Oh. My. Gosh. Really. After reading this 424 page book and that’s what I got to say. I know, I know. That’s not a review, but gosh. Rachelle Dekker can write a book!
There seemed to be buzz around the web questioning whether Rachelle was going to live up to the hype. I mean, her dad is Ted Dekker (yes, THAT Ted Dekker). Psh. Dad being Ted Dekker or not, The Choosing is proof the girl can write. Can stand on her own.
The Choosing throws us into a futuristic-ish/dystopian world where women are chosen in a choosing ceremony. Those not choosing are taken to be Lints—or the working class. We meet our heroine, Carrington Hale, who was supposed to be chosen, but isn’t. She’s later given a second chance, but is it all it’s cracked up to be once she’s met the rebel Aaron and hears his view on life?
If it isn’t clear already, I love this book. It will probably be one of my top recs for 2015. Dystopian genre is one of my favorites, however, they are often crazy depressing. The Choosing has it’s depressing elements, but it’s good far out weighs it. It ends on a promising note. It’s a new kind of dystopian. Pink is the new black (and I do realize that unless you went to college with me, this phrase is totally lost on you). I loved going on Carrington’s journey with her. And can I be honest for a sec? Dodson was one of my favorites (and I’m pretty sure I could have jumped through the pages and kissed him at the end . . . just read the book. You’ll get it.) My only question now? When is the next freakin’ book coming out? I so can’t wait!!
Ok, ok I’ll quit rambling . . . here’s the link where you can go get your own copy and see what I’m raving so much about (do it. I double dare you).
How did you come up with the story for The Choosing?
This is a hard question because it has many answers. I wanted to write a theme-based novel about identity. I wanted to write a dystopian novel. I wanted to write in a world that was familiar, but in a setting where I could change the way the world worked. It actually is several ideas I’d been toying with pulled into one story. Once I landed on Carrington’s core revelation and story arc, I simply fell in love with her as a character and drew the rest of the story around her. That’s usually how it works for me. I come up with a character, good or bad, and create the story from there.
One of the story’s most significant lines is, “Life is a journey of remembering and forgetting.” What do you mean by this?
It means exactly what you probably think. We have these flashes of clarity where we see so clearly who we are—and our connection to the Father—but then, in a single moment, something pulls our attention away and we forget who we are. This is the journey of life, remembering and forgetting. But I believe the more we remember, the more we set our gaze on the Father, the less often we forget.
Did you discover anything about your own identity through the writing process?
I will steal a line from Ted Dekker on this one: “I write to discover.” They are one and the same. Even when I think there’s nothing left to discover, if I let myself be open to discovery, it almost always comes. So yes, I did. And I told my husband, if nothing ever comes of this book, it would still have been worth writing because of the way it impacted my life.
**I received a copy of the book from the publisher. A positive review wasn’t required.
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!