Zoe Johnson spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes. Now, against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who … doesn’t seem to have any past at all. The girl knows only one thing: she must reach a woman in Corpus Christi, Texas, hundreds of miles away, before the government agents who are searching for her catch up to them.Award-winning author Rachelle Dekker throws you into the middle of the action and keeps the pressure on in this page-turning story that, asks Are we who the world says we are–or can we change our story and be something more?
more
Nine by Rachelle Dekker
This is the second book I have read by Rochelle Dekker. The first book was a calibration with her father Ted Dekker. I think this was a good book but it wasn’t my cup of tea. The book didn’t catch my attention in the first chapter. It was hard to stay focused on the book. I have to say the people were likable. I think this book will be excellent for people who are younger.
I am rating this book a 3 out of a five.
I will recommend this book because, it is probably others cup of tea
I got this complimentary copy from Reveal and netgallery for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
This was my second time reading a Rachelle Dekker book. This one was pretty different from my past experience. I was first interested by the cover. The blurb had me intrigued, but to me the story didn’t keep me hooked. A lot of it felt way too unrealistic. I was turned off of this book because of the torture descriptions as well. It felt like too much work to keep myself interested in this book. I ended up having to skip to the end to finish it. All of that is to just say that this book ended up not being for me.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Rachelle Decker has dipped her foot into a few genres as a writer. She wrote an entire dystopian series, a psychological thriller, and a collaboration with her father, Ted Dekker that was a speculative novel, which he is known for. Nine seems to be suspenseful yet also speculative.
For me the book had a very slow start and took awhile to actually get into. The internal struggle of the characters was spot on. Characters had to make choices to either be chained to their past or make changes to be better.
Overall the book is a suspenseful emotional read. I would caution you that there is gun violence, and torture.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via the publisher. I was not re
I’ve been a fan of Rachelle Dekker ever since I read The Girl Behind the Red Rope. When I saw that Rachelle Dekker had released a new book entitled Nine, I knew it was a book that I needed to read. I was so glad I picked this book up!
I felt that the plot to Nine was solid. Zoe Johnson is busy working at her mundane job as a waitress when a young 17 year old girl shows up. From the get go, Zoe is protective of this young girl named Lucy who appears naive, scared, confused, and willing to trust anyone. However, trying to protect Lucy will have a high cost as Lucy is much more than she appears to be.
I read Nine in about a day. The pacing was so spot on that I didn’t want to put this book down. The action starts out right in the first chapter and just carries on throughout the book. From the very first page, I was sucked into this suspenseful world Rachelle Dekker had masterfully created. Though it does have some similarities with the video game/movie Resident Evil (sans zombies), Dekker did a fantastic job at making the plot line feel original although it’s been done many times before. There are a few plot twists including one that links back to The Girl Behind the Red Rope which I was very excited to read about! Yes, some of the plot twists are a bit predictable, but Nine is a very interesting story nonetheless.
I have to gush about the characters in Nine now. Dekker did an amazing job making her characters feel fleshed out. I felt as if the characters in Nine were people I actually knew in real life; that’s how realistic these characters were written. I loved Zoe’s character. Even though she had a sad story and baggage of her own, it was refreshing to see her actually put her trust and care about someone else. I will say I would have liked to know more about her brother Stephen and read more in detail about what happened to him. Perhaps Dekker will write a story about Stephen another time. Anyway, Zoe was an amazing character, and I could always feel what she felt from elation to deep sadness and more. Although Olivia isn’t in the book very much, I also loved Olivia and how much she sacrificed for a certain experiment. Lucy was my favorite character, and it was interesting to be able to see her thought process starting in part two of Nine. Reading about her internal struggle with how she was raised versus who she wanted to be felt very emotional to me. We have all had that struggle with ourselves to become a better version of ourself. Seeley was a bit of a wild card. Sometimes I loved him, and other times I hated him although I could understand why he was doing what he did (not that it was justified for most of it). I would have hated to have the same ultimatum given to me as Hammon gave Seeley. Even all the minor characters (especially McCoy) I really enjoyed. Every character added to the story and fleshed it out even more.
Trigger warnings for Nine include violence (including gun violence), torture, and murder.
Overall, Nine is an emotional story with a positive message that really makes you think about how you can change no matter your given circumstances. Nine would make a fantastic movie or tv series, and I know I would watch it should anyone ever do that. I would definitely recommend Nine by Rachelle Dekker to those aged 16+ that love highly suspenseful stories that include a positive message.
—
(A special thank you to Revell for providing me with a paperback of Nine by Rachelle Dekker in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)
Rachelle Dekker is so talented to write thought provoking novels. Her newest release, Nine, is no different. This one is by far my favorite I have read by her to date. What a fabulous read. I loved every single page. I often left setting on the edge of my seat as I wondered what was going to happen next. Such a great piece of suspense filled mystery. I loved it.
