Straightened: Kennedy Stern #4 (eBook)

I would recommend this series because it is so easy to read! Alana Terry sucks you in but never gets off the storyline! Highly recommend this series.😘

Alana Terry often tackles subjects that some writers address by being preachy. She has done an exemplary jobs touching the questions and opinions surrounding homosexuality. We get to look into the people of said opinions without being told what to think. Add murder and arson, adoption and exhaustion, and you get quite a read!

Alana does it again with pulling things from the media and politics and real life... and puts a different perspective on it. One most might not think about. This is a Christian series but through Kennedys life, we are able to see how Christians can handle things.

I would recommend this book to everyone because it kept my attention and had a good insight on the world we live in today.

This story involves Kennedy Stern as she returns to Harvard for college in the pre-med program after her summer break. Her parents remain in China as missionaries. Kennedy was to stay with Rev. Carl and Sandy Lindgren and their newly adopted Korean son, Woong, for a few days before moving into her dorm, and attempt to get her sleep schedule adjusted in that time. Rev. Lindgren was her church pastor in the states, and he and Sandy were old friends of Kennedy's parents. When Sandy and Kennedy …arrived at the Lindgren home from the airport, Wayne Abernathy, the Massachusets State Senator, and his teenage son, Noah, were there talking with Carl, and Wayne was very upset about Noah claiming to be gay. Wayne wanted Carl to “fix him.” Later Wayne Abernathy was found murdered in his own home, and the house was in flames. Noah was deemed to be a suspect. Another man, who had been counseling Noah, was also found murdered in a different location. In addition, the Lindgren's house was set on fire. Will Kennedy ever catch up on lost sleep due to jet lag? Kennedy and Nick, the church's youth pastor, worked together in trying to solve the murders and arsons. Was Noah responsible for those crimes? Would someone else admit doing the crimes to protect Noah? Read this exciting novel of suspense and danger to get all the answers. Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book and am giving my honest opinion with this review.

The author has taken a subject that is controversial & does a good job of exploring different views on this subject. Bottom line we don't have to hate each other. We can't change any viewpoints only GOD is completely righteous! We all sin in different ways. And hate is next to murder in HIS eyes!

Alana Terry may not “preach” in her books, but she certainly challenges and makes you think through where you stand and why on some emotionally charged issues within the Christian church. In Straightened, the fourth in her Kennedy Stern series, THE issue is homosexuality/same-sex attraction. This book can be read as a standalone book, but having read the previous three books in the series first, I think your overall appreciation for Kennedy and the various characters that surround her will be… enhanced when you know some of the back-stories from previous books in the series.For whatever reason, I found the storyline in this book kept me guessing as to what would happen next and to whom more than some of her previous books. The fact I stayed up into the early morning hours one night to finish it testifies to the page-turning suspense and mystery Alana Terry weaves into this book in particular.As always, Alana Terry does a great job developing her characters in the book. I love the fact that characters in previous books in this series, as well as, from her North Korea series keep showing up and growing up. The book will not tie up your doctrine and theology on homosexuality into a nice and neat package with a bow around it, but the book will make you think and possibly motivate you to go out and do more research on your own.

This book tackles one of the most controversial and most often talked about topics within the church: homosexuality. Is it right? Is it wrong? What does the Bible say about it?I love how Alana handles writing about this topic. Once again (similarly to her book that focused on abortion), she doesn't spend every page preaching at the reader or trying to change a person's mind one way or the other. Instead, she lays it all out there and allows you to search your own heart and God's word.Regardless… of where you stand on the debate, this book will probably tug at your heart strings. I cannot imagine a father being willing to practically disown his own son for any reason. I think that there are a lot of ways that this book can lead into a conversation about God's love for us as a Father and how it is unconditional. This was an excellent book.

Alana Terry's books always tackle controversial subjects and always make you think. This story is about homosexuality and how the church should deal with it. The characters have differing opinions and all get to have their say, so the reader hears all perspectives.Also, in every book in this series, Kennedy will be involved in situations that most of us will never encounter. Years ago when I watched "Murder She Wrote" on TV, I said I never wanted to be invited to any social event where Jessica …Fletcher was also a guest--there was bound to be a murder. I say something similar about Kennedy Stern: even though she is a very likeable character, I wouldn't want to spend any time with her--there's bound to be danger and controversy and mayhem. Reading about it is a lot better than being involved in it!I received a copy of the book from the author, but I voluntarily wrote the review, which expresses my honest opinion.

I love that Alana doesn't put a bandaid on tough issues