Obsessed

Thrilling page turner

This has been an addictive page turner. It's kept me on pins and needles. There were times where I couldn't bear to turn the page because I just didn't want to know if the character was going to encounter an ugly end, or a great success. However I just had to keep going and read it because I really wanted to know what happened. The action and the plot were well written and it just keeps you on edge. It's been a very suspenseful plot and a very thrilling ride.

Stephen as a character is what makes the story funny and keeps the action going as he keeps on pressing towards his goal. I say it's funny because there were just things Stephen had to do which just made me laugh out loud. Roth on the other hand, makes the story very chilling and dark, he's your average villain, but add more evil (about 3 cups) and take away the soul and you get Roth. I have never read a villain such as this and he would most likely end up on my top ten villain list. He was just very real, and oozes evil (he even has the black ensemble to match it). Of all the characters mentioned though, I liked Ruth. Her strength, and her ability to see the good and be able to hold onto hope even when she was surrounded by death and hopelessness was very admirable.

Considering the author is known more for his Christian fiction, and he does make references to faith and God in his works, the book did not seem preachy at all. It did not get in the way of the plot. So those who aren't into Christian fiction like I am, the story really has nothing to do with God, or anything of any religious denomination. Just read it for the plot, and the spine chilling events. You'll be a satisfied reader like I was. Obsession does play a major theme in this book; both from Stephen's side, and from Roth's.

What frustrated me about the story is certain parts of the book where the characters decide to just stop and hesitate and think about what they're doing when they should be running out the door and running like hell. I don't get it. I felt like jumping in and kicking them towards the exit and to stop thinking and blubbering like idiots. It was extremely frustrating and annoying.

Overall though, an excellent page turner with all the right plot twists and thrilling moments at the right times. Give this a read if you want a great thrilling ride

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Book Review

Obsessed was completely wicked! Just when you think you have it figured out, the plot takes another twist. The story combines many character's stories in one crazy, hectic, breathtaking ride. If you like suspense, or mystery, or are just bored, you should read this book.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

My all time favorite dekker novel!

Im a huge fan of ted dekker but this is my favorite of them all! This is one book that no matter how many times i have read it i will alwaya pick it up again. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially to those who like historical fiction.

Obsessed has my attention!

One theme I found in Ted Dekker's book Obsessed was, like the title sates, obsession. Obsession can be communicated through a lot of different things. Just a few of these things are love, ideas, and desires. Obsessions dominate your thoughts with one of those things. In the story we meet Stephen Friedman, an orphan of WWII that had moved to the United States, living in California in 1973. He finds out that his mother is a Jewish woman that had survived the Torun work camp during the Holocaust. Stephen's mother dies before he meets her and leaves behind a Jewish relic, one of the 5 Stones of David. Stephen forms an obsession for this idea of the Stone of David. Not only are the gold stones valuable, they are the key to Stephen's past. "The Stones are like the lost orphans. They will eventually find each other." That's another part of the Stones of David and their history. This saying could be said to be the motto of Roth Braun, the son of the SS Officer that ran Torun during the Holocaust. Roth is on a mission to complete what his father had started many years ago. He also forms and obsession to find what Stephen's mother, Rachel, had left behind; the Stones of David, belongings that survived the war, and Stephen. I found the book interesting and it grabbed my attention. When I'd got a chance to read, it would be at large chunks of pages at a time because I got caught up in the characters. I liked Obsessed because of the vivid descriptions and emotion. A little spoiler: one of my favorite parts was when Stephen snuck into his mother's old home dressed as a woman. I don't think you'll be disappointed when you pick up this book.

Must Read by Ted Dekker

If you are interested in Ted Dekker books this is a MUST READ!! If you have never read a book, or a Ted Dekker book it is an Amazing/Great book to start with. It isn't in a series, its just a single book. One story. But probably one of my favorites!! Will never put it down!! Read the first couple chapters get past the explaining part and...BOOOOM it hits you with a suspensful mystery that keeps you on the edge!!! If you are a fann of National Treasure the movie, it is definitely similiar with a Christian touch to it, that in my opinion only believers will understand.
BUY THIS!!!

Obsessed!

Obsessed is a great piece of literature. It is a full of suspense, and romance. Dekker uses his geniousness in this book in the way he combines romance and drama. It is a story about a man who is looking for a treasure, which so many if us can relate to. If you are looking for a good book to read, this is the one!

Dekker does it again. He'll have you glued to your seat and lost in a story, while delivery a life lesson on what obsession really is.

Words cannot express how wonderful a novel "The Shack," by William P. Young, is. I will try to tell you about it because I am strongly convinced that every person that has eyes to read, or ears to hear, should hear this story.
Missy, a little girl, is kidnapped and presumed dead. This sends her introverted father, Mack even further into himself. One day he gets a note from "Papa" inviting him back to the shack where he discovered Missy was dead. You must understand this one thing; "Papa" is Mack's wife's endearing term for God, which only those closest to them know. She had a good relationship with her father, Mack did not.
A friend found out I was reading this book and asked me if I had met God yet. When you read this book you will understand why this question is so incredibly significant. God, through this book, will blow your mind when it comes to who He really is and how your relationship with Him can really be. I can guarantee you that your life will never be the same. So I dare you to read this book. Personal beliefs does not matter, just read it.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Riveting

I had a hard time putting book down. It was different from books I normally read. Diffently recommend reading

great book to be absorbed into

This was another outstanding book by my favorite Author Ted Dekker. His creativity keeps you turning in circles until the big picture is revealed in the end. This was no exception. I also like his methods of making people understand that there is more to out there then what you see, and how your life can be changed in an instant. This was an overall great read. However I would suggest reading THREE also by Ted Dekker

I Never Read And Couldnt Put This One Down.