I am giving Nine a very well deserved five plus stars. It should not be one to be missed.
I received Nine from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
“She could have walked away a dozen times before arriving at this moment. She could have followed her gut, which had screamed for her to listen at every turn. She could have blocked out Lucy from the beginning. Done what her mother had always taught her: to fear. And what the world had never stopped reminding her: to protect.”
This was the first of Rachelle Dekker’s books I’ve read, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Honestly, I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this story! It does have a bit of a dystopian/sci-fi element, but not so much that it didn’t feel like it could have been ripped from future headlines. The action and emotion are intense, as there are twists around every corner for Zoe and Lucy, and they never know who they can trust.
The gripping storyline is given more intensity by the powerful message that we don’t have to let our past define us, but we can make the choice to leave our fear, our mistakes, and our guilt behind as we become the people we were made to be. Each of the main characters – Zoe, Lucy, and Agent Seeley – come to experience forgiveness and redemption in their own unique ways. I’m a new fan of Rachelle Dekker, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!
“The only thing that will ever limit you is the belief that you can be limited.”
Nine by Rachelle Dekker drops readers into the middle of the action. A woman and a teenager are being chased through the woods by men with guns. The girl barely escapes but has no memories of who she is and only a vague idea of who she can trust. Zoe Johnson finds the lost girl, Lucy, and takes her in. But Zoe doesn’t realize that Lucy is no ordinary girl and the entire government will stop at nothing to bring Lucy back into their custody.
I’d classify this story as sci-fi/dystopian. The suspense is intense from start to finish as readers try to put the pieces together. Who is Lucy? What happened in Zoe’s complicated pass? Tom Seeley heads up the hunt for Lucy, and he’s an interesting character. I loved trying to figure out if he was a good guy, a bad guy, or both. The action is pretty intense and a few torture scenes might be over the top for some readers.
I found the overarching theme of the book surprising and engaging. Several characters had allowed past circumstances to dictate their present selves. They never seemed to escape their past. The story addresses the age old question: can a person really ever change? Can someone overwrite his or her past to become someone new? Several characters transformed throughout the story, dealing with past burdens and a realization that they were made for more. I was surprised that the author could take an action-driven story and bring out such poignant themes of hope and change.
All in all, this is an intriguing read, chock full of suspense. I’d put this on your TBR list if you like futuristic stories with intricate themes that really make you think.
Overall: 5 stars (I loved it, couldn’t put it down)
Suspense: 5 stars (Non-stop edge-of-your-seat suspense from start to finish)
I received an ebook review copy of this book through Revell and NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This is the first novel I have read by Rachelle Dekker and I have to say honestly that I did not know exactly what to expect from it. I thought that the story blurb on the back of the book sounded extremely interesting which is why I decided to read it. The book starts out with a doctor named Olivia and a teenage girl named Lucy running from several men that were chasing them. However, you are not yet told a lot of information as to why they are being chased or where they are being chased from. Because of this vague and somewhat confusing, but intriguing beginning, I have to say I was really afraid that I was not going to like the book. I was also nervous that she was going to do what another author I read once did which is keep me confused the entire book. However, instead of leaving me confused, Rachelle allows you to slowly learn about what is going on as the main characters, Zoe and Lucy, learn about things with the caveat that you also get to learn more than they do. With this extra information does come some unknowns in and of itself though because one of the characters, Agent Seeley, is acting/talking one way around Lucy and Zoe but another way entirely around the other agents he works with. If you are looking for a good suspense novel with a lot of twists and turns that feels like you are putting a puzzle together right along with the main characters then look no further because this is the book you are looking for.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy in order to give an honest review.
Nine by Rachelle Dekker is a disturbing thriller. Zoe wants to live a quiet simple life after having been subject to abusive treatment when she was a child. Her life is going along until she tries to help a young girl who comes into the cafe. Zoe feels compassion for the girl who seems to be suffering from memory loss. Zoe takes Lucy to her small apartment and now the trouble begins!
As I read the history of Lucy/Number Nine’s life it gave me chills! The mental abuse that was experienced by Number Nine as she was in training as a child was horrible. It was difficult to continue reading, but I did want to know if Seeley would prove to be trust-worthy.
The overall theme of “who we really are and can we change the way our lives have been programmed’ was very interesting. As intriguing as the storyline happened to be, the overall mental child abuse was disturbing.
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
“Nine” by Rachelle Dekker was a great suspense novel. This book catches you on the first page and keeps you going until the end! There were many twists and turns along the way. I am very impressed in Rachelle Dekker’s writing. Even though she is young, she writes like a seasoned author!
I highly recommend this novel if you like good, clean, suspense-filled novels. You won’t be disappointed!
I received this from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest opinion.