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Restoration #4
Dawn's Light
In the face of a crisis that sweeps an entire high-tech planet back to the age before electricity, the Brannings face a choice. Will they hoard their possessions to survive or trust God to provide as they offer their resources to others?
#1 bestselling suspense author Terri Blackstock weaves a masterful what-if series in which global catastrophe reveals the darkness in human hearts and lights the way to restoration for a self-centered world.
As the Pulses that caused the outage are finally coming to an end, thirteen-year-old Beth Branning witnesses a murder. Threatened by the killer, she keeps the matter to herself. But her silence could cost her life.
Meanwhile, as Denis ex-fianc� returns to Crockett with a newfound faith and the influence to get things done, Deni is torn between the man who can fulfill all her dreams and Mark Green, the man who inhabits them.
As the world slowly emerges from the crisis, the Brannings face their toughest crisis yet. Will God require more of them than they've already given? How will they keep their faith if he Doesn't answer their prayers?
#1 bestselling suspense author Terri Blackstock weaves a masterful what-if series in which global catastrophe reveals the darkness in human hearts and lights the way to restoration for a self-centered world.
As the Pulses that caused the outage are finally coming to an end, thirteen-year-old Beth Branning witnesses a murder. Threatened by the killer, she keeps the matter to herself. But her silence could cost her life.
Meanwhile, as Denis ex-fianc� returns to Crockett with a newfound faith and the influence to get things done, Deni is torn between the man who can fulfill all her dreams and Mark Green, the man who inhabits them.
As the world slowly emerges from the crisis, the Brannings face their toughest crisis yet. Will God require more of them than they've already given? How will they keep their faith if he Doesn't answer their prayers?
411 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2008
318 people are currently reading
2310 people want to read
About the author
Terri Blackstock
90 books5,552 followersTerri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over seven million books sold worldwide.. She has had over thirty years of success as a novelist.
Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in a U.S. Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.
In 1994 Terri was writing romance novels under two pseudonyms for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening prompted her to switch gears. At the time, she was reading more suspense than romance, and felt drawn to write thrillers about ordinary people in grave danger. Her newly awakened faith wove its way into the tapestry of her suspense novels, offering hope instead of despair. Her goal is to entertain with page-turning plots, while challenging her readers to think and grow. She hopes to remind them that they’re valued by God and that their trials have a purpose.
Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in a U.S. Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.
In 1994 Terri was writing romance novels under two pseudonyms for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening prompted her to switch gears. At the time, she was reading more suspense than romance, and felt drawn to write thrillers about ordinary people in grave danger. Her newly awakened faith wove its way into the tapestry of her suspense novels, offering hope instead of despair. Her goal is to entertain with page-turning plots, while challenging her readers to think and grow. She hopes to remind them that they’re valued by God and that their trials have a purpose.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 429 reviews
December 8, 2015
Wow...
This was a great series and this last book kept me turning each page, flinching, feeling annoyed and felt my heart break and tears coming to my eyes.
It is the end of the pulses and life is starting to return to normal, except for the Branning family who is facing a challenge which will make or break their faith. This book dealt with a lot of questions I belief we face daily...will God answer our prayers, what if our prayers is not in God's will. What if His answer is different to what we want - will we still trust Him, follow Him, worship Him? Terri did a great job dealing with this questions and after finishing this book I can not help but give it 5 stars. This was a great book, filled with such raw emotions through Kay, Doug and the rest of the Branning family facing these challenges.
I felt annoyed and irritated with Craig returning - he could have stayed away. But perhaps that is also a job well done - a reader felling annoyance and irritation along with the characters?
All I can say is that if you love Christian suspense, you should give this series a try. Sad to see it end. This was a great series which shows that just because we are Christians, we also face difficulties, hurt and questions, just like everyone else.
This was a great series and this last book kept me turning each page, flinching, feeling annoyed and felt my heart break and tears coming to my eyes.
