A Density of Souls

Rating:
Summary: Too much of a good thing
Review: Christopher Rice deserves to have his book published. Though Rice's name may have merited extra attention from publishers, A Density of Souls contained both the writing style and intriguing plot to make it a good book.

There's no doubt Rice can write. His style is fast-paced and effective. The novel sucks the reader in by bouncing around from one engaging account to another, and utilizes vivid description. His development of the characters evokes emotion. I felt sorry for Meredith and her struggles with adapting to high school. I felt anger towards Brandon for his heartless cruelty.

However one emotion that seems to be dulled by the novel is shock. The novel begins with a surprising cemetery scene, and it's this scene that draws the reader in. But after this, Rice continues to shock readers with astonishing events, to the point where murder seems like nothing new. His sensationalism is excessive. The novel contains suicide, murder, hate crimes, sex, and even a hurricane, more than any reader can ask for. Toward the end of the novel, it seems as if Rice is resorting to sensationalistic events to keep the reader interested, instead of relying on his own writing skill.

Unfortunately, it's this saturation of wild events that clouds the substance of the novel. The general plot keeps the reader interested, and Rice uses it to convey his message. He attempts to expose the problems of homophobia. Instead he winds up writing a book that's 'a good read.' He has way too many plot twists to keep the reader focused on any particular idea. The book is more of a page-turner than it is a thought-provoking novel.

Writing runs in the Rice family. Christopher Rice's debut novel proves it. But it also reveals his immaturity as a writer. It seems he got too excited with his first book, and tried to utilize every possible plot twist he could. Had he eased up a little, A Density of Souls may have been a more emphatic and profound novel. I would read his second book, but what more could Rice write about to keep readers interested?

Rating:
Summary: Deeper Understanding Is Neccessary
Review: "What do you despise? By this you are truly known." (A Density of Souls, Christopher Rice pp. 188-189)

I have read a handful of reviews posted here. Two or three in particular discouraged me. Sadly, people without knowledge of events outside of their own lifes are dictating to others what is real, believable, and what happens in the lives of others. On reviewer said "After finishing the novel, readers shut the book just like they switch off a bad television drama, and never think about the story or its characters again." Another said: "Further, I found his portrayal of high school and the years after it to be inaccurate. Cannon high where his characters play out their implausible lives is a Beverly Hills 90210 hell with much more challenging social pressures than any high school I know of." And lastly: "This tale of a tormented young gay man in New Orleans is so unbelievable (not to mention disgusting) that anyone would have to walk away from the book frustrated...First of all, I am a straight, Christian, college football player, and I have never seen anyone on any team, at any school that I have played at or visited treat a person like that. I find the treatment of Stephen by the football players at Cannon to be highly unbelievable, not to mention an unfair stereotype of male athletes. As for the rest of the plot lines, I would find it extremely hard to believe that all of them would happen in a lifetime...."

I would like to comment on these. When I was thirteen years old I read "The Outsiders" and "That was Then, This is Now" by S.E.Hinton. When I finished the books, I threw them across my room, walked over and picked them up, and promptly read them again. Those two books helped to shape the way I view my world. They helped make up what I am today. Six years later, it happened again with "A Density of Souls". During my formitave years as a teenager growing up in California I have never had anything rock my view of society and spark my mind into understanding and clarity as these three books. These characters WILL be thought of again. They will become a source of strength and despair, resentment and realization. Secondly, Rice's depiction of high school life was not as outrageous as some would have you believe. In fact, it was more acurate than most would care to know. Schools are divided into cliques and classes, and the hatred between them is palpable. I know. I was from the same group as Stephen. I still am even after high school. It defines you. The social pressures are numerous and they do shape you.

Lastly, I submit that the tale of the gay man is not unbelieve (nor disgusting). I can attest that these things do happen as parts of the tale are mirrored with events, thoughts, and actions in my own life, and the lives of my closest friends (and I believe that a story with a gay character does not make a story "disgusting" ~ that tends to be a straight Christian view, of which I am neither). Football players tend to not know about the private lives of each other. Rice's depiction of events is actually quite correct. Relationships do occur for many reasons, including those cited in the novel. I commend Christopher Rice for telling the story he wanted to tell in the manner in which he wanted to tell it. Events happen in lives, for some more than for others, but that does not make them any less valid, or any less real. Books tell a story which try to leave a lasting impression on your mind. Your part of the bargain requires you to allow your mind to be impressionable. Read "A Density of Souls" with an open mind and I am certain you will not be left disappointed. I believe that you will be left changed in heart, mind, and spirit because "Even a thought, even a possibility can shatter us and transform us. (Will Kilfoil)" I wish to close with the words of Christopher Rice:

"Fear cannot touch me... It can only taunt me,

it cannot take me, just tell me where to go...

I can either follow, or stay in my bed...

I can hold on the things that I know...

The dead stay dead, they cannot walk. The shadows are darkness. And darkness cannot talk."

