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| From Amazon |
Austin Delvecchio has tried to
use his Constabulary resources to track down his missing girlfriend Violet. He
finds a stranger instead, held illegally and mistreated. Rescuing the man will
make Austin's boss an enemy, but ignoring the situation will mean the man's
death.
Lee Vaughn has lost the most important person in her life. She continues his work her way, providing black market medical assistance to Christians and allowing fugitive Violet to live with her. Then she learns what really happened to Marcus, and the danger following him leaves them all with only one option: to flee.
To make it to freedom, all four will have to rely on their traveling companions. But that's not easy when confronting past hurts, fear, and distrust.
Lee Vaughn has lost the most important person in her life. She continues his work her way, providing black market medical assistance to Christians and allowing fugitive Violet to live with her. Then she learns what really happened to Marcus, and the danger following him leaves them all with only one option: to flee.
To make it to freedom, all four will have to rely on their traveling companions. But that's not easy when confronting past hurts, fear, and distrust.
My Thoughts:
I
have read the first two books in this series by Amanda G. Stevens, and I
couldn’t wait to get my hand on the third edition. Since I was familiar with
the first two, I expected Stevens to completely engross me in the action on the
page. Take and Give picked up where
the second one, Found and Lost, left
off. I jumped right into the action and allowed my imagination to carry back to
this dystopian society where Christians are considered dangerous.
One
of my favorite parts of Stevens’ books is the way she approaches the external
and internal conflicts of each character. She does a great job at reaching down
into the soul of each character and spilling their problems on to the pages.
Lee has been a reoccurring character since the first book, Seek and Hide, but Stevens never approached the story from her
perspective, but in Take and Give,
Lee finally is allowed to have a voice. Boy, do I get a chance to learn and
understand more about Lee. I empathize with her struggles about Marcus and God.
It was heart-wrenching. The transformation of Lee and Austin is deeply
impacting. While Stevens allows the conservation about God to flow from a
number of external characters, it is never preachy and condemning to
unbelievers. The discussions about God was the voice of reason. It allows even
me, who has been a believer for twenty years, to ponder why I believe in God.
Like
I already stated, the story picks up right where the second book left off. I
returned to the story world without so much as a glitch in my imagination. I
loved following Lee, Austin, Violet, and Marcus as they flee to Texas. The
story does not drag at all. I anxiously turn the pages, waiting breathlessly
for them to be caught by the Constabulary. The dialogue enhances the story with
no repetitive jargon. I felt like I was there, hiding in the truck’s bed or in
the church, listening to all their conversations.
The
conflict is very internal. Each individual has to decide whether to believe the
current government who spills lies about Christians and their plans to
re-educate the citizens or follow the rebels to Christ, which could cost them
their life. In the same vein, the romantic tension lies just below the surface
for Austin and Lee. Austin wants to pursue a relationship with Violet while
Lee, however, struggles with allowing Marcus fully into her heart.
Take and Give is an original
and unpredictable book for fans of any age. There is no questionable content,
and it would be a good discussion piece to start a discussion about why
Christians should stand strong on their faith in every day circumstances. Take and Give is a great book to join
the dystopian genre, but also, I believe fans of the popular Left Behind series
would find this series enjoyable. I can’t wait to see if there is a fourth
book!
A book
for the masses, Amanda G. Stevens’ latest installment, Take and Give, is a
thrilling story about what could happen in America if the government takes away
the freedom to worship and serve God. I loved Stevens ability to confront the
difficult ideas that keep a lot of naysayers away from following God. Her
dystopian society is realistic and rememberable.
I received a complimentary copy of Take and Give from David C. Cook Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.
My
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
****This book is also on Booktalk where I am a regular reviewer.******
Kelly, thank you so much for such a great review! And yes, there will be a fourth (and final) book releasing early 2016. You haven't read the last of Marcus, Lee, Austin, and Violet. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by, Amanda!! I can't wait for the fourth installment of this series. Keep using God's gifts. God bless!
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