Better
All the Time
Author: Carre Armstrong Gardner
Number of Pages:
416
Publisher:
Tyndale House Pubishers
ISBN-13: 978-1414388151
Release Date:
April 2015
Market:
Christian
Genre:
Fiction
My Rating: 5
of 5 Stars
Description (from the back
cover): Seraphina Darling has always struggled to stand
out. With her weight issues at the forefront of her mind, Sephy prefers to
place herself comfortably in the background. But when Sephy’s best friend and
older brother announce their engagement, she vows to make a permanent change in
her appearance and her life.
Meanwhile
her younger sister, Amy, lands her dream job: coordinating the restoration of
the community theater’s arts programs. As the deadline for the project’s
completion approaches, Amy continues to run herself ragged, struggling to
delegate and trust anyone but herself.
As
the Darling sisters move through tragedy and triumph, between shadows and the
limelight, each must find a path into the freedom of who God intended her to
be.
How and Why I Acquired this Book
I
received a free ebook from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
My Expectations
This
is the first time reading anything by Carre Armstrong Gardner. I have previously enjoyed books published by
Tyndale, and I liked the cover of this book.
I was attracted to the happy title font, and I love the beach, which is
a real treat for someone from Wisconsin.
Were My Expectations Met
My
expectations were exceeded. I completely
enjoyed this book. It was fabulous!
The Writing
The
details in this book were vivid, and the dialogue flowed smoothly. The personality of each character was
beautifully portrayed, and although there were several characters, I didn’t get
them mixed up. As I read, I recognized
people from my own life in some of the Darling family members. I think I can say that there are stories
within the larger story of Sephy’s life.
The Storyline
Sephy’s
story is the main storyline, a story of being invisible, overlooked, taken
advantage of, and wondering if her prince will ever come. When she makes the decision to change her
life, not everyone is supportive of her.
Sephy experiences setbacks, but she also overcomes obstacles. God is the center of this big, boisterous,
albeit dysfunctional at times family.
Not
only is there conflict in Sephy’s life, but there is conflict in nearly all the
characters’ lives. The conflict makes
the book hard to put down. I found
myself constantly making predictions of what was going to happen to each of the
characters, and I was often wrong.
Spiritual Aspect
The
Darlings are a praying family, and the message that God loves us, hears our
prayers, and answers us comes gently off the pages of this book. This family lives according to God’s word
(most of them), and it’s encouraging to see busy people who regularly talk to
God.
Questions I Have
I
wonder if the Hallmark or Up Channel will make this book (probably the series)
into a made-for-tv movie. I would LOVE
to see this on the screen even though I generally believe that the book is
better than the movie. I’d still watch
it…several times. Oh! My question about the book is: will Sephy eventually
reveal what happened to her at the airport to Liberty or Justice? Yes, this is a minor issue in the book, but
still I’d like to know.
Audience Appropriateness and
Appeal
This
book comes with a G-rating. It would be
great for anyone, especially for those who identify with Sephy and her
appearance issues. Anyone who enjoys the
Hallmark or Up Channels with their encouraging stories of overcoming challenges
will enjoy this book, too. I haven’t
read the first book in the series, but I am definitely going to go back and
read it, and I will read future stories of the Darling family, too.
Conclusion
Overall,
this book is worth your time and effort to read it. I give it two thumbs up!
Pros:
§ The
characters were believable
§ There
was a variety of conflict
§ It’s
part of a series (Yeah!)
§ Cons:
§ I
have to wait (maybe a year) for the next book in the series to come out.
No comments:
Post a Comment