I received a Teen Study Bible this week from Zondervan and Booklook Bloggers. I have reviewed many children’s books from Zondervan/Zonderkidz but this is the first selection for young adults. I was impressed with the Kids Quest Bible I reviewed a few weeks ago, and this Bible for Teens doesn’t disappoint.

The New King James Version Teen Study Bible is a fantastic resource for teens. On almost every page, additional information, facts or an analysis of some aspect of the Bible is provided.

Features include an analysis and line-by-line explanation of the Apostles’ Creed, indexes to help with in-depth Bible study, special sections devoted to key issues discussed in the Bible, teen Q&A section offering life advice to teens, Biblical trivia, highlights Bible verses to remember, and has an 8-page full color map at the end showing important locations of Biblical events.

The Bible trivia is especially interesting and could encourage teen youth groups to start a Bible trivia team or learn more about each passage. Through trivia and other small excerpts and insights, teens are able to better relate to passages and see how the words impact their lives.

The “Dear Jordan” section is written in a format similar to “Dear Abby” questions. A question from a teen is answered by referencing passages of the Bible and providing advice inspired by the Christian lifestyle. While this format is engaging, easy to read, and the advice is well meaning and supported by Bible verses, the tone felt condescending or patronizing at times. The information was good and the format was intriguing, but for a teen, the tone of the section might be off-putting. This was not the case for every “Dear Jordan” section, but that tone did come across in many of them.

Overall, this is a fabulous reference Bible for teens and provides a wealth of fun facts and reflections as teens study certain passages of the Bible, or attempt to read it all the way through.

Thank you to Zondervan and BookLook Bloggers for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.