Skin by Ted Dekker Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Skin
Book Review: Hope the follow-up is good....
Summary: 4 Stars
In reading the most recent reviews, I noticed that a common complaint is how secular the book is. It really isn't, but I will agree it is watered down. I'm going to venture a guess that since the Horde is involved, so is Elyon (which did make an appearance or two, if you are paying attention), and this may be hashed out more in future books. The characters do have an understanding that there is more to life than what we see, what we experience in the day to day, which is far from a "secular" understanding.
What I see Dekker as doing, is setting us up for something big. (And Ted, don't let me down!) If I am right, Black was the weakest in spiritual Truth, but by the time White came around, the Truth was screaming to life. I feel like Ted eases us into it when he writes a series.
I'm looking forward for what Dekker has in store, and this is overall a good work, leaving me wanting more! (Sadly, in both a good and bad sense.)
Book Review: If I wasn't desperate for something to read....
Summary: 3 Stars
But I was desperate, unfortunately. A friend gave me quite a few books for a belated Christmas gift and this was one of them.
This is one of those books that I read completely out of boredom. I would probably lend it out and not mind if I never got it back (which is a big no-no for me usually).
The first half of the book reminded me of the book HOUSE with Frank Peretti (BIIIIGGGG disappointment on that book!). So it had a been there done that feel to it. Bunch of people who never met before, someone out to kill them and they don't know why even though there's some connection they have to each other. Nothing original. The second half of the book was actually the type of ending they tell you NOT to write in grade school, because it's a cop-out ending. Oh, but it's a cop-out ending with a twist! In which the fun is just beginning.... The twist is unoriginal as well.
I recommend borrow this book if you must, but don't buy it. It's vaguely interesting and mostly hectic. It either needed to be a lot longer to flesh out the story and characters or a lot shorter so it didn't feel like a waste of a perfectly good tree.
The characters were mostly vapid, which was sad because he wrote in there real potential for them to be fleshed out and rounded and real instead of the usual flat stereotypes they (in the book) turned out to be. He never actually made the characters anything more than two dimensional.
Five or six years ago I actually loved some of his books and recommended them. Something like SKIN? In my opinion it's a paycheck book. It's a formula story. Nothing new, nothing great, nothing terrible, nothing memorable, nothing horrible. It just exists. Exactly what a three star represents.
Book Review: Juvenile thriller
Summary: 1 Stars
I thoroughly disliked this book. The characters are one-dimensional and flat; the dialogue is excessively cliched, and the plot revolves around a sadistic serial killer and mind-altering drug experiments. The plot wouldn't have bothered me so much if the book was not marked as a "Christian" thriller. I can think of many ways that people can be introduced to the concepts of Christianity that do not involve reading (or writing) books this banal.Book Review: Not a great read
Summary: 2 Stars
This is the first book of Dekker's I have read. I didn't know it was supposed to be written by a "Christian author" although it does explain why there are no swear words or explicit language, which I can certainly live without.
The characters were not well-developed, such that it was difficult for me to really care what happened to any of them. The banter between the characters was banal. The story itself was difficult to follow and redundant. The ending with a "twist?" Predictable.
The good news? I only paid $4.98 for the hardback in the bargain bin. Phew!
Book Review: Not perfect, but intrigued enough to try his other books
Summary: 3 Stars
This was my first book by Dekker, and, like others here, I bought it on a whim from a bargain basket (6.95 for a hardback).
The Good: It is a very quick read. It starts out excellent, then gets a little choppy in the middle, but still holds the suspense.
The Bad: The characters get a little stale, and the ending is a bit of a disappointment. I closed the book with a bland aftertaste.
The "Christian" factor: Has it really come to the point where a book without cursing and sex is seen as Christian? Perhaps some of the author's other books have a more blatant religious theme, and thus he has been given the label. But I would not call Skin a Christian book, per se. I do think Dekker did an excellent job of creating evil characters who curse and swear, but he did not feel the need to express their exact words on paper. (sure people in real life curse and use foul language. people do a lot of things - it doesnt mean I need every little detail. I mean, would you rather read that a character "had the flu and spent the day in the bathroom" - or read every sick and smelly detail about the ordeal? I can picture it well enough, thank you. Language is no different, if done correctly, and Dekker does it very well)
Bottom line: Skin was worth the read, if a little flawed. I will buy another book by the this author. Probably the circle trilogy, as it gets decent reviews.