Also by this author: The Delusion: We All Have Our Demons, The Defiance
Series: The Delusion #2
Published by Wander on September 3, 2019
Genres: Fiction, Christian, Thriller
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Praise for The Delusion Series: "I encourage you to read The Delusion. It triggers your imagination about the realities of spiritual warfare." --Jase Robertson, Duck Dynasty
Less than a year after the horrific Masonville High shooting, Owen is determined to uncover why the Creepers have converged on his land and the school--a necessary step in his mission to drive evil forces out of his town.
A supernatural visitor tests Owen's ability to discern between truth and lies as the community is rocked by abductions and disappearances. While the town comes together to find those who are missing, Owen must fight to discover what is real and what is part of a strategy to distract him from his true purpose.
Will Owen's courage and conviction waver or hold firm as he to fights to free Masonville from the demonic forces threatening to tear the town apart?
The Deception by Laura Gallier is book #2 of The Delusion series, and it picks up not long after The Delusion concludes…if you could call the first book’s cliffhanger ending a “conclusion.” The Deception also ends in a cliffhanger, just a warning in advance! Had I had a physical book in my hand, I might have tossed it across the room as I screeched, “WHAT?!” But I value my eReader a little more than that, so I groaned and complained into a pillow instead.
I will be honest and say it took me quite a bit longer to write this review; I kept putting it off because I just…didn’t know how I felt about The Deception. The first book unnerved me and had me seeing creepy grim reaper creatures in my sleep. Since I knew what to expect with The Deception, I wasn’t as disturbed, but Gallier definitely still gave me the shivers. What stood out to me most about this book: Oh, how easily the weak–and the broken–can fall into deception.
Owen’s suddenly torn in two different directions. Kids are disappearing, and he’s being visited by a spirit. He is overjoyed because this…being is telling him all the things he wants to hear. When everyone else tells Owen to stay away, he doesn’t listen. In fact, he becomes defiant and thinks they’re all wrong. It’s all fine. Nothing to worry about. Well, besides the disappearances, but he’s going to team up with his girlfriend and a few others to solve those!
The demons and their servants would not have a hold on his town of Madisonville, not if he could do something to stop them. God would win, in the end. No matter what it took from Owen, even if he had to break a few rules. Even if those who stood with him in his new faith in Christ told him his direction was a horrible idea. That is something else I appreciated about this particular novel: Gallier demonstrated how a barrage of “no’s” can turn people hard-hearted and obstinate.
Final Conclusion: A Quick, Fascinating Read
I sped through The Deception like I was competing in a NASCAR race. The language is simple, and each chapter ended with me holding my breath. Honestly? I’m not sure if I ever let it out. That’s how suspenseful Gallier’s books are. What I love about her books, though, is that there’s a lesson from which both new and old Christians can learn. Owen is not a perfect character; no one in this book is. It made him and his struggles relatable. For example, we all may not have seen spirits in our living rooms, but we’ve definitely heard the lying whispers in our ear that lead us astray from the Lord.
The Deception is good. I enjoyed it and would recommend it, but just have the third book nearby so you can immediately flip to its beginning. The Deception ends with a single question, and I guarantee you will want to know the answer like I did!