle of Friends series, is well-written and fitting conclusion to the series. It ties up loose ends, completes the emotional and spiritual growth of several characters, ad provides happy and surprising endings for Glen Sauten and some of his friends.
"The series follows high school senior Glen Sauten through a turbulent time in his life. Glen’s a quiet young man, so quiet he’s considered weak by his friends—and himself. But his newly found faith changes him enough to help him grow as a person and deal with a rich, arrogant bully, a nearly-as-arrogant best friend, and his first serious relationship with a girl….
"It’s a beautifully written book filled with real, vulnerable characters. Glen, despite his quiet nature, is never wimpy and makes a fine, heroic role model for the book’s readers. Phil and Charlie are also wonderfully drawn characters and the behaviors that result from their pain are understandable, if not always forgivable. Even flaky Marta, who latches onto Glen’s friendship, much to Glen’s disgust, is terrific, and likable.Readers familiar with the series will enjoy this volume and the closure it brings, but even teens reading More Than Friends as a stand-alone book will be drawn into its plot and characters. Ms. Lindquist is able to craft stunningly vivid guy-characters, a plus in attracting young male readers, yet she never neglects her female characters. Highly recommended for all teens."
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, reviewed by Debbie Doane
"These four books take you through the life of Glen and his friends. Glen is a guy who starts seeing the pastor’s daughter for the wrong reasons, but his life is changed eternally because of it. His life has its ups and downs as he struggles with his new faith and old friends. …. Everyone knows someone who isn’t saved and can relate to the teenagers in these books. Maybe you know someone you or your teen just can’t reach; one of these books may be the key to opening that door of communication. These books are a great tool for sharing your faith and would be a great addition to your home library or your church library.
Nanette Thorsen-Snipes
"More Than Friends is the last book in the Circle of Friends series and punches a wallop with some hard-hitting teenage issues. Lindquist has the rare ability to capture teenagers and their everyday lives. It is especially unusual to capture a young man’s voice, but Lindquist does it flawlessly.
"The protagonist, Glen Sauten, is the perfect catalyst for the different teens surrounding him, including Phil, who is disabled, and Marta, who has an affinity for black clothes and a dark lifestyle. Glen’s courage is outstanding because he allows God to order his life. He’s not ashamed of the Gospel and prays with many of his friends. Lindquist weaves in just the right amount of faith to pique interest and draw the reader in. Glen is the kind of teen that jumps in when something has to be done. In one of Lindquist’s well-crafted scenes, Glen helps deliver Jon and Katherine’s baby. This scene left me as breathless as it did the mother.
"In More Than Friends, Lindquist presents real teens with all their faults in real situations. The cover speaks loudly of what is captured in the pages of More Than Friends, What matters most is not who you were in the past, or who you are now, but who you will become. The book portrays teenage issues in an honest light and offers an answer to them through Christ. I highly recommend this book series to teens in all stages of life."
Crystal E. Miller
"This is the fourth, and final book in this Circle of Friends series. What I really like about this book is that there are discussion questions in the back of the book—which opens the door to discussing pertinent issues in a Christian teen’s life. For example, ‘Nicole’s parents refuse to allow her to date someone who is not a Christian. Do you think that this is fair?’ Parents, youth group leaders, may want to read these books along with their teen(s,) so they can talk about these issues that come up in the relationships in the book. In this way teens can safely apply the questions and consequences in their own relationships. Buy the whole series for a teen in your life."
Endorsements
Marilyn Yocum, writer and speaker
“N. J. Lindquist’s books are the best Christian fiction I have read in decades.”
Marg Buchanan, author of Famous Jerks of the Bible and Parenting With Purpose
“Teenagers lives revolve around their relationships and N. J. Lindquist knows it. In More Than Friends, readers live through the confusion, the fun, the betrayal, and the affirmation with Glen Sauten as he learns what it means to be a friend, a son, a boyfriend and a follower of Christ. The situations he finds himself in are not always pretty, but they are real, and teenagers will relate to his struggles as he transitions to adulthood. The importance of a small, genuine fellowship group in Glen’s life is a reminder to all of us of the importance of community.”
Herbie Kuhn, In-house Voice of the Toronto Raptors
“Circle of Friends is a fantastic series! I meet with a lot of teens and speak to a lot of youth groups. I see the things they go through in N.J.’s novels. The authenticity of Glen’s (main character) journey is impressive. I kept thinking how is she going to be able to top this book, but she did, each book got better and better.”
Stephen and Janet Bly, authors of 100+ books
“N. J. Lindquist’s entertaining stories deal with a complex mix of teen relationships, moods, and motivations. Glen Sauten captured our sympathies as we rooted for him to stand up and discover himself. His problems challenge and develop his character, move the action along, and provide exciting moments. Lindquist has found the teen voice, but writes to the emotional needs of all ages.”
Susan Brandt, managing editor, Mennonite Brethren Herald
"It’s a good series and speaks to kids where they are at."
Ray Wiseman, author of When Cobras Laugh
“Authentic characters inhabit the paragraphs of N. J. Lindquist’s Circle of Friends series of books for teens. Each new release gets better than those that went before. The latest, More Than Friends, held me until the end. This book has the potential to challenge, even change, readers of all ages.”
Deb Gyapong, author of The Defilers and former senior producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
"N. J. Lindquist captures the voice of teenaged boys and offers a realistic look at the inner turmoil they face as they find their identity and make moral choices in the light of peer pressure. A master story-teller, Lindquist will hook you with the first couple of paragraphs and keep you reading."
Zsiporah Moon, director of the KingsBridge School, Canada’s first Christian Arts School with a Classical Education focus
“The students *really* enjoyed these books! They were ‘fighting’ with each other over who got the next one in the series which we have in the school! I have been recommending them to many parents with young people (especially boys)! N. J. is an astute and extremely engaging writer, first class…my opinion, for what it’s worth. My son (age 13) read the whole series straight through…he could not put them down!…and he felt these were real people that he could relate to.”
Linda Hall, award-winning author and Christy nominee
“These teen novels don’t sound like an adult writing about being a teenager; they sound like teens writing and living through the challenges of being teens today. N. J. Lindquist has an authentic voice, credible story lines and a gentle, non-preachy way of getting her point across. I recommend the Circle of Friends novels to every teen I meet.”
Joel Comiskey, Joel Comiskey Group
“N. J. Lindquist has a unique gift of using the written word to reach teens for Jesus. Readers quickly learn to care about the realistic characters. The emphasis on discipleship and cell groups shows how teens can be equipped to be leaders in the church. N. J. makes Christianity and Christ come alive.”
