- Jen

First Line Friday | The String

Happy Friday!! If you’re looking for an intense suspense novel to read this weekend, The String might be a good option for you!

The String by Caleb Breakey | Book Review on Grace to Grow Blog
Amazon | Goodreads | Christianbook

Today I’m linking up with First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books, to share the first line here. Keep reading for my review below!

“The branding iron pulsated reddish orange in the corner fireplace. It was time.“

The String by Caleb Breakey

The Basics

Title: The String by Caleb Breakey

Series: Deadly Games (Book 1)

Genre: Christian Suspense/Thriller

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Welcome to the string, a game of impossible decisions and deadly consequences. Let’s go over the ground rules.

Rule #1: Participation is mandatory.
Rule #2: If anyone refuses to play, all threats will come to pass.
Game on.

Get ready for a deadly social experiment as a sociopath known as The Conductor delivers disturbing threats and twisted moral dilemmas to unsuspecting students and staff. 

As a powerful instinct for self-preservation sweeps through the campus, one man has a grave decision to make. Will university cop Markus Haas play the game to protect those he loves? Or will he break the string and incite massive chaos–and even death?

My Thoughts

This is not the type of book I’m typically drawn to; it’s suspense, but leans more toward horror or psychological thriller. I almost quit reading it about halfway through because it was a little creepy, but I’m glad I finished it. It’s well written, the plot is engaging and intricately designed, and there are multiple twists and turns you never see coming! The protagonist, Markus, is a compelling character – his courage and sense of justice in the face of extreme manipulation and blackmail stand out from the others who are part of the string. His friend and fellow law enforcement officer, Cody, is also a great character; he is brave, smart, and willing to risk his life to help Markus.

Overall, I do think this is a good book! My issues with it are just personal preferences. I’ve seen others compare it to books by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti, so if you like those authors, you would probably enjoy The String!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!

11 thoughts on “First Line Friday | The String”

  1. It is always fun to visit other blogs and see which books people choose to feature for FLF! This week I’m sharing the first line (and a few bonus lines…I just couldn’t help myself) from The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken.
    Here I’ll share the first line from Chapter 8 of the same book.
    “Nearly all the apple trees along the main drive had bloomed, their pale petals washed by moonlight against the dark sky.”

  3. Happy Friday! My first line is from “Brett, Billionaire Bodyguard” by Autumn Macarthur & Alexa Verde:

    “Brett Jarvis grimaced, yawned, and snatched up his ringing cell phone. Two a.m. phone calls rarely meant good news, especially in his business.”

  5. I’m afraid to read this one because it feels like it would be too dark for me.

    On my blog today I’m sharing the first few lines from A Glitter of Gold by Liz Johnson but I’m currently reading Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes so I’ll share the first line from chapter 24 here: “Bess’s words travel with Annie down to the landing.” This book is soo good so far! Hope you have a great weekend!

  6. An intriguing opening line!

    I’m sharing on my blog the first line from Love and Other Mistakes by Jessica Kate.

    Natalie Groves eyed the bag of Gingerbread M&M’s on the other side of the office meeting room and prayed for a divine intervention of Red Sea proportions.

  7. I’m looking forward to this book!

    The closest book to hand is The Killing Tide by Dani Pettrey — Fire ripped through Finn’s right shoulder, ricocheting down his arm.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

Leave a Reply