by Jason Joyner | Apr 28, 2009 | Blog, BoneMan's Daughters, christian fiction, Ted Dekker, writing craft
I reviewed BoneMan’s Daughters almost 2 weeks ago, but there is still a lot of buzz about it. I read an article on CNN.com today with a catchy headline: ‘BoneMan’ creator grew up with cannibals. Hard to top that, methinks.
Here’s the article about Ted and his place in (or out) of Christian fiction. There are some memorable quotes by an editor, Henry Carrigan, that I want to share as well:
“Good writing is lacking in a lot of Christian fiction. It’s pedantic, the prose is awful, the writing is static and it’s difficult to believe the characters,” Carrigan says.
Though Christian publishers pushed hard to get their authors on mainstream shelves, what eventually did often was shelved away from fiction under a subsection called “inspirational fiction.” “Even though they made the crossover, they didn’t make the crossover. They were ghettoized,” Carrigan says.
Dekker has succeeded, Carrigan says, because “he knows how to write.” Describing Dekker’s style as ” ‘CSI’ meets God and Satan,” the editor observes, “He knows how to use the formula when he uses a formula. He can suck people in. That’s why he’s been so successful.”
So what does this say about Dekker and Christian fiction in general? Thoughts?
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by Jason Joyner | Apr 28, 2009 | Blog, BoneMan's Daughters, christian fiction, Ted Dekker, writing craft
I reviewed BoneMan’s Daughters almost 2 weeks ago, but there is still a lot of buzz about it. I read an article on CNN.com today with a catchy headline: ‘BoneMan’ creator grew up with cannibals. Hard to top that, methinks.
Here’s the article about Ted and his place in (or out) of Christian fiction. There are some memorable quotes by an editor, Henry Carrigan, that I want to share as well:
“Good writing is lacking in a lot of Christian fiction. It’s pedantic, the prose is awful, the writing is static and it’s difficult to believe the characters,” Carrigan says.
Though Christian publishers pushed hard to get their authors on mainstream shelves, what eventually did often was shelved away from fiction under a subsection called “inspirational fiction.” “Even though they made the crossover, they didn’t make the crossover. They were ghettoized,” Carrigan says.
Dekker has succeeded, Carrigan says, because “he knows how to write.” Describing Dekker’s style as ” ‘CSI’ meets God and Satan,” the editor observes, “He knows how to use the formula when he uses a formula. He can suck people in. That’s why he’s been so successful.”
So what does this say about Dekker and Christian fiction in general? Thoughts?
—
by Jason Joyner | Apr 20, 2009 | Blog, BoneMan's Daughters, books, reading, reviews, Ted Dekker
*Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of BoneMan’s Daughters.*
I had a few scattered thoughts on the book that I didn’t work into my review.
Firstly, there is a lot of violent images in the book. The violence itself is “off-stage” for the most part, but a reader who is quite sensitive should be aware of this. Dekker addresses this in a post on his blog, and it is worth reading.
Second, Dekker also has a heartfelt story on his blog regarding the inspiration behind this book.
For what it’s worth, I was surprised by the editing mistakes I seemed to find throughout the book. They were mainly inconsistencies (six victims, then seven). For a “major” push, I would expect higher quality, because I don’t go looking for those type of things. I also tried, for the first time, to use Google maps to follow one path the protaganist takes. I remember Brandilyn Collins blogging about carefully charting whether the moon would be full or not on a certain date mentioned in her book, as obsessive fans who really watch details would be sure to notice. I was just curious, but the directions the book give don’t jive with the real life roads he uses. Interesting. Maybe Jason had too much time on his hands, but still…
Finally, a challenge. I found at least 5 times that a character is noted to be surprised or taken aback by a conversation by Dekker using the phrase, “He blinked.” Every author has their pet phrase. Some I’ve noticed is the coppery taste of blood, others sensations tingling/dancing/trippping down the spine. Blinking is a Dekker trademark. See how many times you can find this!
Enough rambling by me, so leave a comment already!
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by Jason Joyner | Apr 20, 2009 | Blog, BoneMan's Daughters, books, reading, reviews, Ted Dekker
*Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of BoneMan’s Daughters.*
I had a few scattered thoughts on the book that I didn’t work into my review.
Firstly, there is a lot of violent images in the book. The violence itself is “off-stage” for the most part, but a reader who is quite sensitive should be aware of this. Dekker addresses this in a post on his blog, and it is worth reading.
Second, Dekker also has a heartfelt story on his blog regarding the inspiration behind this book.
For what it’s worth, I was surprised by the editing mistakes I seemed to find throughout the book. They were mainly inconsistencies (six victims, then seven). For a “major” push, I would expect higher quality, because I don’t go looking for those type of things. I also tried, for the first time, to use Google maps to follow one path the protaganist takes. I remember Brandilyn Collins blogging about carefully charting whether the moon would be full or not on a certain date mentioned in her book, as obsessive fans who really watch details would be sure to notice. I was just curious, but the directions the book give don’t jive with the real life roads he uses. Interesting. Maybe Jason had too much time on his hands, but still…
Finally, a challenge. I found at least 5 times that a character is noted to be surprised or taken aback by a conversation by Dekker using the phrase, “He blinked.” Every author has their pet phrase. Some I’ve noticed is the coppery taste of blood, others sensations tingling/dancing/trippping down the spine. Blinking is a Dekker trademark. See how many times you can find this!
