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The Girl behind the Red Rope
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?
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?
336 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2019
812 people are currently reading
7078 people want to read
About the author
Ted Dekker
192 books9,959 followersTed Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters, and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Ted lives in Austin with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 912 reviews
did-not-finish
October 17, 20191- Do I recommend Ted Dekker?
Yes...for a secular, on-the-clean-side thriller.
2- Can I recommend this book?
No, not really. It wears a Christian label but offers generic truth with an emphasis on love and banishing fear, but without specifically presenting Jesus as the only Redeemer and light of the world...a few references to God. I felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities.
3- Age range
I’d hand it over to adults or to teens who are already grounded in their faith and are more of the target audience for dystopian.
No star rating yet....
Yes...for a secular, on-the-clean-side thriller.
2- Can I recommend this book?
No, not really. It wears a Christian label but offers generic truth with an emphasis on love and banishing fear, but without specifically presenting Jesus as the only Redeemer and light of the world...a few references to God. I felt like there were a lot of missed opportunities.
3- Age range
I’d hand it over to adults or to teens who are already grounded in their faith and are more of the target audience for dystopian.
No star rating yet....
September 20, 2019
FTC Disclosure: Revell Reads gave me complimentary copies of this book. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.
Deep down, I guessed that this book would not be for me. Dystopian and I do not have a very good relationship. Still, I decided to give it a try.
I should have known better.
The moment I opened the book, before I had even finished the first sentence, I was overwhelmed with this novel’s predominant feeling of darkness. I couldn’t get beyond chapter two before I had to quit.
While this book does shine the light on “Christian” cults and points out a lot of dangers that many professing Christians fall into (the purity culture, trying to predict the Second Coming, salvation by works, etc) it, like most gritty Christian novels, spends way too much time dwelling on the dark than on the light—a common trap for many authors.
It might be helpful to some readers, I suppose, although I even have my doubts about that. The “allegorical” elements of the book seem far too vague and open to random interpretation—a dangerous thing when placed in the hands of some readers who stand on a shaky foundation and struggle in separating extra-biblical fiction from Scriptural truth.
This looked like dark and disturbing read and, more alarmingly, a potentially confusing one and I honestly didn’t want to waste any more time on it.
Deep down, I guessed that this book would not be for me. Dystopian and I do not have a very good relationship. Still, I decided to give it a try.
I should have known better.
The moment I opened the book, before I had even finished the first sentence, I was overwhelmed with this novel’s predominant feeling of darkness. I couldn’t get beyond chapter two before I had to quit.
While this book does shine the light on “Christian” cults and points out a lot of dangers that many professing Christians fall into (the purity culture, trying to predict the Second Coming, salvation by works, etc) it, like most gritty Christian novels, spends way too much time dwelling on the dark than on the light—a common trap for many authors.
It might be helpful to some readers, I suppose, although I even have my doubts about that. The “allegorical” elements of the book seem far too vague and open to random interpretation—a dangerous thing when placed in the hands of some readers who stand on a shaky foundation and struggle in separating extra-biblical fiction from Scriptural truth.
This looked like dark and disturbing read and, more alarmingly, a potentially confusing one and I honestly didn’t want to waste any more time on it.
December 29, 2021
4⭐️
After a harrowing experience, Grace and everyone else who witnessed the horror, have lived 10 years in a secluded religious community. They believe they are the ‘elect’, chosen by God to survive the testing of the Fury, which are the evil demons sent to kill and destroy all of mankind.
One day, after secretly testing the barriers little by little, Grace’s brother Jamie coaxes her to come with him as they test their religions doctrine regarding the Fury that dwell outside the community border.
When they return unharmed, what will it mean to the community, and how will Grace participate in the healing journey of her people?
I really enjoyed this book and would totally recommend it! There is one scene closer to the 75% mark where I found myself confronted with my tendency to judge the choices & actions instead of feeling Grace and mercy as my first response. I find it invaluable when a book can convict and show you something about yourself!
Side note: Finally a book that has a pregnancy but doesn’t use it to propel the plot.
After a harrowing experience, Grace and everyone else who witnessed the horror, have lived 10 years in a secluded religious community. They believe they are the ‘elect’, chosen by God to survive the testing of the Fury, which are the evil demons sent to kill and destroy all of mankind.
One day, after secretly testing the barriers little by little, Grace’s brother Jamie coaxes her to come with him as they test their religions doctrine regarding the Fury that dwell outside the community border.
When they return unharmed, what will it mean to the community, and how will Grace participate in the healing journey of her people?
I really enjoyed this book and would totally recommend it! There is one scene closer to the 75% mark where I found myself confronted with my tendency to judge the choices & actions instead of feeling Grace and mercy as my first response. I find it invaluable when a book can convict and show you something about yourself!
Side note: Finally a book that has a pregnancy but doesn’t use it to propel the plot.
July 30, 2024
I did not realize this book was Christian fiction until about the 80% mark when I went looking for reviews as it was getting a bit long for my tastes. Parts of the book were really great, others were kind of annoying, overall it was an okay read.
Read
May 24, 2020
March 31, 2021
I did not like Ted Dekker's recent books (i.e. The Mystic books) but I did like Rachelle Dekker's Seer trilogy, so I decided to give this book a try. Based on the previously mentioned books, I kind of knew what to expect: dystopian-ish setting, tangible evil (here- the Fury), a seductive evil person, a bunch of references to light and darkness, a Jesus-like child character who is either smiling, singing, or laughing, a green water experience, the seeming death of a 'savior'-type character, and a supernatural showdown. It had all the elements, and though the characters had new names, and now there was a crazy cult and a red rope, the story read like nothing new to me. Really, it was entertaining to read until the last 40 pages or so. The Dekkers know how to create a suspenseful story to be sure, even if it's a 'remake', but sadly, Ted Dekker's writing has been more focused on this abstract theology than either a solid theological book (i.e. The Slumber of Christianity) or a thrill-focused book (i.e. Boneman's Daughters). I wish he would pick one or the other.
I am very curious to know how someone who is not a Christian would read and view this story. Which leads me to ask- who were the Dekkers targeting in writing this? Christians who have become legalistic or focused on fear and obedience instead of truth and grace? People who have not met God and known the truth at all? I think the answer to that would better inform how I review this book. But since I don't have that, here are some of my observations.
The theology Dekker has been touting is very abstract: 'we are light. light is love. love casts out fear. darkness can't threaten the light. you need to know who you are- light and love. open your eyes.' None of this is unbiblical. But if this is the only message you hear, there is no substance. There is no gospel. There is no 'object' of your faith. It leaves you with more questions than answers. Why are we light? Where is our hope? Why do we need it? What happens next? Maybe it's more 'beautiful' or poetic to just stay in the light/dark analogy, but you don't REALLY have the truth without Jesus, our sin nature, our need of a savior, Jesus' perfect atonement, and our subsequent gratitude and loving obedience.
For example, "Yes, Jesus, who made a way for all to see and be who they are beyond their blindness. This is the only way to know yourself in and as the light. You don't let go of the world because it's bad. You let go because your attachment to your fear-based self blinds you to who you are as the light. Simple." is how it's described. I don't find an intuitive gospel message here.
