My Review of Boneman’s Daughters by Ted Dekker

Bonemans Daughters by Ted Dekker
Center Street, April 2009
Rating: (5/5)

A serial killer looking for the perfect daughter.
A father who wants a second chance with his family.

A daughter who only ever wanted a father who loved her.

How far would you go to save your child?

So many layers to BoneMans Daughters, so much to say about it. Ive put off writing this review because the book was so complex, so powerful, so disturbing (on so many levels), that I wasnt sure what to say or how to say it. So Im just going to tell you what my impressions were as I read it, and how I felt at the end.

I didnt love this book at first. It takes focus, something I dont exactly have at this moment in my life (with a one-year-old). It also concentrates largely on issues that can be very troubling to anyone with children. It takes you, kicking and screaming, into the mind of a serial killer. Worse, a serial killer who targets teenage girls. Heres a quote so you can get an idea of what Im talking about. A tiny peek into the mind of BoneMan, a creature (I cant even call him a man) so scary, Im now suspiciously analyzing every strange-looking man.

There were two things that excited BoneMan more than he could possibly express with mere words; nay, three things that sent shivers up his spine.
A young girls cries for mercy.
Noxzema skin lotion.
The sound of bones breaking beneath skin.
(BoneMans Daughters, page 148)

Freaky, right? If Ted Dekkers mission was to make things alarmingly life-like and give us a window into the mind of Satan, he did it man. I even had to take a break from reading it at one point because I started having disturbing dreams. Call me a wimp, if you must my only defense is that this was my first serious thriller.

Despite the fact that it freaked me out, it was an amazing read. Fascinating. By the time I finished, I was just staring into space thinking, Wow. Why is it so good? Its like CSI, NCIS, and 24 rolled into one. Except ten times better because youre reading it and not watching it on TV. When you watch thrillers on TV you hardly have time to think about anything before youre on to the next exciting scene. Reading it is a whole different experience. You can set the book aside and think. You have time. Time to roll the facts (and horror) through your mind. Time to predict what will happen next.

One of the main reasons that I love Ted Dekkers books is that there is always more to it than just the plot. The plot itself is always thought-provoking (forget though-provoking, its thought-electrifying) of course, but there is, without fail, a message, a question that opens your eyes to real life, to your life. BoneMans Daughters was no exception.

I highly recommend you read this book if youre into thrillers, adventure, 24, . Just maybe dont read it at night like I did. 😉 Im warning you, though youll want to buy copies for your friends and make them read them (like youd have to force them if theyve read Ted Dekker before) so that youll have someone to discuss the books with. And youll find it entering your mind at the most inopportune times, like when you need to be sleeping.

Forget it. You can sleep when youre dead. Read Ted Dekker now, sleep later. Its worth it.

Awesome conversation with Ted Dekker about BoneMans Daughters (video embedded in post):

Great Links:

Read the first chapter of BoneMans Daughters
Ted Dekkers Official Website
Michelle Suttons Review of BoneMans Daughters

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