Enough rambling by me, so leave a comment already!
—
by Jason Joyner | Apr 18, 2009 | Biblical worldview, Blog, BoneMan's Daughters, books, reviews, Ted Dekker
BoneMan’s Daughters.
Ted Dekker.
For readers of CBA fiction, the name of the book coupled with the name of the author will not be a surprise. However, this book is considered Dekker’s first “mass market” novel. It is released by Center Street, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group. This book is getting huge promotion, is a Barnes and Noble “Pick of the Week,” and in just a few days is number 53 on the whole site.
Synopsis:
A Texas serial killer called BoneMan is looking for the perfect daughter. Seven young women were apparently unable to meet his standards, and were found with their bones broken, but no open wounds. Two years ago a man was tried and convicted as BoneMan, but a problem with evidence is setting him free.
Ryan Evans is a Navy intelligent officer returning from a tour in Iraq. Traumatized by capture, he realizes he had let down his wife and daughter, and only wants to return and atone for his mistakes.
Only BoneMan is back, and has found a new daughter: Bethany Evans.
Ryan is desperate to rescue his daughter and engages BoneMan directly, even as the FBI wonders about his background and the suspicious timing of the kidnapping. Are Ryan and BoneMan one in the same?
BoneMan’s Daughters is unmistakably Dekker: suspenseful, intense, with puzzles and twists to keep you guessing until the end. Is Ryan BoneMan? Will Bethany survive? As a page-turner, Dekker doesn’t disappoint.
I was disappointed to a degree with the characterization though. In a Youtube interview, Dekker says that the primary character is meant to be an “everyman.” This makes sense, as I didn’t know much about Ryan. I cared about the plight of Bethany, but Ryan seemed pretty one-dimensional: a distraught father who acknowledges his previous failure. Bethany is a more compelling character, with a background and a lot of internal conflict as she stives to survive.
BoneMan is successful as a twisted outcast of a man, with unique traits that set him apart from the standard “psycho serial killer.” His allusions from the book of Proverbs were an interesting literary touch. Still, Dekker did a better job with his characters in Thr3e.
Overall, Dekker writes with a message. There’s always wrestling with truth in the context of the battle of good and evil. Questions of war, love, evil are all present. There are some touching themes that deserve deeper thought. I don’t want to prejudice, so see what you come up with on your own.
BoneMan’s Daughters is another solid suspense from the mind of Dekker, but I didn’t feel it was his best outing. It should please his longtime fans and win him new ones. If this is his major market splash, it definitely beats junk like James Patterson.
If you would like to read the first chapter of BoneMan’s Daughters, go HERE.
To win one of three free copies, leave a comment by 4/23, using the name of a Dekker novel creatively in a sentence. Good luck!
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by Jason Joyner | Apr 18, 2009 | Biblical worldview, Blog, BoneMan's Daughters, books, reviews, Ted Dekker
BoneMan’s Daughters.
Ted Dekker.
For readers of CBA fiction, the name of the book coupled with the name of the author will not be a surprise. However, this book is considered Dekker’s first “mass market” novel. It is released by Center Street, a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group. This book is getting huge promotion, is a Barnes and Noble “Pick of the Week,” and in just a few days is number 53 on the whole site.
Synopsis:
A Texas serial killer called BoneMan is looking for the perfect daughter. Seven young women were apparently unable to meet his standards, and were found with their bones broken, but no open wounds. Two years ago a man was tried and convicted as BoneMan, but a problem with evidence is setting him free.
Ryan Evans is a Navy intelligent officer returning from a tour in Iraq. Traumatized by capture, he realizes he had let down his wife and daughter, and only wants to return and atone for his mistakes.
Only BoneMan is back, and has found a new daughter: Bethany Evans.
Ryan is desperate to rescue his daughter and engages BoneMan directly, even as the FBI wonders about his background and the suspicious timing of the kidnapping. Are Ryan and BoneMan one in the same?
BoneMan’s Daughters is unmistakably Dekker: suspenseful, intense, with puzzles and twists to keep you guessing until the end. Is Ryan BoneMan? Will Bethany survive? As a page-turner, Dekker doesn’t disappoint.
I was disappointed to a degree with the characterization though. In a Youtube interview, Dekker says that the primary character is meant to be an “everyman.” This makes sense, as I didn’t know much about Ryan. I cared about the plight of Bethany, but Ryan seemed pretty one-dimensional: a distraught father who acknowledges his previous failure. Bethany is a more compelling character, with a background and a lot of internal conflict as she stives to survive.
BoneMan is successful as a twisted outcast of a man, with unique traits that set him apart from the standard “psycho serial killer.” His allusions from the book of Proverbs were an interesting literary touch. Still, Dekker did a better job with his characters in Thr3e.
Overall, Dekker writes with a message. There’s always wrestling with truth in the context of the battle of good and evil. Questions of war, love, evil are all present. There are some touching themes that deserve deeper thought. I don’t want to prejudice, so see what you come up with on your own.
BoneMan’s Daughters is another solid suspense from the mind of Dekker, but I didn’t feel it was his best outing. It should please his longtime fans and win him new ones. If this is his major market splash, it definitely beats junk like James Patterson.
If you would like to read the first chapter of BoneMan’s Daughters, go HERE.
To win one of three free copies, leave a comment by 4/23, using the name of a Dekker novel creatively in a sentence. Good luck!
—
