Body of Christopher Creed, The (Paperback)

~ Carol Plum-ucci (Author) "I had hoped that a new start away from Steepleton would make my junior year seem like a hundred years ago, rather than just one..." (more)
Key Phrases: turbo slut, Chief Bowen, Chris Creed, Bob Haines (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The often-tortured class weirdo has disappeared, leaving an enigmatic note on the school library computer. Is he a runaway, a suicide, a murder victim?

Sixteen-year-old Torey Adams and his friends remember beating up Chris Creed when his gentle but obnoxious ways exasperated them. Now that he is gone, they joke uneasily about him to ease their guilt. The town is full of ugly rumors, as Torey's lawyer mother tells them "See, guys, this is what happens when a kid suffers a personal tragedy. Nobody wants to take responsibility. Nobody wants to admit they had a part in it. So, they spend a lot of time pointing the finger, and things just get worse and worse." Suspicion of murder conveniently falls on big, tough Bo Richardson, an outcast "boon" from the boondocks edge of town. Torey's smug assumptions about people are rattled when he discovers that his childhood friend Ali is secretly romantically involved with Bo, who displays surprising tenderness and maturity in caring for her.

The three try to solve the mystery of Chris's disappearance by attempting to steal his diary, but only succeed in implicating themselves, as the town is consumed with rumors and the revelation of adult secrets. Torey begins to find himself distanced from his other friends by his growing understanding of the importance of compassion toward those who are different. The Body of Christopher Creed challenges teens to think about the damage done when lines of exclusion are drawn between people. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

First-novelist Plum-Ucci wraps a well-crafted mystery around a topical issue: the effect teenage intolerance can have on misfits. When class freak Chris Creed suddenly disappears, his fellow students are not so much worried but abuzz with speculation: Is he a runaway, a suicide, a crime victim? Through a complicated but believable turn of events, narrator Torey Adams, a popular 16-year-old, starts to feel some concern and resolves to find the truth. His unlikely allies are two kids of dubious social status: Ali, who is Chris's neighbor, and Ali's boyfriend, Bo, a "boon" (shorthand for boondocks) with a juvenile record. Convinced Chris's mother is to blame for Chris's disappearance, they plan to break into his house to steal his hidden diary in hopes of finding evidence. The plan backfires: Bo is caught, Torey is implicated and all three are the subject of malicious gossip that proves to have dangerous consequences. Told as a flashback, the novel drags slightly at the beginning. Plum-Ucci, however, picks up the pace and builds to a fever pitch near the conclusion, vividly describing Torey's late-night hunt for Chris's body in a nearby Indian burial ground. Readers will likely be enthralled by the mystery, and, even more, they will be moved by Torey's hard-won realization that everyone deserves compassion. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (November 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786816414
• ISBN-13: 978-0786816415
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #685,824 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, Suspensul Book...With a Great Twist, February 1, 2002

By	J. Daniel (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is going down in my personal hall of fame - "The Body of Christopher Creed" gives us all a look into the minds of people we scorn and point fingers at. One day, those people won't be around for you to apologize to. And one day, they'll get you back - in ways you'd never imagined. Realization, guilt, and most of all, horror at the way you've treated another living being.

Chris Creed is easily classed at the outcast - there's one in every school. But it's totally unexpected when one day he just dissapears, leaving only a cryptic e-mail behind. Tory, a classmate, is popular, good looking, and slightly niave. He doesn't know what's going on behind the scenes until he shifts backstage himself. Torey's tossed into a world that's not as perfect as his own.

Torey slowly drifts apart from his friends as he feels increasing admiration for his new ones - ones that don't have it as great. There's Ali, a childhood friend going down with a bad reputation; Boe, a burly kid from the boondocks with a criminial record, and even, in an odd way, Chris Creed. Suddenly, Torey sees different sides to people he thought he knew - Ali's mom's abusive boyfriend, Boe's caring, gentler side. And the dark, hidden secret of his own home, Steepleton.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chris Creed's Finally Done It..., September 12, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Body of Christopher Creed (Hardcover)

This book is going down in my personal hall of fame - "The Body of Christopher Creed" gives us all a look into the minds of people we scorn and point fingers at. One day, those people won't be around for you to apologize to. And one day, they'll get you back - in ways you'd never imagined. Realization, guilt, and most of all, horror at the way you've treated another living being.

Chris Creed is easily classed at the outcast - there's one in every school. But it's totally unexpected when one day he just dissapears, leaving only a cryptic e-mail behind. Tory, a classmate, is popular, good looking, and slightly niave. He doesn't know what's going on behind the scenes until he shifts backstage himself. Torey's tossed into a world that's not as perfect as his own.

Torey slowly drifts apart from his friends as he feels increasing admiration for his new ones - ones that don't have it as great. There's Ali, a childhood friend going down with a bad reputation; Boe, a burly kid from the boondocks with a criminial record, and even, in an odd way, Chris Creed. Suddenly, Torey sees different sides to people he thought he knew - Ali's mom's abusive boyfriend, Boe's caring, gentler side. And the dark, hidden secret of his own home, Steepleton.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great mystery, March 13, 2001

By	"alexwriter" (Miami, Fl. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Body of Christopher Creed (Hardcover)

What happened to Christopher Creed, the class outcast? Was he kidnapped? Murdered? A suicide? Did his parents have anything to do with it? How about Bo, who's been acting suspicious? And why does cool, popular Torey Adams have the uncomfortable feeling that Chris wouldn't be gone if Torey and his friends had been nicer to him? The great thing about this book is that it is an exciting mystery while still being totally realistic. When Torey and his friends talk in the cafeteria, it is just the type of stuff normal teens talk about -- or would talk about if one of their classmates mysteriously disappeared. A must read.