Illusion

Title: ILLUSION
Author: Frank Peretti
Publisher: Howard Books
March 2012
ISBN 978-1-4391-9267-2
Genre: Fiction/Christian/General

Duane and Mandy were physically, emotionally, and professionally bound to one another for life. Until death appeared on the scene, snatching Mandy from Duane in the form of a traffic accident, which left Duane emotionally and spiritually shipwrecked. Mandy . . . gone.

Or is she? Mandy awakes in the present as the 19-year old, fair-going, fun-loving teenager that she had been in 1970, possessing a unique ability to pass invisibly through time and space. And her illusions have improved. Word gets around and Duane is drawn to the coffee shop where Mandy is performing illusions that even he cannot figure out. What is most puzzling is that this fresh-faced young girl is in every respect identical to the young beauty he first met and married some forty years earlier.

As Duane and Mandy begin a furtive relationship as protégée and mentor, they are watched by secretive interests who not only understand Mandy’s ability, but also have the ability to decide what will become of her. Is life and love just an illusion? Or can Duane and Mandy find the reality behind it all?

This is your typical Frank Peretti novel. And that’s a good thing. All of the details that have made Peretti one of my favorite authors is in this novel. The tight story-line, the detailed characterization, the mind-boggling attention to detail that brings every scene, every emotion, every experience to life; it’s all there.

At the same time, this is not your typical Frank Peretti novel. As should be expected (and yet so often does not occur), even the best of writers improve with age and experience. The depths of emotion to which the author takes you is just a little deeper; the tensions to which one is exposed are just a little sharper; the nuances that make a good story great, they are just a shade subtler. The plot twists are sharper, and the rising action is fuller. Which makes for a far more explosive and unexpected climax. As is typical with Frank Peretti novels, have a full stock of drinks and snacks handy, and select your most comfortable reading chair. You’re not going to want to get up until you’ve reached the last page. 495 pages, hardback. $26.99.