It is the end of the pulses and life is starting to return to normal, except for the Branning family who is facing a challenge which will make or break their faith. This book dealt with a lot of questions I belief we face daily...will God answer our prayers, what if our prayers is not in God's will. What if His answer is different to what we want - will we still trust Him, follow Him, worship Him? Terri did a great job dealing with this questions and after finishing this book I can not help but give it 5 stars. This was a great book, filled with such raw emotions through Kay, Doug and the rest of the Branning family facing these challenges.
I felt annoyed and irritated with Craig returning - he could have stayed away. But perhaps that is also a job well done - a reader felling annoyance and irritation along with the characters?
All I can say is that if you love Christian suspense, you should give this series a try. Sad to see it end. This was a great series which shows that just because we are Christians, we also face difficulties, hurt and questions, just like everyone else.
August 11, 2023
Still a little devastated, but I wanted to post my review while I’m thinking about it…
I’ve just finished the Restoration series by Terri Blackstock, and I’m still reeling. Dawn’s Light was the fourth and final installment of the series and perhaps the most desperate. If I were to recommend any fictional book series as an asset to Christian character growth, it would be this one. The anguish and despair is palpable.
I no longer want to hear about how “all Christian books are so cliché.” I don’t want to hear anymore complaining from readers about Christian books that include Scripture and prayer. And I won’t settle for gimmicky Christian books anymore either. Not when books like this exist where the Scripture is so poignant to the characters’ situations, and the prayers are so raw and real. In Dawn’s Light especially, as Doug and Kay contend through much of the book for the life of their child. As they scream at God and demand a miracle and question His love and His grace, as they suffer under the crushing wait of despair and doubt and questioning. I could almost insert myself into their prayers. It hit so close to home. I remember in the summer of 2016 when my sister was in the hospital and we weren’t sure she was going to make it, the prayers my family prayed, the way it has affected us since.
There is a right way to incorporate prayer and Scripture into fiction, and this is it.
If you want a series that will teach you the absolute power of forgiveness and of loving your enemies, this is it. As Deni’s childhood friend is accused of crimes he didn’t commit in True Light. As he’s lynched and beaten and abused by people determined to judged him based on the sins of his father in Last Light. Mark’s story will humble you, and suddenly your grievances and offenses and all your justifications for hating the people who hurt you will feel petty and insignificant as you’re faced with the Biblical command to love your enemies and bless those who persecute you. May we all be like Mark, who cleaned the toilets of the very men who assaulted him for no other reason than that God requires it and even when he certainly didn’t feel like it.
If you want a series that will teach you the beautiful grace of God that transforms a person from old to new, this is it. As Deni goes from the selfish drama queen who despises her family and her upbringing and her hometown, who wants nothing more than her high-profile life in Washington with her narcissistic fiancé, Craig, in Last Light to a humble young woman whose love for her family knows no bounds, who puts her life on the line for orphan children in Night Light and for the man she loves in True Light. Who seeks out justice and truth, whose heart brims with compassion for the weak, the suffering, and the needy.
If you want a series that will teach you the power of prayer amid suffering, this is it. For Doug and Kay throughout the entire series but especially in its finale, prayer is not a last resort; it is their first line of defense. But even that is put to the test in Dawn’s Light when prayer doesn’t seem to be working. And we see them question their faith. We see them wrestle with why God would allow such things. We see them angry and bitter and desperate, crying in the darkness of hospital closets. Reading this book felt painful. I wept through much of Dawn’s Light, because I’ve been in places like this before. It’s humbling to realize that the Lord owes us nothing, and that whether He gives or takes away, He is just and He is good regardless. But to see Doug and Kay wrestle with the truth that they know in their heart of hearts as opposed to their current suffering was so profound and so moving. The prayers they prayed, the Scriptures they called to mind. What Doug and Kay embodied in this story is what prayer ought to be for us all. Prayer isn’t just about making a request and expecting an answer. It’s about breaking yourself open before the Lord, about bringing yourself to the threshing floor where He can crush you and refine you and shape you, and about understanding the sovereign grace of God amid every trial and even amid deepest pain. It’s about ultimate vulnerability and honesty. There’s no part of you that is not seen. There is no thought, no desperate desire that is not heard.
