The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker | Re:View

Spend any time on my blog and you'll know I'm a not-so-secret Science Fiction and dystopian fan. I may love romantic suspense and many other kinds of fiction, but give me a great dystopian future or perhaps some special power/gifts set in another, future world with some sciency stuff (technical term) and I will be a happy camper.

Fast forward and here we have Rachelle Dekker--daughter of one of my favorite authors Ted Dekker--writing a Christian dystopian and it was a no-brainer. I had to read it. Now, to be fair, I've had this book for a while and really didn't go through it as fast as I thought I would. That has some bearing on my review because if I'm not hooked enough to put aside things I *should* be doing to read, then it's not going to be my favorite book. That said, I was also very busy so that accounts for this late review. Ok, I'm done with the preamble though. Here's my review: 

In my mind The Choosing is one part Matched meets one part Ted Dekker, meets one part crime drama, meets one part YA Dystopia. I know, that's a lot of parts but I feel like that was the different waves of thought I had for this book.

I'll start off by saying I wasn't sure what to expect. Per usual, I didn't read the back cover or blurbs about the book. I knew it was dystopian and I knew it dealt with identity, but that was about it. I dove in with anticipation and a little bit of wariness, unsure of what I'd find coming from such high expectations of Ted Dekker's writing and what I'd heard others say about the book.

To start off, I initially got a good feeling for the world. Ok, I thought, this could be interesting. I'm always curious to see how other authors create their dystopian worlds. But, the more I got into the book the less I discovered about the world. I am a huge fan of rich description and I didn't really find that here. I need something to help shape my mental images of the world and characters and, though I had some clues, I wished for a more. For total immersion.

Carrington Hale (first off, awesome name--and while we're on that subject, awesome names in general!) was a mellow chracter to me. I understood her plight and felt sorry for her at times, but I felt as if I couldn't get a firm grasp on who she was beneath the fact that she wasn't chosen. Granted, that's a large part of the book, but it felt a little like I wanted to shout at her and say do something. She was not brought into sharp contrast to me and instead kind of floated through the book and her relationships. Speaking of relationships, I really liked Remko! I won't spoil anything, but, though he doesn't say much, he was a firmer character to me. Though I would have loved to see even more of him!

As for the plot, I would say it was interesting yet understandable. That's where the Ted Dekker/Crime Show feelings came in. The villain was very "Dekker" in my opinion (not that this is a bad thing). I can appreciate a really bad guy doing bad things. Not that it was too graphic, but part of me always wishes for more from villains. They are often times too weak to really be "bad" and then you have to wonder, why were we scared in the first place? I digress...

The romance was...eh. I mean, the parts where the romance was described were great but the foundation to it was slightly contrived in my opinion. I personally didn't feel like they were on the page together enough to make it believable.

The rest of the cast of characters was well chosen (no pun intended)--with exception to Carrington's family. I just really didn't get a read on them aside from mom=bad and dad=nice, but both very weak in their roles. I did like Aaron's character (again, he felt very Ted Dekker-ish if I can use that as a descriptor). Obviously, I approve of Aaron's message and the way in which it's delivered was...interesting.

All in all, I'd have to say this book didn't wow me. I was easily distracted from it and wished there had been...more. More action, more compelling plot movement, more emotion, more feeling, more tension. Oh, and less name usage--maybe I'm just being nitpicky but I felt as if there was an overabundance of first name's used throughout the novel which made the writing feel stiff and choppy in points.

I will say I am interested in reading the second book because I'd like to see what Rachelle decides to do with the series. If you like YA Dystopian and are looking for a good message, I would recommend it to you--it may go over well with teen readers, though there are hints of violence to be aware of. Oh, and the cover is lovely. You all know I can't help but notice amazing covers!

Rating: 3.5*
Purchase: The Choosing

Book Description
(from Amazon)

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for―her Choosing ceremony―to end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. Though the whispers contradict everything she’s been told, they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, yet she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

_______________

I received a free copy of this book for review purposes, but was under no obligation to read the book or post a review. I do so under my own motivation and the opinions I have expressed in this review are honest and entirely my own.

Choosing The Choosing: A Look at Rachelle Dekker's New Release

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for—her Choosing ceremony—would end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. The whispers contradict everything she’s been told; yet they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, but she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.
(From Rachelle's website)


Who is Rachelle Dekker?

The oldest daughter of New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker, Rachelle Dekker was inspired early on to discover truth through storytelling. She graduated with a degree in communications and spent several years in marketing and corporate recruiting before making the transition to write full-time. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Daniel, and their diva cat, Blair.

Visit her online at rachelledekker.com.
Twitter: @RachelleDekker 
Facebook: facebook.com/RachelleDekkerAuthor
Instagram: @rachelle_dekker


A little bit about the book and Rachelle...

How did you come up with the story for The Choosing?
...This is a hard question because it has many answers. I wanted to write a theme-based novel about identity. I wanted to write a dystopian novel. I wanted to write in a world that was familiar, but in a setting where I could change the way the world worked. It actually is several ideas I’d been toying with pulled into one story. Once I landed on Carrington’s core revelation and story arc, I simply fell in love with her as a character and drew the rest of the story around her. That’s usually how it works for me. I come up with a character, good or bad, and create the story from there.

"Life is a journey of remembering and forgetting.” 

This is one of the story’s most significant lines is. What do you mean by this?
...It means exactly what you probably think. We have these flashes of clarity where we see so clearly who we are—and our connection to the Father—but then, in a single moment, something pulls our attention away and we forget who we are. This is the journey of life, remembering and forgetting. But I believe the more we remember, the more we set our gaze on the Father, the less often we forget.

What do you hope readers will take away from the story?
...I hope readers are filled with joy and power as they either realize for the first time who their Father is and what they are really worth, or as they simply remember this truth.
The Choosing is the first of a three-book series. What can we expect in the next two books?
...More struggles with identity, but in different ways. Familiar characters dealing with fear and worry and forgiveness. We’ll walk with our characters as they continue to understand the true way of Aaron’s Father. More excitement, more romance (of course), and more self-discovery.

Lastly, I have long since LOVED Ted Dekker's books. I mean...I've read almost every single one there is ;) So...what is it like being Ted Dekker’s daughter? Did your father help you with the writing process?
...Being Ted’s daughter is wonderful! He’s the best, but then I hope many daughters feel that way about their fathers. He is a bit of a mystery, though. Sometimes, even sitting at the dinner table, I can tell he’s lost in thought, and I wonder what it might be like to have his mind.

...It’s been a blessing to watch him write and struggle with writing, so that now when I struggle I have an understanding ear to talk off. He is always willing to talk me through the emotional and mental side of writing (which is where the biggest battles lie in wait) but as far as story, for the most part he lets me fend for myself. It’s always been important to me to write through my challenges on my own. To figure out scenes alone. In fact, he didn’t even read The Choosing until I was already in conversations with Tyndale about publication. I think that’s because he wanted me to believe I could do it on my own.

...But when I doubt my ability as a writer, and when I forget who I am, he is the one I call. And he reminds me that life is a journey of remembering and forgetting, and helps me in remembering once again.

Awesome! Love this, Rachelle. So, there you have it folks - a great NEW book on the market that you must check out! I'll be starting it soon for review and I can't wait to share that with you all!

Purchase: The Choosing (A Seer Novel)