Rating:
Summary: At Most: Okay Book
Review: A Density of Souls, by Christopher Rice is a rather interesting book. The novel contains all the dramatic events including erotic sexual activity, a hurricane, and death to name a few. The descriptions of these events are quite explicit and the reader gets an intimate feel of the narrator's story. Unfortunately, the numerous plot contrivances do not allow the author enough time to develop his characters when the novel ends. Meredith is the only character one could argue which exhibits a significant change in the novel. Readers can only guess the motivations and inspirations of the other characters whom seem to do things for no particular reason. Overall, I think Christopher Rice's debut novel is: at most okay. I think his connections were important for getting the book published. But I believe for his first major composition, he shows potential. I honestly believe the author had quite a few great ideas, and plenty of action sequences. The novel lacks an underlying meaning which makes great books interesting, and seems to be more suited for the big screen. Sadly, with its obvious errors, A Density of Souls suffers from lackluster editing. Undoubtedly, Rice has a talent and mind for writing, but I think he should put more time in perfecting his next novel. Primarily, I think that the novel lacks focus. The connection between the many plots and subplots were difficult to uncover at times. There are just too many spiders in the cobweb making the novel confusing. Either characters and events should be further developed or Rice should have just written a short story.

Rating:
Summary: My First Novel
Review: I support someone my age writing a novel but this one reads like a rough draft complete with spelling errors! "Density" has seeds of brilliance buried in a soap opera plot. Rice tries to do too much by packing a surplus of action in 274 pages. The result is that "Density" is littered with events like incest, hate crimes, rape, and suicide none of which serve to develop his characters.

Pick this novel up at the airport, it is a throw away to read and forget when the trip is over. If you are expecting an experience, forget it. "Density" is unsatisfying and a waste of time. I wonder why Rice wrote the novel. What was he trying to tell us? What were we meant to leave the novel thinking? I am sure he has an agenda but fails to be effective in delivering it; nothing in it resonated in me.

I found the characters intolerable and their lives to be unbelievably horrible. Not one character is free of problems like haunting sexual pasts, bulimia, alcoholism, or some combination of these misfortunes. Tragedy is present in epidemic proportions in Rice's novel. Further, I found his portrayal of high school and the years after it to be inaccurate. Cannon high where his characters play out their implausible lives is a Beverly Hills 90210 hell with much more challenging social pressures than any high school I know of. I think "Density" would have benefited from the editing that publishers suggested when Rice first introduced it. I am interested to see how Rice evolves as an author but skip this first attempt.

Rating:
Summary: Worst Book Ever
Review: To put it simply, Christopher Rice's A Density of Souls, was one of the worst books that I have ever read. This tale of a tormented young gay man in New Orleans is so unbelievable (not to mention disgusting) that anyone would have to walk away from the book frustrated. Every plot device imaginable, (alcoholism, incest, terrorist bombings, and a hurricane to name a few), are used in this story, and none of them are made out to be the least bit believable. Aside from the amount of plot devices used, there is the fact that there are no believable characters, which leaves the reader longing for something to compare the sensationalistic characters and plot lines to. The plot devices used in A Density of Souls makes a daytime soap opera seem like life in a retirement home. First of all, I am a straight, Christian, college football player, and I have never seen anyone on any team, at any school that I have played at or visited treat a person like that. I find the treatment of Stephen by the football players at Cannon to be highly unbelievable, not to mention an unfair stereotype of male athletes. As for the rest of the plot lines, I would find it extremely hard to believe that all of them would happen in a lifetime, not to mention in the time span that is presented in the novel. Then there are the characters. The characters in the novel are not only unbelievable, but are so underdeveloped that you can't feel sympathy or anger towards any of them. The portrayal of Stephen as a Christ like figure that everyone ends up loving is so unbelievable, and in my opinion infuriating, that the whole novel is ruined because the central character is the worst one in the novel. Then there are the tales of just about every wealthy person in New Orleans, not just unbelievable, but so disturbing that I question the author's state of mental health. First of all, how many people forget that they are naked when they are standing in front of there mother, and then give their mother a hug while they are still naked, and the mother deems this acceptable as well, you've got to be kidding me with this! And of course, lets not forget, all but two of the characters in the novel change their sexual orientation during the course of the novel, does this strike anyone as just a little far fetched. Not only does this happen, but the author tries to pass these events off as average everyday life occurrences, and does not give any attention to the weight of the situation that is taking place within his own story. The lack of character development, and the fact that none of the characters resemble a believable person is the biggest flaw of this book among the many others. Basically this book is terrible. On top of the fact that in a conservative setting this book could be considered homosexual pornography, the plot is unrealistic, and the characters are underdeveloped and unbelievable. This book should have never been printed; it's a waste of trees. Speaking of publishing, I don't think that this book even saw an editor; my copy was full of typographical errors. Christopher Rice needs to go back to the drawing board, and while he's there throw away the pen or pencil that he used to draw this novel up with, its obviously bad luck.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Character Development
Review: Aside from the shocking revelation at the end and the occasional twists and turns in the plot, what surprises me the most about A Density of Souls is how a novel advertised to be about "four young friends" can develop the main characters so little.