This isn’t just a series about surviving global disaster. It isn’t just economic collapse and loss of communication and transportation. It’s a story about the importance of close, familial ties. About the strength that comes from family. About loving your enemies. About putting the needs of others ahead of yourself. About cherishing what’s important and prioritizing the things that really matter. About humbling yourself before a sovereign God whose perspective is clearer than our own. It’s about love and loss and grief and anguish and hope and faith and despair and travail and perseverance and self-sacrifice and much, much more.
These books will always hold a special place in my heart for all they have taught me.
I’ve just finished the Restoration series by Terri Blackstock, and I’m still reeling. Dawn’s Light was the fourth and final installment of the series and perhaps the most desperate. If I were to recommend any fictional book series as an asset to Christian character growth, it would be this one. The anguish and despair is palpable.
I no longer want to hear about how “all Christian books are so cliché.” I don’t want to hear anymore complaining from readers about Christian books that include Scripture and prayer. And I won’t settle for gimmicky Christian books anymore either. Not when books like this exist where the Scripture is so poignant to the characters’ situations, and the prayers are so raw and real. In Dawn’s Light especially, as Doug and Kay contend through much of the book for the life of their child. As they scream at God and demand a miracle and question His love and His grace, as they suffer under the crushing wait of despair and doubt and questioning. I could almost insert myself into their prayers. It hit so close to home. I remember in the summer of 2016 when my sister was in the hospital and we weren’t sure she was going to make it, the prayers my family prayed, the way it has affected us since.
There is a right way to incorporate prayer and Scripture into fiction, and this is it.
If you want a series that will teach you the absolute power of forgiveness and of loving your enemies, this is it. As Deni’s childhood friend is accused of crimes he didn’t commit in True Light. As he’s lynched and beaten and abused by people determined to judged him based on the sins of his father in Last Light. Mark’s story will humble you, and suddenly your grievances and offenses and all your justifications for hating the people who hurt you will feel petty and insignificant as you’re faced with the Biblical command to love your enemies and bless those who persecute you. May we all be like Mark, who cleaned the toilets of the very men who assaulted him for no other reason than that God requires it and even when he certainly didn’t feel like it.
If you want a series that will teach you the beautiful grace of God that transforms a person from old to new, this is it. As Deni goes from the selfish drama queen who despises her family and her upbringing and her hometown, who wants nothing more than her high-profile life in Washington with her narcissistic fiancé, Craig, in Last Light to a humble young woman whose love for her family knows no bounds, who puts her life on the line for orphan children in Night Light and for the man she loves in True Light. Who seeks out justice and truth, whose heart brims with compassion for the weak, the suffering, and the needy.
If you want a series that will teach you the power of prayer amid suffering, this is it. For Doug and Kay throughout the entire series but especially in its finale, prayer is not a last resort; it is their first line of defense. But even that is put to the test in Dawn’s Light when prayer doesn’t seem to be working. And we see them question their faith. We see them wrestle with why God would allow such things. We see them angry and bitter and desperate, crying in the darkness of hospital closets. Reading this book felt painful. I wept through much of Dawn’s Light, because I’ve been in places like this before. It’s humbling to realize that the Lord owes us nothing, and that whether He gives or takes away, He is just and He is good regardless. But to see Doug and Kay wrestle with the truth that they know in their heart of hearts as opposed to their current suffering was so profound and so moving. The prayers they prayed, the Scriptures they called to mind. What Doug and Kay embodied in this story is what prayer ought to be for us all. Prayer isn’t just about making a request and expecting an answer. It’s about breaking yourself open before the Lord, about bringing yourself to the threshing floor where He can crush you and refine you and shape you, and about understanding the sovereign grace of God amid every trial and even amid deepest pain. It’s about ultimate vulnerability and honesty. There’s no part of you that is not seen. There is no thought, no desperate desire that is not heard.
