The Body of Christopher Creed
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci, ISBN 978-0152063863, HMH Books For Young Readers 2008
Plot Summary:
The narrator of the story is Torey Adams, a senior at a prep school who is dealing with the disappearance of a classmate named Christopher Creed. Chris is remembered as the school weirdo. He was taunted and beaten up by almost everyone in the school. The only thing left of Chris is an email he sent to the principal, naming Torey and his friends as guys who have “everything.” This makes Torey more concerned about Chris’ whereabouts which in turn alienates his friends who are more interested in the intrigue than in Chris’ safety. Torey meets a girl named Ali who says she knows where they can find more information about Chris and where he might be. Together with Ali’s boyfriend, Bo, the teenagers set out on a journey to discover what really happened to Christopher Creed. The discoveries they make along the way will test the friendships they thought they knew and the community Chris decided to leave behind.
Critical Evaluation:
The story itself is fantastic. Plum-Ucci leaves just enough out about Creed’s disappearance to leave the characters and the reader uncertain about what actually happened to him, which makes for a great mystery. I like how the book didn’t solve the mystery for the reader, but instead ended on a cliffhanger. There is a sequel to the book, so interested readers can follow the mystery. One dull spot in the material was the language used by the characters. To me, it read more like a middle school novel than a high school one. I didn’t always buy that Torey and his friends were as old as Plum-Ucci wants the reader to believe. Also, despite Torey’s coming of age and realization that how he treats people does have an affect on them, he seems to be one of the only characters who learned that lesson. Most of the other kids in school are wrapped up in mystery and speculation, but none of them seem to understand that real person is missing and their actions have directly contributed to Chris’ disappearance. I know the old adage that kids can be cruel, but this seemed a bit excessive for me. Overall, it’s a quick read and the main lesson that you should treat everyone with respect is a welcome one for all ages.
Reader’s Annotation:
Chris Creed disappeared, leaving only an email as a clue to his whereabouts. Can this town face reality and find him?
Information about the Author:
arol Plum-Ucci’s seven Harcourt novels have drawn many awards and honors. Her first publication, The Body of Christopher Creed, earned her a Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award in 2002, and she was named a finalist in the Edgar Allan Poe Awards. The sequel, Following Christopher Creed, continues the perils of Steepleton from where 16-year-old Creed disappeared and has never resurfaced.
Plum-Ucci’s second novel, What Happened to Lani Garver, was a Printz nominee, and the book was named Amazon Editor’s #1 Choice in Teen Lit.
By late 2008, Plum-Ucci had received seven citations from YALSA, the young adult division of the American Library Association for three of her four releases. Two novels have been named to Best Books for Young Adults, and she’s also had two nominations. She was again an Edgar Allan Poe nominee for The Night My Sister Went Missing.
Carol Plum Ucci enjoys speaking at schools both in person and online using Skype.
Her releases Streams of Babel and its sequel Fire Will Fall have been named Junior Library Guild Premiere Selections. Streams of Babel received a special write up in Kirkus Review’s Upcoming Mysteries and Thrillers.
Plum-Ucci’s fiction utterly reflects her roots as a South Jersey islander. Raised in a funeral home on the barrier island of Brigantine, she says, “People ask me how I became a writer. Between the wind whipping around the island and the funeral home creaking beneath me every night, I say the answer is easy. I became a writer as a child who suffered insomnia, and whose mattress lay one story directly above our frequent overnight ‘guests.’ If you think it was scary under your bed…”
Plum-Ucci has spoken to audiences across America, including conventions of the National Association of Catholic School Librarians and the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association. She has received four starred reviews in Booklist and has been highly praised by other critics. “Plum-Ucci’s talent for blending the supernatural and scientific worlds makes her the literary heir of Madeleine L’Engle,” says the Voice of Youth Advocate (VOYA).
Plum-Ucci received her bachelor’s in communication from Purdue University and her master’s in arts from Rutgers. She has ghost written for six Miss Americas, two CEOs and others who are nameless by discretion. Her many professional awards include a Dalton Penn Award and two Iris Awards for excellence in Miss America publications. She was a recipient of a Kneale Award in Journalism from Purdue University.
She has two daughters and lives in Southern New Jersey.
Genre:
Coming of Age, Mystery
Curriculum Ties:
Treating others with respect\
Challenge Issues:
This book could be challenged because of language and some teen promiscuity.
Creating a Defense:
- Make sure you have thorough knowledge of the library’s selection policy as well as a copy on hand. Your insight as well as pointing out specific portions of the policy will be helpful in discussion with the patron.
- Always have the library Bill of Rights close to show the patron your library’s commitment to providing all kinds of information.
- Make sure you’re familiar with the books that might be challenged. Be prepared to discuss the book’s intended audience, its educational significance, purpose, and also some alternative titles to read.
- Don’t get defensive. The librarian can’t take the challenge personally and either party getting upset will cause the discussion to devolve into a fight.
- LISTEN. Even if you don’t agree with the patron, their views are as valid as yours and should be respected.
Reading Level:
Ages 12+
Booktalking Ideas:
Do you think Chris is alive or dead? Do you think Torey and Chris could possibly be the same person?
Why is the material included?:
This is good for reluctant or slow readers because the language is simple and the mystery is engaging. The moral of the story is also always a welcome lesson.
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