Thr3E

Rating:
Summary: Truly a Flawless Book
Review: Not in my lifetime. That's the thought that would run through my mind whenever some publishing industry colleague suggested that the quality of evangelical fiction would eventually rival that of mainstream novels. Deeming these hopelessly optimistic professionals as downright delusional, I continued to bypass the Christian fiction titles in my bookstores of choice.

Then something curious began to happen. Friends whose literary opinions I trusted began dropping the names of Christian novels that they considered good --- not just better than the usual fare, but genuinely good. Within the past year or so, I actually heard that praise applied to no less than a half-dozen titles. But when one friend described Ted Dekker's suspense novel THR3E as "flawless," I knew I had to read it, if only to prove her wrong.

By page 20 or so --- usually the point at which I relegate Christian novels to the "donate" pile --- I was completely hooked, no-turning back. At that point in the book, you know that mild-mannered seminarian Kevin Parson has done somebody wrong, given the car bomb and all. What you don't know yet is that the author is about to take you on an exhilarating ride filled with so many hairpin twists and turns that you'll quickly forget you have this other life requiring nuisance activities like eating and sleeping.

On the two or three occasions when something equaling a life-or-death emergency forced me to stop reading, I'd put the book aside and silently pray something ludicrous like "Please, God, please please please don't let this book be a disappointment." Foolish, adolescent, unsophisticated behavior, I know. But you know what? He must have heard me and at some point said, "OK," because THR3E never let me down.

The gist of the story is this, sort of: After getting the first call from a stranger warning him of the car bomb, Parson continues to hear from the mystery caller. Each time, the caller --- known as Slater --- threatens to cause greater destruction involving the loss of more and more lives unless Parson meets his single demand: that he confess his sin. Not his sins, but some great nameless sin that Parson has committed in the past. The bombings bring in the FBI and the California Bureau of Inspection and keep Parson on the move as he tries to make sense of Slater's maddening clues and thus avert catastrophe. That's "sort of" the gist, because things are seldom what they seem to be in this version of reality.

To go into much more detail would be difficult without venturing into the realm of spoiler. Believe me, this is one story you don't want anyone to spoil for you. I've read a fair number of suspense novels --- for whatever reason, it seems I couldn't get through a pregnancy without Robert Ludlum on my nightstand --- and each time I've held out hope that I'd experience the heady rush that comes with a true stunner, a surprise ending that I never could have anticipated. THR3E's rush brought to mind the phrase "shock and awe" --- only in this case, it seemed more accurate.

This is the point where I would normally say something negative, like "Yes, it's a great book, but..." and then drop some mild criticism on it. Few people trust the opinions of a gushing reviewer, so I'll try to maintain my credibility by issuing the only negative comment I can make about THR3E: It deprived me of the satisfaction of proving my friend wrong. Because, as I discovered, THR3E really is a flawless book.

--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford

Rating:
Summary: Thr3e Rocks!
Review: This book kept me on my toes the whole time, I never expected the ending it has! It is AWESOME, I couldnt put it down, and I typically dont enjoy reading. If you read one thriller book, then make it this one.

Rating:
Summary: Intense, psychological-suspense-thriller
Review: Ted Dekker's Thr3e grabbed my attention from page one and had me enthralled throughout the first 250 pages or so. Kevin is an adult convert to Christianity. For twenty-three years he lives in the secretive home of his aunt Balinda, under conditions that scar him mentally, and which are revealed gradually and teasingly. He finally makes his break from her, and in the course of five years he receives a college education, converts to Christianity, and enters seminary. He becomes the protege of the school's dean, and seems headed for a life of theology and pastoral care. Suddenly, a mad man named Slater interrupts his life with death threats and demands for a public confession. His childhood sweetheart, Samantha, who is now in law enforcement, comes to help him. What follows is a story that is both fast-paced, and yet constantly leaving the reader hungry for more information.

Dekker's writing is crisp and engaging. His characters are real, yet intense. The plot twists bring suspense, not confusion. In short, this is dynamic stuff--five star until the end.