This isn’t just a series about surviving global disaster. It isn’t just economic collapse and loss of communication and transportation. It’s a story about the importance of close, familial ties. About the strength that comes from family. About loving your enemies. About putting the needs of others ahead of yourself. About cherishing what’s important and prioritizing the things that really matter. About humbling yourself before a sovereign God whose perspective is clearer than our own. It’s about love and loss and grief and anguish and hope and faith and despair and travail and perseverance and self-sacrifice and much, much more.
These books will always hold a special place in my heart for all they have taught me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2008
A great series! I am going to try to read more books by this author in the future. This was a very well-written series that REALLY makes you realize a) how blessed we are with everything we have in this modern age and b) what would we do if it was all suddenly taken away.
Highly recommend this series...
Highly recommend this series...
June 29, 2020
Okay, so um... what????
Yes, Deni and Mark is like, a great thing and all...
BUT
**Spoiler alert**
WHY BETH??????? Why the heck? The whole time she was being stalked I was like... "Lucy, it's okay! It'll be alright! She's a main character, very developed and she's the perfect innocent one. Blackstock won't kill her off because she's BETH." But I lied to myself... apparently...
I mean, the play was closure but NOT enough for Beth. AND SHE WOKE UP!! (for like 5 seconds but still)
Holy guacamole.
Yes, Deni and Mark is like, a great thing and all...
BUT
**Spoiler alert**
WHY BETH??????? Why the heck? The whole time she was being stalked I was like... "Lucy, it's okay! It'll be alright! She's a main character, very developed and she's the perfect innocent one. Blackstock won't kill her off because she's BETH." But I lied to myself... apparently...
I mean, the play was closure but NOT enough for Beth. AND SHE WOKE UP!! (for like 5 seconds but still)
Holy guacamole.
July 31, 2021
Book 4 of the Restoration series. Out of the whole series this one is by far the best. When the community gets some of their money out of the bank the Banning youngest daughter witnesses a murder. The Murderer threatens her that he will kill her family if she tell. So Beth lives in fear that something will happen to her and her family. The family is concerned for her but goes on with their daily lives. The global blackout is ending and the neighborhood is excited. But the unthinkable happens. Beth is attack and holds on for dear life. Will she survive the attack. Can Marc find out who is responsible for the attack? I have to say this book is true to life. Sometimes God says no to healing. His Way is not our way and when we pray and beg sometimes the unthinkable can happen. Watching the Banning family go thru the torture of watching their daughter suffer is hard to read, but is important for all to see sometimes no matter how hard we pray God will still not give us what we want. Thank you Terri Blackstock for writing this truth for us to read. For this book alone you should read this series. I am face with this reality now as well. So bad I want Christ to heal me and my problems but like I said sometimes the answer is no. Please read this wonderful series and especially read Dawn Light. It is amazing!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2025
I’m devastated. Chapters 97 and on just didn’t happen. I’ve marked them as nonexistent. I’m banishing them from memory.
While I love every single book in this series, Dawn's Light was my personal favourite of the series. It was jam packed with emotions and heartbreak. I started the book thinking it was going to wrap up the series with a happy "the power's back on, yay!" and OH. MY. i was wrong.
Anyways, it was an amazing book that I highly recommend. We still don't talk about the end however.
While I love every single book in this series, Dawn's Light was my personal favourite of the series. It was jam packed with emotions and heartbreak. I started the book thinking it was going to wrap up the series with a happy "the power's back on, yay!" and OH. MY. i was wrong.
Anyways, it was an amazing book that I highly recommend. We still don't talk about the end however.
January 2, 2023
Review of book #4, Dawns Light, as well as a review of the entire series.
Book #4 focuses on Beth Branning. The storyline is a suspense/mystery. While it was well written, I found myself disappointed this book veered so far away from the storyline focusing on the family surviving the pulses. It was the survival element in the storyline that drew me, and that did not continue throughout this book. It was faith based, and I am always impressed with this authors ability to create such a hopeless scenario, and then bring beauty from the ashes.
Review of the series overall. I would give it a 3.5.
