Status
Available
Call number
Call number
F Plu
Genres
Collection
Publication
Harcourt Children's Books (2000), 256 pages
Description
Torey Adams, a high school junior with a seemingly perfect life, struggles with doubts and questions surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the class outcast.
Subjects
Original publication date
2000-02-29
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User reviews
LibraryThing member Cait86
I took a break from my run of Children's Classics to read this teen novel, which I am going to teach starting next week. It was quiet good, as far as teen books go; there was enough language and sexual themes to hook teens into reading, but not too much to make it awkward to discuss is class. It's
Our narrator is Torey Adams, a popular football-playing boy in grade 11. He lives in a small, idyllic town where everything is perfect and nothing bad ever happens - until the day when Chris Creed, the high school weirdo, disappears. Did Chris run away? Did he kill himself? Did someone else kill him? These are the questions that the townspeople start asking themselves. Though Chris Creed is never actually seen in the novel, his presence hangs over the other characters. As the town tries to deal with what has happened, secrets are revealed, lives are ruined, and answers are never really given.
Heavy issues like stereotyping, bullying, lies vs. truth, and judgements run through The Body of Christopher Creed. Torey is a very intuitive narrator, and his character progresses a lot throughout the novel. He is especially focused on the idea of reality - do adults create their own reality? Do we construct "truth"? Can someone hang onto a lie for so long that it becomes their truth? These ideas are very easily presented for teens, and I am looking forward to discussing them with my class.
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unfortunate that sex and language is something teenagers look for in novels, but I would do just about anything to get my classes to read and enjoy a novel. More importantly, The Body of Christopher Creed actually has quite a few insightful passages, and explores many important themes.Our narrator is Torey Adams, a popular football-playing boy in grade 11. He lives in a small, idyllic town where everything is perfect and nothing bad ever happens - until the day when Chris Creed, the high school weirdo, disappears. Did Chris run away? Did he kill himself? Did someone else kill him? These are the questions that the townspeople start asking themselves. Though Chris Creed is never actually seen in the novel, his presence hangs over the other characters. As the town tries to deal with what has happened, secrets are revealed, lives are ruined, and answers are never really given.
Heavy issues like stereotyping, bullying, lies vs. truth, and judgements run through The Body of Christopher Creed. Torey is a very intuitive narrator, and his character progresses a lot throughout the novel. He is especially focused on the idea of reality - do adults create their own reality? Do we construct "truth"? Can someone hang onto a lie for so long that it becomes their truth? These ideas are very easily presented for teens, and I am looking forward to discussing them with my class.
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LibraryThing member callmecayce
I'm not sure I liked this novel. I enjoyed reading it, but it felt ... almost too heavy for it's own good. Also, like with Fire Will Fall, everything is wrapped up too neatly at the end. Not that the mystery at the heart of the novel is properly solved, but everything else. I did like that the
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novel was harsh where it needed to be and but not constantly. I suppose it was a satisfying story from a moderately reliable narrator. I don't know that I will read any more of her books, though. As an aside, it did remind me of a book I read recently, but I cannot for the life of me come up with what it was. Show Less
LibraryThing member cpotter
Christopher Creed the Junior class pest disappears leaving an apparent suicide note. When Tory Adams reads his own name listed in the note as one of the "perfect" people that Creed envies Tory becomes involved in trying to discover what truly happened to the kid nobody liked.
