Review: Young teens and clean romance.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 02 23, 2014
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.There is a lot to like about this book that explores the dynamics of an inter-cultural romance between two teens, Brad and Kressa.  Brad is an American high school student who has recently lost his mother and struggling to come to terms with his father's remarriage.  Kressa is from Mexico and comes to the US, along with her family, to work for the Natalis.To the consternation of both families, not to mention Brad's friends, Brad and Kressa begin a relationship.  Despite the conflict and tension, the relationship begins to flourish, revealing familial secrets that neither Brad, nor Kressa are aware of."Love's Intensity" touches on the themes of racism, classicism, bullying, social exclusion, teenage pregnancy, sexual assault as well as parental and spousal abuse.  It is a coming of age story that is told from multiple points of view, including the parents of Brad and Kressa who have a subplot of their own.There are a number of subplots and themes in this work, some that are explained in detail, and others that are left open.  At 600 pages, this is a large text and there are some themes that are alluded to in the work, but are left under-developed.  Some foreshadowing of the events that unfold would have been welcome and added greater impact to the storyline."Love's Intensity" does not have a cliffhanger, but there is plenty of room for a continuation of the story and further examination of matters unresolved.  This work is a `clean' romance and recommended for people in their teens, and a Christian audience.