It’s absolutely faith based and clean. The first book follows the family through a devastating event, where all of the electricity goes out. I enjoyed the first book very much, with the storyline following the family in survival mode. The second book also had a similar type survival mode storyline, that brought in small children, and with it, a protective nature from the Brannings towards the children. The third book began to take on more of a focus on the main characters personal relationships, and began to veer away from the survival mode. By the fourth book, the family’s surviving the pulses was almost non existent, and the focus was almost purely on the mystery surrounding Beth and the romance between other main characters. I enjoyed the first two books, but started to lose interest after the third book, and really found myself pushing through the fourth book. They were well written, but just not what I expected.
Last notes-You do have to read the books in this series in order, because the storyline builds from book to book. I did not prefer this narrator of the audiobooks and wouldn’t recommend it as an audiobook.
Book #4 focuses on Beth Branning. The storyline is a suspense/mystery. While it was well written, I found myself disappointed this book veered so far away from the storyline focusing on the family surviving the pulses. It was the survival element in the storyline that drew me, and that did not continue throughout this book. It was faith based, and I am always impressed with this authors ability to create such a hopeless scenario, and then bring beauty from the ashes.
Review of the series overall. I would give it a 3.5.
It’s absolutely faith based and clean. The first book follows the family through a devastating event, where all of the electricity goes out. I enjoyed the first book very much, with the storyline following the family in survival mode. The second book also had a similar type survival mode storyline, that brought in small children, and with it, a protective nature from the Brannings towards the children. The third book began to take on more of a focus on the main characters personal relationships, and began to veer away from the survival mode. By the fourth book, the family’s surviving the pulses was almost non existent, and the focus was almost purely on the mystery surrounding Beth and the romance between other main characters. I enjoyed the first two books, but started to lose interest after the third book, and really found myself pushing through the fourth book. They were well written, but just not what I expected.
Last notes-You do have to read the books in this series in order, because the storyline builds from book to book. I did not prefer this narrator of the audiobooks and wouldn’t recommend it as an audiobook.
September 23, 2015
A great conclusion to the series! I put off reading it for a while, because I was spoiled as to how the series would end. But it didn't end up taking a lot away from the story. This was one of my favorites in the series!
Overall a great series and I'm glad I read it! I would hope that if something like this happened, people everywhere would join together. Throughout the series there really were only a few people willing to go to extremes, and while it seems highly unlikely to me, I certainly would hope that's how it would be!
It was great watching the characters grow and get closer to God through everything and then stay with Him.
Overall a great series and I'm glad I read it! I would hope that if something like this happened, people everywhere would join together. Throughout the series there really were only a few people willing to go to extremes, and while it seems highly unlikely to me, I certainly would hope that's how it would be!
It was great watching the characters grow and get closer to God through everything and then stay with Him.
March 1, 2025
Picks up once again with the Branning family living through the world blackout. It has now been a year since it began and there is possibilities the pulses are ending and power will be restored. Someone witnesses a murder and is threatened, they refuse to tell anyone what happened and this takes a dark turn. The Branning's faith is tested, but there is a strong faith message with lots of scripture verses shared and discussed. Filled with tense moments, with murder and life threatening situations. The emotions express felt very realistic and understandable in the moment. I loved the character dynamics and was so invested in the family and the situation. I was very close to tears a few times. I loved the play the community children put on. This was a favourite and I highly recommend reading, but you must read the books in order to really get to know the characters and understand the situation.
July 6, 2019
I was entirely too sad to see this series come to an end. I wanted it to last forever and ever more. Mild This book is definitely heartbreaking. I hope not to give too much away, but I felt so deeply for Beth as she cowered in fear for the first half of the book. No one should have to live with the thoughts that that poor child did. She's a beautiful character and I have nothing but love and respect for her. The story is intricately woven, as Blackstock so masterfully does. I just love this book. I love the whole series!!!
January 5, 2025
The fourth and last book in the Restoration series and in my opinion the best. Especially the authors afterward that really moved me. Great story full of mystery and suspense.
January 3, 2019
Mrs. Blackstock wrote an amazing series and I am happy to have read all four books. The author clearly presented in this work the message about praying for not our will to be done but for God's will to be done, even if that could mean losing someone you love. Thismessages presented in this series are ones that will stick with me for the rest of my life. I encourage anyone to read these books if you have not done so as of yet.
