Pretense

Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good, but some problems...
Review: Overall, I liked this book a lot and I do like Lori Wick as an author. I won't go so far as to say that I loved it, since there were some problems with it. First of all, it was very long! I don't mind reading long books usually, but this one just seemed to drag on. I like books that develop their plot well, but this one just seemed to keep developing and developing into overkill with no end in sight. I loved the fact that Mackenzie and Delancey didn't just accept Christ because of their parents' faith, but worked through it on their own, without the overdramatized, unbelievable conversions that so many Christian authors love to use these days. I also loved the relationship between Mackenzie and Delancey, even though Lori Wick did tend to empahsize their absolute perfection a lot without any faults at all. For example, they're both incredibly beautiful, extremely talented, published immediately, rich, etc. It makes for some boring reading when you know that you'll never be as perfect as them. Plus, she uses the word 'indeed' in practically every other paragraph, and after a while, it makes it hard to read and repetitive, and a lot of the scenes were extraneous and could have been cut out completely. I realize that this review sounds harsh, don't get me wrong, I liked it a lot; it just had some problems that kept me from loving it completely.

Rating:
Summary: Best of Present Day Christian Fiction
Review: This is by far my favorite book that Lori Wick has written. I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction, so I thrive on the few present day novels available. I liked Sophie's Heart, but did not enjoy it near as much as Pretense. I grew very attached to the characters, and felt like the length attributed to that because she takes the time to develop each character. I love the way she portrays both the girls relationships with the Lord, and also with their boyfriends. Even in christian fiction, we don't always see godly dating examples. I've read it through 3 times (yes, I'm one of those!) and passed it along to several friends to read. I highly recommend this book.