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Thr3e
By all accounts seminary student Kevin Parsins is leading a good, if not virtuous, life. But like all people, Kevin has his secrets. And someone wants them revealed.
While driving home from a day at graduate school, Kevin receives a call from a mysterious stranger who calls himself Slater. Slater demands Kevin confess his sin in the next three minutes or the vehicle he is manning will be blown to pieces.
Thus starts a harrowing chain of events. After narrowly escaping his exploding car, Kevin continues to receive phone calls from Slater, each with another riddle, another consequence, and another three minutes to confess his sin.
The problem is Kevin is unsure of what that sin might be. And Slater's cycle won't stop until he figures it out.
While driving home from a day at graduate school, Kevin receives a call from a mysterious stranger who calls himself Slater. Slater demands Kevin confess his sin in the next three minutes or the vehicle he is manning will be blown to pieces.
Thus starts a harrowing chain of events. After narrowly escaping his exploding car, Kevin continues to receive phone calls from Slater, each with another riddle, another consequence, and another three minutes to confess his sin.
The problem is Kevin is unsure of what that sin might be. And Slater's cycle won't stop until he figures it out.
401 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
820 people are currently reading
18126 people want to read
About the author
Ted Dekker
203 books9,903 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 - 30 of 2,380 reviews
June 9, 2013
I picked up this book because I love thrillers and after reading the synopsis I thought I'd give it a try. What a mistake. I can't figure out how this could be considered a thriller. It was such a boring book but I kept hoping. The book dragged on and on, focusing on details that were not only unnecessary but also dragged out the tale needlessly. You could tell the author was trying to create and build suspense everytime it got around to finding the "bomb", but it was just laughable. About two-thirds in I started just skimming the pages as I kinda got the feeling where it was headed and was hoping that I'd be wrong. No such luck. It was such an implausible ending that all I could think of was "what a joke". Such a ridiculous story. Nothing was believable especially the characters.
The author portrays Kevin as having "one of the most brilliant minds". This is actually said by Kevin's friend, the dean of his school who just happens to be a doctor of psychology yet he himself has no idea about Kevin thinking him to be just a smart, intellectual man. One week after the finale with Slater, Kevin is basically alright and will just need a "little" therapy? Also, Jennifer, the FBI agent, who is falling in love with him is going to serve as his psychotherapist? Talk about professional. Why do authors think their readers are complete idiots? All the characters were flat, boring and at times, very irritating.
This is just a ridiculous story which is terribly written. I don't think I'll be picking up any of his books ever again.
The author portrays Kevin as having "one of the most brilliant minds". This is actually said by Kevin's friend, the dean of his school who just happens to be a doctor of psychology yet he himself has no idea about Kevin thinking him to be just a smart, intellectual man. One week after the finale with Slater, Kevin is basically alright and will just need a "little" therapy? Also, Jennifer, the FBI agent, who is falling in love with him is going to serve as his psychotherapist? Talk about professional. Why do authors think their readers are complete idiots? All the characters were flat, boring and at times, very irritating.
This is just a ridiculous story which is terribly written. I don't think I'll be picking up any of his books ever again.
November 20, 2008
Ted Dekker, Thr3e (Thomas Nelson, 2003)
Going into this book and knowing it was “Christian fiction”, I really have to admit I didn't expect a great deal (read: anything) from it. There are really, really good Christian writers, but in general, they are writers who happen to be Christian (Madeleine L'Engle is an obvious example, as is Francois Mauriac); as with every other type of message, the really good ones just kind of let the message come through subconsciously and don't beat the reader over the head with it. I haven't encountered someone who does that consistently, and well, in quite a while, and so I wasn't expecting much from Ted Dekker.
More fool me, because no matter how awful its film adaptation may have been (as, unfortunately, all adaptations of Dekker novels seem to be), but as a thriller, Thr3e is the real deal.
Kevin Parson is a seminary student who's on his way home from class one day when he gets a call on his new cell phone from someone who calls himself Slater. Slater tells him he has three minutes to confess his sin to the world or his car will explode. He doesn't. It does. Kevin, who was smart enough to get out of the car before it blew, has to both figure out who Slater is and what the sin is that he's supposed to confess. Assuming the sin is from his childhood and he's somehow vlocked the memory of it, he calls his childhood friend Samantha Sheer, who comes to town to help him. Also aiding him is FBI agent Jennifer Peters, whose brother may have been Slater's last victim-- all the signs from slater's call and Kevin's car bomb point to this being the work of the same maniac. The question is, can the three of them solve the puzzle before Slater kills Kevin-- or all three of them?
Once the situation is laid out, you should have the Big Reveal in the back of your mind, and when Dekker goes exactly that way, there's probably going to be a bit of disappointment along with the self-satisfaction you'll feel for figuring it out early, but don't get too complacent-- Dekker still has some traps to spring, and the last few pages of the book blindsided me. I was very impressed at how well Dekker had set things up here, and as I intimated at the beginning of this review, the spiritual aspects of the work are there, but they're never jumping up and down on your spleen screaming “RECOGNIZE ME!”. Which, of course, always makes for a more pleasant reading experience. Dekker's characters are well-thought-out and well-presented, and the plotting here is pretty durned close to genius (I'm always reminded of the test mine two of the trainees put together in Robb White's Up Periscope that nails the sergeant when I come across plotting like this). What a pleasant surprise Thr3e was, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Mr. Dekker's work. ****
Going into this book and knowing it was “Christian fiction”, I really have to admit I didn't expect a great deal (read: anything) from it. There are really, really good Christian writers, but in general, they are writers who happen to be Christian (Madeleine L'Engle is an obvious example, as is Francois Mauriac); as with every other type of message, the really good ones just kind of let the message come through subconsciously and don't beat the reader over the head with it. I haven't encountered someone who does that consistently, and well, in quite a while, and so I wasn't expecting much from Ted Dekker.
