Monday, July 10, 2006

A View I Don't Need


Continuing with awesome cover's, we have Dead Connection by first time novelist, Charlie Price. It's sort of an odd book. Told from the perspective of SIX different people, there was a Distinct difference between the adult voices and that of the two kids. Murray, our main character, hangs out in cemeteries because he's learned that the dead are far better friends than the real people in his life. One day he hears something far more unsettling than the normal peace found amongst the headstones. Meanwhile, Deputy Gates is investigating the recent disappearance of a local teen. During his chapters the book takes on a completely different tone - that of the hard-boiled detective novel.

It was interesting to read as I would get a totally different feel for the book when Gates spoke - it seemed much more an adult book. Like in "Joan of Arcadia," how all the Joan scenes were shot with a warm, golden tone, and all her father's work crap was cool blue tones (why'd they have to cancel that show? why, why, why?). Anyway, there were things that were predictable, and others that came out of nowhere. Gates' shoe-leather police work seemed authentic, and Murray's reluctance to admit his talent, genuine. I think I was expecting more dead people, or something. It was well done. Very much a paranormal mystery, which, at least in this incarnation, is (to my knowledge) rather new to the teen scene. (yes, yes, there are paranormal mysteries in the teen section, but this one had that whole cop character bit, and it just seems different from what I've read.)

"He hated being talked to in that tone of voice, but on the other hand, she was kind of cute, trying to be so tough with her bad-guy pose, and at the same time leaking a smile at the corners of her mouth." p. 13


Is it just me, or does that sentence rock? "leaking a smile at the corners of her mouth." Very cool.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

FYI, I stole this one for the teen blog at work. Maybe someday I'll get a post from somebody besides you and me...I did do some slight editing of it, if you don't like it, you can have at me when you get back. I hope you're enjoying your trip and time with friends!

Lesley Edwards said...

I agree, loved this book. Now to get some of those reluctant teens to pick it up. Another great read for younger teens is the destiny of linus hoppe by anne-laure bondoux. It's a'dytopia' novel which should appeal to boys.