It’s Friday, and you know what that means… time for another First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Hoarding Books! Today I’m featuring a new release by a new-to-me author: Nine by Rachelle Dekker.

“Olivia’s lungs burned as short bursts of air escaped her mouth. Her pulse pounded violently inside her head and for a moment blocked out everything but the vibrations of her feet slamming against the forest floor. But as quickly as the world had gone it came rushing back, and she wasn’t alone.”

Nine by Rachelle Dekker

Okay, I know that’s actually three lines… but I think that sets the scene a little better!

The Basics

Title: Nine

Author: Rachelle Dekker

Genre: Christian Suspense/Thriller

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: Zoe Johnson has spent most of her life living in the shadows, never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes.

Against her better judgment, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn’t seem to have any past at all. With little warning, they must follow the only sure thing they know: a woman hundreds of miles away, will either save them . . . or be the last person to see them alive.

My Thoughts

“She could have walked away a dozen times before arriving at this moment. She could have followed her gut, which had screamed for her to listen at every turn. She could have blocked out Lucy from the beginning. Done what her mother had always taught her: to fear. And what the world had never stopped reminding her: to protect.”

This was the first of Rachelle Dekker’s books I’ve read, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Honestly, I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this story! It does have a bit of a dystopian/sci-fi element, but not so much that it didn’t feel like it could have been ripped from future headlines. The action and emotion are intense, as there are twists around every corner for Zoe and Lucy, and they never know who they can trust.

The gripping storyline is given more intensity by the powerful message that we don’t have to let our past define us, but we can make the choice to leave our fear, our mistakes, and our guilt behind as we become the people we were made to be. Each of the main characters – Zoe, Lucy, and Agent Seeley – come to experience forgiveness and redemption in their own unique ways. I’m a new fan of Rachelle Dekker, and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

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