More fool me, because no matter how awful its film adaptation may have been (as, unfortunately, all adaptations of Dekker novels seem to be), but as a thriller, Thr3e is the real deal.
Kevin Parson is a seminary student who's on his way home from class one day when he gets a call on his new cell phone from someone who calls himself Slater. Slater tells him he has three minutes to confess his sin to the world or his car will explode. He doesn't. It does. Kevin, who was smart enough to get out of the car before it blew, has to both figure out who Slater is and what the sin is that he's supposed to confess. Assuming the sin is from his childhood and he's somehow vlocked the memory of it, he calls his childhood friend Samantha Sheer, who comes to town to help him. Also aiding him is FBI agent Jennifer Peters, whose brother may have been Slater's last victim-- all the signs from slater's call and Kevin's car bomb point to this being the work of the same maniac. The question is, can the three of them solve the puzzle before Slater kills Kevin-- or all three of them?
Once the situation is laid out, you should have the Big Reveal in the back of your mind, and when Dekker goes exactly that way, there's probably going to be a bit of disappointment along with the self-satisfaction you'll feel for figuring it out early, but don't get too complacent-- Dekker still has some traps to spring, and the last few pages of the book blindsided me. I was very impressed at how well Dekker had set things up here, and as I intimated at the beginning of this review, the spiritual aspects of the work are there, but they're never jumping up and down on your spleen screaming “RECOGNIZE ME!”. Which, of course, always makes for a more pleasant reading experience. Dekker's characters are well-thought-out and well-presented, and the plotting here is pretty durned close to genius (I'm always reminded of the test mine two of the trainees put together in Robb White's Up Periscope that nails the sergeant when I come across plotting like this). What a pleasant surprise Thr3e was, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Mr. Dekker's work. ****
to-not-read-ever
November 5, 2010Did you see Adaptation? Do you remember that part where fictionalized version of real life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's (totally fictional) twin brother Donald is telling him about the terrible-sounding screenplay he's written? Here's some imdb:
Donald: Okay, well here's the twist. We find out that, that the killer really suffers from multiple personality disorder, right? See, he's actually really the cop and the girl. All of them are him. Isn't that fucked up?
Charlie: The only idea more overused than serial killers is multiple personality. On top of that, you explore the notion that cop and criminal are really two aspects of the same person. See every cop movie ever made for other examples of this.
Donald: Mom called it "psychologically taut".
...
Donald: I'm putting in a chase sequence. So the killer flees on horseback with the girl, the cop's after them on a motorcycle and it's like a battle between motors and horses, like technology vs. horse.
Charlie: And they're still all one person, right?
Donald's screenplay is called "The Three." This book is called Thr3e. This book is about a serial killer who is also another guy who is also the woman that guy loves. So you see, this book is exactly the plot of the terrible screenplay from the movie. Did I spoil it for you? Sorry.
No not really. More interesting than this ludicrous twist, anyway, is that the whole concept is so very meta. I mean, they even made Thr3e into a movie! The book and Adaptation came out close enough together that there's no way the book sprung from the movie. How is it that someone actually wrote the story that is established as the dumbest idea possible in a movie released just several months earlier? What's going on? Did Charlie Kaufman write this book? Is Donald Kaufman actually a real person?
Donald: Okay, well here's the twist. We find out that, that the killer really suffers from multiple personality disorder, right? See, he's actually really the cop and the girl. All of them are him. Isn't that fucked up?
Charlie: The only idea more overused than serial killers is multiple personality. On top of that, you explore the notion that cop and criminal are really two aspects of the same person. See every cop movie ever made for other examples of this.
Donald: Mom called it "psychologically taut".
...
Donald: I'm putting in a chase sequence. So the killer flees on horseback with the girl, the cop's after them on a motorcycle and it's like a battle between motors and horses, like technology vs. horse.
Charlie: And they're still all one person, right?
Donald's screenplay is called "The Three." This book is called Thr3e. This book is about a serial killer who is also another guy who is also the woman that guy loves. So you see, this book is exactly the plot of the terrible screenplay from the movie. Did I spoil it for you? Sorry.
No not really. More interesting than this ludicrous twist, anyway, is that the whole concept is so very meta. I mean, they even made Thr3e into a movie! The book and Adaptation came out close enough together that there's no way the book sprung from the movie. How is it that someone actually wrote the story that is established as the dumbest idea possible in a movie released just several months earlier? What's going on? Did Charlie Kaufman write this book? Is Donald Kaufman actually a real person?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2020
"...en la oscuridad, donde se juegan todos los buenos juegos"
Un libro que no te brinda ni un segundo de respiro, ¡así podría definirlo!
Después de leer la primera novela del autor En Un Instante, supe que tenía que ir a por más. Y desde que leí la sinopsis de este libro, supe que sería éste. Claro!, creo que me pasó como a todos que al leer la sinopsis crees saber de qué va, sin embargo ocurre lo contrario… y luego te preguntas: ¿a qué viene el nombre del libro? Y definitivamente hasta que no lo devores, no podrás entenderlo.
La portada a pesar de ser muy sencilla, también captó mi atención.
¿Quién no cuenta con un secreto que desearía no revelar a nadie? En torno a esta pregunta gira la trama, sin embargo no puedo decir nada que no se convierta en un spoiler, por tanto me lo reservo; pero para quienes se animen a leerlo, encontrarán un thriller excepcional con un giro inesperado hacia su final. Y, aunque todos los thrillers giran en torno al suspenso, debo acotar que con éste el suspenso es llevado al límite, y lograr hacer que te devanes los sesos al querer saber qué sucederá.
Una novela que vale la pena leer no para relajarse, más bien para tensarse, donde página a página irás armando los posibles finales e intuyendo quién o quiénes pueden ser los implicados en toda la trama, pero magistralmente Dekker con su intriga hará que no aciertes en nada!
