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Summary: A story so compelling, so real... so easy to relate!
Review: It is rare to find a novel which so seamlessly integrates the trials and tribulations of a homosexual protagonist with an incredibly well-written story, well-defined characters, and a setting at once foreign yet strikingly familiar.The ability to relate with Stephen, regardless of the reader's sexual orientation, is by far Christopher's paramount achievement. Who hasn't faced social difficulties, admired others from a distance, or questioned their own worth in the eyes of others? Who hasn't lost friends to the purely political demands of society-at-large or suffered from twists of fate that leave you stunned and gasping for breath in a single cruel instant? Written with an intensity lacking in many mainstream publications, "A Density of Souls" combines an intuitive insight into the motivations and machinations of human character with a truly compelling storytelling pace which leaves the reader breathless with anticipation between the turning of one page to the next. Masterfully conceived, powerfully written, and remarkably presented, "A Density of Souls" is sure to earn a cherished spot on any reader's bookshelf!
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Summary: I'm Hooked
Review: I am not a literary expert. I read minimal. I don't claim to be knowledgeable in all literary matters. I do know what entertains me and what gets me excited. Well Christopher Rice's did that for me and more. His first novel is a great one. The characters are real, people we went to high school with. The story is real, not only because it is set in a real city, but because it has happened to people, including me. I would recommend this to anyone, know matter what kind of reading they do. It truly is a "page turner", "can't put it down", "read it from cover to cover", novel. Great job Christopher. I'm hooked so please send something soon!! Robert Garcia
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Summary: A truly wonderful novel
Review: After reading this book I have to say it is by far one of the best I have read in very long time. I can only hope that in the future Christopher Rice will produce more of these stunning novels. If your looking for a book that you can not put down this is it.
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Summary: Intense, Amazing, and Captivating
Review: Job well done Christopher. Having never read an Anne Rice novel, I fell across this book in a magazine spotlight article. I ordered the book immediately, and after receiving it last night, have just completed it. I could not put it down. Christopher writes a novel that had such a well developed plot and characters that I felt like I was there in New Orleans watching from the wings. The way he telss the story each of the characters could have anyone going back to their days in high school and college and identifying with the a character. Christopher broached the topic of growing of up as a gay male perfectly. The prose was in no way offensive and extremely inspiring. The triumphs faced by the characters made this a book to remember. GLAAD should have very high praise for this novel. I hope that the screenplay is already in the works. Christopher...this novel was excellent and I look forward to reading your next. BRAVO!
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Summary: Courageous First Effort
Review: I suppose most people will classify this as a "GAY" book, but I have found that my heterosexual friends can easily identify with the characters and are particularly drawn to the high-school experiences that are common to everyone, gay or straight. Clearly written from the perspective of a young man who has not quite made sense of everything he has witnessed, A Density of Souls is a frustratingly shallow look at a bottomless pit of emotional turmoil and societal conflict. It could have been twice as long and still not answered all of the lingering questions about the lives of the characters who are all so easy to identify with. The book truly left me wanting more. The character Stephen, who I assume is Chris if this is at all autobiographical, is complex enough to be the main character of a series of books. The gut-wrenching tale told in A Density of Souls is heavy material for such a young and inexperienced writer. I believe, in time, Christopher Rice will become a masterful writer, and I look forward to reading his future works, hopefully accomplished with an editor who will not allow another book to be published with so many grammatical and typographical errors. I have had to purchase two additional copies, because everyone who reads it wants to pass it on to someone else. We all anxiously await The Snow Garden, which will hopefully be released in February 2002. (I guess I should have ordered more than one copy of that one too.)
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Summary: Stunning Debut Novel
Review: A seamless marriage of the gay coming of age novel and the southern gothic tradition, Christopher Rice's first book is the sort of page turner the keeps you up all night because you can't put it down. Sad, scary, romantic, even occasionally funny; I liked this book so much that I started an online fan club (on Yahoo! if you're interested) for Mr. Rice, who at the ripe old age of 22 may be the future of the popular novel. Just read it!
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Summary: Christopher Rice Astounds Me With His Debut Novel
Review: Rarely does a book enthrall me as this one has. I finished "A Density of Souls" in just five days as I could not tear myself away from it. As a young man of 23, I have to admit that Rice taught me more about homosexuality and hate crime on a profound new level. Rices' "A Density of Souls" lured me into its rich characters, and devisive plot. Each page was like a slap in the face with every new revelation. The complex characters of Stephen, Meredith, Greg, Brandon and Jordan instantly resonate on some level with the reader; drawing us in to what could be real, even at times when it seems unbearably so. New Orleans successfully encaptures the solemn mood for Christopher as it did for his acclaimed mother, Anne Rice. This splendid location pitches the story to amazing levels. Somehow this book hits home. At once haunting to the imagination and sobering to the soul. I won't forget this book.
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Summary: An interesting page-turner, I couldn't put down.
Review: I saw Christopher Rice on the August 29th Issue of The Advocate, and was excited the openly gay son of author Anne Rice had written his debut, I immediately purchased the book. I was finished with the book in one sitting, and became transfixed with the imaginative plot, and the relationships between the 4 main characters. There are many issues tackled in this book, and it was refreshing to read a novel that represented gay themes in a non-lacivious manner. I think Christopher Rice has a bright future ahead of him, and he's terribly cute to boot!
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Summary: Right track--sometimes scarier than mother's vampires.
Review: "A Density of Souls" is a powerful story of friendship, betrayal and renewal/redemption. Begins with four friends playing hide and seek in the cemetery. A storm comes, and everything begins to fall apart--Stephen is to the rescue with a poem he learned from his father....summer ends, high school begins. Four friends are down to three as a now-snobby Meredith joins the cheerleading squad...Brandon and Greg become macho football players, and Stephen is the outcast as his former friends viciously label him a "fag". Accidental death, suicide, and a mental breakdown--it is now 5 years later, and the hatred has grown. Even darker secrets are revealed. And a hurricane threatens to destroy everything.
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Summary: One of the best reads of the year
Review: Adolescence is difficult for even the most adjusted youngster, but for childhood friends Stephen, Meredith, Brandon, and Greg it is a nightmare. The foursome used to enjoy playing hide and seek in a nearby cemetery, but during a storm Meredith watches Greg and Stephen humping each other. She found the incident ugly and that day forever changed everyone's relationships. Meredith felt compelled to hurt Stephen. She succeeded by informing the high school's in crowd that he was a fag leading to Stephen becoming the prime target of everyone, including Greg. Greg and Meredith become an entry, but their relationship turns violent. Meredith becomes an alcoholic and Brandon turns into a maniacal terrorist. Now five years after starting high school, the former friends are together at a reunion that reveals frightening truths including a murder. There is a vein of darkness and brooding disaster throughout the story line. This leads the audience to anticipate tragedy is about to strike at almost any moment even with the exciting climax providing a ray of light for the future. A DENSITY OF SOULS illuminates the reaction to alleged homosexuality by a predominantly heterosexual crowd and its aftermath on the victims of sexual choice bias. Christopher Rice shows he is a talented author who can spin a dark tale without the benefit of the supernatural or his mother's fame. Harriet Klausner
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