Customer Reviews

Zero at the Bone (Puffin Novel)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm sorry, but I thought this book was bad. Approaching awful. The premise was interesting enough--a boy's sister goes missing, and it (as it always does) affects his family. But the truth is that the whole thing--plot, dialogue, character--was tedious. All of it.
The family made assumption based on nothing, and although the grief they were going through seemed true and thought-out, in the end it became a simple game of repetition and whininess. And though I wasn't going in expecting the book to end all happily ever after, I WAS wanting at least the tiniest bit of it to be resolved; but no. The book ended abrubtly and with questions unanswered.
In the end: two stars. It was bad, but the concept was good and the sadness was portrayed well enough.

Setting- Oakland, California neighborhood
Main Characters- Cray, brother of the missing girl, Anita; Mom-bone researcher; Dad-lumber business owner, Kyle- Anita's boyfriend; Detective Waterman.
Plot summary- Anita, Cray's sister, goes to work and doesn't come home. Cray tells of the day his sister turned missing and the days following as he struggles with trying to deal with it. He goes through the stages of denial, numbness, anger, into grief. He searches his sister's diary for clues. He hopes that she just ran away from home and is angry that she did that. He tells of how his future desires change and life because more precious, relationships deeper. His parents choose different ways to deal with their loss and the culminating scene is one in which they bring her dental records to determine if a murdered girl is Anita. It isn't, but the reality sinks in.
Author evaluation- The thoughts and actions are extremely realistic. Characterization is strong and so is the emotional progression. Extremely helpful information to develop empathy. A short read but excellently written.
Audience- Since the main character is at least 16 years old, it is recommended for 10th grade and up. Younger, but mature readers would enjoy it too. There is not much action so it is not recommended for those who like action/adventure.

In the book Zero at the Bone, Cray jokes about his sister being gone but that night she doesn't return home and his dad gets worried as the days go by.Then a few months later they find a body at the morgue that looks like Cray's sister.... If you like suspence you would like this book