My one complaint is that the climax comes too quickly and is followed by a lengthy epilogue. The key revelation was a mind-blower to be sure. However, after putting the conclusion out, it took Dekker more than twenty-pages to explain how the ending was logical and came together. It would have been so much more satisfying if he could have found a way to plant the explanations into the build up to the key revelation. Also, once the ending was fully fleshed out, we are treated to a rather lengthy epilogue that was sweet, but, resulted in the last fifty pages of the story being a combination of footnote and epilogue.

Bottom-line: Thr3e has five-star characterization, suspense, and writing-style. It's a definite buy-recommendation. The one weakness is how the book ends. The climax comes too early, requires too much follow up explantion, and is followed by an overly long epilogue. As such, it garners a very solid 4 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Mind Bending Suspense!
Review: Once again, Ted Dekker has woven a mind bending tale of suspense that will grip you in the beginning and keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. It is a novel that will challenge you to "dive deep" and examine who you really are.

Thr3e is tightly wound in the concept of three. First, it is a story about three people -- a seminary student, Kevin, his childhood friend, Samantha, and a man so twisted you cannot fathom knowing anyone like him. Second, it is a story steeped in three realities -- what is real, what you perceive to be real and what everyone else perceives as real. Finally, it is a story about the triune nature of man -- "the good, the evil and the man struggling between."

Not only is Thr3e a novel that will challenge your conventional belief system, it is a piece of suspense that will take you on a roller coaster of a ride. Dekker will make your skin crawl! On more than one occasion I looked over my shoulder and all but jumped at noises I heard in the night.

As you may already know, Thr3e falls into the Christian fiction genre. Despite this, it is a great read for almost anyone. However, being Christian fiction, you will find some differences between how Dekker molds his characters as opposed to non-Christian suspense authors. For some reviewers, the lack of four letter expletives cheapened the story. I disagree. A poor choice of language neither develops the story, nor deepens the characters.

The only weakness I found slightly bothersome was the romantic aspect. It was not only unnecessary for this particular story, it did not appear to be fully developed. I almost felt as if it was an afterthought to appease the women out there, of which I am one. Having read 6 of Dekker's 7 novels I can say with some authority that this aspect, a little bit of romance, is a common thread throughout his writing.

Overall, this is an excellent piece of suspense. More importantly, this is a novel that will challenge your belief system. Are you willing to examine yourself? If you want a novel that engages your mind and does not let go, Thr3e is for you!

Rating:
Summary: It's got a little something, but not much.
Review: After seeing the book in the local Christian bookstore, I was eager to get a chance to read Thr3e and had that chance when my wife picked it up for me for Christmas. I must say I was fairly disappointed at first. The writing sometimes seems too rudimentary. While Dekker does a decent job at giving the reader enough information to help create a visual representation about the story, he fails to capture excitement and intensity during the moments where excitement and intensity are needed most. While I won't complain about the lack of cussing from the main nemesis, the dialogue is fairly week for much of the book. Characters using phrases such as "shut up, you Puke" and "shut your pie hole" often gave me the feeling that i was reading teen fiction.

The storyline is interesting enough to follow, though I wouldn't call it a page turner by any means. There were enough questions going through my head that made me want to know what the outcome really would be. But, in truth, i only finished the book so quickly so i could move on to my next novel, none-the-less, if it was too boring I'd have just sat the book down. My advice; check it out from a library or find it at a good used price. This book, while not horrible, isn't quite worth the "new hardback" price.

Rating:
Summary: Finally, Publishers Weekly picks a Winner
Review: For the past six months I've decided to only read novels which Publishers Weekly has given thier highest praise for. This is how I stummbled on THREE, and I must say, I agree with thier assessment wholeheartedly. It is indeed a nearly perfectly written thriller.

I noticed that one of the only negative reviews on this book was recently posted by someone who listened to the abridgment, perhaps the reason they missed the brilliance of this story. What kind of critic would post based on listening to half the story? Don't fool yourself, this book is very well written. The writing itself is fresh, lean, and sucks you in, which is critical for a thriller to work well.

