Customer Reviews

Take Three (Above the Line Series)

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm pretty sure that anybody who has ever read a Karen Kingsbury book isn't here looking at this review--we already know how good she is, no matter what she writes. But for those of you who have heard of Take Three and are wondering about it, it is the 3rd in her Above the Line series. Some of the characters were introduced in other series' by Karen. I would recommend starting with the Redemption series to come to know these characters. After that, you will know them as family. Karen has a way of writing that makes you want to meet these people and be a part of their lives. When she writes a series, you can hardly wait for the next book--you want to know how everybody is doing. She addresses issues in the lives of her characters that we all face at different times in our lives--and she brings out the truth of what a difference God can make in your life. She brings home the message that it's not so much what happens in your life, it's how you handle the happenings. With God all things are possible. God has gifted Karen Kingsbury--her writing is her ministry,not her job!

I received Take Three in yesterday, two days after it came out and I have already read over half of it. I can't wait to read the rest! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Karen Kingsbury!

Take a look at her website ([...]) to get a complete list of her books. They are so awesome. She loves God and HE is glorified through everything that she writes!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

I loved take three. It was an amazing book and i could't put it down. I loved the baily and cody story and the way everything happend. I love that it shows real life situations and how God can help you through.

Take Three was a good book, for the most part, when it came to story arc. It lacked, however, in that it tried to include so many story lines and because it would jump from character to character and introduce "new" (though not really new, old ones brought back) characters and story lines and scenes right in the middle of the book. This made the book feel sort of jumbled and confusing. I think Kingsbury writes her best books when her focus is on one or two characters and she follows them closely through the whole book instead of jumping around to tons of different people. She also dropped a character or two in the beginning of the book and there wasn't any update on them later. I found myself skim reading and skipping paragraphs so that I could find out what was happening to the characters.

Also, did anyone else notice that the author likes to end most all of her chapters with one power packed sentence? Try it - go look at the end of every chapter of your book and notice how many times it happens. Haha, somewhere near the middle of the book I read one and thought "wait.. she does an awful lot of these.." and went and checked. :) Interesting stuff.

I don't want to sound totally down on the book - it was an okay book (it just could have been better). :)

Karen Kingsbury's Take Three was much needed. Abortion. Adoption. Discernment. Family priorities. Discovery. Karen Kingsbury is so gifted with presentig the "tough stuff" with absolute love and truth. I was eager to get the book when it hit the stands and I embraced each moment with the characters. I have been following Bailey and Cody's spiritual maturity and submission to God's will for their lives since the "Baxter" series. Now, I am eager to find where these much loved characters develop in the next novel, Take Four.

There are few authors I'd save a Barnes and Noble gift card for, especially from December to March, as I did with my fifteen dollars I put on hold for the release of TAKE THREE. Let me just say....totally worth it. Karen Kingsbury has long been the heavyweight in Christian Fiction, and this new installment of the Above the Line series only emphasizes how in touch she is with her readers' emotions.
The book carefully navigates between the worlds of Andi Ellison, her parents, Bailey Flanigan and Cody Coleman, and a few other characters.
As Keith Ellison deals with his production company, minus his partner Chase Ryan, and begins groundwork on his new film 'Unlocked', readers meet the star of the film, Brandon Paul, who will hopefully become more of a main character in books to come. Meanwhile, Andi deals with issues that stand to destroy her-or make her stronger in the Lord. And we return to Bailey and Cody, still doing the dance of an almost relationship we've been watching since the Fame series.
This book is certainly Karen's best, and she only seems to be growing more and more great as she continues through this series. Take Three is a heart-touching story of love, from every standpoint: unconditional love, blooming love, and the love that knows no comparison, that of God's for his people.
A definite must for any Christian reader!

**A few minor spoilers***

I might be the only person who has read her books who feels this way, but so be it. I have read from the Redemption Series to the First Born Series to the Sunrise Series and on to this Above the Line series. I know all about the Baxter Family and their story and I really liked all of the first 3 Series. (Otherwise I would not have read all 14 books :) )

Now, with this Above the Line series. I am not sure if my explanation will come across as I intend, but here goes. I think she is starting to take it to far. It is almost too "preachy" for me. Any character in the book that doesn't have the confidence and conviction of Bailey Flannagin's character is always having bad things happen to them. It really started to get to me in Take 2, but especially in Take 3. And I really didn't understand the story line of Chase's wife wanting to eat candy or feed her kids Mac and Cheese and feeling like dirt because of it and that being part of the reason she loses some of her faith. I understood completely her feelings on being separated from Chase and his seemingly initial lack of real concern when their daughter got hurt, but I was really confused about her grabbing a few m&m's and then feeling depressed for hours.

I was really disappointed in the way she handled the Andi Ellison story line. I seemed to just get more irritated as the book went along. She seemed to use the fact that Andi has questions about her faith to throw every possible bad thing that could happen to her short of dying. She isn't 100% in her convictions and man does she pay the price by making one bad choice after another throughout the entire book until the end. I don't agree that because someone isn't 100% sure of their faith or has questions, that they will just make nothing but ignorant decisions. I found myself not even wanting to read the parts that were from her perspective.

I loved the faith and spiritualty of the Baxter Series books, but in my opinion, and I may be a lone ship here, I am not really a fan of the way this series is going. I will probably read take 4, if only because I have read all of the books up until now, but I am not really anticipating it.

Take Three is the third in the "Above the Line" series by Karen Kingsbury. I'm a fan.

I do enjoy how this book deals with the real life struggles of Christians. So much is out there that wants to make people think that everything in a Christian's life is a walk in the park when it just isn't true. Kingsbury tends to write about "real life" in a way that helps you see that all of us have struggles.

In this particular book, the characters continue their quest to produce Christian-themed movies that make a difference. I think that's one of the things that attracts me to this series, the characters striving to make a difference. I think that's just what any of us want to do in life. And yet, they are also dealing with real life issues which cause them to question their priorities and figure out how it all fits together.

I'm a fan and definitely recommended this series and others to someone who wants a good read these days.

Karen Kimgsbury has done it again! Love this series as much as all the others. I've never read a book by her I havent loved!!!!

As always, Karen Kingsbury, has another hit series on her hands. Take Three is part of the Above the Line series and deals with every facet of the young care-free dating life as well as the middle-age married realm. She is truly inspiring and would be a great read for any age.