Reviews

Redemption by Karen Kingsbury

foreverbookworm's review

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emotional inspiring relaxing sad fast-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

5.0

peytonplang's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

3.25

katedohl's review against another edition

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3.75

Note to myself: in a few years you will feel the desire to reread this, to restart the series.

Don't. It will make you mad. You will hate read it by about 3 pages in. Just let it be what it is, and leave it in the past. 

anna_bibliophile_sue's review

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Honestly did not expect to like this one as much as I did. 

klward's review against another edition

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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