Skin by Ted Dekker

There's a freak storm right from the get-go.

The characters find themselves in a bizarre town that seems to "shift" on and off.

This book was originally published after Ted's other Circle Series tie-in called, House and you can find the similarities right off the bat.

The villain, Red, has the typical Ted quirk in that he likes to eat mustard. The characters trapped in this crazy shifting town read like Ted's characters and, for fans, it isn't a bad thing.

Colt, Jerry Pinkus, Wendy, Carey, and Nicole. Will you love them or hate them? Of course, the question everyone will ask from the beginning is: Which one is the bad guy/girl? It's a Ted Dekker book and if you've read Thr3e, you ask this question in every Ted book. It's like a Scooby Doo episode, within the first three minutes, you've seen the crook.

Honestly, this is one of the books I return to over and over. I can't really explain it. If it's the hardback cover art or the tie-ins (there's a scene connecting to his young adult series too) or if I simply am looking for deeper meanings from the story. I can't tell you.

But this book has interesting ideas about identity and self-worth. Who determines that? Where do you get your information about who you are? Is it self-taught, dictated by someone else? Do you have any control over it?

Then the ending. The ENDING! This is one of those either you absolutely love the ending or you vehemently hate the ending. I have yet to meet someone who thought the ending was, "eh s'alright". It will evoke a definite emotional reaction.

This book was provided for review, at no cost, by Center Street Publishing.