52 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Dekker Needs to Take a Sabbatical, April 16, 2007
I have read all of Ted Dekker's books and thought that his insight into the human condition is exceptional. I loved the way he was able take a story and weave an examination of how I relate to God. For example, the children eating the worm slime in Showdown as an allegory for our appetite for sin despite how it destroys our lives. Another example is the whole Circle Trilogy. His description in White when people have to inhale the water, i.e. give up their lives in order to live.
Lately, Dekker has rushed to put out books every couple of months and has lost his originality. He is stuck in a rut. His last three books have suspense and gore but lack the originality that led me to list him as one of my favorite authors.
Skin is a rehashed story of Showdown and Saint. Revealing the killer at the end left me flat with no impact.
The teaser at the end of the book revealing an upcoming 6 book series based on the Horde seems more like a threat than a promise.
I hope he changes his mind and takes a sabbatical to work on a new storyline. The sad part is that I am a Ted Dekker fan but wish he would get back to being a creative writer instead of continuing to try capitalizing on the success of Black, Red and White.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
If I wasn't desperate for something to read...., January 16, 2008
But I was desperate, unfortunately. A friend gave me quite a few books for a belated Christmas gift and this was one of them.
This is one of those books that I read completely out of boredom. I would probably lend it out and not mind if I never got it back (which is a big no-no for me usually).
The first half of the book reminded me of the book HOUSE with Frank Peretti (BIIIIGGGG disappointment on that book!). So it had a been there done that feel to it. Bunch of people who never met before, someone out to kill them and they don't know why even though there's some connection they have to each other. Nothing original. The second half of the book was actually the type of ending they tell you NOT to write in grade school, because it's a cop-out ending. Oh, but it's a cop-out ending with a twist! In which the fun is just beginning.... The twist is unoriginal as well.
I recommend borrow this book if you must, but don't buy it. It's vaguely interesting and mostly hectic. It either needed to be a lot longer to flesh out the story and characters or a lot shorter so it didn't feel like a waste of a perfectly good tree.
The characters were mostly vapid, which was sad because he wrote in there real potential for them to be fleshed out and rounded and real instead of the usual flat stereotypes they (in the book) turned out to be. He never actually made the characters anything more than two dimensional.
Five or six years ago I actually loved some of his books and recommended them. Something like SKIN? In my opinion it's a paycheck book. It's a formula story. Nothing new, nothing great, nothing terrible, nothing memorable, nothing horrible. It just exists. Exactly what a three star represents.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Going beyond the Skin, April 1, 2007
"Hello, Colt. It's payback time. Red"
The red words painted on a gray door plunge police officer Colt Jackson into battle with Sterling Red, serial killer. But Colt isn't the only person Red has a personal agenda against.
As a freak storm ravages Nevada, traveler Wendy Davidson is waylaid on her journey to Utah when she comes across a stranded brother and sister seeking emergency medical care. Wendy takes Carey and Nicole Swartz to Summerville, only to find the town under siege with a killer on the loose.
Waved down by Wendy, Colt takes the trio to the doctor's house. Relief is short-lived however when a tornado hits Summerville and the four find themselves trapped in the basement.
Morning arrives, and with it comes a few surprises.
Colt, Wendy, Carey, and Nicole are soon joined by Jerry Pinkus. Thrown together by circumstance, the random group find themselves targeted by Red, and soon discovers a commonality ties their fates together.
As Red manipulates them and what they perceive as reality, the five must overcome their differences and suspicions to save themselves and the townsfolk.
Ted Dekker's latest offering isn't for the faint-hearted. More cutting edge than SHOWDOWN or HOUSE, Dekker takes readers on a ride which twists and turns to the very end.
Following on the heels of SHOWDOWN, HOUSE, and SAINT, all of which contain supernatural elements, SKIN is Dekker's first novel since THR3E that twists its way to a natural, yet unpredictable, ending.
This is Dekker's first general market release, which is probably a good thing. His delivery is sure to raise voices within CBA. As SKIN explores the question of true beauty, bodies pile up and ensure that this isn't a cozy read. Despite the general market release, Dekker is quick to assure readers that SKIN isn't much different from his previous books. It contains a strong metaphoric message, but without the obvious Christian labels. As a Christian reader, I found SKIN's theme to be just as powerful as Dekker's earlier books. There is no watering down here.
Readers of Dekker's previous works will notice each book from the Circle Trilogy series on contain subtle tie-ins. SKIN is no different. Although the connection to the earlier books is minimal, Dekker has revealed in recent interviews that SKIN shares a mirror scene with an upcoming young adult book, part of a series which will expand on the Circle Trilogy. If you haven't read any of Dekker's previous books, then don't fear. SKIN is a complete standalone which can be enjoyed as such. However, delving into the Circle Trilogy, SHOWDOWN, SAINT, and HOUSE will give you added enjoyment to the experience.
If you're looking for a book with strong characters, snappy dialogue, and a mind-bending plot, then SKIN is just the book for you. Putting it down late at night will be your only problem.
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