LibraryThing member mattsya
The great strength of Plum-Ucci's novel is that the missing/dead Christopher Creed seems to have actually been a pretty annoying and unsympathetic person. The guilt and anger of the characters is well realized and believable because of this. No one is innocent in this incident, but no one is
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particularly evil, either. The flashback narrative is not utilized as well as it could, but the ambiguous, yet satisfying ending is very successful. A good book for most readers. Show Less
LibraryThing member mnlohman
Carol Plum-Ucci's first book looks at all kinds of current issues important to teens; fitting in, empathy, looking below the surface ,wrapped up in a good mystery. When the school misfit disappears following a mysterious note sent to the principal via email, the vast majority of students show their
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heartlessness (or cluelessness) by joking about his demise. Somehow only the school 's golden boy (Torey), turbo slut (Ali), and bad boy with a heart of gold (Bo), care about looking below the surface and examining the way both adults and teens cause irreversable damage to each other. Good suspense with morals from a fellow Boilermaker! Show Less
LibraryThing member bellalibrarian
Chris Creed, a high school aged boy goes missing and a few of his classmates begin to feel guilty for bullying him so they attempt to find out what happened to him. In his attempt to help find Chris, Torey Adams learns more about himself and the unfortunate stereotypes that he has lived around his
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entire life. It takes a whole village to raise a child, but what does it take to force him away? Show Less
LibraryThing member chosler
17-year-old Torey Adams recounts the events following the disappearance of a socially awkward boy in his little hometown. Gossip leads the kids of the town to speculate on suicide or murder, and the parents’ fear and memory of a disappearance from their youth, along with the town’s mistrust of
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the kids from the “boons,” lead to the accusation of murder for Torey’s friend’s boyfriend Bo. Torey, Bo, and Ali try to figure out what happened to Chris - did he just leave due to his mother’s overbearing nature, did he kill himself, or was he murdered. In the process, Torey is forced to emphasize with people outside his own click, and is ultimately subjected to the traumatic experience of finding the preserved body of the disappearance from the late 70s. His trauma and the rumors that he killed Creed force him to leave the town and attend a private school elsewhere. Talk of sex, some violence, explicit language (including “f*ck”), teen drinking. Ages 13+. Show Less
LibraryThing member susiesharp
This is a hard book to review without giving away the major plot points.Suffice it to say(if you read the book you'll understand that) anyone who lives in small town should read this book!We all know about bullying and outcasts especially in high schol but as you get older you realize its not just
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high school there are adult bullies and outcasts too.And in a a small town everyone has a secret.I found this book engaging and see why it won so many honor awards.I would venture to say that everyone should read this book! Show Less
LibraryThing member airdna
What does it say about a community when the least popular boy in school goes missing and no one cares? Christopher Creed wrote a bizarre and mysterious email to the school's principal before he suddenly disappeared; he could have been murdered, committed suicide, or simply run away. But most people
One guy, alone, feels guilty about the way Christopher Creed was treated and sets out to solve the mystery of what happened to him. Along the way he learns a whole lot more than he bargained for, about the dirty secrets hidden beneath the polished facade of his normal-seeming neighborhood.
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are just relieved that he's gone and no-one seems to be really trying to find him. One guy, alone, feels guilty about the way Christopher Creed was treated and sets out to solve the mystery of what happened to him. Along the way he learns a whole lot more than he bargained for, about the dirty secrets hidden beneath the polished facade of his normal-seeming neighborhood.
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LibraryThing member mkschoen
Christopher Creed, the class dork who gets beat up by everyone, disappears, leaving only an email. Everyone speculates on what could have happened to him - is he dead, did he run away? Torey Adams and his friends, a popular group, all join in the speculation. Torey gets pulled deeper in to the
*SPOILERS*
The story is told in flashback. We know at the beginning that the entire case has deeply disturbed Torey, since he's now at a new school, and that he was unable to remain at his old school. That gives a sense of foreboding to the novel, since we know *something* disturbing is going to happen.
While the mystery part is fairly standard. The big reveal at the end, where Torey finds a body that burns up before his eyes, is somewhat confusing, although I did like that at the end of the novel we don't entirely know what happened or where Christopher is.
What Plum-Ucci does do well is lay out the striations of high school society, although she lays it on quite thick. There are clear divisions between the regular kids and the "boons" the kids who live near the Pineys. While I can certainly by that kids from the poor side of town will be ostracized, in this story they're almost like an officially persecuted minority - Roma or Jews in a ghetto - to a degree that's not entirely believable. I did like how she showed Torey realizing that his friends' "perfect" lives are not at all perfect, and the despised boons are not all evil (except - Bo beat up his little sister when he thought she was sleeping is proof of his good heart. Um what?) The explanation of how and why Ali has changed is excellent, particularly in a "boy" book, nice to see that explained in a way that doesn't just say "she's trashy" and gives boys a way to cope with it.
