The Girl Behind the Red Rope Review

 

About the Book

Ten years ago, Grace saw something that would forever change the course of history. When evil in its purest form is unleashed on the world, she and others from their religious community are already hidden deep in the hills of Tennessee, abiding by every rule that will keep them safe, pure--and alive. As long as they stay there, behind the red perimeter.

Her older brother's questions and the arrival of the first outsiders she's seen in a decade set in motion events that will question everything Grace has built her life on. Enemies rise on all sides--but who is the real enemy? And what will it cost her to uncover the truth?

For the first time, bestselling authors Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker team up and deliver an intense, tightly focused ride through the most treacherous world of all. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I have been reading Ted Dekker for years and I am always excited to read his next novel. You truly never have any idea what to expect when it comes to a Dekker novel. His daughter Rachelle has written a few books herself so the combination I figured would be intense. The first part of this book had me bending my mind (as do all Dekker books), I wasn't certain the point of the story. I realized the deeper layer of what the book was all about, once I got past the mid point. There were some things in the story that I don't think were necessary but they just added to the weird world of the book. The ending delivers a gut punch of reality for our lives and I thought it was a good picture. I don't want to give anything away but the ending gets right at the heart of why people are how they are. Honestly this book was a good reminder to examine my heart and the many things that control my mind and actions on a daily basis. If you like Ted or Rachelle Dekker I think you will enjoy this story. If you are new to the Dekker world I recommend that you also read previous Dekker books to give you more perspective on these authors. 

Four stars.

"I received this book from Revell for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Hacker Book Review

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About the Book

"My name is Nyah and I'm a hacker. I know things most people would never believe. Things that shouldn't exist, but do."

Seventeen year old Nyah Parks is a genius hacker who makes a living by cracking the firewalls of the world's largest corporations. But when the biggest job of her life goes wrong she's plunged into a desperate situation with only one way out: one last hack that will either save her or kill her. So begins Hacker, a modern day parable that examines the staggering world around us, the seen and unseen, and reminds us that there's far more to who we are than meets the eye. (Goodreads)

My Review

Ted Dekker is a great author and I have read almost all of his books. This Outlaw series was new to me and since this is the third book I went back to read the previous book. While they don't have to be read in order, Austin is a main character in all of them.

This book twists your mind, just like every other Ted Dekker book. Nyah is a hacker and very smart. She lands herself in a bad situation and seeks help from Austin. There are about three story lines going on throughout the book that all join together at the end. I really liked this book because Dekker went deeper into salvation with Christ.

If you are a Ted Dekker fan you will enjoy this book! If you are new to Ted Dekker I highly recommend.

"I received this book from Worthy Publishing for free in exchange for an honest review."

Interview Questions

 

1. Your main character in Hacker, Nyah, makes a living by cracking the firewalls of major corporations. What role does technology play in her development as a character?

TD:  Nyah roots a great deal of her identity in technology. In doing so she defines who she is by what she does. She even says so at the beginning of the book. I am a hacker. We all do this. For her, technology is what she knows, it’s what defines her, and provides the comfort zone. But it’s also her prison, which she comes to discover later.  

 

 

1. How does personal loss affect Nyah’s view of God?

TD: When we meet Nyah, we find her in a place of great suffering especially for someone her age. That colors everything, just as it does for everyone else. For Nyah, the inescapable question is, “Why is there such suffering in the world?” Or more to the point, “Why is all of this happening to me?”  That offense, that feeling of injustice and unfairness, feeds her entire view of the world, including her view of God as a distant, uncaring creator.

 

1. Why do you consider Hacker a modern-day parable?

TD: Parables are meant to re-frame the world differently so we can experience it again for the first time. Hacker takes a simple concept that many people already believe, that there’s another reality so near to us that we’re unaware of its presence most of the time, and puts it center stage. The story doesn’t have a moral or try to make a point per se, because that’s not what parables are for, but it does ask you to look at the world through new eyes—Nyah’s.

 

1. The central question in each book in this series is, “Who am I?” What prompted you to explore that question?

TD: The question of identity is central to all of life and, in fact, most of my own striving and struggle can be traced back to it. We define ourselves, almost without thinking much of it, by what we do. I’m a mother, a father, a man, a woman, a writer, an accountant… The list is neverending. But strip that all away, as death will one day for all of us, and what remains? Are you, at your core, really a mother or a father or an accountant? Or are you something far more and we’ve only bought into the notion that this costume, which we call the body and our careers and talents, is really who we are?

