Customer Reviews

Even Now (Lost Love Series #1)

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've loved several of Kingsbury's novels, and liked several of them. I just finished this one, and I was quite disappointed.

First off, I know the routine: when Amazon readers don't agree with the reviewers, they huff and click on "not helpful," presumably to protest the reviewer's opinion. Bring it on, because I know the type, and I'll get "0 of __" by this one for sure.

Anyway, the first third or possibly half of the book was very engaging, full of deep character development and a lot of interesting events. My biggest complaint was a few fluffy Nicholas Sparks-like descriptions of unimportant scenery, to fill space. During this portion of the book, I shed quite a few tears and had high hopes for the rest.

But then we skip ahead a few years (possible almost-spoilers to follow), and the story falls apart. The plot holes grow from needle-pricks to concrete tunnels. In the main development, which really won't be a surprise (and that's OK), an 18-year-old soccer player manages to do what police, private investigators, four 60-something adults and two 30-something, supposedly intelligent, adults have failed to do, and all with a few keystrokes on a search engine.

As Christian fiction goes, this is just mediocre. It reminds me of Dee Henderson's first book (the name escapes me), and it's light on God's Word, heavy-handed on political opinion, and simply not believable.

I like Kingsbury a lot, and would recommend her book "A Time to Dance" to anyone and everyone (technically, I think it should be required in every Christian marriage counseling session). But I'd recommend "Even Now" only to someone who thinks Nicholas Sparks is a literary genius.

I loved this book!! It's a book that will give you hope when your feeling low. Wonderfully written, Karen Kingsbury explores all the characters so you can't help but root for them. Excellent read, perfect for those days when it's raining and you want to curl up with a good book.

Can a young boy and a young girl fall in love during grade school, carry that romance into high school and have it last? Or are those romantic feelings passed off as "puppy love?" The answer to these questions contains one of the themes of this page-turning novel from Karen Kingsbury.

The prologue begins with a young woman, Emily Anderson, wondering about her parents. Because her grandparents raised her, Emily has no memories of her mom or dad. When her grandfather finds a box full of her mother's writings, Emily begins to learn some answers.

In the first chapter, readers meet Shane Galanter and Lauren Anderson, who are inseparable whether at church or at school. Their emotional love becomes physical and Lauren is pregnant. As strong Christians, they never consider an abortion. Because Lauren and Shane are 17 and soon entering their last year of high school, suddenly their parents are entangled in the future of their relationship. Samuel Galanter and Bill Anderson are partners and close friends at a Chicago bank. Their wives, Sheila Galanter and Angela Anderson, are also close friends. Lauren and Shane are desperate to keep their child and stay together, yet their parents are determined to separate the couple.

With his limited money of $380 Shane goes to a jewelry store and purchases a promise ring for Lauren. Inside the words are engraved Even Now as a summary of his feelings about this season of life.

Because the two sets of parents doubt that a young couple's relationship can last, they take their own drastic actions to sell their business and homes. The Andersons move to Wheaton, the Chicago suburb, while the Galanters move to southern California. Without any financial resources, Lauren and Shane have no choice but to go in separate directions, and they promise to find each other.

Lauren has her baby --- a girl whom she names Emily. Not able to reach Shane on the phone (another blockage from their parents), Lauren wraps Emily in a blanket, takes all of her money and drives toward California. During the trip, a slight cough from baby Emily becomes a grave illness and Lauren is forced to return to her parents' home. Lauren and her mom take the baby to the hospital.

Exhausted from the drive and emotion throughout the night, Lauren prays for a miracle. She swaps places with her mother and goes home to sleep. Later, when Lauren calls the hospital, she reaches a nurse who miscommunicates that the baby is gone. Emotionally destroyed, Lauren gets in her car and drives west toward California. Changing her name to Lauren Gibbs, she carves out a new life while continually searching for Shane --- and never finding him. Ultimately Lauren becomes a well-respected correspondent for Time magazine, while Shane becomes a flight instructor training Navy fighter pilots and living in Reno, Nevada.

These tight storylines are drawn together into a touching drama that makes for quick reading. The resolution on a number of fronts will tug at your heartstrings and reveals why Karen Kingsbury is such a popular Christian fiction writer.

While these characters are entwined in some complex difficulties, ultimately peace is the theme of EVEN NOW. As world events and, at times, personal events spin out of our control, a lifesaving relationship with Jesus Christ is our only means for a lasting peace. On a number of levels, this excellent book is well worth reading.


--- Reviewed by W. Terry Whalin, writer and editor in Scottsdale, Arizona. His latest book is BOOK PROPOSALS THAT $ELL, 21 SECRETS TO SPEED YOUR SUCCESS (Write Now Publications). http://www.bookproposals.ws

I started "Even Now" yesterday morning, and I finished it last night. I would have had it finished in a couple of hours if it weren't for all those pesky interruptions of other people not knowing you're in the middle of a wonderful book. :)

That's the kind of book this was-wonderful, over three hundred pages-more room to love the characters and be sad when you lose them as the story ends. It was also very relevent, with talk about the war in the Middle East, all handled very tastefully and not the least bit preachy.

I highly recommend this book. If you love Karen Kingsbury's other novels, you won't be dissapointed with "Even Now." If you've never read one of hers before, here's a perfect place to start.

Even Now was another book by Karen Kingsbury that once you start reading it it is almost impossible to put it down. I love the way she is able to let Jesus shine through all of her books including Even Now

Karen Kingsbury has done it again!! In her new book "Even Now", Karen tells of how God can work in spite of our human mistakes. I highly recommend this book to young people who are in serious relationships. It really shows how your actions can affect you for the rest of your life. The great thing about this book, and all of Karen's books, is that even in the worst situation possible, God is at work and waiting to bring peace and forgiveness! I loved this book!!

Even Now tugs at your heartstrings, not only dealing the the past and current newsworthy issues, but past and current feelings as well. You feel like you're in highschool again, living through the eyes of Lauren, and then her daughter Emily. Kingsbury is one of my all time favorite authors. Great storyline!

This book was up to Kingsbury's usual level of excellence. I enjoy all of her books and have read many and look forward to reading many more.

I have just finished reading Karen Kingsbury's latest book Even Now. Wow, what a good read!

Don't pick this book up and start reading unless you have plenty of time. Once you start reading this book dinner, housework, exercise or whatever will just have to wait because you won't be able to put it down. Tissues are also a necessity. I don't know about you, but I have probably cried more reading Karen Kingsbury's books than any other authors' books that I read and this book is no exception.

I was hooked from the very first page. This book deals with many issues: teenagers, teen pregnancy, parent/teen relationships, consequences of sex outside of marriage and how God can use all circumstances for good.

This is one of those books that you can't wait to finish and find out what happens, but then you're sad that the story has ended. I can't wait for Karen Kingsbury's next book, which I think is due out middle of March.

Even Now is a story of love and loss, of faith and restoration. For readers who have come to love Kingsbury's distinctive style of deep characterizations and difficult what-if plots, you will not be disappointed. There is nothing predictable or formulaic about this novel. A master of the craft, Karen Kingsbury entwines her readers into the fabric of her characters' lives, until you are living the story with them. The outcome is important to you.

And Kingsbury delivers. I stayed up late two nights in a row to read this book, and when I turned the last page, I knew the characters would live on in my memory. That's Kingsbury's hallmark: memorable characters and extraordinary plots.