Esta novela fue llevada a la pantalla (2007), pero no alcanzó el mismo éxito que la novela, muestra actuaciones muy flojas, y el ritmo de la trama no es el mismo que imprime el autor en el libro.
100% recomendado
Un libro que no te brinda ni un segundo de respiro, ¡así podría definirlo!
Después de leer la primera novela del autor En Un Instante, supe que tenía que ir a por más. Y desde que leí la sinopsis de este libro, supe que sería éste. Claro!, creo que me pasó como a todos que al leer la sinopsis crees saber de qué va, sin embargo ocurre lo contrario… y luego te preguntas: ¿a qué viene el nombre del libro? Y definitivamente hasta que no lo devores, no podrás entenderlo.
La portada a pesar de ser muy sencilla, también captó mi atención.
¿Quién no cuenta con un secreto que desearía no revelar a nadie? En torno a esta pregunta gira la trama, sin embargo no puedo decir nada que no se convierta en un spoiler, por tanto me lo reservo; pero para quienes se animen a leerlo, encontrarán un thriller excepcional con un giro inesperado hacia su final. Y, aunque todos los thrillers giran en torno al suspenso, debo acotar que con éste el suspenso es llevado al límite, y lograr hacer que te devanes los sesos al querer saber qué sucederá.
Una novela que vale la pena leer no para relajarse, más bien para tensarse, donde página a página irás armando los posibles finales e intuyendo quién o quiénes pueden ser los implicados en toda la trama, pero magistralmente Dekker con su intriga hará que no aciertes en nada!
Esta novela fue llevada a la pantalla (2007), pero no alcanzó el mismo éxito que la novela, muestra actuaciones muy flojas, y el ritmo de la trama no es el mismo que imprime el autor en el libro.
100% recomendado
March 20, 2021
Esta ha sido mi primera incursión con este autor y creo que será la última.
Por lo que veo sus obras no son fáciles de conseguir, cosa que tampoco me importa porque el libro me ha defraudado muchísimo.
Me gustaron tanto la portada como la sinopsis pero ahí se quedó el atractivo que pudiera tener esta novela.
Un joven seminarista un buen día recibe una llamada que pondrá su mundo patas arriba. Alguien que se hace llamar Slater le amenaza con hacer volar su coche en pedazos dentro de tres minutos si no confiesa su pecado al mundo.
Las amenazas irán subiendo de nivel y se verá metido en un juego del gato y el ratón del que no le será nada fácil librarse.
Más llamadas, más extrañas adivinanzas que le planteará Slater hasta que confiese ese pecado del que nuestro protagonista no tiene recuerdo ninguno.
Con la ayuda de su amiga de la infancia, Samantha, y Jennifer Peters del FBI, tratarán de dar fin a esta pesadilla.
Y ahora van mis impresiones. Que no son buenas.
Me ha costado bastante meterme en la historia y conectar con el drama que vive nuestro protagonista, Kevin Parson. Y es que claro, venía de un libro trepidante de Fitzek, El envío, y eso se nota.
Para mi ha sido un argumento que no aporta nada nuevo y a pesar de estar lleno de diálogos y transcurrir la historia en cinco días, estos se hacen eternos.
Mucha bomba y mucha acción pero me he aburrido como una ostra. Y de las conversaciones filosóficas-religiosas mejor ni hablo 😂
Lo único destacable es la infancia de Kevin y todo el trasfondo psicológico que hay detrás. Al personaje de Samantha se le podía haber sacado más partido en lugar de centrarse tanto en el antagonista, Slater.
En resumen, una historia sosa, sin gancho y con un final que se alarga en exceso. Esta vez se trata de una lectura que no recomendaría.
¿Alguien lo ha leído y le gustó? Me encantaría saber otras opiniones 😊
☇ "La maldad está fuera del alcance del hombre."
☇ "El problema de la maldad. Como el tráfico, nunca se acaba."
☇ "No hago el bien que quiero, sino el mal que no quiero."
📚 https://m.facebook.com/LaLocadelosLib... 📚
Por lo que veo sus obras no son fáciles de conseguir, cosa que tampoco me importa porque el libro me ha defraudado muchísimo.
Me gustaron tanto la portada como la sinopsis pero ahí se quedó el atractivo que pudiera tener esta novela.
Un joven seminarista un buen día recibe una llamada que pondrá su mundo patas arriba. Alguien que se hace llamar Slater le amenaza con hacer volar su coche en pedazos dentro de tres minutos si no confiesa su pecado al mundo.
Las amenazas irán subiendo de nivel y se verá metido en un juego del gato y el ratón del que no le será nada fácil librarse.
Más llamadas, más extrañas adivinanzas que le planteará Slater hasta que confiese ese pecado del que nuestro protagonista no tiene recuerdo ninguno.
Con la ayuda de su amiga de la infancia, Samantha, y Jennifer Peters del FBI, tratarán de dar fin a esta pesadilla.
Y ahora van mis impresiones. Que no son buenas.
Me ha costado bastante meterme en la historia y conectar con el drama que vive nuestro protagonista, Kevin Parson. Y es que claro, venía de un libro trepidante de Fitzek, El envío, y eso se nota.
Para mi ha sido un argumento que no aporta nada nuevo y a pesar de estar lleno de diálogos y transcurrir la historia en cinco días, estos se hacen eternos.
Mucha bomba y mucha acción pero me he aburrido como una ostra. Y de las conversaciones filosóficas-religiosas mejor ni hablo 😂
Lo único destacable es la infancia de Kevin y todo el trasfondo psicológico que hay detrás. Al personaje de Samantha se le podía haber sacado más partido en lugar de centrarse tanto en el antagonista, Slater.
