Customer Reviews

Blink

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Four and 9/10s stars because only one book, The Grapes of Wrath, gets five stars.

I finally decided to give Dekker a whirl after seeing dozens of rave reviews from critics and readers all over the place. I picked up a copy of BLINK, his latest book and, ignoring my last minute Christmas shopping, I sat down for an evening of reading. It turned out to be a weekend. I could not put this book down.

Some disconnected PW reviewer who probably hated the Matrix may not like Dekker's assertive writing style, but I now see why the rest of the world is getting excited about this new writer. BLINK is absolutely brilliant! It's the way he weaves theme through a riveting plot that impressed me most. In short, Seth is a genius on the run with a Muslim, Miriam. The FBI, the CIA and Saudi hit men are on their tail in one of the largest manhunts in California's history. The plot keeps you guessing to the last page -- anyone who says they figured out how Seth and Miriam would get out of thier impossible predicatment before the end is either lying or, like Seth, can see into the future! Along the way we laugh our heads off at some points and cry at others. Gunfights, car chases, high stakes gambling, and a hilarious romance that I found very refreshing.

Like I said, I love Dekker's writing style. It's aggressive and refreshing, and I think readers today want that. His descriptions are anything but cliche. For example, "She was nothing more than a helpless maggot here in his presence," is a brilliant if heart wrenching snapshot of an abused woman's deepest feelings.

There's plenty to think about in BLINK: Islam and Christianity; God's knowledge of the future; our ability to change the future. But these issues don't ever become burdensome or distracting from the plot. In fact, they become the plot.

Bottom line, this was a smashing read. I see what all the talk is about. The critics are right, Dekker is destined to become known as one of the great popular writers of our time. Enjoy.

What a great story! Ted Dekker is a talented writer, who in this case is able to take two seemingly unrelated storylines and bring them together with a thrilling and supernatural blend of suspense and action. The writing is so compelling that it was nearly impossible to put the book down. Put this one in the "blurry eyed, so tired, can't go to sleep now, must stay up and finish" category!

The only drawback was that the first three quarters are so good, that the ending was a bit far-fetched in comparison. The spiritual aspects unfold with a healthy dose of skepticism and a surprise bit of "divine intervention".

The basic plot follows two storylines, one of a brilliant, 190+ IQ level genius and scoundrel named Seth who is spending his time tormenting his professors at Berkeley and solving complex mathematical equations including one which supposedly proves the existence of God. The other is about a princess in Saudi Arabia who flees the country to avoid an arranged marriage on which hinges a potential political coup in the Saudi government. Now, if a writer can bring these two stories together in a plausible way that is saying something!

Along the way Seth picks up a remarkable ability to see the future, not just one possible future but many. While two different factions from Saudi, and everyone from the local police to the NSA, are in America trying to capture or kill the Princess, Seth is helping her escape. The rest you have to experience.

With great writing, and spiritual and theological threads woven throughout, the result is a book that is simply a blast to read! Suspend your disbelief and enjoy. Highly recommended.

Great book. Serious page turner. Lots of fast-paced fun with a constant threat of danger. Ignore the negative comments. Ted Dekker is a Christian and writes from a Biblical world view. If you don't like that then go read Carl Sagan. If you're curious and open minded get this book. Not "preachy" but does get some good points across. Reveals truths about Islam, whether you care to believe it or not. There is no dogma in the book like others have said. My guess is negative reviewers don't even know what dogma is. Get this book. In fact get all of Dekker's books.

If you're like me, you spend hours pouring over lists, looking for that new author that will thrill you like Grisham first did. That's how I came across Blink, completely by accident. I'd never heard of the Dekker, but the back material interested me so off I took a chance. I've never been so pleasently surprised by a book as by Blink. It's still early, but I predict this book to be among the best finds of the year.

My biggest complaint is that it costs twice what a normal mass market paperback does because it's in the larger book format -- why can't publishers just stick to the regulars ones? It's a racket. Nevertheless, this particular book was well worth the money they extracted from my pocket book.

I won't go into the plot -- read the description. You'll find a slant towards Christianity with this author, and some will find it's treatment of Islam challenging which will undoubtedly earn it some negative reviews, but please, the story is brilliant. Shell out the extra few bucks and treat yourself to a whole new voice in the world of Fiction. I agree with another reviewer -- if Dekker keeps delivering books of this caliber, he will be a household name within a few years.

I've enjoyed and reviewed a couple of Ted Dekker's novels, but this one is by far my favorite. I read it in two sittings over two days. Totally imaginative and most importantly to me, completely unpredictable.

Blink is primarily a chase novel in which the world is nipping at the heels of a Saudi woman who has fled the terrifying prospect of marriage to Omar, an evil royal cousin. She is integral to a coup plot. Half of those after her want her dead, and half want to force her back to Saudi Arabia. Enter Seth, a brilliant Berkeley grad student who becomes her protector of sorts. Together they go on the run, a Muslim and an agnostic American.

Dekker writes with a unique style that I absolutely love. He strikes me as a new generation writer who uses bold descriptions without apology. Reading Blink is like watching a movie that breaks the old molds -- like Minority Report or LOTR. He also dishes up healthy doses of humor and seamlessly weaves in thematic issue that flow naturally out of the story, rather than tacked on. Dekker has a way of making fundamental philosophical questions read like life and death high drama. There's plenty to think about here, mostly about Islam and fatalism.

