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paxyquiltan's review against another edition
3.0
Might contain spoilers.
This book was given to me as a birthday gift by a dear friend back in June. I've put off reading it for the most part of this summer because contemporary suspense and thriller are genres I usually enjoy watching rather than reading. But I finally read it and although the first half bored me, the other half caught me completely off guard and blew me away.
Thr3e follows the story of Kevin Parson, an innocent and naive seminary student who seems to be only struggling with his education, until one day he's targeted by a stalker that goes by the name Richard Slater. Through anonymous phone calls Slater tells Kevin if he can "confess his sin" Slater will stop killing. Kevin of course has no idea what sins this man is talking about and why anyone would even want to hurt him. Featuring FBI agent Jennifer Peters and childhood friend Samantha Sheer, and crazy mommy figure who's a serious lunatic (like seriously seriously serious lunatic :)). As the team works on uncovering the true identity of Slater, Kevin is forced to confront his dysfunctional abusive childhood which involves a childhood bully whose seems to be the most connected to Kevin's stalker.
I had no problem with Ted Dekker's writing. It was very simplistic which made the page count feel much less than it actually is. The most delightful part of this book was discovering that it's a psychological thriller! This is basically another case of Kevin Wendell Crumb (ironic). Split 2.0 (or rather Split is actully Thr3e 2.0). This aspect of the book is the reason I gave it a high rating, you don't find out who the villain is until the very end of the book. And despite all the theories that I made up (that proved true) in my head the book still managed to catch me off guard. And I reeeeeeeeally enjoyed uncovering the meaning behind the title of the book
I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars. I think Ted Dekker did such a fascinating job with the way he presented Kevin's multiple personalities. I liked it.
Also: Although this book can be shelved under Christian fiction, the religious aspect of it didn't feel as prominent. The book can still be enjoyed without the reader being religious at all.
This book was given to me as a birthday gift by a dear friend back in June. I've put off reading it for the most part of this summer because contemporary suspense and thriller are genres I usually enjoy watching rather than reading. But I finally read it and although the first half bored me, the other half caught me completely off guard and blew me away.
Thr3e follows the story of Kevin Parson, an innocent and naive seminary student who seems to be only struggling with his education, until one day he's targeted by a stalker that goes by the name Richard Slater. Through anonymous phone calls Slater tells Kevin if he can "confess his sin" Slater will stop killing. Kevin of course has no idea what sins this man is talking about and why anyone would even want to hurt him. Featuring FBI agent Jennifer Peters and childhood friend Samantha Sheer, and crazy mommy figure who's a serious lunatic (like seriously seriously serious lunatic :)). As the team works on uncovering the true identity of Slater, Kevin is forced to confront his dysfunctional abusive childhood which involves a childhood bully whose seems to be the most connected to Kevin's stalker.
I had no problem with Ted Dekker's writing. It was very simplistic which made the page count feel much less than it actually is. The most delightful part of this book was discovering that it's a psychological thriller! This is basically another case of Kevin Wendell Crumb (ironic). Split 2.0 (or rather Split is actully Thr3e 2.0). This aspect of the book is the reason I gave it a high rating, you don't find out who the villain is until the very end of the book. And despite all the theories that I made up (that proved true) in my head the book still managed to catch me off guard. And I reeeeeeeeally enjoyed uncovering the meaning behind the title of the book
I gave this book a 3.5/5 stars. I think Ted Dekker did such a fascinating job with the way he presented Kevin's multiple personalities. I liked it.
Also: Although this book can be shelved under Christian fiction, the religious aspect of it didn't feel as prominent. The book can still be enjoyed without the reader being religious at all.
katiebella_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
4⭐️
"Evil is beyond the reach of no man,"
"But can man remove himself from the reach of evil?"
Kevin is driving along when he gets a phone call. A man who identified himself as Slater asks him to confess his "sins" or answer a riddle. Failure to do so in three minutes will result in a bomb. What follows is a deadly game of cat and mouse full or riddle and explosions.
My Thoughts
This is the first book by Dekker I've read. ( I have another on my shelf.) I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the read. The book starts off with an explosion that keeps the reader riveted in this fast-paced thriller/horror.
Criminal Minds with Christian undertones. This book is told from three POVs. The "victims," the "killer," and the detective. Though their voices are not as distinct as I have come to appreciate in multiple POV's, each is unique and well written.
Kevin is our MC. He is a very young 28 year old. Sheltered and naive, he looks at the world almost the same way as a young teen or an older child. I found him mildly annoying in an endearing way.
The book had me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out who the "killer" was. I read it in a day.
"Evil is beyond the reach of no man,"
"But can man remove himself from the reach of evil?"
Kevin is driving along when he gets a phone call. A man who identified himself as Slater asks him to confess his "sins" or answer a riddle. Failure to do so in three minutes will result in a bomb. What follows is a deadly game of cat and mouse full or riddle and explosions.