En resumen, una historia sosa, sin gancho y con un final que se alarga en exceso. Esta vez se trata de una lectura que no recomendaría.
¿Alguien lo ha leído y le gustó? Me encantaría saber otras opiniones 😊
☇ "La maldad está fuera del alcance del hombre."
☇ "El problema de la maldad. Como el tráfico, nunca se acaba."
☇ "No hago el bien que quiero, sino el mal que no quiero."
📚 https://m.facebook.com/LaLocadelosLib... 📚
July 24, 2020
No puedo decir que no me veía venir el final, pero sí puedo asegurar que disfruté muchísimo de esta lectura. En general es una historia amena, exceptuando los momentos donde predominaba la charla filosófica - religiosa entre los personajes (algo característico de Ted Dekker). Pero en general, creo que es un libro muy recomendable, que no permite darle pausa en ningún momento.
Link de la videoreseña: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxDtG...
Link de la videoreseña: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxDtG...
October 31, 2016
Lectura conjunta con el grupo 221 b Baker street
Este es uno de los casos muy extraños de un libro que tiene todo para ser excelente pero que al final me hizo sentir que faltaba algo. No se si fuera porque gran parte del tiempo lo sentí como que ya lo habia visto en algun otro lugar o porque Kevin me desesperaba enormemente perono me encanto, simplemente me gusto mucho, pero más que por la trama en si fue por el trabajo que nuestroprotagonisgta se encontraba preparando.
En verdad que ese aspecto, y como se nos es mostrado y explicado, hizo mis delicias para este libro, simplemente quería que nos mostraran lo queb Kevin había escrito aunquen yano nos dijerannada de la trama, aunque agradezco que no haya sucedido eso.
Las últimas páginas del libro son bastante interesantes, es hasta la segunda mitad que el libro toma ritmo y la historia comienza a avanzar en lugar de sólo dar vueltas sobre si misma para alargar la historia. De hecho a partir de ahí es que para micomenzo a ser interesante,lo cual nos lleva a un final dramático y explosivo.
Si bien no considero que la historia en tenga algo por demás especial, la manera de escribir de Dekker me gusto por tanto creo que volveré a leer algo de el.
Este es uno de los casos muy extraños de un libro que tiene todo para ser excelente pero que al final me hizo sentir que faltaba algo. No se si fuera porque gran parte del tiempo lo sentí como que ya lo habia visto en algun otro lugar o porque Kevin me desesperaba enormemente perono me encanto, simplemente me gusto mucho, pero más que por la trama en si fue por el trabajo que nuestroprotagonisgta se encontraba preparando.
En verdad que ese aspecto, y como se nos es mostrado y explicado, hizo mis delicias para este libro, simplemente quería que nos mostraran lo queb Kevin había escrito aunquen yano nos dijerannada de la trama, aunque agradezco que no haya sucedido eso.
Las últimas páginas del libro son bastante interesantes, es hasta la segunda mitad que el libro toma ritmo y la historia comienza a avanzar en lugar de sólo dar vueltas sobre si misma para alargar la historia. De hecho a partir de ahí es que para micomenzo a ser interesante,lo cual nos lleva a un final dramático y explosivo.
Si bien no considero que la historia en tenga algo por demás especial, la manera de escribir de Dekker me gusto por tanto creo que volveré a leer algo de el.
September 10, 2014
Let me open for those of you who don't know me by saying, I'm a Christian. I read a lot and am always on the look out for good fiction. I also like good Christian fiction. Ted Dekker has written several books and is a very popular writer and I wish him the best. If you're his fan and I see he has many more power to you and I'm happy for you. I see many liked this book.
This is the fourth book I've read (tried to read) by Mr. Dekker. I am forced to the conclusion that I'm just not going to be a Ted Dekker fan. This is the lowest I've rated one of his books. I almost feel I should apologize.
For me the book took a premise that was promising and an opening scene that was initially interesting and ground it all down into a stultifyingly slow and frustration producing novel. The plot was supposed to set up a look at the "struggle in humanity between good and evil. In many of his books while I've not been taken with Mr. Dekker's story telling I've at least gotten his message. Here I don't really think that after we macheted our way through the book and get to the climax/tie-up we did. I'd really have to discuss some of his conclusions with him.
Christian doctrine can be that way.
Aside from this the book, the story as a whole left me cold...it drove me almost to distraction. To be fair I had an audio version so whether it was the writer, the reader, both or some combination thereof I can't be sure. The over the top "evil voice" the cast of characters and the (dum, dum, dum) plot twist just failed for me. I include "for me" as maybe that's the way it is. It failed "for me" but not others. I was so glad to put this on the "return to library stack" I can't express it.
What's the big twist? I'll put that under a spoiler warning... DON'T READ THE SPOILER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW HOW THE BOOK ENDS AND SEE THE "BIG TWIST"
MAJOR SPOILER:
So, I thought of 2 stars but to be fair I really didn't like this book at all. I wish, oh how I wish I had. I really love it when I find a good Christian fiction. If you're a Dekker fan try this one for yourself, many like it. I'm sorry, I'm not one of them.
This is the fourth book I've read (tried to read) by Mr. Dekker. I am forced to the conclusion that I'm just not going to be a Ted Dekker fan. This is the lowest I've rated one of his books. I almost feel I should apologize.
For me the book took a premise that was promising and an opening scene that was initially interesting and ground it all down into a stultifyingly slow and frustration producing novel. The plot was supposed to set up a look at the "struggle in humanity between good and evil. In many of his books while I've not been taken with Mr. Dekker's story telling I've at least gotten his message. Here I don't really think that after we macheted our way through the book and get to the climax/tie-up we did. I'd really have to discuss some of his conclusions with him.
Christian doctrine can be that way.
