Blink :

Rating:
Summary: BLINK
Review: Yay, Ted Dekker...another awesome book!! This book takes you into different cultures. It takes you into the eyes of a Saudi princess who wants more, and into the life of a genius who realizes that God is definitely in control. The gifts God gives you may not be immediately evident, but He gives us gifts for a reason. And for Seth Border, God gives him a gift that saves the life of a Saudi princess. The amazing journey of two very different people ends up being the journey that changes their lives! Read it!

Rating:
Summary: Unlimited Suspense!
Review: A story about a young Saudi Arabian princess who escapes her world of veils and cruelty when she finds out she is to marry a man she has never met for the sake of the kingdom. Her importance is futile and she is searched for throught the USA. A young genuis, Seth Border, can see many potential futures and teams up with Miriam, the princess. Their story will bring you to the edge of your seat! A thriller full of suspense and drama. Follow Miriam and Seth as they discover freedom, love, and God!

Rating:
Summary: Christians MUST be critical of texts!
Review: Frank Peretti, (in my opinion) the best Christian author of out time, wrote in one of his books, "if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything", and though this is a rough paraphrase and has more to do with our spiritual lives, I believe that it is quite applicable to this review. You need to be critical of what you read!

As I read this book, I was continually amazed by the ridiculous prose chosen, the (absolute) predictability of all facets of the plot, strange diction, and horribly confusing syntax. At that point I decided that it was necessary to read a few reviews of this text. I was amazed at the rest of the responses out there.

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a born again Christian. I also realize that this is a Christian text, and that Dekker himself is a Christian.

As I read this book, there were countless times where I was forced to read, and reread certain lines because they made no sense. I understand that there are cultural differences between Saudis and Americans, but how tiresome to see the dissimilarities between Seth and the Princess blamed on Americanism. I grew to expect to see some form of the word "America" every line or so. Americans drive too fast, Americans have their freedom, Americans have more money per capita, Americans can access guns...WE KNOW- WE LIVE HERE.

As prefaced, I am a Christian and realize that the author is as well. After I read a few chapters of this book, I intrigued by contemplating the reviews it received. When I looked and saw the average rating was 4 1/2 or so stars, I almost died! What were these readers thinking?! Maybe they hadn't read anything else so there was nothing else to compare this book to, but that wouldn't even stand. Even if you hadn't read a single book other than Blink, you should still be able to see the many flaws with plot, characters, etc. I would like to go on and mention that throughout my many years in academia, one point has been very clear: Many non-believers think that Christians are not analytical and do not have the capability to criticize themselves or their own. I have spent many years defending that. However, I consent to loosing that battle after having read these reviews. I admit to being subjective in saying that the book was boring, predictable and poorly written. On the flip side, it is more than feasible to objectively say that it was a nightmare. The syntax, the diction, the confusion, the repetition, the style the predictability-these are all errors in writing, just like miscalculations are errors in math. I find it unbelievable that a publisher found Blink worthy, and even more unbelievable that its community of readers found it enjoyable, stimulating, addicting, and whatever other positive adjectives one could imagine. I should take into consideration the fact that there probably are people that did just enjoy this book, but it is amazing that those people did not make up the minority. I admonish you, the Christians out there to be critical of what you read! To say this was a good book (not even great, but good) would be to demean my intelligence. As aforementioned- if you stand for nothing you'll fall for anything!


Rating:
Summary: A peek under the curtain...
Review: This is the second novel I've read by Mr. Dekker, and I must say he is rapidly becoming my favorite author. His ideas are unique, his characters engaging, his plots intriguing, and his insights into the Christian faith are profound.

This book gives us a peek under the curtain to see the way God works. Seth Borders (one of the most interesting characters I've read in a long time) is given the ability to see into the future. As this ability develops, Seth is able to not only see many possible "futures," but is able to "pick" the one he wants by following the chain of choices that prompt others to react the way he "sees" them act in these possible futures.

Now, for me to say anything more about the plot would be to give it away, but Mr. Dekker has managed to relate in story form the paradox of God's sovereignty and foreknowledge coupled with man's ability to freely choose. How could God know the future with certainty and man be free to make choices? The answer provided by Mr. Dekker fits in line with what I myself have believed. God is able to "manuever" the future to fit his plan without doing harm to our ability to freely make choices. In "Blink," Seth knows what people will choose by making certain choices of his own knowing how people will respond. The old Protestant Reformers captured this thought when they said in the Westminster Creed that God exercises his sovereignty, primarily through secondary causes and the free choices of people. This is great stuff!

The only sticking point in this novel is its presentation of Islam. Islam is not portrayed too kindly in "Blink." But the fact of the matter is that Islam hasn't portrayed itself too kindly in the aftermath of 9/11 and the War on Terror. More and more we see that the so-called "religion of peace" is a deceptive tool of the devil that has trapped millions in its deceits. However, individual muslims aren't the enemy! They are in need of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ as all people are. Jesus Christ may be the only way to heaven, but out of love he calls ALL people to come to him.

Rating:
Summary: I wish I hadn't read it
Review: I will preface my comments by saying that I'm a sensitive person who doesn't deal well with violence in books and movies. I purposely avoid it because it upsets me deeply and I don't see the value of entertainment that upsets me. That said, I truly wish I had never read this book. I ended up buying a copy because I was intrigued by the plot outline on the back of the book. After reading it (yes, I finished it) I was inclined to throw it away because even the sight of the cover brought unpleasantness to mind. There is one particular scene in the book that was so horrible that I still get the creeps when I think about it. The writing was good, and the plot fascinating, but I'd skip it entirely if I had it to do over again.

Rating:
Summary: A Thrill Ride
Review: I've never read Ted Dekker's work before and normally I have shied away from Christian "thriller" fiction because I found it to be poorly written and forced. This book, however, pleasantly surprised me.

The plot is outrageous, but Dekker sells it pretty well. A Saudi princess escapes from her country and her family after hearing that she will be forced to marry an older, cruel man. She is unaware of the political considerations - and they are formidible. She encounters a certifiable genius in San Francisco in the person of Seth Borders and he saves her from being kidnapped back to Saudi Arabia.

Borders and the princess go on the run. Borders is helped by unexplained glimpses at possible futures - a new phenomenon that he is learning how to manage as he is running. Borders is also troubled by the source of this phenomenon - is it natural or divine?

The chase continues and it is a great read. Have no fear of picking this one up, lovers of Christian novels!

Rating:
Summary: So Good
Review: This book served as my introduction to Ted Dekker and I must admit that I'm hooked! I read "Blink" over the summer with 2 friends while we were on a trip. Suffice it to say that we fought for our turn more and more as we got farther into the book. After reading the first chapter, I didn't want to stop. Dekker does a great job at combining a story with cultural and religious facts and beliefs. I did find one chapter hard to read and almost put the book down; if you find yourself in a similar place (due to a soft heart) - press on...it's well worth it!

Rating:
Summary: Awesom
Review: I am a Christian Romance novel FANATIC, I bought this book on a whim of oh... this might be good. THIS IS A FANTASTIC BOOK, the characterization, the style of writing, the plot twists, everything was great. I cant wait to read another one of his books. I would recommend it to anyone!