 

1. The series so far includes a 17-year-old who claims she has been buried alive, a 13-year-old orphan with no memory, and a 17-year-old genius computer hacker. What are the similarities between these characters?

TD: [Laughs.] You’ll have to read the books to find out for yourself. Ultimately, they are all forced to take a journey that begins in the valley of the shadow of death and ends on the other side of it.

 

 

1. What role does the unseen play in your books?

TD: An enormous role, because that’s how it is in real life even in a literal way. Physicists tell us that the visible universe is a miniscule slice of what actually exists, we just can’t see the rest. But just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s non-existent.

 

 

1. What makes your characters in this series “outlaws”?

TD: It’s their journeys, which lead them “out of the law” of death and suffering into the light. It’s the same journey we all get to take, and which we’re called to.

 

 

1. You grew up as a missionary kid among cannibals in Indonesia. How do you think your unusual upbringing affects your writing and your faith today?

TD: My upbringing gives me a unique way of looking at the world. Understand, I grew up among people for whom spirituality was integral to life. It wasn’t tacked on or part of life… There was no separation. They believed in the unseen, they witnessed its powers, and lived as though the seen and the unseen were woven together in a beautiful, mysterious way.

 

Outlaw Book Review

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 About the Book

 The story of how I, Julian Carter, and my precious two-year old son, Stephen, left Atlanta Georgia and found ourselves on a white sailboat, tossed about like a cork on a raging sea off of Australia's northern tip in 1963, is harrowing.

But it pales in comparison to what happened deep in the jungle where I was taken as a slave by a savage tribe unknown to the world. Some places dwell in darkness so deep that even God seems to stay away.

There, my mind was torn in two by the gods of the earth. There, one life ended so another could begin.

Some will say I was a fool for making the choices I made. But they would have done the same. They, too, would have embraced death if they knew what I knew, and saw through my eyes.

My name is Julian and this is my story. But more, it is the story of my son who was born to change the world.

From deep in the impenetrable jungles where New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker was born and raised, comes OUTLAW, an epic adventure of two worlds that perhaps only he could write. Full of harrowing twists, sweeping violence, and wild love, Outlaw takes us beyond the skin of this world to another unseen. (Goodreads)

 My Review

Ted Dekker is one of my favorite authors. His details and mind twisting plots I love. This book, while not his best, was very good. At the back of the book he talks about his own childhood and how he grew up around different people and languages. This book is set in the jungle and survival is a key element, until the ending where everything is better understood. The first part of this book was slow for me as it kept going back to Julian's fate. The rest of the book kept me captivated and I enjoyed the characters and the overall storyline. I don't want to give anything away, each detail is important to the story. I rate it five stars. 

 For fans of Ted Dekker you will enjoy this book, for those who enjoy twists and turns, pick this book up. 

Learn more about Ted Dekker. 

"I received this book from Hachette for free in exchange for an honest review."

Sanctuary Book Review

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 The Sanctuary by Ted Dekker is a page turner that fans will definitely want to read.

THE SANCTUARY is the gripping story of vigilante priest, Danny Hansen, who is now serving a fifty year prison term in California for the murder of two abusive men. Filled with remorse, Danny is determined to live out his days by a code of non-violence and maneuvers deftly within a ruthless prison system.

But when Renee Gilmore, the woman he loves, receives a box containing a bloody finger and draconian demands from a mysterious enemy on the outside, Danny must find a way to escape.

They are both drawn into a terrifying game of life and death. If Renee fails, the priest will die; if Danny fails, Renee will die. And the body count will not stop at two.

THE SANCTUARY is Ted Dekker at his best, a powerful thriller that relentlessly plumbs the depths of punishment and rehabilitation, both in a flawed corrections system and in the human heart. (Goodreads)

I am a huge fan of Ted Dekker, he is one of my favorite authors because he writes unique plots and is truly a talented writer. I was excited to request this book to review and it did not disappoint. While I like a couple of his other books more so than this one, The Sanctuary took me inside a world I had not seen. This book is about the prison system and Dekker creates a creepy thriller that I could not put down. I like the characters, Renee made me laugh but is a realistic character. The plot twisted my mind, yet was not as confusing as some of Dekker's other books. In any case this is a great book and I highly recommend it!

"I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review."

Read what else Ted Dekker has written.