My Thoughts
This is the first book by Dekker I've read. ( I have another on my shelf.) I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the read. The book starts off with an explosion that keeps the reader riveted in this fast-paced thriller/horror.
Criminal Minds with Christian undertones. This book is told from three POVs. The "victims," the "killer," and the detective. Though their voices are not as distinct as I have come to appreciate in multiple POV's, each is unique and well written.
Kevin is our MC. He is a very young 28 year old. Sheltered and naive, he looks at the world almost the same way as a young teen or an older child. I found him mildly annoying in an endearing way.
The book had me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out who the "killer" was. I read it in a day.
johannajones's review
5.0
So I am not the kind of person who really tries to figure out the twist. I’ll make some vague guesses but I like surprises. This book had me second guessing the whole time. I really liked the ending.
seiraaa's review
3.0
The book was actually quite good. When I began this book, I thought I'd give this 4.5 stars. So, what went wrong?
The ending, that's what. I mean when you're introducing four characters, including the villain, the reader develops a feel for them. And all of a sudden, towards the end, you're told two of them are not real at all. I mean, what the hell? Seriously? Do I look like an idiot? (No wait, don't answer that. I probably am one considering I read this book.)
No, just no.
The ending, that's what. I mean when you're introducing four characters, including the villain, the reader develops a feel for them. And all of a sudden, towards the end, you're told two of them are not real at all. I mean, what the hell? Seriously? Do I look like an idiot? (No wait, don't answer that. I probably am one considering I read this book.)
No, just no.
annapeas's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
This novel was bizarre in a very excellent way. It was totally not what I was expecting going into it. The climax was a shocker (I always love those). Packed full of suspense woven around a very interesting concept (although I spotted some loopholes in the storyline—that's atypical of Dekker —and it requires some suspension of disbelief). I found it a very good novel, one of Dekker's best while I was in the middle of it, although so much of the book's appeal is based on the suspense that I feel it isn't really worth rereading once you know the ending.
hivequeen's review
1.0
I'm just really tired of the twist being "oh the main character has DID and so has been the evil one this whole time" first of all its super ableist second of all its such an overused trope that its not even an interesting plot twist anymore its just annoying.
franquie's review
adventurous
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
An enjoyable read about the struggle between good and evil that is within all of us. I think this author is a little out there as far as his personal beliefs (he is Christian, but endorses the likes of Richard Rohr, and is a bit of a mystic), so you need to be aware of that when reading his books, and keep in mind his theology is likely not totally solid. Aside from that, I had a few critiques… I didn’t care for the fact that the main character (a man) was being rescued by a couple of women throughout the story, and some of the lovey-dovey talk was super corny, but aside from all that, I did enjoy the actual story and will likely be reading more from this author in the future.
debs4jc's review against another edition
plot summary: what happens, when & where, central characters, major conflicts[return]kevin parson receives a threatening call on his cell phone--telling him that he has 3 minutes to confess his sin, or a bomb will go off in his car. kevin manages to avoid the explosion, but the calls continue, as does the violence. what sin could the caller be referring to? is there a serial killer on the loose, or is there another explanation? as kevin and a childhood friend named jennifer probe these mysteries, they uncover many hidden secrets from kevin's past, but nothing seems to explain why the killer is targeting kevin--unless the answer lies within kevin himself.[return][return][return][return][return][return][return]style characterisics: pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.[return]the suspense never lets up, and the reader is kept guessing from the initial phone call to the twist at the end. the clues and riddles that the killer leaves add to the puzzle and fun of trying to figure things out. . he also creates some bizarre characters--like kevin's extremely unbalanced family--that contribute to the creepy factor. but dekker also builds the motivation of the crime on a spiritual/theological underpinning that allows him to exlore deeper issues.[return][return][return][return][return][return][return]how good is it?[return]the perfect blend of suspense and something deeper.
debs4jc's review
4.0
Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts[return]Kevin Parson receives a threatening call on his cell phone--telling him that he has 3 minutes to confess his sin, or a bomb will go off in his car. Kevin manages to avoid the explosion, but the calls continue, as does the violence. What sin could the caller be referring to? Is there a serial killer on the loose, or is there another explanation? As Kevin and a childhood friend named Jennifer probe these mysteries, they uncover many hidden secrets from Kevin's past, but nothing seems to explain why the killer is targeting Kevin--unless the answer lies within Kevin himself.[return][return][return][return][return][return][return]Style Characterisics: Pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.[return]The suspense never lets up, and the reader is kept guessing from the initial phone call to the twist at the end. The clues and riddles that the killer leaves add to the puzzle and fun of trying to figure things out. . He also creates some bizarre characters--like Kevin's extremely unbalanced family--that contribute to the creepy factor. But Dekker also builds the motivation of the crime on a spiritual/theological underpinning that allows him to exlore deeper issues.[return][return][return][return][return][return][return]How Good is it?[return]The perfect blend of suspense and something deeper.