Quickie Book Series Review: "Eyes Wide Open" by Ted Dekker

Author: Ted Dekker
Publisher: Outlaw Studios
Published: 2012 - 2013

Synopsis: Who am I?

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen and I'm about to die.

I'm buried in a coffin under tons of concrete. No one knows where I am. My heart sounds like a monster with clobber feet, running straight toward me. I'm lying on my back, soaked with sweat from the hair on my head to the soles of my feet. My hands and feet won't stop shaking.

Some will say that I'm not really here. Some will say I'm delusional. Some will say that I don t even exist. But who are they? I'm the one buried in a grave.

My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen. I'm about to die.

So who are you?

In a return to the kind of storytelling that made Black, Showdown and Thr3e unforgettable, New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker drags that question into the light with this modern day parable about how we see ourselves.

Humming with intensity and blindsided twists, Eyes Wide Open is raw adrenaline from the first page to the last; pure escapism packed with inescapable truth. Not all is as it seems. Or is it? Strap yourself in for the ride of your life. Literally.
(From the books' Goodreads page)

My Review: Over the past decade or so, Ted Dekker has had multiple successes in both the Christian and mainstream realms, with allegorical tales and murder/suspense novels.  Few authors in the inspirational genre have gotten as much praise or sold as many books as he has.  I agree with the above summary; this is a return to his early days.  While reading this, I couldn't help but be reminded of his Circle Trilogy.  Unfortunately, though the story is engaging and the writing is amazing, the breadth of the story is a bit underwhelming, especially for one that's spread over four novels.  What we have here is the equivalent of a short "feature-length" (i.e., around seventy minutes) film.  The narrative could have expounded on the characters within quite a bit more.  It's enjoyable for what it is, but, I have a feeling that, for most readers, it won't be enough.

Score: 2.75/5