Book Review and Giveaway: The Outlaw byTed Dekker

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, from Center Street Books, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

Today I've got some great 'supernatural' books to review (and giveaway)- or ones that I just think fit the bill for the day- call it missing Halloween! LOL

I'm putting this book in with the others today, as Ted is known for his good versus evil plots, and I can't think of anything more supernatural than our faith in God!

Synopsis:

The story of how I, Julian Carter, and my precious two-year old son, Stephen, left Atlanta Georgia and found ourselves on a white sailboat, tossed about like a cork on a raging sea off of Australia's northern tip in 1963, is harrowing. 

But it pales in comparison to what happened deep in the jungle where I was taken as a slave by a savage tribe unknown to the world. Some places dwell in darkness so deep that even God seems to stay away. 

There, my mind was torn in two by the gods of the earth. There, one life ended so another could begin.

Some will say I was a fool for making the choices I made. But they would have done the same. They, too, would have embraced death if they knew what I knew, and saw through my eyes.

My name is Julian and this is my story. But more, it is the story of my son who was born to change the world.

Review: 

Normally I am ALL about a Ted Dekker book! This one though, I had a hard time getting into, maybe because it just seemed beyond belief, and not Ted's normal fare. Once the book got into the jungle though, it seemed like Ted's personal experience in Indonesia really sparked the writing, and the book became much more alive for me, Like other readers, the last part of the book, while wrapping things up, seemed more like a different book, and I'm not sure if it was because Ted's planning a sequel, or another book to tie into this one. It resounds with Ted's standard fight of good versus evil, and how faith and love will win in the end, but it also speaks VOLUMES about Ted's new direction in his personal life. If you stop and go back and read that last part again, after realizing the changes he's made (I'd read a few interviews with him, like this one, and this one and this video series), then things click more, and you will see all the biblical allegories. If you approach this book as a CHRISTIAN allegorical book, then it is an excellent tale. It is just NOT the typical Ted Dekker book.

About the Author:

Ted Dekker is the author of more than 30 novels with more than 10 million copies sold worldwide to date. He is known for thrillers that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil. Heralded as a “master of suspense” by Library Journal, he has cemented himself as one of the most widely recognized author brands in the country. He has been honored with a Christy Award as well as a Gold Medallion Award for Best Fiction for his groundbreaking novel Thr3e

.
Ted was born to missionaries and grew up among cannibals of Indonesia, and his peculiar upbringing gives him a unique perspective outside the cultural bubble, allowing him the freedom to share provocative insights in his fiction. After leaving Indonesia, he graduated from a multi-cultural high school and took up permanent residence in the United States, earning his B.A. in philosophy and religion and going into business. Ted lives with his family in Austin, Tex.