When I write about books I really like, I often write long reviews. When I really dislike a book I often write even more. That's because I want to explain the many reasons I disliked it. It seems a funny exercise, because I could just write "I hated it" and move on, but usually the reasons I dislike a book have to do with the assumptions the author makes about certain aspects of life, and I can't live with not saying something about them.

So it is with this book.

Imagine this: A group of children is raised from birth in a loving environment, taught the forgiving ways of Christianity. They are raised in a monastery, where they have no access to the outside world and can therefore not be influenced by the uglier aspects of some people's characters. Every day these children write stories. Writing is a big part of their lives and they become very good at it.

Okay so far. The children are told not to enter the lower level of the monastery, a land of tunnels that has a reputation of being an "evil place", and until they turn 13 they don't even consider it. But then one of the children, Billy, finds a note that urges him to go there and eventually he takes a look. The tunnels are lined with large worms that emit a slime that smells good to Billy. When he gets past the worms he finds a large library that excites him greatly.

When the leaders of the monastery find out about Billy's excursions some of them want to force him back in line. But their leader, who is in fact not a monk but a scientist, says no. Because one of the other tenets of this "experiment" is that the adults will not interfere when any children encounter evil in any form. For the experiment is to find out if good will, in all cases, overcome evil.

Presumably because these children were raised in this Christian place they are considered "pure good". Can they be corrupted? If so, will the good eventually win out anyway?

All right. So we buy this so far. I have difficulty with the definition of "good" as being solely defined by a belief in christianity. We have evolved to know the difference, with or without a religion. It is better for the continuation of the human race if we treat each other decently so we have developed an innate sense of right and wrong, even as toddlers who know nothing of any gods. But we'll accept, for now, that these children have been raised with love.

And yet. Billy is easily converted to a love of "evil". He delights in making bad things happen to others, and he easily persuades others to join him. This is where I have to wonder. What was all that about love? All those years of living a life of love and decency and snap! It's gone. By exposure to evil. Really??

Eventually there is but one child left who has not gone to the "dungeons" to write and enjoy making life hard for others not themselves. This is Samuel, son of the leader of the monastery. I won't complicate this review by describing exactly what Samuel and the others are doing when they write in a large bunch of bizarre blank books - that would be telling! - but I will say that he tries to conquer the evil that Billy and the others have wrought, led in fact by a monk who has gone astray.

Samuel ultimately in effect takes on the role of Jesus. It was impossible to escape the allegory here. He does so to save a town called Paradise from Hell. But it is only the intervention of his father that finally saves the town (sorry if I've blown the story here for some of you). The question is: how in fact did good defeat evil? Was it through the actions of these many children who had been raised in love??

Ultimately, I'd have to say that Dekker has a very pessimistic view of human nature if he believes thirteen-year-olds can change their nature so easily. I believe they would have greater inner strength. If not, what is the point of all this Christian teaching? I think he defeats his own message, which, obviously, I don't share anyway. ( )

a very good book ( )

I don't even know how to describe this one. Part horror, part supernatural, part thriller, with some Christian undertones. Basically a man (Marsuvees Black) arrives in the small town of Paradise, Colorado and starts creating havoc. Meanwhile, in a nearby monastery, orphan children who have been brought up with a religious background and have been tailored to become gifted writers, become divided and seek out the restricted underground tunnels, discovering secret blank books. However, when the children begin writing in the books, their stories become reality, adversely affecting the town of Paradise.

This book is as crazy as it sounds. I still am not sure what the point of it was or why Marsuvees Black began causing trouble in the first place. The audio I listened to was an abridgment. I'm not sure if the story would've made more sense to me had it not been abridged. Probably not. But I doubt that I'll read anymore Ted Dekker. Too weird. ( )

Formulaic but a decent read. ( )

my first Dekker book. Heard a lot about him. Now I've read him. I like it. About a Battle for the town of Paradise between children using Books of History[in which the writer's writings come true]. The Story of Christ told all over again. It reminded me of the Visitation a good bit. ( )