Red

I do not read sequels or series often. Perhaps I have a short attention span or I can't sit still long enough to become invested in a long on-going story, but I think the most likely reason is my tendency to get bored when nothing new or exciting has happened in a while. After reading a book, I am just not ready to sit through another one about the same characters in the same setting; the concept becomes boring to me even through the story line of the sequel might be very good. I am more inclined to pick up a brand new book, one that I know nothing about, and throw myself whole-heartedly into discovering brand new characters and a whole new universe. Because of this, it takes a very good author to get me to sit through an entire sequel or series; I have to be completely invested to the point where boredom can't set in. Red, the sequel to Ted Dekker's Black, is one of these attention-holding sequels.

Fifteen years have passed since Thomas Hunter first began to dream of two realities, or maybe only moments have passed. Time seems to move differently in both realities and yet they are both as real as when Thomas first discovered them. He is a resident of both worlds now and, while he has led two separate lives, he is still entirely himself. In one reality, he is barely out of his twenties, a head strong young man who until recently wasn't very important; in the other, he is nearly forty, he has a wife and two children, everyone knows and respects him. Regardless of which reality he exists in, both his worlds are facing a crisis, a disaster that could wipe out civilization as Thomas knows it. And he may be the only man who has the knowledge or the power to save both his worlds. Old enemies rise up again, bravery will be tested, sacrifices must be made to see a new day come, and a promise will be fulfilled.

As I said earlier, I do not usually read whole book series; I find them boring and stray to greener, more exciting pastures. But to my great surprise, this typical boredom did not set in when I picked up Red, the sequel to Black. In fact, I really enjoyed the book and had a heard time putting it down. Though Red picks up right where Black ended, with all the same characters and locations in play, I found myself engaged in the story line to the point of real enjoyment. I wanted to keep reading, I wasn't tired of the world Ted Dekker had created, and I sometimes even read multiple chapters in a row. Maybe this was possible because I was so invested in the characters from Black; I really enjoyed reading about them and cared about them a lot. I was interested in their lives and wanted to see them get a happy ending. When Thomas Hunter and the rest of the characters migrated over to Red, I was more than happy to keep reading about them, to see if they finally found their happy ending. Regardless of all this, and my personal thoughts on the book, though the book is wonderful and I would highly recommend it, I would caution younger readers and parents when they pick up Red. There are intense chapters describing battle, torture, and execution that might be troubling to some readers. A good book can't be fully enjoyed unless a reader is fully prepared for everything contained in its pages.


Photo Credit: Amazon.com

*****
RJ