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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.… (more)
User reviews
Ted Dekker wrote this with his daughter, Rachelle Dekker. It's overtly Christian while definitely setting itself in opposition to religion. The message of light vs. dark is good, but faith vs. religion? I don't know how well that will set with many. This book presents no challenge in the reading, going very quickly, and for the observant reader, there aren't any real twists or turns.
Without providing any spoilers, the message is paramount in today's world. However, the rough storyline has already been down by Dekker in his "Beyond the Circle" series. The idea of the light and religious cult are reused from his other works. Daughter, Rachel Dekker, provides a much needed refresh as she appears to tone down her father's fantastical genre insertions, but overall it was too similar to works he's already done.
*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
I enjoy reading Ted Dekker and was looking forward to this one written with his daughter. But I couldn’t get into it. I’m was hoping to see what happened to the rest of the world when they hid themselves. This was about good versus evil. God versus the devil and the reader and Grace had to figure out who was who. Didn’t intrigue me in the least. I drudged through it but didn’t care for it at all.
I found this a perfect example of Jesus's warning to beware of "wolves in sheep's clothing". These people truly believed they were following the right path, when in reality, the devil was
If you enjoy dystopian novels, this book is perfect for you. It made me question my views on religion vs what the Bible truly says. We can only trust the message laid out for us in The Bible.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of the book mentioned above in the hope that I would review it on my blog. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
First and foremost, I have to mention the cover art. Wow—it certainly captures my attention, and the title draws me in quickly. Even though this
So far, this story is very different. That’s the best way for me to explain it. It’s Christian, it’s a thriller, kind of dystopian, and strange. It’s difficult to pigeonhole into one category. I want to mention, I’ve never read dystopian novels, and have little if any interest in them, but the eerie, spiritual essence from the first chapter of this book drew me in quickly.
I’ve never read a book by these authors (father and daughter, Ted and Rachelle Dekker.) As I understand it, it’s their first collaborative book together, and that intrigues me. So far, this is a suspenseful and original story!
First line: It was hot that day in the hills of Tennessee.
Source: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review.
#TheGirlBehindTheRedRope
Author: Ted Dekker & Rachelle Dekker
Pages: 336
Year: 2019
Publisher: Revell
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Whether you’re a new fan of the Dekker writings or an old hat, this novel will definitely grab your attention. One quality of the Dekker writings is the strong
Readers get many different perspectives from a book. For me, it was the need for spiritual eyesight to see the evil threats that were keeping the characters blinded and in bondage. One woman had the tenacity to face her fears, threats, and suffering in order to break free from the “Fury” in the Haven Valley community. Grace had to wrestle with the rules, laws and expectations that were supposed to keep the inhabitants safe from the suffering the world was undergoing.
As the wife of a pastor, Rose is an interesting character. She fell victim to the temptation of the Fury. Their power scared her. However, the manifestation was not scary as he cloaked himself in light. The boy Eli is a very compelling little boy whose very presence seemed to threaten everyone who lived in the Valley, and his death was all they wanted as they believed he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The tale, while fiction, echoes with truth and challenges for those who follow the Lord today and for them to be willing to acknowledge the wolves that are among the sheep. It’s a tale of hope and heartache; it’s very moving and thought provoking. You don’t want to miss reading this novel and sharing it with friends and family everywhere. Grab a copy and when you are done, share it or gift a copy so others can enjoy the latest work of the Dekker father and daughter team.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility.
First off—high five to a father and daughter authoring a novel together!
While it's not my usual kind of read, I chose to try this book because of its cultish theme. Indeed, that theme set my teeth on edge, as it were, as I read: the whole issue of an isolated community with a warped sense of righteousness, where oppressive laws, leaders who rule by fear, and the magnification of sin come under the guise of "holiness." I was 99.9% sure I'd know what the authors' basic message would be about fear vs. love, but I wanted to see how they would get it across.
However, this suspense novel turned out not to be quite what I was expecting. That is, I expected the dark and dystopian feel, but the supernatural elements with strange creatures laced into the allegory kind of threw me. I trusted nothing and no one as I read, couldn't really get behind the characters, and the pacing and development of the plot didn't grip me. The story is bizarre but didn't keep me interested enough to continue on after I got through a third of it.
I've enjoyed some historical/biblical fiction by Ted Dekker before and may give one of his thrillers a try sometime. I'll probably opt for one of his older titles.
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Revell provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.
