Seek and Hide (Haven Seekers #1) in Readers Unite

Mar 03, 2015 E.A. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: review-copy, favorites

I was blown away by this book. From the very first page until the ending I was captured by Amanda's writing style and the unique perspective she's given her characters. Set in the not-so-distant (and not so far-fetched) future, Seek and Hide explores the reality of a world with government controlled church.

Marcus Brenner, a new Christian, is a fantastically complex and yet completely endearing character who is by far my favorite throughout the story. His motivations, emotions, and commitment to ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Sep 10, 2014 Megan Besing rated it it was amazing

A character’s imperfections can make or break a story. Often, an author hides such flaws until further along in the book. That is not the case here, but it works!

In this story, Christians aren't allowed to be, well…Christians; and if that isn’t enough, Marcus (the poor guy) has other issues, too. (Temptation. Guilt.) But it all made me root for him because he was so real. Aubrey and Lee have plenty of their own baggage that helps to make SEEK AND HIDE a page-flipping dystopian drama that is real ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Sep 02, 2015 Connie rated it it was amazing

Wow....this book was an incredible read...it was uncomfortable too, with thoughts of, "what would I do in this situation?" I really came to love the character Marcus, and was shouting (in my mind) things for him to do or let go of. Amanda really 'knows' people and has a talent for writing in a way that lets us into the characters in their situation.

Again, wow....now I need to find the rest of this series!!!!

...more

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 09, 2014 Karen Collier rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own-ebook, favorites

I love this book! It makes me want to go bury a Bible in a time capsule out in the woods somewhere, just in case. And then bury my nose in another copy of the Bible and soak up as much of God’s word as I can while I still can. Because, seriously, what if this kind of thing actually happened?

Amanda G Stevens has dreamed up a dystopian future that feels a little too plausible for comfort. And that’s the beauty of it. This story reminds us not to take our freedoms for granted. The details and “hist I love this book! It makes me want to go bury a Bible in a time capsule out in the woods somewhere, just in case. And then bury my nose in another copy of the Bible and soak up as much of God’s word as I can while I still can. Because, seriously, what if this kind of thing actually happened?

Amanda G Stevens has dreamed up a dystopian future that feels a little too plausible for comfort. And that’s the beauty of it. This story reminds us not to take our freedoms for granted. The details and “history” of the story’s present situation are revealed gradually, a tantalizing sliver at a time in such a way that the story world doesn’t overshadow the story itself.

Rather, the focus of this book is on the small scale. It’s the story of one small church group that meets secretly in a back room, one pair of friends wordlessly supporting each other, one woman fighting to reclaim her baby and avoid trouble with the law, and one man determined to do his part to help one member of his Christian family at a time even if that means putting his own freedom on the line.

The characters are complex, and they’re dealing with some pretty significant issues. One character is dealing with the emotional and spiritual fallout of having been raped years ago. Another is an alcoholic, nearly nine years sober, and still struggling. While these thematic elements put this book on the edgier side of things as Christian fiction goes, I thought these subjects were handled tastefully, from a Christian perspective. On top of that, they provide a vehicle for worthwhile spiritual discussions on the nature of God, temptation, guilt, mercy, and how God uses His people for good, despite our weaknesses.

Oh, and there’s a twist, near the end, that I did not see coming AT ALL. But I can’t tell you. You’ll have to read it for yourself. Fair warning though, you may want tissues.

On a more up-beat note, I really admire some of the lovely, creative descriptions found in this book. Here are a few I highlighted as I read:

“God had put some beautiful things in the world, but nothing beat the sky. Especially when it rolled with storm clouds the color of Lee’s eyes.” (from Chapter 4)

“She’d thought his voice deep at first, but it wasn’t very. More like … solid, each word an arrow that knew where it headed. And clipped. The syllables never lingered.” (from Chapter 14)

I can’t wait to continue reading this series to find out where the story will go from here. I highly recommend Seek and Hide , and I’m planning to track down a copy of the next book in the series, Found and Lost in the very near future.

Thank you to publisher David C Cook for providing a free electronic copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review first appeared at karencollier.com. ...more

Like · see review

May 13, 2015 Lauricia Matuska rated it really liked it

This is a Christian-based story about what might happen if Christianity were persecuted in contemporary America and what that persecution might look like. It is well written and fast-paced, with many believable surprises. I do not typically read contemporary fiction, but I enjoyed this one. I am still thinking about the story line and the characters, even though I finished the book yesterday.

Like · see review

Sep 24, 2014 Varina Denman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Seek and Hide kept me interested right to the very end. And several times I caught myself saying, "I did not expect that." Well done, Amanda G. Stevens! ...more

Like · see review