Yuck.I confess the characters were memorable. I liked the ones she took time to develop (Marrell, Paul, Jackson, Mackenzie, Delancy).But the book started SO SLOW and the writing was horrible. I cannot believe I finished all 600 something pages. I probably wouldn't have if the book hadn't been given to me and I felt obligated to 'report back.' I can safely go for several years without the descriptor, "special" as it was so overused. I was mentally wretching within two pages. Another annoying train is that the author obviously LOVES naming people. Whenever new characters we are supposed to like are introduced, "nice names" is sure appear in the dialogue.Many will claim these flaws are unique to Christian fiction, but I had flashbacks to reading "Sweet Valley High" back in high school. The "Sweet Valley High" series and "Pretense" have a lot in common. All the main characters have beautiful faces, amazing bodies, gorgeous hair, and "special" personalities that are appealing to all around them, especially those who appear at just the right time to fall in love with them. Not to mention these characters easily find spectacular apartments/ homes that are perfect for their needs and live in locations of natural beauty. Of course, their jobs are wonderfully suited to them and allow them tons of flexibility for their relational pursuits. They have completely natural talents that earn them incredible wealth and get them quickly established at a young age. Of course, if this path is taken by a male character, the astonishingly single rich bachelor is sure to fall for one of our female leads - after all, everyone is beautiful and "special" so we know they won't be 'on the market' for long. What a life. Too bad it has nothing to do with reality. That said, some of the plot points had value. Without giving it away, I liked the development of characters and found most (not all) of the conversion experiences were well developed. I liked how the characters continued to struggle with their personalities/ normal paths of behavior after coming to Christ. The emphasis on family was welcome and reasonably reflected in the characters. I found the challenges of the book, particularly in the early half to be real (sudden death of someone close, adjusting to life changes, moving etc.). And, in general (though not always) I liked the way the author used prayer. But these positives were lost in the tidal wave of unnecessary length and the authors insistence that her characters contain perfections too numerous for real life while encountering their struggles one at a time as everything else 'falls into place' and is cleanly and positively wrapped up. I haven't dismissed this author entirely... but it might be awhile before I can stomach another go at something "special" that she has written - and named!
This is a book that was recommended to me by someone who said reading this book brought her to Christ. It was a very good book and one of Lori's few novels. She has many series. The reason I only gave it 3 stars is because I thought the first part (maybe the first quarter) was a little predictable. It got better, though, and I really liked it after that. At times, the characters were a little hard to believe for me, but overall I'd recommend it. It was really a welcome change from the last book I read which was rather dark. I don't want to say a lot about the story line because you can look that up for yourself if you're interested and sometimes that ruins a book for me if I've read too much from someone's review. I can see where this book would give a person who's searching plenty of food for thought as in the case of the person I mentioned in the beginning.
What do You think about Pretense (2005)?
This is an older book than I generally read, as I’m reading it in 2015, but it was published in 1998, so the style of writing is a bit looser. It took me a while to get into this novel. I usually only give a book 30 pages, but decided I’d give it up to 100. There are 702 pages in this edition. I’m so glad I stuck with it, as I enjoyed it immensely. Pretense is quite a complex story—not exactly a family saga, since it only covers 2 generations, but a story of family relationships, especially the relationship of two sisters. It is also a story of friendship, romance, and personal growth. The book begins in 1976 and goes through the early 1990’s. I would say this is an unusual and compelling story. The spiritual thread takes center stage throughout this book, so if you prefer not to delve deeply into spiritual growth, I doubt that you would enjoy this book. I am only giving this book 4 stars, because it was hard to get into, but otherwise, I loved it and will long remember the characters and their story.
—Kay
I've read several of Lori Wick's books and was excited to tear into this one. I started reading, and kept plugging along, thinking it would get better -- it didn't. I love the idea of what she was trying to do, but the dialogue was goofy, girls' success was very unrealistic, and their eventual conversion rang hollow... After all their anger at God which was so strongly built up after the dramatic situations with their parents, the conversion sequence was sadly lacking in details. (It seemed the author wanted to tell the backstory and was eager to get on to the "Christian" part, so after one minor issue and a chat with a nice person, miraculously Mac is suddenly involved in a Bible study?) Too much time spent on frivolous details such as lists of Christmas gifts, and the detailed descriptions about clothing only made it feel outdated.
—Trish
I got this book on a whim at the library after reading the synopsis and once I began it took me about a week to finish. It started off very slowly and the writing is very simple (which isnt necessarily a bad thing I suppose). However, Wick's strength in my opinion lies in the great messages on morality and faith, as well as the wonderful characters!I have to admit that I felt amazing compassion for them as they endured their various trials. Delancey and Mackenzie, the two main characters,are very complex and most importantly REAL.This is the first book I have ever read by Lori Wick but based on it, I would definitely consider reading another one of her novels!
—Tiara
