[Book Review] The Circle

[thebookishescape]

AUTHOR: Ted Dekker
RELEASED: January 30, 2011 by Thomas Nelson
SERIES: The Circle (#0-3)
GENRE: Thriller, Christian Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Science fiction, Suspense
AGE RANGE: Adult
RATINGS: ★☆☆☆☆
SYNOPSIS: Four novels. Two worlds. One Story.

Enter an adrenaline-laced epic where dreams and reality collide.

Black - An incredible story of evil and rescue, betrayal and love, and a terrorist threat unlike anything the human race has ever known. A virulent evil has been unleashed upon the people of Earth. The only man who can stop it is Thomas Hunter, an unlikely hero whose life is stretched between two worlds. Every time he falls asleep in one reality, he awakes in the other. Soon Thomas no longer knows which reality is real. Yet it quickly becomes apparent that his choices in each world impact the other--and that the fates of both rest in his hands.

Red - In one world, Thomas Hunter is a battle-scarred general commanding an army of primitive warriors. In the other, he's racing to outwit sadistic terrorists intent on creating global chaos through an unstoppable virus. Thomas must find a way to change history--or face the destruction of two worlds.

White - Thomas Hunter has only days to survive two separate realms of danger, deceit, and destruction. The fates of both worlds now rest on his unique ability to shift realities through his dreams. Thomas and The Circle must quickly decide who they can trust--both with their own lives and the fate of millions. And neither the terror of Black nor the treachery of Red can prepare Thomas for the forces aligned against The Circle in White.




REVIEW: Let me let you know that I haven't finished this 3-in-1, The Circle. As of right now, I'm just reviewing the first book of the circle. Despite being a brilliant idea, this execution has taken place poorly. I am fascinated by dreamscapes, dreams vs. reality, dreams portending the future, etc.

The premise is introduced slowly and never fully explained. Tom wakes up in two different worlds in two distinct eras: ours and a future Eden-like place, which is perfect in every way. There's no real reason behind this, but Elyon (God) seems to have some sense. It falls to Tom to prevent both worlds from being destroyed by learning about and interacting with them.

I have a problem with the writing here. The story and pacing of the book were extremely slow, so when the action happened, I had trouble keeping up. There were so many one-dimensional characters in this story that I had trouble empathizing with the lead or anyone else. For most of the book, no one in either world believes Tom until something bad happens.

All Tom does is lament that no one believes him despite his proof. He has to wait until everyone around him sees the light. The plot doesn't develop much in this book, and combined with the lack of character development, it falls flat.

The book's biggest problem is that it doesn't mix genres well. Instead of sticking to one genre, Dekker mixes romance, science fiction, and bio-thrillers. Ultimately, he succeeds at none, and the story feels messy. There are a lot of questions and plot points that aren't answered in the book.

Overall, the book's slow pacing, lack of character development, and unsuccessful genre blending make it a disappointing read.