EQUALLY YOKED: Laurel Shadrach, #3
Stephanie Perry Moore
Moody Publishers
Fiction
ISBN: 0802440371
200 pages

High school graduation should have been the time of Laurel Shadrach's life. However, in EQUALLY YOKED, the third installment in Stephanie Perry Moore's Laurel Shadrach series, the title character finds herself once again distracted by the tough decisions she must make regarding her relationship, her friends, and her plans for the future.

With dreamy Branson Price once again in her arms, Laurel thinks that she has it all. To make things even better, a stellar gymnastics performance has college scouts clamoring for her to take spots on their teams, which means big scholarship money. However, with one sprained ankle, Laurel finds her world falling apart. Unable to compete in a match that could have garnered her a full ride to her dream school, she knows her chance of any scholarship is gone. She is even more crushed to learn that her parents don't have the money to send her to an expensive university, or possibly any college.

Making matters worse is her rekindled romance with Branson. After his accident, he swore that he was a changed man. However, it is only a matter of time before Branson is back to his old antics. His drinking and occasional drug use make Laurel wonder if he really is the type of man she wants to be connected with. By graduation day, Branson has booked a hotel room, hoping to get what he was unable to in the past. Although she thought she learned her lesson the first time, Laurel still finds the physical temptation almost unbearable. Laurel's closest friends are also making destructive decisions, and often getting her unknowingly --- and knowingly --- involved in them. One catastrophic night leads to the loss of Laurel's parents' trust and the realization that she is, in fact, "equally yoked" with those she has close relationships with.

On top of it all, Laurel is increasingly aware of strong racial prejudice, even amongst her own friends and family. When her parents decide to house an African American college student for the summer, the reactions of those around her stun and appall Laurel. Finally finding her way to college, Laurel is surprised to learn that her new roommate, Payton Skky, is an African American. College life begins on a stirring note, and Laurel knows that her struggles with racism and many other issues are only beginning.

EQUALLY YOKED marks an important transition in the Laurel Shadrach series. As Laurel starts her first year of college, readers of Moore's Payton Skky series will find a number of situations quite familiar. As Laurel and Payton are roommates, Moore naturally has included many of the same events told through a different perspective. While the books are clearly intended for different audiences, readers of both series may find it a bit repetitive, though the varied perspectives are interesting.

This is an excellent read. Moore develops the issues and characters more thoroughly than in previous installments of the series. As the book concludes, fans will eagerly anticipate Laurel's new adventures in college.

   --- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

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