But what struck me the most was the plot. This is a thrilling read, period. I set the book down for lunch because I don't like to read while I'm eating, but after half a sandwich, I opened it up anyway. It's that kind of read. If you've never read a Dekker book, this one is a ten.

Ted Dekker's book should be issued with a warning sticker :Take a nap before reading. This thriller will keep you turning pages, breathless, all night.

Berkley student Seth Borders possesses a genius I.Q. and an unusual gift-he is able to foresee events and their possible outcomes. At a faculty banquet held in his honor, a vision of a woman in distress overcomes him, and he rushes to the rescue. Miriam is a Saudi Arabian princess who fled her country to escape an arranged marriage. This marriage would align the groom's forces with her father's to overthrow the reigning king. Miriam is the key element to the coup. She must be found.

Seth and Miriam are able to evade their captors using Seth's powerful gift. A relationship develops as the fugitives outrun their would-be-captors. Seth is not a believer, and Miriam is a Muslim. How can God use two such renegades to prevent a conflict in the Middle East? When Seth puts God to the test, the outcome shocks him and causes Miriam to question the foundation of her religious beliefs.

. Just as the prophets of old were able to foretell events through divine power, Blink shows God using a man of today to help shape history. Ted Dekker has woven a complex book telling an amazing story about very real people. Just heed the warning: once you start reading, you won't want to quit.

Great book. Begins with a bold premise, which creeps through the black-and-white type and grips you by the spine. In an age where entertainment is cheap, free, or part of the new reality-TV fad, Blink stands out as thriller that moves the bar up a notch.
While Dekker hasn't been with the industry long, he approaches it with the strength and dexterity of an experienced writer, penning inventive prose into a dusty market.
Christian fiction at last begins to look like something relevant.
For those who give this a poor review: try writing something worthy of the same attentions you've given this novel.
Blink will suck you in, belt you to the passengers' seat, and drop you off, dizzy and exhilarated. Pick it up today, and add Dekker to your read and re-read library.

Dekker's newest thriller is a combination of his previous novels. It has the cumbersome start of "Heaven's Wager," the chase across the desert of "A Man Called Blessed," and the slam-bang finale of "Thunder of Heaven." What lifts it above his previous work is the melding of a spiritual message as potent as "When Heaven Weeps" (my personal favorite).

The story belongs to a man and a woman, who, predictably, will fall in love. What makes their tale interesting is the manner in which Dekker weaves their opposing worlds and spiritual struggles as they rely on one another for survival. The woman is Miriam, a Saudi Arabian woman on the run from her would-be husband and Islamic fundamentalists. The man is Seth Borders, a genius with an unexplained ability to see potential futures. When Seth's "gift" emerges at a dinner party, he finds himself a guardian for Miriam.

The inerrancy of Seth's foresight saps any true suspense in spots, and the manner in which the pair are finally ambushed in Las Vegas is suspect on the logical level (more detail would give things away). The interaction between the characters is enjoyable, however, and their joint struggle to understand faith in God is worth following. Seth starts off believing in an intricate--therefore deistic--design of the universe, but when the future becomes open to him, he questions the existence of a God who does not know the future exactly. In truth, Seth's "gift" is only another example, albeit an extreme one, of free will, but Dekker uses this plot device effectively to examine deeper truths of faith...ie, believing in the unseen.

"Blink" races toward a twisting, sweaty-palm finale. Although the conclusion is never in real doubt, the route Dekker takes us along keeps us whipping through the pages. If you've enjoyed his other books, this book is a culmination of his best. If you need to strap on your seat belt for his upcoming "Three" (May 2003), then you better do it with "Blink," because "Three" takes it to an entire new level.

I thought that this book was excellent! Tedd Dekker did a GREAT job of capturing his readers' attention by creating believable characters that were easy to relate to, by creating an interesting fast-paced plot, and by describing his locations and characters vividly.

Mariam is a twenty-year old Saudi Arabina princess. She is almost twenty-one, and will soon be given in marriage. Seth is in his mid-twenties, and is a brilliant man with an I.Q. higher than Albert Enstein's. An odd turn of events is about to bring this two individuals together.

After Miriam's close friend, Sita, is cruelly drowned, and Miriam finds out that she is going to be forced to marry a man that she does not know or love, Mariam flees Saudi Arabia to come to the United States.

After she reaches the United States, Seth Borders saves Miriam during a dangerous situation. Soon, Miriam learns that Seth has just recieved a God-given gift: he can see all of the possible outcomes for the future.

Soon, Miriam and Seth are constantly on the move, trying to protect Miriam from the people who want to take her back to Saudi Arabia so she can marry a man named Omar. Will Seth and Miriam make it out of this horrible situation alive? Read this book and find out!

I LOVED this book! If you want to read an AWSOME page-turner, or want to read about how God helps people in difficult situations, than this is the book for you! I give this book five stars!!

. . . and Blink is his best yet. Since the story was conceived several years ago, comments about the book exploiting Islam seem inapt. In any case, Dekker's setting of his story against a radical clash of cultures and religions is more for the purpose of specific thematic development than to capitalize on current events.

As his former literary agent, I've read everything that Mr. Dekker has published (and some of what has yet to be published), and I'm seeing a steady development by him in all areas of novel writing: The concepts are becoming more highly developed and tantalizing; the characters are rounding out; his pacing has greatly improved; there's more verisimilitude; and his prose is taking on a beautiful symmetry. In other words, after this, his sixth novel, he is coming into his own: he has found his own unique storytelling voice.

Look for even greater things to come from this author.