Customer Reviews

The She

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In this book, a teenager must grapple with the mystery of what killed his parents: officially a boating accident. In doing so, he meets a girl his age, grappling with her own demons. The existence of a mythical sea creature "The She" which may or may have not been responsible for Evan's parents' deaths is debated for the entire 300 plus pages. While intriguing at first, this quickly becomes tiresome.

The protagonist Evan is smart and good looking and rich and belongs to a clique of Rich Spoiled Kids With Seriously Weird Names. In fact, Evan is the only character in the book with a normal name. I couldn't help but feel that this added to the soap opera effect in the book.

The climax is intriguing, but none of the characters are particularly likeable, and some are downright obnoxious. The book begins with a good premise and a hilarious opening scene but quickly goes downhill from there. Think "Beverly Hills 90210" with a little "Ordinary People" thrown in for good measure.

Carol Plum-Ucci has established a niche for her mysteries by blending realism and the unexplained. Following upon the success of The Body of Christopher Creed and What Happened to Lani Garver, the author penned a credible tale that is part problem novel and part supernatural thriller. THE SHE takes the reader to familiar territory in young adult fiction--death, drug abuse, rebellion against authority, and dysfunctional families--while also presenting a haunting overtone that prevails from the first page to the last.

As a child, Evan overheard his parents' death at sea from the radio in their bedroom and continues to struggle with the circumstances that claimed their lives over ten years later. Were they drug smugglers who faked their death only to escape the authorities? Or were they the victim of a legendary sea monster rumored to have caused many shipwrecks along the neighboring shores?

As he struggles to find the truth, he is joined by an unlikely female ally, a mentally-unstable "wild child" named Grey. Evan distrusts her initially due to their "bad history," but mutual sympathy and affection grows as they realize they both need to discover the truth about the local legendary sea monster, known only as "The She."

As in her earlier novels, Plum-Ucci presents likeable anti-heroes as her main characters. Evan is popular at school but rebellious; Grey is infamous and feared, a practitioner of cruel jokes. They are the kind of characters one is drawn to, despite parental wishes. As their own tangled pasts are unwound, they grow more and more sympathetic to each other and the reader.

Another subplot is Evan's relationship with his brother, a source of tension in his life. The brothers ongoing debate about their parents disappearance represents the dichotomy of rationality/skepticism vs. curiosity/faith; the reader will identify with both sides of this "coin." We are drawn to believe in myths and legends, but steeped well enough in the 21st-century to want a rational explanation for the unexplained. Each of them is forced to confront the other's point of view at critical junctures of the story, leaving the reader in suspense. Is there a sea monster? Or is there a rational explanation for their parents' disappearance?

This tension remains to the very end of the novel, making it an enjoyable page-turner. It comes highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Mark Frye, author and reviewer

The book had an interesting premise but failed to live up to it. The book was exciting for about 10-20 pages. The rest was based on teenage suicide, drugs, and sex with no real stunning writing engaging in the characters feelings and emotions. It boiled down to a story of unrealistic characters trying to find themselves.

The author does a wonderfully vivid job of developing both characters and setting, taking you into the marshes and marinas of the South Jersey shore and into the lives of two troubled teens. The developing relationship between prickly Grey and good-hearted Evan as they discover surprising things about themselves and each other was, for me, the best part of the story.

The fascinating and suspenseful plot involves the fate of Evan's parents and local superstitions about a mysterious sea creature. Unexpected twists and turns will keep readers guessing right up to the end.

The She, by Carol Plum-Ucci, is an informational and creative story. It tells about the struggles a boy and his loved ones face when his parents died, eleven years ago. It is at a reading level where you must be able to understand some crucial details and pain; it is probably at a reading level for 12-16 year olds. I thought it was very realistic and the details and how Evan tells of his flashbacks is riveting. In the past, I have read books with flashbacks and it just gets too confusing but I could keep up really well with how these flashbacks are described in this book. I think the topic of the book is really relatable to us in our own lives because the situation has most likely happened to many people all over the world and Evan is one victim of loss. He doesn't prefer to talk about it and covers his true feelings up by being a class clown, but deep down, he feels for people and can somehow tell what they are thinking about by looking at their eyes, probably because he has read his own eyes for such a long time. Anyway, this book is one of the best books I have ever read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read and keep up. -sm

The truth of the matter is, this book is very boring and has a very slow pace. However, the character's make up for it. The development of Evan and Grey is very nicely done, and both characters are very different by the end.

