I did mean to post this on Wednesday, since that is the day for book reviews around here, but I had a splitting headache that wouldn’t let me think, so here we are two days late. I really just wanted to go re-read the book, rather than write about it at the time… After reading Ready or Not by Chautona Havig, I believe it took me about five minutes, at the most, to begin the second book in the Aggie series, For Keeps.
The Author:
Chautona Havig is a contemporary author, living in California. She is happily married, the mother of nine children and grandmother of two. For Keeps is one of nine of Mrs. Havig’s published books. Others include Noble Pursuits and Ready or Not. To learn more about Mrs. Havig and her books, visit her website: Just the Write Escape
Technical Details:
Published in 2010, For Keeps is the second book in the Aggie Series. The book’s 382 pages are divided into 25 chapters and you even get a recipe in the back of the book.
The Story:
Picking up right after the last book left off, we find Aggie still in the middle of a house renovation, and her hands more than full with her eight inherited children. With school only weeks away, Aggie is looking forward to having more time and less noise, though she knows that she’ll miss the children. Then, disaster strikes. At least, that’s what Aggie thinks. The twin little girls, Cari and Lorna, get chicken pox and all the other children are exposed. To make matters worse, Geraldine Stuart, the bitter, controlling grandmother, makes an appearance and has to be escorted away by the police on the same day. As the children and Aggie begin to catch the sickness one by one, the young aunt, encouraged by most of her friends, begins to consider her options. Instead of sending the children off to school, why not homeschool them? They would be home more, they would be together and she would be able to oversee exactly what the children were learning. Besides all of that, they were already missing weeks of school and it would be easier to catch up on what they had missed at home. Always exaggerating her own lack of ability, Aggie isn’t entirely confident that she can succeed, but her friends, especially Luke Sullivan, his mother Libby and Aggie’s best friend Tina, are convinced that she can and spare no pains in telling her. With much prayer, Aggie pushes forward, but when she gets the chance to change everything, what will she do?
The Writing Style:
This book is just as well written as the last. I have a tendency to be afraid of sequels and series, but this book doesn’t live up to that fear. The story remains believable, the content just as good as before and the narration flows very well. The hymns continue and Aggie’s relationship with the Lord continues to mature.
The Characters:
The characters, begun in book one, continue to grow and expand in For Keeps. They change, though not unbelievably, and the reader begins to see the many different sides to each character.
Aggie is still my favorite, along with Tavish. Luke and Tina are certainly next in line, as well as Libby Sullivan, so I suppose this book only reinforced my opinions of who I liked best.
Conclusion:
As I said before, this series is my favorite of Mrs. Havig’s books, and I’m eagerly awaiting the final installment. (It’s been very recently published, it just hasn’t made its way to our house just yet!) My review of Ready or Not can be found here. I would highly recommend this book!
To the KING be all the glory!
Thank you for the lovely review! I really hope you don’t hate me after book three. I had to take a lot of things to logical conclusions– things I didn’t really want to do. However, I think after it’s over, you might forgive me.
Make sure you have some salty chips for that last chapter though. Something to counteract all that syruppy gush. UGH. LOL
Oh dear! I’m still looking forward to it… now I’m just a little anxious! :p My brain is trying to figure out what could logically happen, that I won’t like now! :D
ROFL I bet you had to eat chips while writing too then! :p
I’m thinking I need to try these books out some time! They sound great! :)
~Jamie
You should! :D
Good review! Not sure this is my kind of book, but great job sharing your thoughts on it! :D
Thank you so much, Corey! :)