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Four childhood friends in present-day New Orleans are torn apart by envy, passion, and a secret murder.Five years ago, Meredith, Brandon, Greg, and Stephen quickly discover the fragile boundaries between friendship and betrayal as they enter high school and form new allegiances. Meredith, Brandon, and Greg gain popularity, while Stephen is viciously treated as an outcast. Then two violent deaths destroy the already delicate bonds of their friendship.When the friends are drawn back together, new facts about their mutual history are exposed and what was held to be a tragic accident is revealed as murder. As the true story emerges, other secrets begin to unravel with more dangerous, far-reaching consequences.A Destiny of Souls is a stunning debut novel that uncovers the darker side of the teenage psyche.… (more)
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But if Anne Rice was my mother I'd have issues too, so that's pretty forgivable.
Powerful imagery, and a gay story in which not only does neither man in the main couple get killed or die of some disease, but they even get to be happy together at the end. Wow. Now *that's* novel. Lovely themes of death, and resurrection of the spirit/soul, and deep in the bone bonds.
It took me three years to figure out some of the more subtle symbolism though.
An enjoyable read, good for someone to who wants to chill with a book on holiday or whatever, but who wants to keep their brain ticking over nicely at the same time.
By the time Meredith, Brandon, Stephen and Greg enter high school, something has changed within the dynamic of their friendship. Suddenly, the four young friends are living drastically different lives; and deep feelings of envy, rage, and secret passions have succeeded in tearing their friendship apart. Soon, two violent deaths irrevocably disrupt the core of what these friends once shared, and they all go their separate ways - certain that they will never see each other ever again.
Five years later, the friends are reunited with each other. And, when one of the mysterious deaths that initially drove them apart is discovered to have actually been murder, secrets once thought to be deeply buried begin to unravel. And the casual cruelties inflicted by thoughtless high school students from the past, suddenly have the potential to develop into acts of brutal violence that threaten to engulf an entire city in the present.
First of all, let me say that I initially thought that this mystery was really quite good. I wanted so much to like this book. I thought the premise was intriguing and I found myself really feeling for the characters and what they were going through. However, by about halfway through the book, I noticed that the story was starting to slide slightly off track for me.
I wasn't quite sure why I felt this way at first, but was finally able to put my finger on the specific reason for these feelings. In my opinion, as a debut novel, this began off as an intriguing mystery and initially had such promise. However, I must say that I found Mr. Rice's writing style to be incredibly detailed and somewhat overwritten at times - some of the overly descriptive passages were hard for me to follow. Overall, I was disappointed to discover that this book was ultimately just not my cup of tea - I had to give it a C!
In their childhood Brandon and Greg did things with Stephen they would now rather forget, Stephen however has grown to accept the very things that frightened him when he thought about other boys. To make matters worse, while Brandon and Greg, now well built muscular youths have the physical power over the slender Stephen, and as Greg tries to ignore what he had with Stephen and now dates Meredith, it seems Stephen has an even stronger power over his two one-time friends. A power Greg would prefer to ignore but ultimately, and disastrously, cannot, whereas Brandon actively pursues his hatred and directs it at the entire gay community with tragic results.
Meredith, for her part, while secretly knowing all along what took place between the young Greg and Stephen, and after she overcomes her own problems, sees the truth of the situation and becomes a crucial support to Stephen and also to Greg's mother, who is inflicted with more than her fair share of trouble. That is not to say the the other excessively wealthy parents of our four youngsters escape, money certainly does not buy peace of mind.
Fortunately for Stephen his power to bring out the true nature of other men works both ways, just as Greg is unable to accept what Stephen stirs in him, there are those who, seemingly straight, respond positively and act upon their feelings; Stephen can find devoted lovers.
The Density of Souls is a powerful, complex and thought provoking novel, yes it may be a little over-wrought and extreme at times, but this is not to detract from it. This is my second Christopher Rice novel and I am now a dedicated fan greatly impressed by his ability to create and control complex plots and loving his more appealing characters. (I hope he does not desert this form altogether.)