For the past four years I havent read a book unless it was assigned in school and even then I never read I just printed off some footnotes. But I was driving to FL from IL long Ride and nothing to do and found obsessed in my moms purse I started reading And could not put it down! I read the whole book in three days!!! I still dont read often but when I do I read Ted Dekker

A reviewer

I love all Ted Dekker books and this was no exception. It took me a few chapters to get into it but I found it to be a page-turner after that.

Not what I expected

I'm a huge Dekker fan, but as the book went on I became less and less interested. I finally realized I was half way through the book and still wasn't into it. I read about 80 more pages and then finally stopped. Dekker has made so much better. I mean Thr3e was a masterpiece, The circle trilogy was so emotionally gripping, Showdown was stupendous. Obsessed was..... well, lacking. I felt the same way with Blessed Child, I couldn't finish that either. But I still love Dekker, but this is definately not his best

Definitely worth a read

This is one of my more favorite books. This was my first Dekker book to read and i thoroughly enjoyed it. After reading several others, this is still one of my favorites. The constantly changing of scenes and decades kept me on my toes and kept me turning the pages. Dont pass up a chance to read this book.

Surprised

Great but what a surprise. I had a hard time putting it down and was really surprised at the story line. Loved it!

Couldn't wait to put it down...

Book was NOT a page turner for me. I truly enjoyed the Turon storyline, but found the present day storyline totally annoying and unrealistic. The book would have been perfect if the writer had started with Turon and entered present day hero to finish up. The Obsession would have focused then on Roth and not Stephen, which is fine by me. Once the past and the present joined, the book was wonderful.

dekker does it again

obsessed is a fast paced novel, believe me, i couldn't put it down. there were revelations that left me breathless, yet the end still suprises you. dekker once more delivers the kind of novel that you can't guess from page one, you are constantly evolving your theories.

Brilliant and Breathtaking

Don¿t start if you don¿t have time to finish. Aptly named, Obsessed will grab your imagination and not let go. Psychological thrillers are rarely my cup of tea, so I resisted this one for a long time. It is brilliant, breathtaking, and paced at a sprint from start to finish. It is hard to put a finger on any one strength. If there are weaknesses, the principal ones may be that the pacing never lets up ¿ and the ending is almost too perfect (for this reviewer¿s taste) ¿ yet I was consumed (obsessed?) by the need to reach that ending. The adrenaline pumping pace held competition with the desire to take in every word ¿ the urgency to skim and so keep up with the narrative held competition with the brilliant writing that held too many gems to rush past. As a writer myself I am always searching for that elusive quality that raises one work above the crowd. Ted Dekker has captured that quality in Obsessed.

outstanding

Ted Dekkar seems to write books that once you pick them up its impossible to put them down. I just love all of his books. It seems that every book gets better and yet I can not understand how he can continuely out do himself---but he always does.

engaging suspense thriller

In 1973 Hamburg, Germany, Gerhard Braun is upset because of an article in the American newspapers that refer to the five Stones of David. He has wanted the stones since they escaped his grasp during World War II because he believes that the female Jew who sucked his soul would finally die. His son Dekker could not care less about a concentration camp survivor or the stones, but knows that near the stones is the incriminating journal that lists the names of the ¿Elders¿ and the two hundred plus women they abused and killed. He wonders who this Rachel Spritzer is.--- In Los Angeles realtor Stephen Friedman lives the good life, but always wondered about his family who probably died during the war in Poland. Though obsessed to know what happened, he gave up a long time ago until now. His Rabbi informs him that Rachel Spritzer had branded her concentration camp newborn with half of a Stone of David; she could have been Stephen¿s mother. He digs into the life of Rachel, but is unaware that Roth is coming to clean up another of his father¿s mistakes as he has done for much of the last three decades.--- This engaging suspense thriller rotates back and forth between 1973 and the War using the 1940s as a base for the 1970s cat and mouse game between the second generation offspring. The concentration camp scenes are graphic, compelling and realistically sadistic (not for everyone) leaving readers with empathy for the victims and a bad taste as the Elders use an organized sponsored ism to condone what they do to the Jews. This is a taut thriller in which the grounds for torture, rape and murder is Nazism.--- Harriet Klausner

Perfect blend of suspense and humor.

Wow! I don't know what the PW reviewer was on when they read this book. As a reader of many thirllers trust me, this book is a killer, no pun intended. I was fortuntate enough to read a galley of this wonderful novel. If you liked Thr3e, you'll love Obsessed. Gone are the days when very basic, stale plots gave us yet one more book to waste our minds on. Dekker has a unique knack for combining plot elelments that make you laugh and think at the same time; give you chills and thrills back to back. Obsessed is the story of an Obsession that is born in a Nazi prison camp and finaly plays out in all of its glory in the mid seventies. I won't give away the plot except to say that the protagonist, Stephen Friedman, and the antagonist, Roth Braun, are both after the same invaluable relic. But as with all of Dekker's books, in the end it's so much more. It's edgy, maybe more so than PW would like good old fashioned Christian fiction to be. But Dekker doesn't strike me as the gook old fashion type. He a leader in a new generation of moral writers. As for me, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the day that there are another ten authors who write books like this.