They say in the book that there is no death, just a passing. But there IS death. Death to self and our sinful desires. Death to our old life. It contradicts what Dekker says in his book, The Slumber of Christianity: "Our enemy has turned death into something to be feared and, by extension, swept under the rug. But when you sweep death under the rug, you will likely sweep the afterlife under the rug with it. By hiding death, you hide the afterlife, and by hiding the afterlife, you hide any hope you have in it." Sure, the 'don't fear death' message is the same. But he pleads here that if we don't see death for what it is, then the afterlife and the hope of eternal life is not our focus. And this story doesn't tell us what they are hoping in. The push of the story is that they don't need to fear. They need to love. But why? How do they know they don't need to fear? Who is their hope? What exactly are they escaping and accepting by rejecting fear? It's all very vague.
The cult itself made me a little uncomfortable because it was supposedly based on Scripture and they called themselves Christians. I think the Dekkers are trying to shock Christians into recognizing the ways fear has taken control over parts of our lives or how we have watered down our faith to just be following a set of rules to obtain salvation. And I get that. And I suppose there really are cults in the world that probably claim to be Christians and claim to follow the Bible but operate similarly to this cult. But without detailing the full gospel message of Christianity it felt a little bit like they were battling the cult's ideals with another set of crazy cult ideals. Same with the manifestation of 'Wisdom.' They didn't reveal until later that it was wisdom *according to the world*. I kept struggling with that relationship and evaluating how it fit into the truth of the gospel and biblical wisdom. It might have been better to reveal that earlier, but I suppose that was a revelation meant to be hidden until the end.
(Kudos if you made it this far.) Knowing where to land on this book is a challenge. I'm a soft 3 stars right now. Because we absolutely need to battle the clutches of fear that has infiltrated our faith. Some form of 'Do not be afraid' is repeated over and over again the Bible- so God knew we would struggle with this. And I agree that the devil uses fear to draw us away from the truth of who God is and what Jesus has done. Amen and amen. And absolutely let's fight against the legalism of faith + works = salvation and the idea that all you need to do to be 'pure' is follow a bunch of rules and rituals. Again, amen and amen. But the gospel message was missing. And that's fine for a novel, I don't expect this in every Christian book, but if they're going to spend so much time on the light/dark analogy of faith and truth, than it's not so out of the realm to give a little more substance to their theology. And there is a place for obedience. The Bible talks a lot about obedience. We can't biblically rid ourselves of it. We just need to approach it the correct way. SO, lower rating due to the vague and abstract theology. But also because of the all-too-familiar plot line. The title and book cover and the co-authoring with Rachelle, led me to hope that this book would read more like his stand alone thrillers but was disappointingly carried out like another branch of his 'Mystic' series.
Sidenote: I was reflecting on Ted Dekker's book, The Slumber of Christianity, and it is a really convicting and rich book that calls out complacent Christians. I hope that he finds his way out of these abstract, borderline universalism analogies and gets back to his theology that says, "The fact is, nothing in this life can satisfy unless it is fully bathed in an obsession for eternity. Nothing. Not a purpose-driven life, not a grand adventure, not the love of a dashing prince or the hand of a beautiful maiden... Not our religion our faith, or any version of Christianity less focused on the prize that awaits." Or "We have been granted our inheritance as a matter of God's grace, not through any work we have done. Heaven is a gift to us. The enemy may make our lives quite miserable by robbing us of hope and rubbing our noses in sin, but when our eighty or so years on this earth end, we will see that his strategy has failed and we, the true followers of Christ, will only laugh at his desperate ploys." Or "No matter how man will find pleasure within its fears and contrive usefulness from its gadgets, the machine of life is destined to lie in darkness unless fueled by the pearl of great hope. But powered by that fuel, the great machine will awaken with a thunder and fill the heart with an inexhaustible awe. Happy is the man who finds this pearl of great price."
Ted Dekker has the ability to speak the gospel in a rich and beautiful way, I've read it. But this new way of describing it is not, I believe, doing what he thinks it's doing.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
I am very curious to know how someone who is not a Christian would read and view this story. Which leads me to ask- who were the Dekkers targeting in writing this? Christians who have become legalistic or focused on fear and obedience instead of truth and grace? People who have not met God and known the truth at all? I think the answer to that would better inform how I review this book. But since I don't have that, here are some of my observations.
The theology Dekker has been touting is very abstract: 'we are light. light is love. love casts out fear. darkness can't threaten the light. you need to know who you are- light and love. open your eyes.' None of this is unbiblical. But if this is the only message you hear, there is no substance. There is no gospel. There is no 'object' of your faith. It leaves you with more questions than answers. Why are we light? Where is our hope? Why do we need it? What happens next? Maybe it's more 'beautiful' or poetic to just stay in the light/dark analogy, but you don't REALLY have the truth without Jesus, our sin nature, our need of a savior, Jesus' perfect atonement, and our subsequent gratitude and loving obedience.
For example, "Yes, Jesus, who made a way for all to see and be who they are beyond their blindness. This is the only way to know yourself in and as the light. You don't let go of the world because it's bad. You let go because your attachment to your fear-based self blinds you to who you are as the light. Simple." is how it's described. I don't find an intuitive gospel message here.
They say in the book that there is no death, just a passing. But there IS death. Death to self and our sinful desires. Death to our old life. It contradicts what Dekker says in his book, The Slumber of Christianity: "Our enemy has turned death into something to be feared and, by extension, swept under the rug. But when you sweep death under the rug, you will likely sweep the afterlife under the rug with it. By hiding death, you hide the afterlife, and by hiding the afterlife, you hide any hope you have in it." Sure, the 'don't fear death' message is the same. But he pleads here that if we don't see death for what it is, then the afterlife and the hope of eternal life is not our focus. And this story doesn't tell us what they are hoping in. The push of the story is that they don't need to fear. They need to love. But why? How do they know they don't need to fear? Who is their hope? What exactly are they escaping and accepting by rejecting fear? It's all very vague.
The cult itself made me a little uncomfortable because it was supposedly based on Scripture and they called themselves Christians. I think the Dekkers are trying to shock Christians into recognizing the ways fear has taken control over parts of our lives or how we have watered down our faith to just be following a set of rules to obtain salvation. And I get that. And I suppose there really are cults in the world that probably claim to be Christians and claim to follow the Bible but operate similarly to this cult. But without detailing the full gospel message of Christianity it felt a little bit like they were battling the cult's ideals with another set of crazy cult ideals. Same with the manifestation of 'Wisdom.' They didn't reveal until later that it was wisdom *according to the world*. I kept struggling with that relationship and evaluating how it fit into the truth of the gospel and biblical wisdom. It might have been better to reveal that earlier, but I suppose that was a revelation meant to be hidden until the end.
(Kudos if you made it this far.) Knowing where to land on this book is a challenge. I'm a soft 3 stars right now. Because we absolutely need to battle the clutches of fear that has infiltrated our faith. Some form of 'Do not be afraid' is repeated over and over again the Bible- so God knew we would struggle with this. And I agree that the devil uses fear to draw us away from the truth of who God is and what Jesus has done. Amen and amen. And absolutely let's fight against the legalism of faith + works = salvation and the idea that all you need to do to be 'pure' is follow a bunch of rules and rituals. Again, amen and amen. But the gospel message was missing. And that's fine for a novel, I don't expect this in every Christian book, but if they're going to spend so much time on the light/dark analogy of faith and truth, than it's not so out of the realm to give a little more substance to their theology. And there is a place for obedience. The Bible talks a lot about obedience. We can't biblically rid ourselves of it. We just need to approach it the correct way. SO, lower rating due to the vague and abstract theology. But also because of the all-too-familiar plot line. The title and book cover and the co-authoring with Rachelle, led me to hope that this book would read more like his stand alone thrillers but was disappointingly carried out like another branch of his 'Mystic' series.
