Blink by Ted Dekker (Also published as “Blink of an Eye”)
Read: based on the recommendations of several friends, including Esther, Brittney, and Katrina
Rating: 7 out of 10 (finished 6/25/10)
Synopsis: An intoxicating tale set amidst the shifting sands of the Middle East, Blink touches on geopolitical conflicts as ancient as the earth itself. The page-turning plot follows a Saudi Arabian princess fleeing a wretched forced marriage for the promised land of America. A brilliant American graduate student discovers a mysterious power-giving him glimpses into the future. Thrown together, they become pawns in a struggle for power and must manipulate the very future in order to save themselves. In his most riveting novel to date, Dekker brings the story to a dramatic climax that will change the future of fiction in the blink of an eye.
Overall Impression: More than anything, I really loved the concept behind this book. It was about prayer and trust and questioning God’s omnipitence. Made me think quite a bit about the nature of God and how His view of the future might look and how that affects free will. The writing was very fast-paced, with a bunch of chase scenes broken up by scenes of people planning chases. Every now and again the writing was a little clunky, but it worked for the most part. The whole thing felt a little cliched and overdone, but I had to remind myself that it was written seven years ago, before the books-about-Islam craze really hit its fever pitch. I liked both the characters and thought they actually had quite a bit of chemistry, which seems to be lacking in a lot of more action-packed books. I also learned a bit about Saudi Arabia, of which I knew next to nothing about before I read this. Now I know whatever the next step up from next to nothing is.
Pros: Plays around with the idea of omnipitence and free will.
Cons: Awkward writing and some overwraught cliches.
Extras: Ted Dekker’s website
Other books I’ve read by Ted Dekker: Black, Red, and White
Other blogger reviews: none
[...] Other books I’ve read by Ted Dekker: Black, Red, White, and Blink [...]