Book Review--The Body of Christopher Creed

     With What Happened to Lani Garver being my all-time favorite book, I expected greatness from Carol Plum-Ucci's award-winning The Body of Christopher Creed. I wasn't disappointed. Though it just can't beat Lani in my eyes, it was still a powerful, convicting, edge-of-your-seat read.
     Plum-Ucci's writing style is consistent with what I read in Lani. That is, the words disappear, leaving just the plot and the characters to guide you. I admire this transparent style--after a while, you forget that you're reading. You're feeling, experiencing the story as it's happening. It's one of the highest compliments I can give to an author.
     Although he is not the protagonist, all the happenings of the novel revolve around the character Chris Creed. However, he never enters a single scene. Through flashbacks, a diary, and descriptions from other characters, Plum-Ucci creates an ever-present being holding the story together. I've never seen it done before, for such an extended period of time, and boy did it work. I know just as much about Creed, if not more, than I do about any of the other characters. Not that the others weren't just as deep and endearing as Creed himself. Ali McDermott now ranks as one of my favorite YA Lit female characters. The protagonist and narrator, Torey Adams, serves as a lens through which to view the story, giving the reader a vicarious experience while also showing a solid personality of his own.
     Of course, the best part of Plum-Ucci's books are the stories. I hesitate to call them plots, because there's so much more to them. There's a theme, a message, a passion that bleeds straight from Plum-Ucci's soul and onto the paper. True, Chris Creed and Lani share many similair elements--a small town shaken up by a strange, out-of-the-box sort of kid, and one seemingly-perfect teenager willing to risk everything for truth and fairness. But each time, the message is a little bit different, and tugs at a different piece of your soul. Once again, Plum-Ucci's story was so convictingthat it initiated a change in my life, and I'm sure in the lives of many others. That's a rare gem in the YA Lit world. And I just have to say--Plum-Ucci is the queen of twist endings!
     Great, great read, if you're willing to be uncomfortable at first. Everybody's got a Chris Creed in their life--I do. If you want to read this book, prepare to face him. If you like deep stuff, this is definately for you. But even if you don't, I dare you to give it a try.