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mystery through his relationship with Ali, a girl he grew up with who has started to develop a reputation and is having troubles at home.*SPOILERS*
The story is told in flashback. We know at the beginning that the entire case has deeply disturbed Torey, since he's now at a new school, and that he was unable to remain at his old school. That gives a sense of foreboding to the novel, since we know *something* disturbing is going to happen.
While the mystery part is fairly standard. The big reveal at the end, where Torey finds a body that burns up before his eyes, is somewhat confusing, although I did like that at the end of the novel we don't entirely know what happened or where Christopher is.
What Plum-Ucci does do well is lay out the striations of high school society, although she lays it on quite thick. There are clear divisions between the regular kids and the "boons" the kids who live near the Pineys. While I can certainly by that kids from the poor side of town will be ostracized, in this story they're almost like an officially persecuted minority - Roma or Jews in a ghetto - to a degree that's not entirely believable. I did like how she showed Torey realizing that his friends' "perfect" lives are not at all perfect, and the despised boons are not all evil (except - Bo beat up his little sister when he thought she was sleeping is proof of his good heart. Um what?) The explanation of how and why Ali has changed is excellent, particularly in a "boy" book, nice to see that explained in a way that doesn't just say "she's trashy" and gives boys a way to cope with it.
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LibraryThing member dandelion1
This was a throw back childrens' horror tale, a step up from detective western series, with an indian flavor and the unsocially acceptable kid flavor, and former generation issues replaying themselves again (kid runs off due to pressuring parent from a small town setting where everyone knows
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everything about everybody.) It was good though and had some nice curve balls at the end. And it leaves the real deal still up in the air, which nice too. Show Less
LibraryThing member erineell
In the small town of Steepleton, the mysterious disappearance of a socially awkward teenager, Christopher Creed, rattles the community revealing both secrets and settling lies of the past. Known as the obnoxious class geek, Christopher Creed was the target of bullying. His vanishing becomes the
Age Appropriate: Grade 9 and up
This is a Young Adult book. The content is for mature readers with reference to sensitive topics (sex, drugs, suicide, abuse, etc.). The book contains swear words.
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high school’s juicy gossip. As the rumors intensify about Creed, a popular Torey Adams becomes agitated by the lack of sensitivity regarding the matter. Torey’s curiosity of what happened to Creed becomes consuming as he discovers that his name was left in a cryptic email from Creed the day of the disappearance. Determined to find some understanding of the situation, Torey’s life is altered. In the course of uncovering answers, Torey finds himself entangled in a series of events that put him and two others in jail for Creed’s disappearance. Plum-Ucci’s writing is full of twists and turns that will put the reader in a state of suspense. The characters are well developed and the change in Torey is as equally captivating as trying to figure out what happened to Creed. The Body of Christopher Creed is a mystery thriller that will leave young adult readers searching for more answers and questioning ones tolerance towards others. Age Appropriate: Grade 9 and up
This is a Young Adult book. The content is for mature readers with reference to sensitive topics (sex, drugs, suicide, abuse, etc.). The book contains swear words.
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LibraryThing member CBJames
Christopher Creed is the weirdest kid in school. Intelligent, tall, socially beyond awkward, he has no friends that anyone can name, though he seems to see himself as popular. During his junior year he disappears without a trace, except for an email he sends from a school computer that could be a
Since no one knows for certain what happened to Christopher Creed, including the reader, the novel becomes the story of what happens to those left behind. How can his family deal with this loss when they don't know what kind of loss it is? How can the students at his school adjust to knowing they may have contributed to their classmate's suicide when the truth may be that he simply ran away?
Suspicion eventually falls on the narrator, Victor Adams, a classmate and acquaintance of Christopher's who attempts to solve his disappearance. Victor and s few of his friends try to spy on Christopher's mother because they believe it was her eccentric, strict upbringing that drove him to run away from their small town. After Christopher's mother catches them out, she becomes convinced that they are responsible for her son's death. She simply refuses to believe that he ran away or that he committed suicide.