Aside from this the book, the story as a whole left me cold...it drove me almost to distraction. To be fair I had an audio version so whether it was the writer, the reader, both or some combination thereof I can't be sure. The over the top "evil voice" the cast of characters and the (dum, dum, dum) plot twist just failed for me. I include "for me" as maybe that's the way it is. It failed "for me" but not others. I was so glad to put this on the "return to library stack" I can't express it.
What's the big twist? I'll put that under a spoiler warning... DON'T READ THE SPOILER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW HOW THE BOOK ENDS AND SEE THE "BIG TWIST"
MAJOR SPOILER:
So, I thought of 2 stars but to be fair I really didn't like this book at all. I wish, oh how I wish I had. I really love it when I find a good Christian fiction. If you're a Dekker fan try this one for yourself, many like it. I'm sorry, I'm not one of them.
December 5, 2017
Más de lo mismo pero entretenido. Capaz vuelva al autor, dentro de todo me dejó una buena impresión, pero, como ya dije, no lo considero nada fuera de lo normal, e incluso me pareció, hasta cierto punto, mal llevado a cabo. De todas formas lo recomiendo para pasar el rato.
December 2, 2022
This was the book that put Ted Dekker on the map. I've read varying reviews: many people have adored it, whereas others have despised it, especially the ending (which I won't reveal here). Even though I'd read it before and seen the movie--both when I was in college, which was years ago--and therefore already knew what would transpire, I had fun reading this thriller. Maybe it isn't this author's best, but, hey, we all have to start somewhere. Then again, I'm just a sucker for a story; as long as it isn't morally filthy, I always want to see how things end. You may feel differently.
August 24, 2007
I really enjoyed this book. It was the first book that I read of Ted Dekker's, and I was so impressed with his knowledge and writing techniques. The story is thrilling and was a perfect page turner for my husband (who isn't an avid reader) and me. And I LOVE the ending...big twist.
April 6, 2009
Based on reading Thr3e, I'd say that Ted Dekker is an excellent storyteller, but not the greatest writer.
I couldn't put the book down when I was reading it because the story was so intense and gripping. I had to know what happened next... and "what happened next" totally blind-sided me. I never saw it coming. If you're looking for a great suspense/mystery/thriller story that's clean but not preachy, this one does it for the Christian and non-Christian alike.
However, the whole time I was reading it I was aware (not painfully, but it did stick out to me) that this is not the best writing I've ever come across.
I couldn't put the book down when I was reading it because the story was so intense and gripping. I had to know what happened next... and "what happened next" totally blind-sided me. I never saw it coming. If you're looking for a great suspense/mystery/thriller story that's clean but not preachy, this one does it for the Christian and non-Christian alike.
However, the whole time I was reading it I was aware (not painfully, but it did stick out to me) that this is not the best writing I've ever come across.
March 7, 2016
4,5
Pueden decir lo que quieran de este libro, pero a mi me encantó!!!!!!!!!!!!! *O* (no leí muchos libros de este género y no puedo guiarme con nada, pero realmente disfruté mucho leyéndolo, los personajes me encantaron, creo que el autor supo desarrollar muy bien la trama y no me venía venir el final)
¡LO AMÉ!
Pueden decir lo que quieran de este libro, pero a mi me encantó!!!!!!!!!!!!! *O* (no leí muchos libros de este género y no puedo guiarme con nada, pero realmente disfruté mucho leyéndolo, los personajes me encantaron, creo que el autor supo desarrollar muy bien la trama y no me venía venir el final)
¡LO AMÉ!
May 8, 2015
One of the smartest things I've read.
My Dekker-fangirl-heart needs a reread <3
My Dekker-fangirl-heart needs a reread <3
September 9, 2017
my mind is still spinning over that ending. o.o
September 23, 2020
Ritmo, tensión que no decae, muchas cábalas para entender qué está pasando… y un final sorprendente de esos que te dejan con la boca abierta. No lo vi venir. Cu4tro estrell4s.
March 27, 2021
Voy a ser breve, por la pena que me da, ya que el libro no me ha gustado nada. Ha sido aburrido, tedioso, repetitivo y me ha costado mucho terminarlo, no lo he disfrutado.
La trama está mal desarrollada, los personajes son cero creíbles y no he conectado en ningún momento con ellos, y aunque toca algunos temas algo duros, no he tenido ningún tipo de sentimiento.
Para mí en la novela no pasa realmente nada, se repite y le da vueltas a lo mismo todo el rato, haciendo que pierdas el interés.
No crea intriga, y me daba bastante igual lo que pasase.
A pesar de que no es un libro largo, a mi se me ha hecho eterno.
En cuanto al final, beh, no está del todo mal, pero es predecible, y creo que es por la forma en la que está narrada continuamente la historia. (demasiadas pistas antes de tiempo o para mi parecer, mal estructuradas).
Iba con ganas porque la sinopsis y la portada me llamaron muchísimo la atención, y la idea no es mala (por eso no le pongo menos nota), pero ha sido totalmente decepcionante.
No lo recomiendo. Dudo que por ahora vuelva a leer al autor.
La trama está mal desarrollada, los personajes son cero creíbles y no he conectado en ningún momento con ellos, y aunque toca algunos temas algo duros, no he tenido ningún tipo de sentimiento.
Para mí en la novela no pasa realmente nada, se repite y le da vueltas a lo mismo todo el rato, haciendo que pierdas el interés.
No crea intriga, y me daba bastante igual lo que pasase.
A pesar de que no es un libro largo, a mi se me ha hecho eterno.
En cuanto al final, beh, no está del todo mal, pero es predecible, y creo que es por la forma en la que está narrada continuamente la historia. (demasiadas pistas antes de tiempo o para mi parecer, mal estructuradas).
Iba con ganas porque la sinopsis y la portada me llamaron muchísimo la atención, y la idea no es mala (por eso no le pongo menos nota), pero ha sido totalmente decepcionante.
No lo recomiendo. Dudo que por ahora vuelva a leer al autor.