Sidenote: I was reflecting on Ted Dekker's book, The Slumber of Christianity, and it is a really convicting and rich book that calls out complacent Christians. I hope that he finds his way out of these abstract, borderline universalism analogies and gets back to his theology that says, "The fact is, nothing in this life can satisfy unless it is fully bathed in an obsession for eternity. Nothing. Not a purpose-driven life, not a grand adventure, not the love of a dashing prince or the hand of a beautiful maiden... Not our religion our faith, or any version of Christianity less focused on the prize that awaits." Or "We have been granted our inheritance as a matter of God's grace, not through any work we have done. Heaven is a gift to us. The enemy may make our lives quite miserable by robbing us of hope and rubbing our noses in sin, but when our eighty or so years on this earth end, we will see that his strategy has failed and we, the true followers of Christ, will only laugh at his desperate ploys." Or "No matter how man will find pleasure within its fears and contrive usefulness from its gadgets, the machine of life is destined to lie in darkness unless fueled by the pearl of great hope. But powered by that fuel, the great machine will awaken with a thunder and fill the heart with an inexhaustible awe. Happy is the man who finds this pearl of great price."
Ted Dekker has the ability to speak the gospel in a rich and beautiful way, I've read it. But this new way of describing it is not, I believe, doing what he thinks it's doing.
See more of my reviews at www.shelfreflection.com!
December 23, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and his daughter Rachelle Dekker was a hard book for me to rate. Honestly I'd probably be more at a 3.5 if I were still doing half stars, and I am currently still processing the full extent of my feelings.
This father/daughter writing duo definitely created a suspenseful Christian fiction novel with a dystopian feel. This was my first time reading a book by either of these authors, but the premise sounded so good that I had to give it a try even though I'm not a huge Christian fiction fan. That being said, I definitely think you need to be a fan of both Christian and dystopian fiction for The Girl Behind the Red Rope to completely work for you.
The big focus of this book is love and light overcoming fear and darkness, and the setting is within a type of Christian cult which made most of the book very interesting for me. I loved the pacing and dystopian feel, but when it got towards the end I found the heavy focus on religion get to be a little too much for me and I ended up skimming some of the book. I think The Girl Behind the Red Rope might be a little on the slow side for some people, but I found the slower burn building suspense for me as I read it, and I really wasn't sure how this book was going to end.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Shine by Newsboys
Final Thought: Some parts at the end of The Girl Behind the Red Rope did get pretty disturbing, but mostly this was just a good, clean thriller with a strong emphasis on religion. It immediately captured my attention and I did read the book pretty quickly. This was a hard one for me to describe, so I would say if you are a fan of Christian and dystopian novels then you should give it a try for yourself. There was a lot about this book that I liked, but at the end of the day it just wasn't quite what I was hoping for.
The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and his daughter Rachelle Dekker was a hard book for me to rate. Honestly I'd probably be more at a 3.5 if I were still doing half stars, and I am currently still processing the full extent of my feelings.
This father/daughter writing duo definitely created a suspenseful Christian fiction novel with a dystopian feel. This was my first time reading a book by either of these authors, but the premise sounded so good that I had to give it a try even though I'm not a huge Christian fiction fan. That being said, I definitely think you need to be a fan of both Christian and dystopian fiction for The Girl Behind the Red Rope to completely work for you.
The big focus of this book is love and light overcoming fear and darkness, and the setting is within a type of Christian cult which made most of the book very interesting for me. I loved the pacing and dystopian feel, but when it got towards the end I found the heavy focus on religion get to be a little too much for me and I ended up skimming some of the book. I think The Girl Behind the Red Rope might be a little on the slow side for some people, but I found the slower burn building suspense for me as I read it, and I really wasn't sure how this book was going to end.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Shine by Newsboys
Final Thought: Some parts at the end of The Girl Behind the Red Rope did get pretty disturbing, but mostly this was just a good, clean thriller with a strong emphasis on religion. It immediately captured my attention and I did read the book pretty quickly. This was a hard one for me to describe, so I would say if you are a fan of Christian and dystopian novels then you should give it a try for yourself. There was a lot about this book that I liked, but at the end of the day it just wasn't quite what I was hoping for.
September 27, 2019
2.5 stars
The Girl Behind the Red Rope was a bit of a disappointment for me. I've read most of Ted Dekker's previous stories and loved many of them; unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me.
Even though I wasn't a fan of the story overall, there were things I enjoyed. I found the MC to be a likable character and I loved how heroic she was at times (I won't say how, since that would be a spoiler). I also liked the writing style - it was easy to read and held my attention.
I didn't like the supernatural elements or the whole "cult" part of the story. It was just too weird for me and I felt uncomfortable at times.
All in all, The Girl Behind the Red Rope wasn't for me.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.*
The Girl Behind the Red Rope was a bit of a disappointment for me. I've read most of Ted Dekker's previous stories and loved many of them; unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me.
Even though I wasn't a fan of the story overall, there were things I enjoyed. I found the MC to be a likable character and I loved how heroic she was at times (I won't say how, since that would be a spoiler). I also liked the writing style - it was easy to read and held my attention.
I didn't like the supernatural elements or the whole "cult" part of the story. It was just too weird for me and I felt uncomfortable at times.
All in all, The Girl Behind the Red Rope wasn't for me.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.*
September 12, 2019
The Girl Behind the Red Rope is a new mystery/suspense novel by bestselling authors Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker (Ted's daughter). This is the first book I've read by either author, though I have heard of Ted Dekker, and it is, as I would describe, primarily allegory with a hint of dystopian fiction that delves into the spiritual realm and the concepts of living in fear and a false sense of security rather than in love and the true freedom that Christ offers.
While The Girl Behind the Red Rope was an intriguing story insofar as I wanted to keep reading and see how it turned out, at the same time it didn't strike me as particularly interesting, nor illuminating. This was in part due to rather dull characters and a very predictable plot (because mystery and suspense is apparently Dekker's forte, I was disappointed that there wasn't a single surprising plot twist in this book, which was one of the reasons I kept reading, as mentioned above!). To me, there wasn't enough to the story, or character development, for a full-length novel; it seemed redundant and drawn out—perhaps the Christian allegorical aspect of darkness versus light is just too familiar, and overall it seems too similar to other stories, like The Village, to have much life of its own. On a deeper note, while I appreciated the unique discussion through story about how our fears can control us even unknowingly and how we as believers have supernatural power to overcome them, from a theological perspective, this book often seems to confuse rather than clarify issues (including some that are "mysteries" of Scripture and doctrine), such as the Law and grace, natural versus moral evil, angels and demons, cults and "religion" versus Christianity, and even Biblical meaning and context, like what it means to be "born again." The cult society in the story is misleading itself because their religious rules are based on frequently-mentioned verses and Biblical principles (but also, I would posit, man-made rules according to false teachers and "prophets"), and there isn't clear distinction or explanation about the foundational Truth of the Bible (always true) and embracing grace and freedom while living in obedience and righteousness (not mutually exclusive), versus false, sinful, "wrong," or taking something out of context or to wrong extremes (legalism, etc.).
