Helpful Score: 5
"Don't trust your eyes" says the subtitle. This is a good story but he doesn't give Dean Koontz or Stephen King a good run for their money. Though this is a Christian author, this particular book isn't overtly written in a Christian frame. I really enjoy Ted Dekker's work normally, and this one was rather disappointing. However, it is STILL worth the read!
Helpful Score: 5
I thought this was a good thriller in the Stephen King/Dean Koontz vein. It also reminded me of the movies "The Matrix" and "The 13th Floor." There were seveal surprises in the book that I didn't expect including when the identity of "Red" was revealed. I figured out that the protagonists were in some kind of virtual reality early on in the novel but was surprised by what was really happening when it was revealed at the end. Overall I enjoyed the book and will probably read more by Dekker, however, I did find a some of the story to be repititious and tedious especially when the group was continually drawn back to the library and tried to abide by Red's rules. I think it could have been shortened by about 100 pages which would hopefully move the pace along more quickly.
Helpful Score: 4
I enjoyed Mr. Dekker's circle series so I tried this out. It starts off with a bang but then kinda runs outta gas, gets repetitious, and in the final 100 pages picks up again. Some better editing could have sliced off here and there, making for a much tighter read. The end product while meandering around awhile is still worth the time to read a good science fiction/murder story that will leave you puzzling to the end.
Helpful Score: 3
Felt like a combination of mystery, science fiction and adventure - had to keep reading to see what would happen next, who really was the bad guy(s)and what it was all about. My only disappointment was no reference to God or the characters being Christians when the author is. Deals with the existence of sin, good vs evil, and what is truth - indirectly without any hint of Christian verbage or influence. This puts it in the just-for-fun, secular fiction category for me and not one I would keep and re-read as uplifting, directing me to God, or spiritually educational in any way.
Helpful Score: 2
I'm normally a Ted Dekker fan. This book reads really well, and I enjoy his writing style, but the story line of this one is just not feasible. The ending was really disappointing.