August 14, 2016
4 Stars
Wow! My brain could not comprehend that ending at all!
This book is purely psychological and keeps you guessing about good and evil to the very end. This is a must read for those who love suspense, because I kept wondering, "What is the secret!!???" And when it was finally revealed, I just sat there with my mouth hanging open. It was hinted at, but too many clues in the book indicated otherwise.
I think I have become a new fan of Mr. Dekker.
Wow! My brain could not comprehend that ending at all!
This book is purely psychological and keeps you guessing about good and evil to the very end. This is a must read for those who love suspense, because I kept wondering, "What is the secret!!???" And when it was finally revealed, I just sat there with my mouth hanging open. It was hinted at, but too many clues in the book indicated otherwise.
I think I have become a new fan of Mr. Dekker.
December 3, 2010
Don't read this review if you don't want the plot twist revealed.
I can't believe I just spent 4 hours reading this book. 4 hours of my life that I can't get back. It's 352 pages that should have ended at about 175. If there is anything that I hate it's a "let's fill this in with something" "Three's Company" (no pun) miscommunication conjecture-laden spun up on crank plot. What I hate more is a "Three's Company" miscommunication conjecture-laden spun up on crank plot trying to inject sinister overtones and intrigue with its conjectureness. It was so repetitive, turning spirals on itself. That will teach me to believe reviews of things. Everything I read said it was this author's strongest work (thanks for the warning) and that it was captivating and kept you riveted to figure out the twist. For those of you who were avid VC Andrews's fans, it reads like the works done after the author's death, when they were just rehashing the same (...) over and over. No edge at all.
Let me just run down the parts of it that make me want to puke:
* the lack of understanding of MPD
* the lack of distinguishing MPD from DID, Schizo and PTSD (very very vague descriptions)
* the good/bad dark/light polarity whose only grey area can be a wounded child--ie innocent powerlessness
* the really weak movement of the plot (ie a ping pong match)
Granted, the average joe reading this plot doesn't know anything about MPD et al, so it will read like a definitive fictional work. That frightens me more.
Potentially positive points, if I could stop chastising myself for finishing it:
* the lauding of spirituality over religion
* the very level handling of christianity and the church in general
* the interesting plot concept (that withered)
* interesting though thinly sketched characters
* the distinction between emotional and psychological abuse
* some nice insights into human nature, which were conveyed to ALL humans, including those in pulpits
It started out interesting, but even by about chapter 10 I was starting to feel that it was all occurring upstairs from The Ropers. That really is my biggest annoyance with the book. Some of the characterizations of MPD were spot on, but explaining it against the backdrop of the other possibilities was kinda negative. I kept reading it because I really did want to know what happened, but not because it was so enthralling that I couldn't put it down. I wanted to hope it was going somewhere Other and not where it was set up to go because it was so poorly done. Why did I pick it up at all? Because it's a book-to-script coming out in theatres later this year that is getting a lot of buzz. harrumph in the end it was exactly what I thought it would be--a watered down homogenized Christian thriller written so as not to really state anything, thus, not offend anyone. Good marketing device, bad bad writing.
I can't believe I just spent 4 hours reading this book. 4 hours of my life that I can't get back. It's 352 pages that should have ended at about 175. If there is anything that I hate it's a "let's fill this in with something" "Three's Company" (no pun) miscommunication conjecture-laden spun up on crank plot. What I hate more is a "Three's Company" miscommunication conjecture-laden spun up on crank plot trying to inject sinister overtones and intrigue with its conjectureness. It was so repetitive, turning spirals on itself. That will teach me to believe reviews of things. Everything I read said it was this author's strongest work (thanks for the warning) and that it was captivating and kept you riveted to figure out the twist. For those of you who were avid VC Andrews's fans, it reads like the works done after the author's death, when they were just rehashing the same (...) over and over. No edge at all.
Let me just run down the parts of it that make me want to puke:
* the lack of understanding of MPD
* the lack of distinguishing MPD from DID, Schizo and PTSD (very very vague descriptions)
* the good/bad dark/light polarity whose only grey area can be a wounded child--ie innocent powerlessness
* the really weak movement of the plot (ie a ping pong match)
Granted, the average joe reading this plot doesn't know anything about MPD et al, so it will read like a definitive fictional work. That frightens me more.
Potentially positive points, if I could stop chastising myself for finishing it:
* the lauding of spirituality over religion
* the very level handling of christianity and the church in general
* the interesting plot concept (that withered)
* interesting though thinly sketched characters
* the distinction between emotional and psychological abuse
* some nice insights into human nature, which were conveyed to ALL humans, including those in pulpits
It started out interesting, but even by about chapter 10 I was starting to feel that it was all occurring upstairs from The Ropers. That really is my biggest annoyance with the book. Some of the characterizations of MPD were spot on, but explaining it against the backdrop of the other possibilities was kinda negative. I kept reading it because I really did want to know what happened, but not because it was so enthralling that I couldn't put it down. I wanted to hope it was going somewhere Other and not where it was set up to go because it was so poorly done. Why did I pick it up at all? Because it's a book-to-script coming out in theatres later this year that is getting a lot of buzz. harrumph in the end it was exactly what I thought it would be--a watered down homogenized Christian thriller written so as not to really state anything, thus, not offend anyone. Good marketing device, bad bad writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2021
¡Me ha decepcionado !.Al principio tenía buena pinta y parecía que iba a ser Interesante pero no ha sido así.
Ha sido repetitivo y aburrido. Con una trama que se ha anquilosado y que no se ha sabido desarrollar de una manera coherente y creíble.
Los personajes no me han parecido creíbles
Tenía ganas de acabar para pasar a otro libro .
Aunque creo que era una buena idea pero que no ha llegado a buen puerto .
¡Una pena!
