The Delusion (Paperback)

Laura Gallier takes readers into the chillingly realistic and mysterious world of spiritual warfare, angels and demons in her debut release, The Delusion. The first-person story, told by high-school senior Owen Edmonds who knows little about anything spiritual, will capture all audiences, young and old alike.

Owens move to Masonville High School halfway through his senior year, giving him the distinction of “new guy” at school. While that was bad enough, “...that wasn’t the worst of it.” Eight high school students had committed suicide since September and soon four more would follow garnering the high school and town the headline: “Masonville Suicide Saga.”

The suicides and move had made life more difficult for Owen who already had to cope with his mother’s drinking. Still, he had earned a place on the high school’s track team, met Jess, his soon-to-be-girlfriend and was surrounded by a group of great new friends even though they couldn’t understand why he never invited them home.

When Owen unexpectedly met a weird old man in the woods behind the school who promised to tell him what was causing the suicide epidemic if Own drank water drawn from an underground water source, he did. The water had tasted normal going down and then sudden pain “hijacked his gut with the worst stomachache ever and his head throbbed!” Overwhelmed with the pain, Owens’s last fear-laden thought was “I don’t want to be number thirteen!”

Soon Owen will see chains around his mother, friends, teachers and classmate’s necks with braids that protrude from the back of their heads labeled humiliation, shame, guilt and more. He will also see other dark beings like demoniacs he identifies as Creepers and angelic beings he’s convinced are Warrior angels. Yet Owen is the only one who sees these things.

Thus begins a darkly sinister narrative of demonic activity and supernatural illusions in a fictionalized account of good versus evil with human souls as the prize.

After reading a third of The Delusion, I thought the story very dark and wondered if teens should read it. Until the introduction of Ray Anne, who has no shackles, chains or cords, who instead emits “a brilliant, golden glow” and Owen sets out to learn her secret and the story changes.

This well-drawn story elaborates on and reveals how Satan entraps people with negative feelings, experiences and behaviors. Gallier writes from a biblical perspective about a thought-provoking spiritual realm with a complex and gripping tale that carries a powerful punch. Fans of Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti will enjoy this action-packed story.