Review \\ Illusion by Frank Peretti

\\ About the Book \\ Dane and Mandy, a popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car wreck that claims Mandy's life-or so everyone thinks. Even as Dane mourns and tries to rebuild his life without her, Mandy, supposedly dead, awakes in the present as the nineteen-year-old she was in 1970. Distraught and disoriented in what to her is the future, she is confined to a mental ward until she discovers a magical ability to pass invisibly through time and space to escape. Alone in a strange world, she uses her mysterious powers to eke out a living, performing magic on the streets and in a quaint coffee shop. Read more about Illusion >>>

The description for Illusion by Frank Peretti is entirely too long to post here, but feel free to click the link to read more about it.

I could just tell you that Illusion is awesome and leave it at that, but you might want to know why I've come to this conclusion. To put it simply, Peretti is a real genius when it come to crafting an entertaining, slightly confusing, edge-of-your-seat kind of story. Illusion is a chunk of a book at around 500 pages, but it isn't one of those dragging, did-an-editor-even-read-this kind of book. The characters are thoughtful and well-planned. The points of view are error-free. Though the subject matter is one of magic, illusion, and science, by the end Peretti had me believing that this sort of thing is highly plausible.

The most intriguing thing about Illusion is the love story it contains. Thankfully this isn't run-of-the-mill Christian fiction, so we side-step the too obvious glances and longings. Illusion, instead, displays real love, a 40-years strong love that is hard to be disappointed by. There are so many moments where Dane's love for Mandy is completely obvious, but it really has nothing to do with Mandy's looks, though she is pretty. Dane loves the person she is, the person he has watched her become. It's really beautiful, and the anticipation of the ending that could separate the two of them really tugs on your emotions.

I guess if you aren't really into magicians and illusions you might be inclined to bypass this book. But even if you are kind of eh about card tricks and the like, there's a lot more in Illusion to interest you. And, though I was wary of how an author would combine magic with God, I think Peretti did a really good job. (Though, there are several mentions of a scenario being "a God thing" and I've never liked that saying.)

I'm pretty sure this'll end up in my Top 10 list this year.

\\ About the Author \\ Frank E. Peretti is one of American Christianity's best-known authors. His novels have sold over 10 million copies, and he is widely credited with reinventing Christian fiction. He and his wife, Barbara, live in the Pacific Northwest. www.frankperetti.com.

\\ In Case You Were Wondering \\
Title: Illusion
Author: Frank Peretti
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Publication Date: March 6, 2012
Pages: 512 (Hardback)
ISBN: 9781439192672
Many thanks to the publisher and my library!