October 1, 2022
Nice conclusion to the series. A very heartbreaking event occurs in this one, which I didn't see coming. Again, the development of Deni's character was nice to see and the faith elements were handled well. The pain and questioning in grief were particularly done well and I shed a tear or two myself as the story unfolded. The storylines were all wrapped up in satisfying ways. I really enjoyed this series as a whole.
August 1, 2024
This series had a lot of situations that were difficult for the main characters. This final book was maybe the most difficult of them all. I don't want to say too much or I would give away spoilers. Definitely a series worth reading.
November 2, 2024
I'm not a good writer and feel very inadequate to review this book. I experienced deep emotions while reading this book. I love the way the characters wrestle with living and living like Christ in very difficult circumstances. I love how Terri applies Scripture.
This is a powerful story with twists and turns.
⚠️ This book has a pretty horrific scene. I don't want to spoil the plot for everyone reading this remote, but if you want more clarification, feel free to reach out to me and ask.
This series is definitely one of my favorites of all time.
This is a powerful story with twists and turns.
⚠️ This book has a pretty horrific scene. I don't want to spoil the plot for everyone reading this remote, but if you want more clarification, feel free to reach out to me and ask.
This series is definitely one of my favorites of all time.
December 14, 2015
This book concludes Terri Blackstock's Restoration Series. It is about how the world is influenced by a Pulsar which causes a blackout of the entire earth. In this book, the Pulses come to an end and the power begins to be restored.
Terri Blackstock's big strength is that she develops characters that are the reader can relate to. However, in the midst of reading, I found myself repeatedly thrown by their decisions. I found myself repeatedly saying to myself "no one would do that in real life." People do often make bad decisions in real life but for me, some of the character's decisions were a real stretch. The characters still remained interesting though when their feelings were revealed and when they struggled with their faith.
I am not usually a romance book reader. If I do read a romance, I like the romance to feel authentic. I found the romance parts of the story line a bit painful much of the time. I found the characters of Mark and Craig to be too stereotyped and their jockeying for Deni's attention annoying. Again, the kind of posturing that happened in the romance part of the story did not ring true to me as something men would do in real life.
I would say that as a whole, I enjoyed the book. The I found the other books in the series were easier to finish. The strength in this book was the faith challenges presented.
Terri Blackstock's big strength is that she develops characters that are the reader can relate to. However, in the midst of reading, I found myself repeatedly thrown by their decisions. I found myself repeatedly saying to myself "no one would do that in real life." People do often make bad decisions in real life but for me, some of the character's decisions were a real stretch. The characters still remained interesting though when their feelings were revealed and when they struggled with their faith.
I am not usually a romance book reader. If I do read a romance, I like the romance to feel authentic. I found the romance parts of the story line a bit painful much of the time. I found the characters of Mark and Craig to be too stereotyped and their jockeying for Deni's attention annoying. Again, the kind of posturing that happened in the romance part of the story did not ring true to me as something men would do in real life.
I would say that as a whole, I enjoyed the book. The I found the other books in the series were easier to finish. The strength in this book was the faith challenges presented.
December 21, 2018
From reading reviews, it seems like this was typically either a reader's favorite or least favorite of the series, and I find myself in that second camp. Blackstock clearly wanted to bring the family to a dark place, just as they thought things would be getting better, but the way in which it was done just didn't sit right with me. It felt like drama for the sake of drama, and resolution for the sake of resolution. There were some good parts in here, but on the whole I thought it was only okay, and a disappointing conclusion to the series.
July 9, 2022
What an awesome book!
I just couldn't stop listening to this novel until I was finished.
It a book about faith, hope, love, forgiveness, tragedy and even unanswered prayers.
This book doesn't have your fairytale ending But it shows how beauty can come from ashes!
This is a Christian book and one I would recommend for 12 and older.
I just couldn't stop listening to this novel until I was finished.
It a book about faith, hope, love, forgiveness, tragedy and even unanswered prayers.
