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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Age-Appropriate Thought Provoker, September 14, 2008
This review is from: The Funeral Director's Son (Hardcover)
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So why would a woman old enough to be a grandmother want to read a book about the life a 12-year-old kid? Probably because it's just the kind of book I would have loved when I was a kid.
It follows the adventures of Kip, the reluctant heir to the family's funeral home, a multi-generational enterprise on the verge of being nudged out by the town's new state-of-the art, commercially successful super-mortuary. Kip can't wait to get out of Clover but really isn't in a position to do anything about it. (Think Nate Fisher on "Six Feet Under.") This is just one of many modern-day dilemmas featured in this book that are faced by families and children today - competition, bullies, the opposite sex (sigh), expectations, judgment, fairness, ambition, and friendship. Although all are touched upon, not all are treated in depth.
There are lessons to be learned, most importantly, that one's opinion of a person can be formed from a limited amount of data and then carried erroneously for years. It's a good starting point for readers to analyze their own pre-conceived opinions to see if they're based in truth, hearsay, or incorrect addition of facts.
There's an appropriate balance of supernatural and everyday experiences that allows the reader to "suspend disbelief."
The book seemed to end too quickly and too easily and was lacking an explanation of, among other things, the "weight in gold" fulfillment. That may not be a bad thing, though, since this gives the reader an incentive to ponder the questions himself rather than getting all the answers from the book and then quickly moving on to something new. A little thinking never hurt anyone.
The Charles Dickens quotes that open each chapter are very nicely placed and may encourage the reader to further investigate more of Dickens' writing.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Lot of Heart... For a Funeral., September 9, 2008
This review is from: The Funeral Director's Son (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The main thing I wanted to know looking at THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR'S SON was why the book was purple. Once I decided I couldn't figure out if the book was being marketed to tween boys or not, I dove in. I must say that I've always liked coming-of-age stories. There is just something so grand about reading about a young person coming into his or her own, and that is definitely what Coleen Murtagh Paratore has given us in THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR'S SON.
The plot centers around Kip Campbell, the only son in the Campbell & Sons Funeral Home. But Kip isn't so excited about the idea of bagging bodies and burying them in the ground. In fact, he's looking for a quick way out of his tiny New England town. Oh yes, there's one very peculiar thing about Kip: he can hear dead people talk to him (Nothing like THE SIXTH SENSE, but definitely dead people). And one of said deadies says that there's a treasure of gold waiting for Kip if he can just help the dead move on one last time. Now Kip is following clues to figure it out, all the while trying to be a good son who hates his family's job, flirting with the new girl, and just trying to survive his twelfth year of life.
The book was a fairly swift read, and pretty enjoyable too. Paratore nails down Kip's voice perfectly -- making for some very funny/sarcastic moments, as well as really working the tissue box near the end. The writing is... well, quirky. Paratore definitely has a unique style that comes across strongly.
So, while not a book I would say you have to run out and grab now, it definitely is great for a casual light read. The tween boy set may not go for it so much, but I think parents might get more enjoyment out of it than anybody else.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
!! Ghosts and Gold, Oh My!, November 14, 2008
This review is from: The Funeral Director's Son (Hardcover)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I LOVE the opening lines of this book:
"I spend a lot of time thinking about f-words. Food. Friends. Fun. And funerals. That's right, funerals."
So begins the story of Christopher "Kip" Campbell, who is the son in Campbell and Sons Funeral Home, slated to take over the family business. He's 12 now, and looking to chart a new course a la Christopher Columbus...not be surrounded by dead people.
This coming-of-age story is a fresh take on our main character figuring out what to do with his life and how to go about it. The spin comes in Chapter 4 when the reader learns that Kip can hear dead people and their wishes so as to move on to the other dimension of life.
Kip becomes this messenger to relieve the dead of their unresolved issues, but Paratore has done this in a light-hearted and easy to digest fashion. It's not gory. It's not spiritual. It just is what it is.
The whole "dead people talking to me" thing was getting to him and he swore he was done. Well, it seems there was another plan and the temptation of his weight in gold (he tries to bulk up in weight when he finds out what the cost of gold is) motivated Kip to help one last soul.
As the story unfolds, the reader is reminded of the crossroads of the early teen years to decipher what one wants and what one's family wants and the intersection of the two. Paratore makes the writing seem easy in her seamless tale about growing up and making decisions.
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