The Body of Christopher Creed

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The Body of Christopher Creed
The Body of Christopher Creed.jpg
First edition
Author Carol Plum-Ucci
GenreMystery
Published2000
Publisher Harcourt
Pages276
AwardsMichael L. Printz Honor Book Award
ISBN 978-0152063863
Followed byFollowing Christopher Creed 

The Body of Christopher Creed is a young adult novel by Carol Plum-Ucci. It tells the story of a high school student whose life is unravelled when he tries to solve the mystery of a classmate's sudden disappearance. The novel won the Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award. [1]

Contents

Plot summary

Torey Adams moves to begins his senior year at Rothborne boarding school, while struggling with the recent disappearance of his former classmate Christopher Creed.

At school, Torey deals with friendship struggles and romance while trying to solve Christopher's disappearance.

As Torey learns more about Christopher, he realizes things are not as they seem.

Characters

Major themes

The Body of Christopher Creed reveals the issues of the questionable nature of "reality" and the need to "be taken seriously". [10] In the novel Torey says that every person in Steepleton has their own "version of reality" that "has nothing to do with what’s true" or what's not true. [11] Torey's mother screams at him to "remain calm" instead of addressing the point that he made. [12] Similar situations occur throughout the novel where the children try to address a point and the adults push it aside to avoid the reality of their once "safe world" as Torey explains. [13]

Critics have also noted that The Body of Christopher Creed addresses the issue of the need to "blame others" when tragedy strikes. [13] A Chris Creed Book review states that the novel has an "interesting perspective" about how "cruel" people can be to one another. When "tragedy strikes" the townspeople of Steepleton look for others to blame instead of themselves. [10] For instance, Mrs. Creed is quick to jump to a conclusion that Bo either "murdered" or is "holding" Chris after Bo is taken into custody, despite there being no evidence of this. [14] Throughout the novel, the townspeople of Steepleton would rather cover up their problems by blaming others within their community.

Bibliography

Plum-Ucci, Carol (2001). The Body of Christopher Creed. New York: Volo. ISBN   0152063862.

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References

  1. Beckman, Hank (23 February 2007). "Childhood home was a spooky setting, author says". Naperville Sun.
  2. Plum-Ucci p.2
  3. Plum-Ucci p. 115
  4. Plum-Ucci p.274
  5. Plum-Ucci p.58
  6. Plum-Ucci 190
  7. 1 2 Plum-Ucci p.3
  8. Plum-Ucci p.149
  9. Plum-Ucci p.148
  10. 1 2 "The Body of Christopher Creed". Publishers Weekly. May 22, 2000. Retrieved March 14, 2012.
  11. Plum-Ucci, p.131
  12. Plum-Ucci p. 131
  13. 1 2 Austin, Patricia (November 15, 2003). "Top 10 First Novels for Young Listeners". Booklist. 100 (6). ISSN   0006-7385 . Retrieved March 14, 2012.
  14. Plum-Ucci, p. 125