Hacker, by Ted Dekker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

BOOK DESCRIPTION: "My name is Nyah and I'm a hacker. I know things most people would never believe. Things that shouldn't exist, but do."

Seventeen-year-old Nyah Parks is a genius hacker who makes a living by cracking the firewalls of the world's largest corporations. But when the biggest job of her life goes wrong, she's plunged into a desperate situation with only one way out: one last hack that will either save her or kill her. So begins Hacker, a modern-day parable that examines the staggering world around us, the seen and the unseen, and reminds us that there's far more to who we are than meets the eye.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Ted Dekker is a New York Times best-selling author of over thirty novels. Heralded as a "master of suspense" by Library Journal, Dekker has sold millions worldwide, establishing himself as one of the most widely recognized author brands. Dekker was born to missionaries and grew up among cannibals of Indonesia, and his peculiar upbringing gives him a unique perspective outside the cultural bubble, allowing him the freedom to share provocative insights in his fiction. He resides in Austin, Texas with his wife and children.

SERIES:  #3 of The Outlaw Chronicles (#1 - Eyes Wide Open, #2 - Water Walker). Also related to the book Outlaw, which is not officially part of the series.

PARENTAL RATING: PG-13.

MY THOUGHTS: As is his style, Dekker thrills us while teaching about God and His infinite love for us.  The main character, Nyah, is so caught up in the heaviness of the responsibility for her mother's care that she makes decisions with huge consequences.  She and her fellow genius friend slide back and forth between worlds as they try to solve their problems, finding that what happens in this other realm has direct correlation to what they see as the real world.

This story pulled me in more than the others of the series, and I didn't want to put it down until I'd finished. I loved the perspective that Dekker presented on suffering and God's sovereignty:

I know that what's happened to you seems random and pointless and cruel, but it's not. I've seen it.  I see it now. Everything had to happen as it did. It was the only way...there's a truth that's so large and beautiful and perfect that it holds everything together. It's hard to see it now, but it's true. (chapter 4.3)

He isn't afraid to delve into the mysteries of God that sometimes throw our lives into a beautiful chaos, reminding us that what we see and think we know is only a shadow of what's really taking place in the great tapestry of our lives.

I would recommend this book to technology geeks, those going through tough circumstances that make no sense, and anyone who likes a good thriller.

DISCLOSURE:  I was provided a copy of this ebook by netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.