The Girl Behind the Red Rope is, admittedly, fast-paced and comes across as mysterious, even though it doesn't actually contain much mystery or even suspense, in my opinion. Sadly, though the premise sounds fascinating and the potential deeper meaning, promising, I would hesitate to recommend this book—as a story, it feels underdeveloped, and as an allegory, it muddies the waters. (Content note: some violence and disturbing imagery, as well as brief, PG references to marital intimacy.)
Disclaimer: This book was received for free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review. Note as with all reviews and references, I do not necessarily agree with (or am even aware of) any or all of the beliefs, views, etc. of the author; please read my disclaimer here
While The Girl Behind the Red Rope was an intriguing story insofar as I wanted to keep reading and see how it turned out, at the same time it didn't strike me as particularly interesting, nor illuminating. This was in part due to rather dull characters and a very predictable plot (because mystery and suspense is apparently Dekker's forte, I was disappointed that there wasn't a single surprising plot twist in this book, which was one of the reasons I kept reading, as mentioned above!). To me, there wasn't enough to the story, or character development, for a full-length novel; it seemed redundant and drawn out—perhaps the Christian allegorical aspect of darkness versus light is just too familiar, and overall it seems too similar to other stories, like The Village, to have much life of its own. On a deeper note, while I appreciated the unique discussion through story about how our fears can control us even unknowingly and how we as believers have supernatural power to overcome them, from a theological perspective, this book often seems to confuse rather than clarify issues (including some that are "mysteries" of Scripture and doctrine), such as the Law and grace, natural versus moral evil, angels and demons, cults and "religion" versus Christianity, and even Biblical meaning and context, like what it means to be "born again." The cult society in the story is misleading itself because their religious rules are based on frequently-mentioned verses and Biblical principles (but also, I would posit, man-made rules according to false teachers and "prophets"), and there isn't clear distinction or explanation about the foundational Truth of the Bible (always true) and embracing grace and freedom while living in obedience and righteousness (not mutually exclusive), versus false, sinful, "wrong," or taking something out of context or to wrong extremes (legalism, etc.).
The Girl Behind the Red Rope is, admittedly, fast-paced and comes across as mysterious, even though it doesn't actually contain much mystery or even suspense, in my opinion. Sadly, though the premise sounds fascinating and the potential deeper meaning, promising, I would hesitate to recommend this book—as a story, it feels underdeveloped, and as an allegory, it muddies the waters. (Content note: some violence and disturbing imagery, as well as brief, PG references to marital intimacy.)
Disclaimer: This book was received for free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review. Note as with all reviews and references, I do not necessarily agree with (or am even aware of) any or all of the beliefs, views, etc. of the author; please read my disclaimer here
August 30, 2019
It pains me to say that I was disappointed by this book. I gave it four stars because if you haven’t read Ted’s recent books, you’ll love it. It’s a good story, but it’s already been told. What I love about Ted Dekker books are the twists, turns, and surprises. But I wasn’t surprised when I read this book. I knew right where it was heading and what the message would be and that was so disappointing, even though it was a good story with a great message. Perhaps my love of Dekker books has finally gotten the best of me. Perhaps I know the author’s mind too well - now that’s scary! I’ve really enjoyed Rachelle’s books and thought I would see more of her voice in this book. Overall a good book for Dekker newbies, but disappointing for this longtime fan.
October 15, 2019
(This review will be on my blog All the Ups and Downs soon.)
--
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 name. Luckily, this book lived up to the hype.
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.
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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 name. Luckily, this book lived up to the hype.
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.
October 30, 2020
K. The whole boring, terrible first half of the book was worth every moment of that ending.
I don't know how it pulled four stars out of me...bring dystopian and all.
Warning : the first 3/4ths of the book could cause a lot of issues for someone not ground in what they believe. I highly suggest finding a different book if your not confident in who you are or comfortable with complex allegories.
I don't know how it pulled four stars out of me...bring dystopian and all.
Warning : the first 3/4ths of the book could cause a lot of issues for someone not ground in what they believe. I highly suggest finding a different book if your not confident in who you are or comfortable with complex allegories.
September 29, 2019
I considered not finishing this book, but rarely do that. I kind of wish that I would have have grabbed something else to read. The characters were very bland and boring. In addition, the main character was really annoying. The story could have gone in a few directions, but I am not convinced that it went in the right one! This was definitely not my cup of tea.
December 23, 2020
The Girl Behind the Red Rope is excellent. I am finding I am liking Rachelle Dekker more and more after reading her books. This she writes with her Father Ted Dekker. A story of a cult based on fear. Grace is a different girl who is forced to walk outside the boarders and she seems to be getting deeper and deeper problems within the cult. Grace right away you can't help feeling sorry for. Forced to marry a way order man and follow the extreme laws they have, she sees her father after 10 years and introduced to Eli. Who is Eli? Is he an angel or is he the son of Man trying to help Grace see what the cult really is? Right away you find Eli is different and eventhough Grace seems to get herself more in trouble she want to help him. The ending is amazing. What will happen to Grace when the community finds she is helping Eli? So sad and and eye opener. This book reminds me of This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, a classic all Christians should all read. It will have you questioning good and evil, but who is who in this book? I highly recommend this read. Such an eye opener for anyone who reads The Girl Behind the Red Rope!!
November 6, 2021
2.5. Started out strong but lost me about halfway through. I just did not care about the ending, and I found the spiritual undertones weirdly integrated.
November 12, 2025
this was my first Ted Dekker book.
the cover was what made me want to pick it up and went into it blindly.
i am not a religious person but i liked this book and the message it gave at the end.
i recommend this book if you’re interested in reading it.
the cover was what made me want to pick it up and went into it blindly.
i am not a religious person but i liked this book and the message it gave at the end.
i recommend this book if you’re interested in reading it.
October 16, 2024
"Living afraid sounds awful hard." (p, 203)
When Grace was a child, an angel appeared to her church and warned them the world was about to be destroyed except for those who were faithfully obedient. Her mother had taken her and her brother jamie to Hidden Valley where they lived safely away from the Fury, spirits of terror and violence. Jamie's doubts lead him to venture outside the ropes. When nothing happens, he challenges the town, so Rose, the prophet of the town, sends Jamie and Grace, because she aided him, out to see if the rest of the world had been destroyed, if the threat was over. That changes everything.
Unbeknownst to them, their father Ben and adopted brother Eli are seeking them out.
Ted Dekker's books are often hard for me to understand, but I think this one is clear enough for me to grasp and is my favorite so far. Grace is a developing character who battles between fear and love. The Dekkers keep the action rolling and the tension high. Their theme develops as the characters grow, along with the question of who Sylous, Bobbie, and Eli really are. A good read. I wasn't quite sure how to describe the story, but I believe dystopian fits.