I found the story mystifying in a way that really grabbed my attention--it really keeps you turning the pages--not because of non-top action, but because you wat to know what happens next. I also really Plum-Ucci's writing in general, and I found at least a few quotes worth writing down. It's the kind of book you want to read on a rainy sunday afternoon.

I've read The Body of Christopher Creed and What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci, and I have to say I liked this one about the same.

Plum-Ucci has a way of mixing teen problems with almost-supernatural mysteries. I've long ceased expecting any definite conclusions to come from her work. While there was A LOT of talking in this book, I give props to the characters. The characters in this book, particularly Grey, and complex and endearing. The plot was a little slow, and I wasn't at the edge of my seat, but by the end of the book I was certainly absored. And I still have oh so many questions.

If you liked other books by the author, than you will like this one.

This was the fourth Carol Plum-Ucci book I read. It was longer than some of the others and I felt there was a bit too much filler, namely the supernatural aspect. It just didn't fit in with the rest of the story, other than maybe a brief mention.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Carol's books. This is just my least favorite.

in a sentence or two: Evan Barrett is haunted by the cloudy memories surrounding the death of his parents, and wants some real answers as to what really happened to his mom and dad on their last night at sea. he has faint, yet terrifying, memories of a horrible screeching coming from the sea - from a local legend he once firmly believed in called simply 'the she'...

okay first of all, how cool is the title / cover of this book? regardless of my immense enjoyment of "the body of christopher creed" by the same author, i probably would have snatched this off the shelves of the library based on the sheer creepiness of the cover. that, and the intrigue of a sea-monster...

Evan's parents disappeared when he was young. note, i say disappeared, not died...necessarily. there is a big fat cloud of mystery surrounding their last night at sea, and Evan, his brother Emmett, his aunt Mel, and his grandpa (opa) have all come to their own separate conclusions about what happened that night and why. Evan was never really sure what his theory was, mainly because his memories were suppressed for the most part until Grey slipped him some acid at a party...whoops. Emmett and aunt Mel have much more 'factual' opinions as to what happened, while Evan is increasingly convinced that 'the she' is responsible for what happened to his parents.

now enter Grey - the girl who slipped Evan acid at a party without his knowledge. she too experienced something very similar to what Evan remembers...the screeching that only they could hear that happened right before someone died. that's right, only SOME people can hear the creeptastic screeching from 'the she', and it only happens when someone (typically a romantic couple, because apparently 'the she' gets jealous of lovers-on-the-sea) is about to meet their doom. while Evan lost his parents, Grey lost a person she hardly knew after her boat tipped and sucked the young girl to her death care of 'the she'. that event (as well as some unpleasant family history) bumped Grey into the mental hospital where she's trying to become a better and healthier person as well as discover what the heck is going on with 'the she'. of course, Grey and Evan join forces...though a bit reluctantly and awkwardly at first. he's still not over that whole i-slipped-you-acid thing.

Plum-Ucci weaves a very intriguing story. she uses broken characters to create a mystery/coming of age hybrid that keeps you intrigued while genuinely caring about what happens to the characters. it's a tough line to walk, and at some points in the story, it begins to show. for the most part however, the balance is attained through the discovery of self and discovery of the mystery of the she. the characters discover just as much about themselves as they do anything else in the story.

i was honestly able to feel the haunting presence of 'the she' at times while reading this. the descriptions of the sea, the houses, the boats, and everything else is so vivid and realistic that you feel sucked into the little sea-side town. i cared about the people and i cared about what was discovered about 'the she'. i can't say i was surprised at the ending, especially after having read one of her books before, but i did appreciate the compromise of solution that she came to to explain it all. overall, a pretty darn good read.

fave quote: "I want to jump through the radio to get to my mom's screaming Maydays, and I want to bolt upstairs to get Emmett. I end up backing out slowly, hearing The She until she has almost overpowered my mother's voice, which is screaming. The sound is all through me then, coming from the sky, the beach, the radio." (13)

fix er up: i was a bit irritated at referring to high-fives as 'skinning'...as in, he held his hand up for me to skin it, so i did. sometimes attempting to use teenage vernacular in stories really bugs me. also, like i previously mentioned, at times the story lost a bit of it's balance by focusing too much on the relationship between Evan and Grey - but that was an interesting sub-plot none the less.

This is a wonderfully written book with an interesting story and Carol Plum-Ucci's wonderful flair. But she is a victim of her own success - The She does not measure up when compared to her previous novels. You'll love it more if you haven't read her other books.