Pages: 408
Age range: 13+ (9-12 Grade)
Addictive Rating – 9.5
Review by Quinn S. (8th Grade)
Black by Ted Dekker is wonderful. Right as you jump in, the story pulls you in and doesn’t let you out. Marvelously intriguing. Ted Dekker does something I look for in all good authors – he has the ability to build the story and characters quickly, then put the story in front of you. I also love how the story sucks you in immediately after you understand what’s happening. And then there’s the characters. Each character has different sets of emotions and depth. And the way that Dekker builds his characters and shows their thoughts and emotions nearly convinces you that they could be real people.
In present time America, Thomas Hunter is just like any other ordinary 24-year old. A rejected artist and now an underground author, he hasn’t experienced much excitement. But that is all about to change. As he is knocked unconscious one day, he wakes up in an alternate dimension. Confused, he wakes up and is being told that he hit his head on a rock, and has a case of amnesia. As he explores this world, he finds out that there are documents containing information his previous world. Through these documents, he discovers that his world is about to be ripped apart by a rogue epidemic. Desperate to save his world, he embarks on a mission to save his Earth. Yet at the same time, he is still spending time in this alternate reality when he falls asleep. He begins to question which of the two worlds is the true, real one. What will he do to stop this disease said to wipe out Earth, and how will he make a difference in his alternate reality? Find out in Black by Ted Dekker.
What was awesome – The way he builds characters is so unique and great to me. A character will be introduced with hardly any more than their physical appearance, then you decide what the character is like by witnessing their emotions and thoughts.
Not so awesome – The way he leaves you hanging! I’m a huge fan of suspense, but some parts of this book just annoyed me. You would be following a certain plot line, loving it, sitting on the edge of your seat with intrigue, then the chapter ends. Then you don’t see it return until three chapters later.
Another thing to know about this book (and the rest of the series) is that it’s an allegory to the New Testament. If you pay attention to some of the things that are going on then try to relate it to your personal life – something all readers should do – you will find that is is very biblical. And if you aren’t really into that, have no fear, the book is still fantastic if you don’t understand the references. I can’t build on that subject too much without spoiling it, but just keep that in mind if you’re a fan of those types of allegories.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a believable story, those who like a dash of sci-fi/fantasy, and those who, as I said earlier, like biblical references. “I read Black, but didn’t read the rest of the series,” said no one ever. Keep in mind that if you read this first book, it will suck you in and you will force yourself into reading the rest of the series. But back on topic, I love this series so much that I can honestly recommend it to anyone who appreciates reading. I strongly, strongly encourage you to read this book.
Leonardo's Bookshelf 
Wonderful review! Like the book you were reading, I was was sucked in and kept reading! I’ll have to look for this author in the future!
Black was a total knockout book, I loved it.
This review helped me get sucked into that awesome series.
Like how you use Addictive Rating
I love books that capture you from the beginning, there is nothing harder than getting through the first couple of chapters. Thank you for the review, I will consider this book.
I totaly agree with the ” not so awesome” I thought that it was cool in the begining but then it just became annoying. I also never thought about the biblical aspect untill now and it makes perfect sense!
This is an amazing book review I wanted to read it the second I stopped reading the review
Wha.. How? Throughout the whole series you get smacked in the face with biblical references. Take the 2nd book in the series, Red for example. New Testament. Unless you haven’t read that yet, in which case I apologize. I guess I found it really obvious, others may not have.
I’ve heard of this book before. Sounds like a great book!