This book doesn't have your fairytale ending But it shows how beauty can come from ashes!
This is a Christian book and one I would recommend for 12 and older.
March 4, 2008
Good end to such a unique series. Deni very wishy washy throughout, which is my only complaint. The spiritual content is excellent and really made me think.
September 1, 2011
Can't believe the ending, if it weren't for that this would have gotten five stars. Loved the rest of the series, was so disappointed in the ending.
November 26, 2021
A great final book in the Restoration series.
May 7, 2022
I haven't cried that much while reading in a LONG time! You know that happy-sad Christian cry? Yeah that one.😂
July 4, 2019
Notable Content: Kissing; "catcalls" and "lewd gestures"; mentions of cheating, affairs, etc.
Oh, my heart. This book was perfect. If I ever cried at books, I guarantee you I would be weeping up a storm right now. I’m so emotional. How did words on a page do this to me? This book has broken my heart, healed it, filled it, and shone the Lord’s light on it. It can’t be right to call the people in this book just characters. They feel so real. I feel like I could go follow them on social media and look up pictures of them and what they’re doing now, that I could admire them and dream of meeting them some day. I truly feel like they’re real people that I could meet up in heaven someday. I don’t know how I’m going to say goodbye to them. Oh, my heart, oh. So much happened in this book. The relationships of these characters are so real, too. I rooted for them and my heart pleaded with the characters to make the right decisions. Oh, if only there were enough books to read for the next year!
There’s just one single comment I have to make, and that’s that I had to stop at one point and sort things out. The case got so complicated. However, I did know every piece to the puzzle, so I commend Mrs. Blackstock for managing to get them all in my head properly. I just paused reading and wrote down every piece so I could follow the investigators’ logic and make sure I knew who was who, and then jumped right back in happily.
Spoiler review below! Read at your own risk!
Oh, my heart. This book was perfect. If I ever cried at books, I guarantee you I would be weeping up a storm right now. I’m so emotional. How did words on a page do this to me? This book has broken my heart, healed it, filled it, and shone the Lord’s light on it. It can’t be right to call the people in this book just characters. They feel so real. I feel like I could go follow them on social media and look up pictures of them and what they’re doing now, that I could admire them and dream of meeting them some day. I truly feel like they’re real people that I could meet up in heaven someday. I don’t know how I’m going to say goodbye to them. Oh, my heart, oh. So much happened in this book. The relationships of these characters are so real, too. I rooted for them and my heart pleaded with the characters to make the right decisions. Oh, if only there were enough books to read for the next year!
There’s just one single comment I have to make, and that’s that I had to stop at one point and sort things out. The case got so complicated. However, I did know every piece to the puzzle, so I commend Mrs. Blackstock for managing to get them all in my head properly. I just paused reading and wrote down every piece so I could follow the investigators’ logic and make sure I knew who was who, and then jumped right back in happily.
Spoiler review below! Read at your own risk!
May 10, 2025
“Sometimes God just guides us into a different direction, because he loves us.”
A year into electronic pulses that have caused a worldwide power outage, light is finally at the end of the tunnel when the power slowly begins to get restored.
The Branning family has gotten into a new everyday rhythm, but when the youngest daughter, Beth, witnesses two murders, she finds herself torn between protecting her family or protecting herself. Will Beth be able to help lead police to the killer, or will he get to her first?
I have been trying to come up with words for this review for a couple of days, but I simply have no words. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, and raw.
This is the final book in the A Restoration series and it absolutely shocked me. I have never read a book that has made me speechless before, but this is definitely it!🤯
I went into this book thinking “everything will end up great and the lights will come on again!” - boy, was I wrong🥲 @literarilypersuaded and I buddy read this book together and I don’t think we’ll ever be the same😭😂
Throughout this whole series, we’ve seen the Branning family go from being lukewarm Christians, to knowing that God is all they have left to cling to. Doug became a pastor. Kay truly got to know her neighbors. Jeff learned to be a man of God. Deni discovered that she is so much more than a prissy rich girl. Logan found that there are better forms of entertainment aside from video games. And Beth found a calling for being a director and play writer.