Ha sido repetitivo y aburrido. Con una trama que se ha anquilosado y que no se ha sabido desarrollar de una manera coherente y creíble.
Los personajes no me han parecido creíbles
Tenía ganas de acabar para pasar a otro libro .
Aunque creo que era una buena idea pero que no ha llegado a buen puerto .
¡Una pena!
August 22, 2018
This was the author of my teen years. I devoured everything he wrote. Honestly, I can't say with absolute certainty I'd rate this book so high if I were to pick it up today. But I was absolutely mind-boggled the first time I read it. It has a special place in my heart, if for no other reasons than nostalgia and a twist I did not see coming at that age.
March 9, 2017
Wow! este libro me recordó porque amo los thrillers. No lo ví venir, si bien el secreto ronda, la explicación del título del libro me encantó. Y la reflexión muy precisa. Recomendado total!
May 29, 2018
Not recommended to young readers or teens.
December 9, 2010
I can only hope that my one star rating will help nudge this book's overall rating below a 4 because as it stands now (4.02) it is severely inflated and misleading...So much so that initially I had no doubt in my mind that I would find some level of enjoyment in the book. My dear Goodreads friends, this is the first time you have lead me astray.
I'm not a book snob by any means, and typically I can find at least something enjoyable with each book I crack open, but this is by far the worst book I've read in ages. As I sit hear reading through all of the 4 and 5 star reviews I shake my head and wonder if we were reading the same book?
A few things that really bothered me about this book (without giving away the story for all of you poor misguided souls who managed to read this review and STILL decide to read this book):
- Dekker must have loved M. Night Shyamalan's "the Sixth Sense" so much so that he decided to fill a 352 page novel with a gazillion plot twists. I'm all for a good twist here and there but Teddy you went severely overboard with this book. By about page 225 it grew rather tiresome and I really didn't care anymore. Hell, the only reason I finished reading the book was simply because I'm not one to leave a book semi-read regardless of how horrific it is.
- Teddy please listen closely to this one. Grown adults do not call someone that they despise and want to murder a "puke face" in an attempt to insult them. Now I understand that you are a Christian author but if you want to be taken even somewhat seriously in a book like this the least you could do was throw in a good "asshole", "bitch", or "mother fucker" every once and a while.
- Finally (trust me I could go on and on and on but I've already devoted way too much time to this atrocity already), the story is just plain ridiculous. Once all the dust settles and the gazillion twists are untwisted Teddy haphazardly tries to make all of the events seem credible but to no avail.
A few good things about this book:
- I did find the story of Kevin's strange upbringing somewhat intriguing, but that was before Teddy ruined it all.
- It's a quick read so while it will definitely be a waste of your time it won't waste too much time. That's a plus right?
I'm not a book snob by any means, and typically I can find at least something enjoyable with each book I crack open, but this is by far the worst book I've read in ages. As I sit hear reading through all of the 4 and 5 star reviews I shake my head and wonder if we were reading the same book?
A few things that really bothered me about this book (without giving away the story for all of you poor misguided souls who managed to read this review and STILL decide to read this book):
- Dekker must have loved M. Night Shyamalan's "the Sixth Sense" so much so that he decided to fill a 352 page novel with a gazillion plot twists. I'm all for a good twist here and there but Teddy you went severely overboard with this book. By about page 225 it grew rather tiresome and I really didn't care anymore. Hell, the only reason I finished reading the book was simply because I'm not one to leave a book semi-read regardless of how horrific it is.
- Teddy please listen closely to this one. Grown adults do not call someone that they despise and want to murder a "puke face" in an attempt to insult them. Now I understand that you are a Christian author but if you want to be taken even somewhat seriously in a book like this the least you could do was throw in a good "asshole", "bitch", or "mother fucker" every once and a while.
- Finally (trust me I could go on and on and on but I've already devoted way too much time to this atrocity already), the story is just plain ridiculous. Once all the dust settles and the gazillion twists are untwisted Teddy haphazardly tries to make all of the events seem credible but to no avail.
A few good things about this book:
- I did find the story of Kevin's strange upbringing somewhat intriguing, but that was before Teddy ruined it all.
- It's a quick read so while it will definitely be a waste of your time it won't waste too much time. That's a plus right?
February 12, 2009
If I could give this book 0 stars, I would. It was given to me in a box of random paperbacks and I'm very glad I didn't pay for it. I can say without doubt that this is the worst book that I have ever read. The writing is substandard and the plot is entirely predictable and completely unoriginal. Like other reviewers, I read it all in one night, but not because I found the book compelling or gripping, it was just plain easy to read and I was bored. And I was even more bored when I finished. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone with any level of intelligence.
September 14, 2016
Al inicio del libro estaba emocionada porque, ¿qué es mejor que un buen crimen lleno de suspenso? Pero a la mitad me sentí un poco decepcionada porque se estaba convirtiendo en mucho de una sola cosa y solo se repetía y repetía. Hasta pensé que le daría tres estrellas. Los seis últimos capítulos me dejaron con la boca abierta. Un final inesperado, un gran plot twist. Aplausos para el autor.
September 23, 2021
La premisa del libro era muy buena, y empieza bastante bien; sin embargo, para la historia que es, creo que alarga innecesariamente toda la trama. Además, el desenlace es absurdo, pero me hizo reír mucho, como mala película de suspenso.
En fin, el libro es entretenido a medias, pero no lo recomendaría mucho, al final se queda con una calificación tres estrellas, porque Tr3s.
En fin, el libro es entretenido a medias, pero no lo recomendaría mucho, al final se queda con una calificación tres estrellas, porque Tr3s.
February 14, 2014
I have a lot of pet peeves in literature, and this book hits a few:
One is foreshadowing the ending by telling you exactly what it is several hundred pages before it happens. So having a character say "Wouldn't it be crazy if...?!" and then telling you what happens 200 pages before the end just doesn't work for me. yes, that would have been crazy if it came out of nowhere, but it didn't.
