Showdown by Ted Dekker

Everything changes in Paradise, Colorado, when Marsuvees Black walks into town and begins preforming miracles. If people will just drink his water, they will be healed. But when the people who drink of his cup begin to see strange visions, a boy named Johnny senses that all is not all right.

Thirty-seven teenagers are currently living in a monastery and are all a part of Project Showdown, a project they don't know about. But someone is trying to sabotage the project in ways they don't expect.

Billy and Darcy, two teenagers in the project have recently discovered secrets in the forbidden basement of the monastery. Secrets that could change the entire world as we know it. But someone wants to use them for their own purposes.

As usual, Ted Dekker finds a way to incorporate this series into the Circle. But in saying that, it's more like he incorporated the Circle into this series.

What I mean is, I don't think the Circle needed the Books of History, the objects in question. The Books of History only need to be in the Project Showdown series. I would have liked it much better if Project Showdown existed outside of the Circle. Dekker finds an original way to use the blank Books of History in Showdown, more original than any way he ever used them in the Circle.

Showdown

is an example of Ted Dekker's good, philosophical, allegorical writing style that I like better than his typical, run-of-the-mill writing style he acquired after becoming too popular. If only he would have stuck with this instead of going toward the typical.

However, there are several things keeping Showdown from being five stars. While it is very well-written, the characters lack personalities, though they are imperfect. Also, the end is slightly expected. But the end needed to be expected in order for this story to be an allegory.

I know there are two more books in this series, but I fail to see what needs to be continued. However, this series has much potential and I look forward to the rest of it.

4 stars