When Grace was a child, an angel appeared to her church and warned them the world was about to be destroyed except for those who were faithfully obedient. Her mother had taken her and her brother jamie to Hidden Valley where they lived safely away from the Fury, spirits of terror and violence. Jamie's doubts lead him to venture outside the ropes. When nothing happens, he challenges the town, so Rose, the prophet of the town, sends Jamie and Grace, because she aided him, out to see if the rest of the world had been destroyed, if the threat was over. That changes everything.
Unbeknownst to them, their father Ben and adopted brother Eli are seeking them out.
Ted Dekker's books are often hard for me to understand, but I think this one is clear enough for me to grasp and is my favorite so far. Grace is a developing character who battles between fear and love. The Dekkers keep the action rolling and the tension high. Their theme develops as the characters grow, along with the question of who Sylous, Bobbie, and Eli really are. A good read. I wasn't quite sure how to describe the story, but I believe dystopian fits.
September 25, 2019
Thank you to Revell and the authors for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Girl Behind The Red Rope
By: Ted Dekker & Rachelle Dekker
*REVIEW* 🌻🌻🌻🌻
I didn't know exactly what to expect from this book. More faith or fiction based? I'm not a huge fan of books that are heavy on faith, but The Girl Behind The Red Rope turned out to be a good mix of belief and fiction. A religious cult living deep in the woods behind a literal red rope, and a girl who truly wonders what will happen if you cross the rope form the story. The rules of the cult say that on the other side the fury/evil will kill/consume you. The question is from where or whom these ideas came in the first place, and are these rules either inherently good or evil at their core? These people blindly believe whatever they are told, and their fears about whatever might be out there keep them rooted in this weird cult mentality. Is it better to embrace the fear and cross the red rope or live with fear in this place for the rest of your life? Not crossing seems to suggest that evil is in charge because it's the lack of faith that keeps someone from leaving. But, you can also argue that a higher power is keeping these people safe from some terrible evil on the outside by confining them within the rope boundary. It's a guessing game, and it's compelling because the answer is not clear, at least not to me. It's a weird story, but it moves at a good pace and is well written. There are more twists and turns than I expected, and I was intrigued all the way to the end. Overall, it's a unique read with an underlying faith ideal. It's the kind of story that you'll either like or hate because it's not for everyone, and issues of faith seem to be polarizing most of the time. If it seems like a good premise to you, then I would definitely try it at least. You never know, right?
The Girl Behind The Red Rope
By: Ted Dekker & Rachelle Dekker
*REVIEW* 🌻🌻🌻🌻
I didn't know exactly what to expect from this book. More faith or fiction based? I'm not a huge fan of books that are heavy on faith, but The Girl Behind The Red Rope turned out to be a good mix of belief and fiction. A religious cult living deep in the woods behind a literal red rope, and a girl who truly wonders what will happen if you cross the rope form the story. The rules of the cult say that on the other side the fury/evil will kill/consume you. The question is from where or whom these ideas came in the first place, and are these rules either inherently good or evil at their core? These people blindly believe whatever they are told, and their fears about whatever might be out there keep them rooted in this weird cult mentality. Is it better to embrace the fear and cross the red rope or live with fear in this place for the rest of your life? Not crossing seems to suggest that evil is in charge because it's the lack of faith that keeps someone from leaving. But, you can also argue that a higher power is keeping these people safe from some terrible evil on the outside by confining them within the rope boundary. It's a guessing game, and it's compelling because the answer is not clear, at least not to me. It's a weird story, but it moves at a good pace and is well written. There are more twists and turns than I expected, and I was intrigued all the way to the end. Overall, it's a unique read with an underlying faith ideal. It's the kind of story that you'll either like or hate because it's not for everyone, and issues of faith seem to be polarizing most of the time. If it seems like a good premise to you, then I would definitely try it at least. You never know, right?
July 30, 2019
Evil is cunning and lurks in the places you’d least expect it.
This is a great book that pits us against our own human frailties. When fear becomes your constant companion what lengths will you go to in order to feel safe?
This book was thought-provoking and I found myself contemplating the concept of religious rules verses the message of love. Do I conduct myself according to my perceived fears or do I seek truth?
Haven Valley has separated itself from the rest of the world in anticipation of a cleansing that is to come in the form of the Fury. The community adheres to strict religious rules, hoping that by doing so they will avoid the retribution that is to come.
They live in fear that they will not be holy enough, and the fear increases when they find out one of their own has been going beyond the red rope perimeter.
When a young boy from outside shows up in their town, innocent and fearless at the same time, they can’t see the love that radiates from him. All they see is their own fear. Is the boy an angel? A demon? Or is he something else?
Grace must face these questions and more when she is caught in the middle of the battle between good and evil. Where will deception end and truth begin?
As tension behind the red rope increases, the citizens must each examine themselves and decide what to believe. Choices must soon be made that will determine the future.
Will the people of Haven Valley find freedom in their perceived faithfulness? Or will their choices hold them in bondage? How far will the people go to protect their way of life?
A gripping story that had me examining myself, holding my breath and guessing to the end. I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Baker Publishing Group group through Interviews and Reviews. This is my honest review.
This is a great book that pits us against our own human frailties. When fear becomes your constant companion what lengths will you go to in order to feel safe?
This book was thought-provoking and I found myself contemplating the concept of religious rules verses the message of love. Do I conduct myself according to my perceived fears or do I seek truth?
Haven Valley has separated itself from the rest of the world in anticipation of a cleansing that is to come in the form of the Fury. The community adheres to strict religious rules, hoping that by doing so they will avoid the retribution that is to come.
They live in fear that they will not be holy enough, and the fear increases when they find out one of their own has been going beyond the red rope perimeter.
When a young boy from outside shows up in their town, innocent and fearless at the same time, they can’t see the love that radiates from him. All they see is their own fear. Is the boy an angel? A demon? Or is he something else?
Grace must face these questions and more when she is caught in the middle of the battle between good and evil. Where will deception end and truth begin?
As tension behind the red rope increases, the citizens must each examine themselves and decide what to believe. Choices must soon be made that will determine the future.
Will the people of Haven Valley find freedom in their perceived faithfulness? Or will their choices hold them in bondage? How far will the people go to protect their way of life?
A gripping story that had me examining myself, holding my breath and guessing to the end. I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of Baker Publishing Group group through Interviews and Reviews. This is my honest review.
September 25, 2019
The Girl Behind the Red Rope by Ted Dekker and Rachelle Dekker kept me turning pages for less than two days. If I didn't need the sleep, I would have liked to have read this 330-page book straight through!
Grace, her brother Jamie, and her mother all live in a tight-knit religious community hidden in the hills of Tennessee. Ten years ago, Grace and her family saw a terrible scourge unleashed on the world. However, as members of the select few that were set apart, they were kept safe and secure from the rest of the world--as long as they stay behind the red rope. They all did for many years--until Grace's brother begins to have his doubts doubts about things. Around the same time, Grace's dad shows up along with a young boy whom he claims is also Grace's brother--and he asks her to keep him safe. All of this leads Grace to question her whole life and wonder who the real enemy is?