This book shows us that being a Christian doesn’t mean everything will be okay - that life isn’t always perfect and things happen. Good and bad. It shows us grief and joy can coexist. That hard times are ways that God calls us back to Him and to truly surrender to Him. That it’s okay to be mad at God and it’s okay to have questions when things aren’t going how you expected them to. We learn that God has a purpose for everything - even suffering.
If you want a series that shows you the raw beauty, trials, love, grief, and hope of life as a Christian, you need to read this series.
A year into electronic pulses that have caused a worldwide power outage, light is finally at the end of the tunnel when the power slowly begins to get restored.
The Branning family has gotten into a new everyday rhythm, but when the youngest daughter, Beth, witnesses two murders, she finds herself torn between protecting her family or protecting herself. Will Beth be able to help lead police to the killer, or will he get to her first?
I have been trying to come up with words for this review for a couple of days, but I simply have no words. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, and raw.
This is the final book in the A Restoration series and it absolutely shocked me. I have never read a book that has made me speechless before, but this is definitely it!🤯
I went into this book thinking “everything will end up great and the lights will come on again!” - boy, was I wrong🥲 @literarilypersuaded and I buddy read this book together and I don’t think we’ll ever be the same😭😂
Throughout this whole series, we’ve seen the Branning family go from being lukewarm Christians, to knowing that God is all they have left to cling to. Doug became a pastor. Kay truly got to know her neighbors. Jeff learned to be a man of God. Deni discovered that she is so much more than a prissy rich girl. Logan found that there are better forms of entertainment aside from video games. And Beth found a calling for being a director and play writer.
This book shows us that being a Christian doesn’t mean everything will be okay - that life isn’t always perfect and things happen. Good and bad. It shows us grief and joy can coexist. That hard times are ways that God calls us back to Him and to truly surrender to Him. That it’s okay to be mad at God and it’s okay to have questions when things aren’t going how you expected them to. We learn that God has a purpose for everything - even suffering.
If you want a series that shows you the raw beauty, trials, love, grief, and hope of life as a Christian, you need to read this series.
November 5, 2024
I really liked this series, however if you're looking for a dystopian series, its really only the first book that has strong dystopian elements. The rest of the series is far more involved with mysteries and or interpersonal relationships and this conclusion was no different. In this book we get a resolution to the phenomena that happens in the first book, but we also get an intense family tragedy. This book had me emotional and it really causes you to think about how we can accept it when God's will is different than our own. This hits home in such a hard way fo rme that it really was painful at times. Overall a satisfying ending to a great series.
September 28, 2017
This is the last of the Restoration series, but not the least. Lots of action to keep you reading to find out what happens next. Some of the results are surprising turnarounds. Much Christian persecution but God has His way in the end. This is a must read, but I insist that you read the previous volumes that work up to this final reading. At the rear of all the books there are Discussion Questions which are good, because a lot of answers are given for the young Christian who doesn't understand God's ways.
March 16, 2022
Really great series!!
I'm a sucker for happy endings! Although this one ended happily enough, it had its share of loss and sadness.
I don't love to cry when reading a good book.
Terri is one of my fav authors tho so I'll probably still reread this in the future sometime. I might even buy the series in book format rather than kindle.
I'm a sucker for happy endings! Although this one ended happily enough, it had its share of loss and sadness.
I don't love to cry when reading a good book.
Terri is one of my fav authors tho so I'll probably still reread this in the future sometime. I might even buy the series in book format rather than kindle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2023
Nothing more to say about this series than INCREDIBLE…the plot twists, the intense emotions, the relationships (hehe), and especially the characters’ developments are just incredible. It’s nothing like other book series I have read. 10/10 would recommend, but warning: it is a tear jerker. Absolutely loved this series and will definitely reread again.
June 13, 2024
Wow this book/series does not skate around the tough issues it takes them head on. I did not see the ending coming and I didn’t want it to be true. God does not promise a smooth flight only a safe landing. There are some worst case scenarios that play out and it is a good reminder that he will carry us through our worst times.
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