Reviews

Redemption by Karen Kingsbury, Gary Smalley

klward's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

debs4jc's review against another edition

3.0

Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts[return]Meet the Baxter family. John and Elizabeth Baxter have five wonderful children--and many concerns about their lives. The main crisis in this book is with their daughter Kari. She discovers her husband Tim has been having an affair and when she confronts him he says he doesn't want to be married any more and moves out. Kari is also struggling with her feelings for Ryan Taylor, her childhood love/best friend who is back in town. But she knows that she must stick with her marriage at all costs--especially since she is pregnant. Meanwhile the Baxter's youngest daughter Ashley has never been the same since she returned from Paris. Jaded and cynical, and with a child born out of wedlock, she wants to reject the Baxter's "establishment" lifestyle. Other hints of future problems for the series lie on the horizon.[return][return][return]Style Characterisics: Pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.[return]Kingsbury does a good job of drawing the characters and creating relationships between them, especially with the sentimental romance scenes. She paints a good picture of a warm loving family. These books are issue driven, which is a bit too obvious and exaggerated at times. The deranged stalker and convient ending seem manufactured. The point of view shifts from character to character, though a consistent voice is maintained. But it seems like a soap opera--one crisis after another strung together to keep the story moving and to help the author explore certain issues. [return][return][return]How Good is it?[return]The relationship crisises are engaging, especially for fans of romance and issue driven books.

ameyerle's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Having faith like Kari is something I can only strive to do. As I went through this journey with her, I found myself wanting different events and different endings to occur, which I believe is a great reflection of real life. I really appreciated how each character stayed true to themselves, but was still able to mature and grow. 

bookworm87's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

riellareads's review against another edition

4.0

A heart -wrenching and beautiful tale of reconciliation after betrayal, hope after darkness, and redemption. When a tragic betrayal hits Kari, she is shaken in her relationships, in herself, and in her faith. After her life of faith and fidelity, she has no idea how to respond. But she is not the only one with problems, her family is all struggling.
This was a super emotional book! It was really good, but, oh! I felt for Kari. She was really seeking to honor God, to be obedient to Him in her response. Yet, she felt so broken and betrayed. Her parents, both who were believers and had trials before, stood by her, tried to bear her burdens, and pointed her to God. However, in the end, she had to trust and obey. It was very encouraging how she did continue and God’s blessing and care for her.
Redemption is a book that deals with real life problems. It draws the effects of bad decisions, the hardship of following Christ, but also His hand over His people, His peace and love. It is not an easy book and it is definitely an adult book, with discussions of adultery, drug abuse, all addressed from a Biblical perspective. There is definitely an emphasis of Biblical counseling. It is very encouraging and sobering, and a reminder of some of the dangers of sin. If you connect easily to books, then this will likely cause tears. Also, warning, like real life, this book does not have a HEA, but there is peace and hope. God’s hand is clear in this book. However, this is the first in a series. The next few books follow her siblings and God’s work through them.

cookies_n_cream's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

libbystew10's review against another edition

5.0

Karen Kingsbury is phenomenal! Great book in a great series! I feel like I know the characters!

mirjamanderson85's review against another edition

5.0

Such a good book! Needed lots of tissues along the way, excited to read the next one!

emzo_henzo's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

fireflyhollow's review against another edition

5.0

I've read several reviews of this book that expressed the disappointment and disapproval of Karen Kingsbury promoting women staying with cheating husbands. I do not believe the author was saying that you have a Biblical responsibility to stay with a spouse who has cheated - because you don't. Adultery is a biblically justified reason for divorce. The main character in this story, Kari, deeply believed that God wanted her to stay with her husband and resolve the problems they had, and there is absolutely no shame in trying to fix a broken marriage.

I had a difficult time reading this when

Spoiler

Kari found out that Ryan, her first love, hadn't betrayed her and if she had been a little more patient all of her dreams would have come true. It makes me wonder how many times my impatience has cost me something I have been so desperately wanting. I did want her to be with Ryan, but I knew that it was wrong while she was still married to Tim. I think too many people today think it is okay to be with someone while you are separated but still married to someone else. Just because the other person ended it emotionally first doesn't mean that your actions are any better than theirs.

I also believe that Kari's persistence to follow what she believed God wanted to her to do concerning Tim was extremely encouraging. I can only imagine the hurt Kari felt when her husband betrayed her. Even the thought of my husband being like Tim makes my heart hurt. What would I do if Matthew looked at me with no emotion and told me he wanted a divorce and there was nothing I could say or do to change his mind? What if I knew he was spending every night in the arms of another woman? Could I bear it? I don't know. But, I do know that the only way I could possibly make it through would be to lean on God which is what Kari did. She didn't believe she had the strength to fight for a marriage that she believed God wanted to be healed but her husband didn't. It's so easy to give up when things are really, really hard, but we have to remember that we first live for God and need to follow His guidance even when we don't understand why.