This is much more plot summary than I usually like to do. While I enjoyed The Body of Christopher Creed and think it is a well written book, I find I have nothing to say about it. It's an interesting story that becomes something of a thriller and it goes on. The characters are all interesting and believable. I enjoyed reading it. That's just all I really have to say.
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suicide note or just be a goodbye note. Or it could be that Christopher Creed didn't send the note at all if he was murdered and his killers simply wanted to cover-up their crime. Since no one knows for certain what happened to Christopher Creed, including the reader, the novel becomes the story of what happens to those left behind. How can his family deal with this loss when they don't know what kind of loss it is? How can the students at his school adjust to knowing they may have contributed to their classmate's suicide when the truth may be that he simply ran away?
Suspicion eventually falls on the narrator, Victor Adams, a classmate and acquaintance of Christopher's who attempts to solve his disappearance. Victor and s few of his friends try to spy on Christopher's mother because they believe it was her eccentric, strict upbringing that drove him to run away from their small town. After Christopher's mother catches them out, she becomes convinced that they are responsible for her son's death. She simply refuses to believe that he ran away or that he committed suicide.
This is much more plot summary than I usually like to do. While I enjoyed The Body of Christopher Creed and think it is a well written book, I find I have nothing to say about it. It's an interesting story that becomes something of a thriller and it goes on. The characters are all interesting and believable. I enjoyed reading it. That's just all I really have to say.
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LibraryThing member KoryD
“He didn’t understand what it was like to have your truths turn to crispy critters in stinking, rotting laughing that smelled like something you could never, ever describe, yet never, ever forget.” (pg 301)
Carol Plum-Ucci’s novel delves deeply into interesting territory as a small town
Carol Plum-Ucci’s novel delves deeply into interesting territory as a small town
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deals with the mysterious disappearance of one of its own, Christopher Creed. The story is told through the compelling narrative voice of Torey, a young boy, who among others, is referenced in the final email received from Chris, the town bully-target. In Torey’s quest for answers, there are some startling secrets uncovered as he only comes face to face with the mysteries, lies, and hypocrisy of adults. There are some dramatic moments in the story, and the ambiguity of the ending is thought-provoking, and suspense-laden. This novel has appeared on curriculum lists in Saskatchewan for English Language Arts and has been used at the grade nine level with ties to identity, decision-making, and relationships. This novel was the winner of the Michael L. Printz Honor in 2001 and the South Carolina Book Award for Young Adults in 2003. Show Less
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
The high school misfit, Christopher Creed, has disappeared without a trace. People theorize that he has run away, committed suicide or was killed by one of the boons, the town thugs. No one takes it very seriously, except Torey, whose name was mentioned in Chris’ supposed suicide note; Torey’s
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friend Ali; and her boon boyfriend, Bo. With Chris’ disappearance, Torey soon learns that truth and reality in his town are not what they seem, and that people can make them suit their own needs. Edges on creepy. Lib notes: Swearing, talk of death and murder. Show Less
LibraryThing member mjspear
Christopher Creed is a nerdy outsider that many kids bullied and even more ignored or avoided. Then he disappears and a hunt ensues for the body --and truth-- of Christopher Creed. Terrific pacing, a touch of the supernatural, and some exciting plot twists make this a can't-put-down book. Highly
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recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member HeatherLINC
"The Body of Christopher Creed" is narrated by seventeen year-old, Torey Adams, who is trying to discover the truth about the recent disappearance of a fellow student. As he struggles to find the truth, Torey has to struggle against small town prejudices, stereotypes and deceptions. This book
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reminded me of "Jasper Jones" by Craig Silvey, which I read earlier this year, but it lacked the humour and charm that was so evident in "Jasper Jones." Show Less
LibraryThing member mendon
Very suspenseful mystery.
LibraryThing member mutantpudding
Reread review: I read this in highschool and was completely engrossed by it. It was creepy and fascinating and I loved it. I still think its a good book and the creepyness factor was still present, but I am definitely pickier about things like racism and sexist language these days and the book
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contains more of that sort of thing than I would have liked. Show Less
Pages
256