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Summary: What was she thinking?
Review: I am a fan of E. L. Konigsberg, particularly of "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," and "The View from Saturday," both of which won the Newbery Medal. Therefore, I was eagerly looking forward to reading the author's latest book, "Silent to the Bone". This book is totally unlike the other two. It is the story of a boy, Branwell, who has suddenly become mute after his baby sister, Nikki, nearly dies. Branwell's best friend, Connor, with the help of Connor's half-sister, Margaret, tries to find out the truth about what happened to the baby and what caused Branwell to stop speaking. This book is inappropriate for any child under fourteen. "Silent to the Bone" deals not only with the vicious abuse of a baby, but it also deals with premarital sex and a boy's sexual titillation by his sister's baby sitter. Who is Konigsberg's intended audience? The reading level is given as age 11 and up. I would not want my eleven-year-old child reading this book. The story is not particularly compelling, even without these objections. It was obvious where the plot was heading early on in the book. Konigsberg's messages about the power of love and friendship, and about the difficulties that blended families have are well-taken, but they hardly break new ground. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this book for any audience.
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Summary: Silent to the Bone
Review: E. L. Konigsburg's latest book is a gem. It kept my attention throughout and kept me thinking long after I had completed it. It was a great read.
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Summary: An Engaging Contemporary Plot for Young Readers
Review: E.L. Konigsburg's "Silent to the Bone" does indeed show the author's versatility and adeptness in effectively treating various subjects. Beyond that, I feel the book's greatest asset is its ability to take serious, contemporary subject matter and convey it in a creative, intriguing way to young readers. Branwell was, down to the blink of an eye, virtually silent to the very bones in his body. The manifestation of his emotions is gripping and real. Parents and young teens alike can reflect on the psychological/psychosocial aspects of the story and certainly gain appreciation for its application in today's world.This is an outstanding work worthy of many accolades.
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Summary: Buyer Beware
Review: This book is an excellent mystery. I purchased it as a Christmas gift for a friend's child. Then I bought a copy for myself and read it. I really enjoyed the book, but would never have purchased it for someone else's child if I knew the subject matter. I believe the subject matter is appropriate for older teens, but not for most 9 to 12-year-olds. Nothing in the book jacket review would lead you to believe this.
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Summary: Very moving
Review: I find that this book is fantastic. I found that I was so intrigued by this book that I ended up reading long after midnight. This book is about testing loyalty and one's journey. It is also somewhat of a mystery
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Summary: "Silent to the Bone" - A Screaming Good Read
Review: This is an excellent book. It has it all: character, plot, and good dectective work. E.L. Konigsburg respects the intelligence of her readers and her characters. I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: BRILLANTLY CRAFTED
Review: ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS THIS YEAR FOR CHILDREN OR ADULTS. THE AUTHOR RAISED ETHICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL QUESTIONS. THE BOOK IS BRILLANTLY CRAFTED AND THOUGHT PROVOKING AND A GREAT READING EXPERIENCE. I KEEP THINKING ABOUT THE CHARACTERS. A RICHLY SATISFYING READ.
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Summary: Silent to the bone
Review: Silent to the bone was a very interesting and unusual story. It raises lots of questions like what happened to Branwell? Is someone keeping an important secret ? It is a very touching book that I reccomend for 11 year olds. Branwell calls 911 to tell that his baby sister Nikki isn't breathing but he can't talk. Branwell and his brittish au pair his best friend and various others are plunged into a story to find out what happened.
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Summary: Interesting premise, fatal flaw.
Review: Connor, the protagonist, is young teen whose best friend, Branwell, has been accused of physically harming his infant stepsister, Nikki. The comatose Nikki is in the hospital, Branwell has stopped speaking and is in a detention center, and Connor is desperately trying to determine who is responsible for this tragedy. The reader accompanies Connor as he interviews witnesses, investigates the circumstances that led to Nikki's injury, and attempts to communicate with his mute, withdrawn, and seemingly apathetic friend. Will Branwell break his silence? Will Connor discover the truth? Will Nikki recover? Unfortunately, this interesting premise is fatally flawed by a plot hole so enormous that the book sinks like the Titanic. The reader is told that Dr. Zamborska, Branwell's father, tenderly cared for Branwell when his first wife died during Branwell's infancy. Dr. Z put his son in a daycare run by his employer and went there to feed Branwell his bottle while exchanging parenting advice with the nursing mothers caring for their infants. If Dr. Z's research required a trip to the lab at midnight, he'd take his tiny son with him. Branwell accompanied his father to scientific conferences, and Dr. Z never missed a single play, movie, sporting event or school conference with Branwell. After at least twelve years of exemplary parenting, Dr. Z remarries. His new wife, Dr. Tina Nguyen, is such a poorly defined, shadowy character that the author barely describes her. Their infant daughter is born, and this formerly deeply involved, caring father allows a young, unsupervised nanny to care for his infant daughter all day, and apparently at night as well. The author never describes a single moment when Nikki's parents take care of her. What could possibly explain this shocking lack of parental involvement? Did the university daycare close? Is an infant daughter less deserving of her father's love and attention? Is Dr. Z suddenly so busy that he is willing to rely on a complete stranger for his infant's care? And what of Dr. Nguyen, Nikki's mother? Given Dr. Z's tender care of the infant Branwell, isn't he even slightly surprised by his wife's apparent lack of interest in Nikki? The protagonist does not notice this dramatic change in Dr. Z's personality, and the author overlooked this incredible inconsistency as well. As a result, the events leading to Nikki's injury are less than credible, and the reader is left wondering whether Drs. Zamborska and Nguyen aren't also in a coma.
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Summary: flawed, contrived plot
Review: Though I thought the subject matter of SILENT TO THE BONE was extremely timely and interesting, I found the plot to be contrived. Or rather, Koningsburg's device of Conner's method of using alphabet cards to get pertinent info about the crime out of the temporarily mute Branwell. I found it understandable that Branwell may have been traumatized about the event and thereby lose his ability to speak. I understand how he eventually got his voice back. But I saw no logical reason why the vehicle to get the info out there was via pointing to alphabet cards. I kept asking in frustration, "Why doesn't Branwell simply WRITE out the info?" There was nothing wrong with his writing ability or his cognitive abilities. If Branwell was truly frightened to relate any info at all, why actually does he end up doing it? I realize why, of course -- to draw out the detective part of the plot. There'd be no story without that sleuthing element. I just felt that Koningsburg was trying so hard to use that eye-blinking professor and his assistant that's mentioned in the early part of the book as a template, and it just didn't work! Especially since Conner can only get Branwell to blink his eyes in response to his card questioning at first, then later, because of the slow laborious process of having to go through the entire alphabet until the correct letter is blinked at, that method is summarily discarded for Branwell just pointing to the letters to spell out the words. If you like Koningsburg's style, you'll get lots of it here. It's a pretty fast-paced read, not unenjoyable. But it was flawed, and for that it was disappointing.
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