The plot has been teased a hundred times here, and I agree, the ending took me completely off guard -- a delicious treet. But let me finish with my main point: AFter six months of tracking with PW's reviews, I've found myself dissapointed with a number of the books they recommend. Which is why I post this review. THREE, by Ted Dekker, is an annomally. I just might give another of his books a shot.

Rating:
Summary: "Thr3e" spins and spins it's wheels but takes you nowhere
Review: I purchased Ted Dekker's "Thr3e" with high expectations. Having both critical praises and those of reviewers, I expected a well written nailbiter. What I got...Well, that's another story.

"Thr3e" is the tale of a young seminary student, Kevin, drawn into a game of good and evil, life and death, by a mysterious figure calling himself Slater. Slater knows more about Kevin than anyone else around him, and has a devilish intent. An intense car ride occurs early, and introduces us to the suspense...

All sounds well and good, correct? Well, then it starts to unravle. For starters, Dekker is not a very talented writer. Sorry, Ted, but you demongstrate many of the bad qualities Stephen King spells out in his excellent 'memoir on the craft', "On Writing." Corny adverbs, even cornier descriptions, and poor dialogue bring the suspense crashing down to the cold concrete.

Dekker's dialogue is simply unrealistic. It's laughable to hear a deviant assasin hurl vile insults at poor Kevin, without ever using something close to a 4 letter word. Slater is supposed to be evil-I suppose not even evil dare touch a dreaded swear word. Now, I realize Dekker is a Christian author penning tales for a Christian publisher, but c'mon Ted, if you're not willing to let characters be themselves, and insist instead on pinching their tongue's with plastic gloves, why not go write happy romances of seminary students instead?

The plot twists are there, but they just spin the whole story out of control. By the end of it, both the dialogue AND the story itself just don't ring plausible. Thr3e is penned as if it wants to become the screenplay for a direct to video snorer starring one of the lesser known Baldwin brothers.

In "On Writing", Stephen King points out that you can learn a lot from reading bad writers work, and that is true. "Thr3e" will show you how NOT to write a story. But, unless you're an aspiring author wanting to read a how-not-to guide to writing, do not pick up a copy of this book. It's simply not worth it.

Rating:
Summary: How can you review Dekker?
Review: For a person who rarely reads this genre, I am always impressed by Ted Dekker's books. Thr3e receives my best rating for a few reasons.
1) The Christian worldview, while there, is not so overwhelming that the whole book is consumed with it.
2) Dekker includes much fanscinating information about multiple personality disorder without making me realize I was learning anything. I did talk to an expert on the subject afterwards to ask all the questions this book raised.
3) Like a good book, this one grabbed my attention from the first page and held it to the very end. The writing style was excellent.
If you're looking for an auther who delivers every time, I recommend Ted Dekker. You won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best!
Review: I couldn't stop turning the pages! I highly recommend this book. It is full of mystery and suspense and has a very unexpected ending, which I loved. Ted Dekker is a skillful master of the written word.

Rating:
Summary: A page turning thriller
Review: Ted Dekker's Three is a fast-paced thrill ride of novel that hides a deeper purpose--an examination of the duality of good and evil. Kevin Parson is a 28-year old seminary student who has escaped from a stiffling past. His biological parents were killed in a car wreck when he was one and he was raised by his Aunt Belinda, who was a strong, sheltering influence on him. Kevin escaped and looks to build a new life until a mysterious man named Slater begins hounding him. Slater is fascinated by a sin from Kevin's past and the number three. Slater begins a game of cat and mouse with Kevin to get Kevin to confess the sin.

Three is a fast-paced action thriller that will keep you turning the pages. Dekker does a great job of setting up the characters and putting events in motion and sustaining that motion as the story builds toward the conclusion and denoucnement of who and what Slater really is. I also have to give Dekker credit--he does throw in a few red herrings to keep you guessing, though the solution of who and what Slater is and why he wants what he wants is a bit telegraphed about three quarters of the way through the book. But even if you figure out the central twist of the novel, Dekker's style and examination of the nature of good vs evil will keep you going until the end. And while he does wrap up this story, you will find yourself wanting to know more about the lives of Kevin and his friends, Samantha and Jennifer, after the last page is turned.