The Girl Behind the Red Rope was a fast paced page turner for me. I found the struggle between fear and faith throughout this book to be fascinating. I just couldn't take my eyes off of the struggle. I don't know what it is like to be in a cult, but I do understand what it is like to struggle with fear. I could see how people could be controlled and bound by their fears through a cult leader--and how the cult leader could also be bound by evil. I just felt like I was living in this story right alongside Grace. The Girl Behind the Red Rope is beautifully written with a lot of depth, just as the cover is a beautiful illustration with depth to the picture. I think I will be pondering this book for some time. There were a couple of little things I didn't quite understand at the end that I am thinking about, but I don't want to give away any spoilers, and I like that they make me think about the story. If you are a Dekker fan, I am sure you will give this book a try. However, even if you are not a regular Dekker reader, I would recommend The Girl Behind the Red Rope if you like Christian suspense novels.
I received this book from the publisher through Interviews and Reviews. All opinions are my own.
Grace, her brother Jamie, and her mother all live in a tight-knit religious community hidden in the hills of Tennessee. Ten years ago, Grace and her family saw a terrible scourge unleashed on the world. However, as members of the select few that were set apart, they were kept safe and secure from the rest of the world--as long as they stay behind the red rope. They all did for many years--until Grace's brother begins to have his doubts doubts about things. Around the same time, Grace's dad shows up along with a young boy whom he claims is also Grace's brother--and he asks her to keep him safe. All of this leads Grace to question her whole life and wonder who the real enemy is?
The Girl Behind the Red Rope was a fast paced page turner for me. I found the struggle between fear and faith throughout this book to be fascinating. I just couldn't take my eyes off of the struggle. I don't know what it is like to be in a cult, but I do understand what it is like to struggle with fear. I could see how people could be controlled and bound by their fears through a cult leader--and how the cult leader could also be bound by evil. I just felt like I was living in this story right alongside Grace. The Girl Behind the Red Rope is beautifully written with a lot of depth, just as the cover is a beautiful illustration with depth to the picture. I think I will be pondering this book for some time. There were a couple of little things I didn't quite understand at the end that I am thinking about, but I don't want to give away any spoilers, and I like that they make me think about the story. If you are a Dekker fan, I am sure you will give this book a try. However, even if you are not a regular Dekker reader, I would recommend The Girl Behind the Red Rope if you like Christian suspense novels.
I received this book from the publisher through Interviews and Reviews. All opinions are my own.
September 27, 2019
What a formidable father/daughter duo! All that creativity and talent meshing together to create something indefinable. And hard to classify. Speculative Fiction is the closest I can get. Not quite Dystopian, though there are Dystopian elements to this story. And there's too much realism to consider it Fantasy, I think the Dekkers might have to start their own genre. :-)
My brain is still kinda cafuzzled after completing this read. There were times I had absolutely no idea what was going on and other times where I made assumptions that were just plain wrong.So I think it's best to approach The Girl Behind the Red Rope with an open mind because nothing can really prepare you for the deep, rich layers that make up this compelling tale where truths abound -- sometimes uncomfortably so.
And it is a hard book to review because I don't want to give anything away. But Grace's quest really resonated with me. I could see parallels in my own life to varying degrees and I love the way the authors carry their message through to a spectacular ending. Scary and hopeful and everything in between. Not a light read but a worthwhile one. And it would make a fantastic book club selection because there are so many talking points. You couldn't cover them all in one meeting!
If you're in the mood for something edgy and different and utterly thought-provoking then this is definitely the book for you!
Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.
My brain is still kinda cafuzzled after completing this read. There were times I had absolutely no idea what was going on and other times where I made assumptions that were just plain wrong.So I think it's best to approach The Girl Behind the Red Rope with an open mind because nothing can really prepare you for the deep, rich layers that make up this compelling tale where truths abound -- sometimes uncomfortably so.
And it is a hard book to review because I don't want to give anything away. But Grace's quest really resonated with me. I could see parallels in my own life to varying degrees and I love the way the authors carry their message through to a spectacular ending. Scary and hopeful and everything in between. Not a light read but a worthwhile one. And it would make a fantastic book club selection because there are so many talking points. You couldn't cover them all in one meeting!
If you're in the mood for something edgy and different and utterly thought-provoking then this is definitely the book for you!
Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications Inc.
December 24, 2022
I am a huge fan of Ted Dekker—it started with Three and the Circle Trilogy. The last couple of books I have read: The 49th Mystic and now, The Girl Behind the Red Rope, leave me feeling very torn. Ted Dekker is still an outstanding writer and story-teller; his daughter is following in his footsteps as the writing between the two of them in this book is excellent.
However, these later stories I have read share more about truths from the Bible through what is an allegorical-type story. I realize that an allegory has its limits, but to be honest there are parts of this story that leave me more than disconcerted. I feel that the message has been watered down so greatly that all that is left is a general concept first about fear and then about love instead of fear. The Lord Jesus Christ has been left out of so much of the story. Even evil and sin seem to be watered down greatly. While I love the Dekkers' writing and liked some parts that discussed fear and how we perceive fear, it troubled me greatly concerning how it handled the truth of the Bible (as in watering it down). For me content triumphs...no matter how excellent the writing is, and thus the reasoning for the 1-star rating.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy from Revell. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
However, these later stories I have read share more about truths from the Bible through what is an allegorical-type story. I realize that an allegory has its limits, but to be honest there are parts of this story that leave me more than disconcerted. I feel that the message has been watered down so greatly that all that is left is a general concept first about fear and then about love instead of fear. The Lord Jesus Christ has been left out of so much of the story. Even evil and sin seem to be watered down greatly. While I love the Dekkers' writing and liked some parts that discussed fear and how we perceive fear, it troubled me greatly concerning how it handled the truth of the Bible (as in watering it down). For me content triumphs...no matter how excellent the writing is, and thus the reasoning for the 1-star rating.
I voluntarily received a complimentary copy from Revell. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
October 11, 2019
When Jamie and Grace were young, an angel came down to their church to tell them that they would be taken with everyone in the room to a Heaven on earth while the earth was being destroyed to live during the last days. Now that they are older, can they trust this entity or is there something sinister lurking? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was a pretty good dark fantasy thriller Christian novel. If you like these types of reads, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
This was a pretty good dark fantasy thriller Christian novel. If you like these types of reads, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.
November 20, 2019
Beloved Christian author Ted Dekker, along with his daughter and fellow wordsmith Rachelle, spin an exciting yarn that proves to be a rather wild story. Shining a light on "Christian" cults, which seem to be all too common these days, I found this to be quite the page-turner.
(To those who said this is in a similar vein as the film The Village: Guess who has never seen that flick? Seriously, most of M. Night Shamalayan's work is not my cup of tea...as you'll see if you check out my profile.)
(To those who said this is in a similar vein as the film The Village: Guess who has never seen that flick? Seriously, most of M. Night Shamalayan's work is not my cup of tea...as you'll see if you check out my profile.)
January 24, 2021
The end did not justify the means. I've read a few of the author's books before, and I've enjoyed some of them, but this one seemed to go too far in the direction of creepy, weird, and cultish. If I had not already read some of his other books, I would have abandoned this one. At about the 75% mark, I think I could finally see where the story was headed. Before that, it just didn't feel right at all, and by the time the purpose in the book started to become clear, it was just too far gone to matter anymore.
September 3, 2021
Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. I feel as if it took away from the gospel message rather than added to it. The message was too vague and too open to interpretation to be sure of what it meant. It smells of new age Christianity, saying that the power is in us, rather than in Jesus. This is a message to be watched out for and is deceptive. A watered down gospel message does no one any good.