PG books with R-rated subjects. Like if there's a dangerous psychopath on the loose with serious anger and control issues, then maybe don't you think he'd swear? No one has sex. I don't think anyone even manages to kiss on the lips. But ah, you're saying, Dekker is a Christian novelist and this is Christian fiction, so of course it's going to be very gentle to your virgin eyeballs. A fair point, I reply, but if you're going to sell this as a Christian novel, then it needs to be a Christian novel. It needs to actually present some theology (think Frank Peretti) or have distinctly Christian characters (think Francine Rivers). But instead Dekker has one moment-of-desperation prayer that isn't even particularly meaningful and a couple of useless black-and-white discussions of good vs. evil. Neither of which I would call distinctly Christian as they wouldn't be out of place in a Dan Brown book. So either go with a subject that you can make family friendly without sacrificing anything (think C.S. Lewis, and he even managed to kill someone off), or just write in the style to subject deserves.
Bad descriptions. Either be very concise and don't bother telling us more than once about the main character's eyes, or switch it up: his piercing eyes, searching, multichromatic, cobalt, sparkling, anyotherwordwhatsoeverotherthanBLUE. The reader gets treated to the phrase "blue eyes" a few more dozen times than I would have preferred.
This book was so bad that for the first couple hundred pages I was actually pretty entertained, but then the same things kept happening over and over and I got bored.
One is foreshadowing the ending by telling you exactly what it is several hundred pages before it happens. So having a character say "Wouldn't it be crazy if...?!" and then telling you what happens 200 pages before the end just doesn't work for me. yes, that would have been crazy if it came out of nowhere, but it didn't.
PG books with R-rated subjects. Like if there's a dangerous psychopath on the loose with serious anger and control issues, then maybe don't you think he'd swear? No one has sex. I don't think anyone even manages to kiss on the lips. But ah, you're saying, Dekker is a Christian novelist and this is Christian fiction, so of course it's going to be very gentle to your virgin eyeballs. A fair point, I reply, but if you're going to sell this as a Christian novel, then it needs to be a Christian novel. It needs to actually present some theology (think Frank Peretti) or have distinctly Christian characters (think Francine Rivers). But instead Dekker has one moment-of-desperation prayer that isn't even particularly meaningful and a couple of useless black-and-white discussions of good vs. evil. Neither of which I would call distinctly Christian as they wouldn't be out of place in a Dan Brown book. So either go with a subject that you can make family friendly without sacrificing anything (think C.S. Lewis, and he even managed to kill someone off), or just write in the style to subject deserves.
Bad descriptions. Either be very concise and don't bother telling us more than once about the main character's eyes, or switch it up: his piercing eyes, searching, multichromatic, cobalt, sparkling, anyotherwordwhatsoeverotherthanBLUE. The reader gets treated to the phrase "blue eyes" a few more dozen times than I would have preferred.
This book was so bad that for the first couple hundred pages I was actually pretty entertained, but then the same things kept happening over and over and I got bored.
June 22, 2011
I read this because it was recommended on The Ultimate Reading List, which I've been working through. It was listed in the "Inspirational Fiction" section (the Christian Fiction) section, but one of the fairly good things about it is it's not at all preachy even though the man-in-peril in this one, Keven Parson, is a seminary student. The bad thing though is that its basically a routine suspense/thriller with a twist--that... Well, I didn't see it coming, but once it arrived I rolled my eyes, because it is so cliched, yet unrealistic it falls into the evil twin sort of plot. The writing isn't anything special--Koontz and King are both better stylists and better at drawing out the suspense. And in terms of the spiritual message, well, Dekker is no C.S. Lewis. The love interest was predictable, and because its Christian Fiction we have to believe in a 28-year-old male virgin and sexual tension over a kiss on the cheek, and an evil villain whose worst swear word is "puke face." Have to give it points for it making me read it to the end though--because I was interested in the secret of Kevin's upbringing.
March 23, 2020
6 días y 423 páginas después. El primer libro que leo del autor, y que estaba pendiente desde hace unos años atrás.
Después de haber leído varias novelas negras sabes donde buscar pistas e indagar quién es el culpable. En este caso sospeche de casi todos y no logré acertar, cosa que es lo único rescatable. Pero, ¿más de 300 páginas para narrar una historia tan plana y sin emoción? ¿En serio era necesario tanto trasfondo que al final nos aportó nada? Creo que es una premisa excelente, pero después de la primera mitad se vuelve muy aburrido, porque jamás logra conectar todos los recursos tan excelentes que tiene y nunca se acaban de explotar.
Me generó emoción los primeros días, las primeras páginas, pero simplemente después ya no... me cansé de tanta paja y de tantos circulos innecesarios. No diremos nada acerca de los personajes para no spoilear, pero... habia más para entretener. Hay muchas novelas más ingeniosas que esta.
No habrá reseña ni nada del autor en un tiempo.
Después de haber leído varias novelas negras sabes donde buscar pistas e indagar quién es el culpable. En este caso sospeche de casi todos y no logré acertar, cosa que es lo único rescatable. Pero, ¿más de 300 páginas para narrar una historia tan plana y sin emoción? ¿En serio era necesario tanto trasfondo que al final nos aportó nada? Creo que es una premisa excelente, pero después de la primera mitad se vuelve muy aburrido, porque jamás logra conectar todos los recursos tan excelentes que tiene y nunca se acaban de explotar.
Me generó emoción los primeros días, las primeras páginas, pero simplemente después ya no... me cansé de tanta paja y de tantos circulos innecesarios. No diremos nada acerca de los personajes para no spoilear, pero... habia más para entretener. Hay muchas novelas más ingeniosas que esta.
No habrá reseña ni nada del autor en un tiempo.
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