Amanda G. Stevens: Far and Near

By Kelly Bridgewater

Home is not easy to find. Marcus, Lee, Austin, and Violet are starting over. Texas is supposed to be their sanctuary. But the Constabulary isn't ready to relinquish their worst offenders, legal jurisdiction or not. They've sent agents in undercover, and Marcus is the assigned target of one who has personal reasons to bring him back dead or alive. Marcus and Lee are ready to be whole again, to secure a home here-together. 

But wholeness and home might not mean what they thought. Stopping the Constabulary hunters will require more than Marcus knows how to give, and God is about to use him again in a way he doesn't expect. Enemies, emotions, the past, the future-everything must be faced in the quest for a true haven.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

The Haven Seekers by Amanda G. Stevens is a wonderful dystopia series that makes me think about a time when the American government will make the Bible illegal to read and have. The government already wants to brainwash our children, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to take the Bible away from every American citizen. But until that day actually comes, Stevens creates a fantasy world that co-exists in our world. I have really enjoyed Seek and Hide, Found and Lost, and Take and Give. There was plenty of action and citizens running for their lives whether they believed in the Bible or not.

In her conclusion to the series, Far and Near, the story focuses more on PTSD and the affect it has on basically every person in the character from Marcus, Violet, and Lee. All of them have issues in their past that have changed their view on their current situation in Texas.  I saw how the remembrance of a horrible event came on in an instant with just a nudge of an event. It gave me more sympathy of the people who come back from the wars and have a huge deal time with normal everyday activities.

While the past three stories dealt more with the character running from the law and trying to free other Christians, Far and Near really doesn’t deal with that much. Yes, there is moments were Marcus is running from one of his captors who tortured him. But all the characters are in Texas, which is a safe haven from the government, so they aren’t really threaten much. The plot did feel much slower, but I wanted to see the ending, so I kept flipping through the pages. I wanted to find a satisfactory ending to a standoff with the Constabulary government, but Stevens didn’t go that way. The ending left me wanting more.

The final book in the Haven Seekers series by Amanda G. Stevens Far and Near felt less exciting the previous three but does show the affect of PTSD on people and the ending left something more to be desired.

I received a complimentary copy of Far and Near from David C. Cook Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Far and Near

Amanda G. Stevens: Take and Give

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Amazon

Back Cover Copy:

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.

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.******

Amanda G. Stevens: Found and Lost

By Kelly Bridgewater

From Amazon

Back Cover Copy:

When Violet DuBay's friend Khloe confides that her dad is a Christian, it's the one secret Violet can't keep. Turning in Khloe's dad to the Constabulary is her duty. Her decision becomes an opportunity to infiltrate the Christian resistance; but as she gets to know Marcus, Lee, and the others, she's compelled to question the things her society has taught her about God and His followers. Clay Hansen persuades his family to join him at an underground church meeting and brings Violet, his teen daughter Khloe's best friend. That night, the church is raided. He and his wife escape, but in the chaos, he loses Violet and Khloe. How can he find them with the Constabulary monitoring his every move? If the God who once spared Khloe won't intervene, Clay will have to save her himself.

My Thoughts:

I enjoy reading stories that ask an ultimate question. What if? Dystopian genre does exactly that. What if we lived in a world where books were not allowed? What if we lived in a world where Christians were hunted and re-educated? What if the Bible is a banned book that could send you to prison if you read it? Amanda G. Stevens, in her second book of the Haven Seekers series, ask those exact questions. True to the dystopian genre, Stevens has created a story for the readers to ponder and a plot that will haunt them long after they put the book down.

One of my favorite aspects of the story is the characters of Clay and Violet. Neither one of them is the actual hero or heroine; they are just the characters the readers follow during the story. I loved how Stevens allows Clay and Violet to be realistically flawed. First, Violet has been truly brainwashed and consumed by the culture that hates Bibles and Christians. After the church raid, she is taken to a Christian home and mingles with them. Violet’s story is a typical story of a conversation from the worldly view to the Christian view. Stevens does a good job at getting into the mindset of the way a non-believer thinks. Clay, however, is a great example of someone who is an active Christian, but after a while, he questions his belief. I enjoyed watching the journey and transformation Clay and Violet took.

Stevens is a master storyteller. The story is written well with an even amount of descriptions to anchor the readers and dialogue that flows naturally from the characters. I never once felt like I was taken out of the setting and the action occurring on the page. The story moves at a realistic pace and the ending makes me anxious for the next book in the series that comes out in August. The only problem I had, and I had this same problem when I read the first book, Seek and Hide, is Stevens never informed her readers how the scare of Bibles and Christians got so bad. Usually in most dystopian novels, the characters have an elder who explains the old times, but Stevens does not do this. It did not ruin the story, but I would have liked to have known this. Also, the setting is realistic enough and can happen in any town in any state. Stevens does a good job at keeping the descriptions strong when they need to be, but vague in a general sense.

The tension of the story happens internally and externally. Violet, externally, fights the Christian Resistance and, internally, fights her feelings of wanting to be loved. On the other hand, Clay, externally, fights the Constabulary, the police, and, internally, fights his feelings of losing his family. The paths Stevens set before Clay and Violet were well-developed and creates conflicts every person has at one time or another. Both characters definitely change by the end. One for the better. One for the worst. There really is no romantic tension; the story focuses on the external and internal dilemmas.

Stevens incorporates the spiritual concerns of the novel by allowing the characters to either fight for or fight against the Christian resistance. I do not think Stevens is too heavy handed with the way she does it; I believe the elements of the Bible are important to telling the story. Similarly, there is no questionable content, so the story would appeal to conservative readers of any age. Also, I think this would be a great series to pass on to unbelievers who still question whether they should follow Jesus or not. It would be a great witnessing tool told in a story form. This story is completely original and unpredictable. I enjoy how Stevens uses the familiar title backwards. I believe she highlights how one character will be lost and one found, but the characters change, so the title is flip-flopped to highlight that element.

 Overall, Amanda G. Stevens in her latest book, Found and Lost, transports her readers to a world with no Bibles or Christians, relatable characters, and explains the gospel story in a new and unique way. I really enjoyed the story and will be recommending it.

I received a complimentary copy of Found and Lost from David C. Cook Publishing and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars