Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com

Average Customer Rating:

First choice for Teen Book Club

Customer Rating:

As a high school English teacher, and supervisor of a student-led Book Club, I loved this book. It is filled with all the elements of High School U.S.A.--cliques, bullies, athletes, populars, not-populars,etc. I liked getting into the mind of Torey Adams and learning his views (and questions) on spirituality, relationships, etc. There is profanity and references to sexual relationships among teens, but I was impressed with the element of teen abstinence and "doing what is right" as well.

A Great Surprise

Customer Rating:

I stumbled upon this book in a bundle of stuff handed down to me from a friend. I wasn't even sure it was something I'd like, but I thought I'd give it a chance before I took it to the used book store for credit. I was very surprised at how fast I read it. It's rare and wonderful for me to get greedy for a book I'm reading to the point that I want to put off all other things in the day. I couldn't put the book down until I found out what happened! A quick read worth the attention.

A book to read

Customer Rating:

"The Body of Christopher Creed" begins in a way that's a bit confusing. It's a bit difficult to keep track of the times (because there are changes). Even so, from the first word, the reader is hooked, trying to figure out what's happened and what will happen next. Christopher Creed, the loser everybody beat on and laughed at, has gone missing. Murdered, suicide, runaway... Nobody knows. All that remains is an extremely cryptic note that nobody can figure out. Torey Adams, our narrator and main character, becomes somewhat obsessed when he discovers he is mentioned in the note. He tries to figure out what happened to Christopher Creed, and gets into a lot more than he expected. There are quite a few excellent things about this book. The first is, strangely enough, the ending. Thoroughly satisfying and extremely heartwarming, the ending is the kind that makes a reader want to return to the book time and time again. Another impressive thing here is the writing itself. Clear, well-done - Torey's voice is one that is easy to follow but still impressive in every way. The best part of the book is probably the storyline itself, and the messages embedded in it. Small towns, discrimination, losers, and parental problems are all brought up and handled easily, in such a way that it's just interesting and fun to read. It's the kind of book that's almost impossible to put down. Truly a great story, a wonderful read, and an important one too. Enjoyable, thought-provoking, and interesting, "The Body of Christopher Creed" is a perfect choice for teens. Highly recommended.

I want to love this book, but...

Customer Rating:

I was thoroughly impressed throughout the first 300+ pages of this book. While there are some small problems, such as the "teenage dialect" consisting of the slang words of at least three different decades, I felt that its strong theme rendered these smaller elements far less detrimental to the overall quality of the novel. I was really rather shocked, then, when the author's carefully constructed moral dissolved with Torey's participation, in the concluding chapter, in a prank against Leo, an alienated classmate who reminded him of Creed! Only a few pags later, he says of Creed, "he was an innocent kid, a victim, and I still have the same feeling I had when I first saw my name in his note. Like I could have shared some part of myself with them..." Yet, when Leo's face falls in dissapointment that Torey doesn't want to spend time with him, Torey seems to make no connection beteen this and everything he's experienced and learned in the aftermath of Creed's dissapearance. So, am I missing something? Perhaps the author is trying to make a different point here, perhaps about Torey's own hypocricy? If so, I don't think such a subtle angle is appropriate in young adult literature, as its themes are typically purposefully clear in order to be more accessible to the less experienced reader. I have to think this was simply a mistake on the author's part, but, given the merit of the rest of the novel, I have a hard time believing that, too! I'm only upset because this is, otherwise, a very strong novel. I would really appreciate it if someone would respond to this review; help, please!

I would give it 4.5 if I could...

Customer Rating:

This is the second book I have read by Carol Plum-Ucci, and I devoured both very quickly. I read What Happened to Lani Garver about three years ago, and in my recent attempt to pick up reading again, I grabbed this off the shelf (I had bought it immediately after I finished Lani Garver). I am nearly 21 years old now, so the reading is quite elementary for me, but the story line and intensity of the twists and the plot held me close to this book for 3 days until I finished. I can clearly see now the over all theme Carol uses on all her books (it seems, from the reviews I've read of her oter books) but I find it important to talk about these things and let middle school and high schoolers take a look at the issues they deal with on a daily basis. The kids in this story are as real as they come as well and it's easy to relate with all of them on some level. The best part about this book is how every chapter was full of development and adventure. Now don't get it wrong. This is not a murder mystery. Rather, it's about how a small town deals with a mystery, and how in tradegy, people learn to pick their own truths. I highly recommend this book for teenagers, and especially for those who understand what it's like to be an outcast.