It seems that Christopher Rice has more interest in building minor characters than he is in allowing the reader to bond with the four friends named Stephen Conlin, Brandon Charbonnet, Greg Darby, and Meredith Ducote. In fact, to illustrate this same point, one other critic writes that, "The character treatment is so shallow that you have a hard time trying to distinguish between main and secondary characters."

The author also needs to use better judgment when deciding what to tell the reader about a particular character. For example, there is a whole chapter that Rice devotes to the origin of Stephen's mother's name that he should omit because it makes no substantive contribution to the development of the plot.

Perhaps the author withholds from the reader so much information about the central characters because he wants to keep their secrets hidden until the end. However, even after finishing the novel, I did not walk away from the text feeling attached to any of the main characters. A well-written novel should make you feel more connected.

Among the main characters, Meredith Ducote shows the only signs of substantive progression throughout the novel in comparison to her peers. She spends her high school career as part of the in-crowd. Meredith is a member of the A-list, the only freshman in the varsity cheerleading team, and homecoming queen. However, the reader senses early on that her popularity suppresses her true self. Meredith still cares for Stephen, but exposing these feelings in public would be social suicide for her. Overall, what this novel lacks in character development, it makes up for in action and drama. However, although this made reading the book easy and somewhat entertaining, I feel short-changed for not receiving more substance than what I expected.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent First Novel
Review: Christopher Rice has shown us in his 1st novel that he is as gifted a writer as his mother. The story was compelling & the characters were, on the whole, fully developed and very interesting. I loved the story line and was genuinely surprised at some points by the intricate weaving & plot twists Rice crafted. His vivid descriptions of places and people kept me fascinated and gave the book a very rick texture. I very much look forward to his next novel! A note for his editors - I counted 2 mistakes (1 typo & 1 grammatical) - Christopher's talented writing deserves better than that. Besides that, the only drawback was Christopher's tendency to repeat phrases (like his mother does w/ the word "preternatural") like 'the character said something with a sincerity "that surprised them both"...' This is a close-knit group of people - how often are they going to surprise themselves & others?

Rating:
Summary: A Density of Boredom
Review: Some books have a gripping plot and are written beautifully. Unfortunatly this book does not fall into that category. The plot is interesting, but it is far from totally engaging and did not hold my attention. A Density of Souls did have a fascinating premise, and I was curious to see how it developed. Unfortunatly, the lack of character development coupled with emotional extremes seemed to thrash the plot. I had a really hard time getting into this book. Stephen, the main character, went through struggles that, while possible, seem sensationalized. Each character seems to be a recreation of some stereotype, which can really make any book seem unrealistic. Every possible plot device is used, from a hurricane to a sucide. This detracts from the story and seems to lend a fantastic aspect to the book. The characters have very little history to them, as if they just take actions with no real motivation. Some people have rated this book highly, calling it a "must read". I find this hard to understand, and the book is not terribly well written. There are many gramarical errors and I wonder about the editing process involved with this book.Maybe it should have been left to sit so that Rice would have had time to review and reflect upon this novel.

Rating:
Summary: Merits Overshadowed
Review: At first glance, A Density of Souls is both sensational and bordering on the absurd. The plot traces the changing alliances and misfortunes of four friends, Stephen, Meredith, Greg, and Brandon, as they grow from youthful innocence to adulthood experience. In short succession, they experience the effects of suicide, rape, domestic violence, alcoholism, and murder, in an extravagant list that only lengthens as the novel progresses. Yet beyond the glare of these soap-operatic devices, Rice's tale has occasional moments of truth.

In the beginning of the novel, Stephen, Meredith, Greg, and Brandon enter high school. Each reacts to the pressures of high school differently: Stephen becomes a loner, Meredith turns to cheerleading and alcohol, and Greg and Brandon find their identity in football. Society rejects Stephen, who is gay, and accepts Meredith, Greg, and Brandon, who do not challenge the norm. Yet it is Stephen who remains true to himself and who others, both male and female, are drawn to. Indeed, Rice endows him with an almost otherworldly quality. He is like an "angel"(141). Although Stephen is ostracized, he retains his goodness. Rice seems to imply that people who true to themselves are not necessarily those who are accepted in society. By extension, those that go along with society's expectations are not necessarily the healthiest or happiest.

The latter portion of the novel spirals out of control as it follows the foursome into adulthood. Revealed secrets and plot twists are on every page, leaving the reader reeling in disbelief. By the final revelation on the last page, I was desensitized to further shock. It is sad that Rice could not control his penchant for melodrama. In the end, the lurid aspects of the novel overshadow the merits of it message.

Rating:
Summary: Christopher Rice makes good on his first book
Review: I won't go into much about this book. I really truly enjoyed what he has written. It has brought me back to days of high school when I was just like Stephen and was picked on for being who I was. This book had me crying in all the right spots and angry at all the right people and actions. I read through this book in a couple of days, it had me that enthralled in it's characters and story...and yes it left me wanting more, not more substance, but more in a way that I didn't want it to end.

Kudos for Christopher Rice for writing such a wonderful story and writing what he feels and how he feels. His mother has always been a favorite of mine and now I have yet another novelist favorite...can't wait to read his next book.