August 27, 2024
Probably 3.5 rounded up. The theology in the middle of the fantasy gets really messy. Overall a good story.
October 14, 2019
This was not at all what I expected it to be. I have not read any previous books by the Dekker family.
I nearly stopped reading it about 50 pages in due to the skeletal writing method. A great deal of willingness to suspend disbelief is required. The writing style will please those who want action to flow in as few words as possible.
And that may very well be the best formula for an allegorical tale that is really about two paths: love and fear.
I did not expect the book to be a quasi Christianity based story, so when the book opens with a religious sect hiding out in the Tennessee woods, I thought it would end up being a showcase for all the reasons Christians are horrible. It isn't.
The book is about humanity and how we respond to fear, how fear is instilled in us, how it is passed from generation to generation, how our physical self generates it to survive in this world. The answer is from the New Testament, that perfect love casts out fear.
At this point, philosophically or theologically, "The Girl Behind the Red Rope" gets pretty soft as it is not clear how to suddenly change one's mind from fear to love and then live out the remainder of one's life in that state. This is an allegory, so the authors are showing a universal type truth with a few sketches of what love vs fear looks like.
For a Christian reference, St. Basil the Great lays out the three ways to please God: 1) by fearing Hell and pleasing Him, in which case we are a slave. 2) By fulfilling the commandments or benefiting by seeking the profits that we will receive as reward. 3) By pleasing God through the love of good which makes us sons of God. (Monastic Rules) When a son matures he does his father's will not out of fear of being beaten or because he wants a reward, but because he loves him and is completely convinced that everything belonging to his father is his own.
The Desert Fathers stated there are stages in the spiritual life, the stage of fearing Hell is simply a beginning stage, then to earn a reward is the next stage. A person becomes habituated to doing good through these stages until he gets a taste of real good and never wants to be separated from it: "Who then shall separate him from the love of Christ...." (Rom. 8.35)
The Two Ways in Judaism from the Deuteronomists were to follow the commandments and shun all other gods, worship of which leads to death. The commandments are life. From this early ethical Judaism develops themes of light vs dark, good vs evil which is summarized by duty to God through reverence, then duty to people through humanity and justice.
Early Christianity, emerging from Judaism, was summarized in the Didache with the opening text:
"There are two ways, the one of life and the one of death; The difference between the two is great.
Now the way of life is this. First you shall love God who made you, secondly, your neighbor as yourself, and whatever you would not wish done to you, do not do to anyone else.
Bless those who curse you, pray for your enemies, fast on behalf of those who persecute you....
It goes on to iterate that murder, slander, rage, killing children, raping women and children is all wrong.
The Dekkers, however, take it a step further and state murder and killing children is a fear based activity, but also that punishment for murder is a worldly pursuit based in fear. So serial murders should just be love bombed then left to their own devices?
The problem is that the Tennessee sect is caught in the first stage of spiritual growth, but then they have no road map on how to progress, they are caught up in a cult of personality, following a single person's vision. This is called "religion" in the book and obviously it is a bad thing. But that isn't what all religion is. It may be what a lot of American religion is, but we can't hold America against everyone.
Many other ethical questions arise from the work, which begins to take on a sort of woo-woo "reality is not real" (which isn't my main problem, because it likely isn't from some remote perspective), but how exactly does that get an individual to the point of living the best life they can out of love for God and people? I think there are a few more complicating steps than their allegory can address, like the fact that every 20 years there is a new generation that has to start learning the same crap we all learned in our 20s over again.
I was also a bit concerned because the book seems to be written at a very young adult level, and hoped that some impressionable, confused person doesn't take the repeated axiom that this life is not real a la "A Course in Miracles" too far and actually end their life in a fit of some ill-considered passion. Oh yes, but that would be fear ruling my life, right? We should all live like it doesn't matter if we live or die? That seems to pose significant philosophical problems, let alone that most of us are gifted with an HPA axis that absolutely drives us to survive as long as possible. It's there for a reason and it is not a necessarily bad thing.
It's not that I find the thought of dying to the world terribly shocking having read my share of 4th century forward monastic works which are all about dying to the world and developing a keen spiritual life, it's just that it is so clumsily done here. Monastic works are a completely different league of spirituality that is trained for like an athlete trains for their event. The monastic's event is prayer and obedience culminating in theosis, or lived experience of oneness with God. That is the goal. The way has been mapped by centuries of monastic athletes. This is religion, and having a roadmap is not always a bad thing.
Without a strong tradition in place, little American sects going off into the woods are likely completely off the rails due to the absolute newness of the country, peopled by make-it-up-as-you-go-along type Christianity that came with the Puritans and Reformed and Calvinists and Protestants and Quakers etc., now the thousands of sects derived from those sects. So we are left with the Dekker type religio-philosophy in entertainment package form. It is a completely new age / American derived whatever church philosophy, completely western thought pattern to place all faith in the thoughts in one's head. Change your thoughts and you change reality. Just think a certain way, then you are saved. You just have to think! If you have bad things happen, it's your own damn fault! You aren't thinking right! If you just think right, your reality can change in an instant for the rest of your life (which isn't real and doesn't really matter anyway).
The spiritual life is much more amazing and subtle than our thoughts alone can govern. The human being is much more subtle and amazing than their thoughts alone. The experience of trauma is not so easily overcome by having the right thoughts. The kingdom is within, but the search may be a bit longer and more challenging than "The Girl Behind the Red Rope" addresses, in fact it may take some prayerful effort bordering on religiosity to discover it.
While there are some good points in the book and some things to perhaps generate some thought or discussion, it might be better taken in a high level view, simple message: some types of fear can be destructive, love is good reminder story.
I nearly stopped reading it about 50 pages in due to the skeletal writing method. A great deal of willingness to suspend disbelief is required. The writing style will please those who want action to flow in as few words as possible.
And that may very well be the best formula for an allegorical tale that is really about two paths: love and fear.
I did not expect the book to be a quasi Christianity based story, so when the book opens with a religious sect hiding out in the Tennessee woods, I thought it would end up being a showcase for all the reasons Christians are horrible. It isn't.
The book is about humanity and how we respond to fear, how fear is instilled in us, how it is passed from generation to generation, how our physical self generates it to survive in this world. The answer is from the New Testament, that perfect love casts out fear.
At this point, philosophically or theologically, "The Girl Behind the Red Rope" gets pretty soft as it is not clear how to suddenly change one's mind from fear to love and then live out the remainder of one's life in that state. This is an allegory, so the authors are showing a universal type truth with a few sketches of what love vs fear looks like.
For a Christian reference, St. Basil the Great lays out the three ways to please God: 1) by fearing Hell and pleasing Him, in which case we are a slave. 2) By fulfilling the commandments or benefiting by seeking the profits that we will receive as reward. 3) By pleasing God through the love of good which makes us sons of God. (Monastic Rules) When a son matures he does his father's will not out of fear of being beaten or because he wants a reward, but because he loves him and is completely convinced that everything belonging to his father is his own.
