Ted Dekker - “Skin”
Ted Dekker has been writing some of the most compelling Christian fiction since C.S. Lewis (well, maybe since Frank Peretti, depending on your personal taste) for quite a while now.
“Skin” is Dekker’s first book to make the New York Times bestseller’s list. It’s certainly his most secular book, but still chalk full of spiritual themes.
The book takes place in the small town Summerville which has been the target of a serial killer that identifies himself as “Red.” It comes down to a few people to save the town from the killer: Wendy, an emotionally damaged woman that escaped from an abusive cult; Colt, a local cop; brother and sister Nicole and Carey; and Jerry, a professional video game player that only cares about himself.
They find that stopping is Red is harder than they anticipated, though, because Red doesn’t quite seem human; his reflexes and speed don’t seem human, and they’re at a loss trying to figure out how to stop him. What’s even worse, Red seems to merely be play a game with them, while they are struggling just to stay alive.
Dekker’s somewhat well-known for crafting twist endings that will leave one breathless. Not as well-known as M. Night Shyamalan, maybe, but he definitely packs his books full of twists and turns. And, unlike Shyamalan, who seems to craft some his movies seemingly with the aim of fooling people at the end, Dekker appears rather to want to tell an amazing story that just happens to leave you gasping for breath at the end.
That being said, I think that the twist at the end of this book blows every other Dekker ending out of the water. Skin is a great addition to the growing library by this talented Christian fiction author.
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