The Girl Behind the Red Rope shows how fear can control our lives and how the best intentions can be destroyed by this emotion. I found this to be a fascinating story with intriguing characters and even though I have many questions I do see that love is the central theme among the symbolism used by the authors. The members of this group were like many people: they thought that they must be perfect to earn God's love but we know that perfection isn't possible and that God loves all of us. It is His Grace and Jesus's sacrifice that makes our redemption possible.
The Girl Behind the Red Rope has certainly made me think and it is a book that I want to read again, if only to gain more insight!
I received a copy of this book from Revell but a positive reiew was not required. These are my honest thoughts.
Grace lives in a cultish community, protected by the boundary of the red rope. Yet, when what she has long believed as reality comes into question, it
I enjoyed the disturbing and entertaining The Girl Behind the Red Rope. I easily recommend it to interested readers and look forward to more of what this father-daughter duo has to offer.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
But, although forbidden, two have ventured outside the perimeter and not been destroyed. And two, Ben and Eli, have ventured into Haven Valley. But those living in the valley cannot accept the innocent child’s lack of fear. Their own fears keep them from seeing the love and light that fills the boy.
Grace, caught up in the quintessential battle between good and evil, must overcome her own fears to find the answers. Is the child the Fury? A demon? An angel? What is true? What is deception? And who speaks the words she must believe?
Strong, well-developed characters and a captivating plot filled with unexpected twists combine to create a palpable tension that radiates from the page, building suspense and keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Ominous, dark, allegorical; the telling of this tale is both uplifting and inspiring. Readers will find it difficult to set this one aside before turning the final page.
Highly recommended.
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I'm a fan of dystopian novels, so when I heard about The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker, I knew it was a book that I just had to read sooner rather than later. Everything about the synopsis was calling out my
As I stated previously, the synopsis of The Girl Behind the Red Rope definitely left me intrigued. Grace has seen what not following her religious community's strict rules can bring. However, when a young boy makes his way into their tight community, Grace begins to question everything she's been taught which puts her in extreme danger.
Everything flowed so smoothly including the pacing which never let me down. I was constantly finding excuses to finish reading The Girl Behind the Red Rope since I had to know what would happen next. While I felt the plot was predictable more often than not, I still really enjoyed this book. I felt like their were no cliff hangers, and all of my questions were answered by the ending.
As for the Christian aspect of this book, it didn't read like a Christian novel most of the way through. I'd say it was probably around the last quarter of the book where Christianity came into play. I didn't think it was overly preachy although I think that those who aren't very spiritual or who are agnostic or are atheist may feel it's a tad on the preachy side. I would say The Girl Behind the Red Rope is more anti-religion and pro-Christianity overall. That's what I took from it anyway. It does have a really good message regarding love though which I found really nice to read about.
I very much enjoyed how every character in The Girl Behind the Red Rope was written. I felt like I was actually part of their world, stuck in the same community with them. Grace is a very likable character. I loved how the characters made her feel like a real person by giving her the conflicting thoughts as to who was to be believed throughout the novel. I enjoyed Grace's thought process about everything throughout the book. While I knew who and what she should choose, it was easy to see why she was so torn. Bobbie and Sylous were both very intriguing characters. I never trusted Sylous from the start, but Bobbie was one character that I wasn't sure if she actually had Grace's best interest at heart or if she had ulterior motives. There were times I despised Rose, not because she wasn't written poorly, in fact, she was written perfectly, but because of how much trust she put into Sylous and how overly judgmental she could be sometimes. I know that Rose was only going on what she thought to be true, but there were just so many times I wanted Rose to disappear! My favorite character was Eli. I loved his innocence and how happy go lucky he was.
Trigger warnings for The Girl Behind the Red Rope include cult mentality, violence, and murder.
All in all, The Girl Behind the Red Rope is such a fantastic read with such a powerful message. The characters are written beautifully, and the plot is done superbly. I would definitely recommend The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker to those aged 15 . Christians will definitely enjoy this book, but I think even non-Christians will probably love it as well.
Although the book had an interesting premise, I don't think it was well executed. Grace came across as completely whishy washy. She felt like a weak secondary character, rather than the main character. I also thought that the philosophy needed some work. Sure, love is light, fear is dark. But the idea that light banishes dark, therefore love banishes fear, didn't really work for me. Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.
The premise was pretty good, but did not follow through for me anyway. For me, it was a story about Christian beliefs, after you weed through yes "the twists and turns" so to speak. Will
You know that old saying "you can't judge a book by its cover" well it is very true in this case because I love this cover.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Revell, and this is my own opinion.