The Desert Fathers stated there are stages in the spiritual life, the stage of fearing Hell is simply a beginning stage, then to earn a reward is the next stage. A person becomes habituated to doing good through these stages until he gets a taste of real good and never wants to be separated from it: "Who then shall separate him from the love of Christ...." (Rom. 8.35)
The Two Ways in Judaism from the Deuteronomists were to follow the commandments and shun all other gods, worship of which leads to death. The commandments are life. From this early ethical Judaism develops themes of light vs dark, good vs evil which is summarized by duty to God through reverence, then duty to people through humanity and justice.
Early Christianity, emerging from Judaism, was summarized in the Didache with the opening text:
"There are two ways, the one of life and the one of death; The difference between the two is great.
Now the way of life is this. First you shall love God who made you, secondly, your neighbor as yourself, and whatever you would not wish done to you, do not do to anyone else.
Bless those who curse you, pray for your enemies, fast on behalf of those who persecute you....
It goes on to iterate that murder, slander, rage, killing children, raping women and children is all wrong.
The Dekkers, however, take it a step further and state murder and killing children is a fear based activity, but also that punishment for murder is a worldly pursuit based in fear. So serial murders should just be love bombed then left to their own devices?
The problem is that the Tennessee sect is caught in the first stage of spiritual growth, but then they have no road map on how to progress, they are caught up in a cult of personality, following a single person's vision. This is called "religion" in the book and obviously it is a bad thing. But that isn't what all religion is. It may be what a lot of American religion is, but we can't hold America against everyone.
Many other ethical questions arise from the work, which begins to take on a sort of woo-woo "reality is not real" (which isn't my main problem, because it likely isn't from some remote perspective), but how exactly does that get an individual to the point of living the best life they can out of love for God and people? I think there are a few more complicating steps than their allegory can address, like the fact that every 20 years there is a new generation that has to start learning the same crap we all learned in our 20s over again.
I was also a bit concerned because the book seems to be written at a very young adult level, and hoped that some impressionable, confused person doesn't take the repeated axiom that this life is not real a la "A Course in Miracles" too far and actually end their life in a fit of some ill-considered passion. Oh yes, but that would be fear ruling my life, right? We should all live like it doesn't matter if we live or die? That seems to pose significant philosophical problems, let alone that most of us are gifted with an HPA axis that absolutely drives us to survive as long as possible. It's there for a reason and it is not a necessarily bad thing.
It's not that I find the thought of dying to the world terribly shocking having read my share of 4th century forward monastic works which are all about dying to the world and developing a keen spiritual life, it's just that it is so clumsily done here. Monastic works are a completely different league of spirituality that is trained for like an athlete trains for their event. The monastic's event is prayer and obedience culminating in theosis, or lived experience of oneness with God. That is the goal. The way has been mapped by centuries of monastic athletes. This is religion, and having a roadmap is not always a bad thing.
Without a strong tradition in place, little American sects going off into the woods are likely completely off the rails due to the absolute newness of the country, peopled by make-it-up-as-you-go-along type Christianity that came with the Puritans and Reformed and Calvinists and Protestants and Quakers etc., now the thousands of sects derived from those sects. So we are left with the Dekker type religio-philosophy in entertainment package form. It is a completely new age / American derived whatever church philosophy, completely western thought pattern to place all faith in the thoughts in one's head. Change your thoughts and you change reality. Just think a certain way, then you are saved. You just have to think! If you have bad things happen, it's your own damn fault! You aren't thinking right! If you just think right, your reality can change in an instant for the rest of your life (which isn't real and doesn't really matter anyway).
The spiritual life is much more amazing and subtle than our thoughts alone can govern. The human being is much more subtle and amazing than their thoughts alone. The experience of trauma is not so easily overcome by having the right thoughts. The kingdom is within, but the search may be a bit longer and more challenging than "The Girl Behind the Red Rope" addresses, in fact it may take some prayerful effort bordering on religiosity to discover it.
While there are some good points in the book and some things to perhaps generate some thought or discussion, it might be better taken in a high level view, simple message: some types of fear can be destructive, love is good reminder story.
December 26, 2023
Like Midnight Mass meets M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village and Knock at the Cabin
What I appreciate:
The willingness to go to depths of darkness and suffering. A lot of Christian fiction is hesitant to do this, or does it very poorly. There are real stakes in this book, and the light is clearer when seen against the darkness of the story.
What didn’t work for me:
I’m sure it’s hard to balance the grittiness of a hard story with the clear preaching of a message, especially when you have to balance a difficult and judgmental audience that can go either way. Just look at some of the other reviews here. Some people think it was too dark and not preached clearly enough. Others thought it was too preachy and apparent. I fall in the latter category. I appreciate the message the Dekkers are preaching, but I feel it didn’t have to be exposited so obviously and with as many cliches as it uses. I’ve heard Tolkien had a problem with how clear Lewis’s symbols were (I’ve never looked into it) and I feel it’s the same here, except it’s even MORE obvious and direct, filled with patchwork biblical citations as dialogue (probably in the NIV?).
I disagree with people who say there is not a clear enough presentation of the gospel. First of all, there doesn’t need to be. Not every book needs to be an evangelistic pitch to the reader. Second, the Dekkers are not hesitant at all to mention the name of Jesus—to the point of having a character CLEARLY represent him, who dies and yet does not remain dead. They are not tackling non-Christians, but people who know the Gospel yet do not live in the love it calls forth.
The book has a lot of Dekker trademarks too, like a child messiah who knows more than he should and is calmer than can be explained, or salvation coming through sweet water (drinking it or drowning in it), among others. These aren’t necessarily bad images in themselves, but perhaps a bit too predictable because of their use.
As far as Christian fiction goes, I liked this and it’s much better than others I’ve read. But it still leaves much to be desired.
What I appreciate:
The willingness to go to depths of darkness and suffering. A lot of Christian fiction is hesitant to do this, or does it very poorly. There are real stakes in this book, and the light is clearer when seen against the darkness of the story.
What didn’t work for me:
I’m sure it’s hard to balance the grittiness of a hard story with the clear preaching of a message, especially when you have to balance a difficult and judgmental audience that can go either way. Just look at some of the other reviews here. Some people think it was too dark and not preached clearly enough. Others thought it was too preachy and apparent. I fall in the latter category. I appreciate the message the Dekkers are preaching, but I feel it didn’t have to be exposited so obviously and with as many cliches as it uses. I’ve heard Tolkien had a problem with how clear Lewis’s symbols were (I’ve never looked into it) and I feel it’s the same here, except it’s even MORE obvious and direct, filled with patchwork biblical citations as dialogue (probably in the NIV?).
I disagree with people who say there is not a clear enough presentation of the gospel. First of all, there doesn’t need to be. Not every book needs to be an evangelistic pitch to the reader. Second, the Dekkers are not hesitant at all to mention the name of Jesus—to the point of having a character CLEARLY represent him, who dies and yet does not remain dead. They are not tackling non-Christians, but people who know the Gospel yet do not live in the love it calls forth.
The book has a lot of Dekker trademarks too, like a child messiah who knows more than he should and is calmer than can be explained, or salvation coming through sweet water (drinking it or drowning in it), among others. These aren’t necessarily bad images in themselves, but perhaps a bit too predictable because of their use.
As far as Christian fiction goes, I liked this and it’s much better than others I’ve read. But it still leaves much to be desired.
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