Anamnesis
Active Member
Just something I whipped up for my college's arts/entertainment newspaper. I'm surprised the editor wanted me to review it since the book came out in early August, but whatever . . .
Devil Bones, the eleventh volume in Kathy Reichs’ series of novels about forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, opens with the good doctor suffering through a tedious meeting with her colleagues at the University of North Carolina. It is during the meeting that the county medical examiner alerts her about the discovery of a shrine containing both animal and human bones. Soon after, a man walking on the beach finds the headless corpse of a teenage boy.
The matter only gets worse when when the town’s staunchly religious commissioner urges citizens to seek justice and find the killer(s) themselves. Oh, and Temperance finds herself dealing with the sudden reappearance of her ex-boyfriend and the advances of a former high school flame. At least she won’t have to sit through a faculty meeting . . .
Although Reichs’ series is one that never seemed appealing, the references to Wicca and Satanism made Devil Bones seem unusually promising. It may be far from a work of art, but the book managed to considerably surpass low expectations. Due to its multiple subplots and twists the story can get convoluted, but Reichs manages to neatly resolve everything at the book’s conclusion. Unlike other authors, Reichs does not portray her main character as perfect and omniscient (a possible cause for concern since author and character share many similarities—they both teach at the University of North Carolina and hold jobs in Quebec and North Carolina). As the novel progresses, Temperance briefly loses her battle with alcoholism and receives sharp criticism for confronting the aforementioned commissioner. And although Reichs has a penchant for giving explanations of topics ranging from Wicca to insects, the information presented is concise and to-the-point.
Unfortunately, Reichs fails to convey through her novel a definitive message.. She presents an idea of America as a fearful nation by having Brennan give a lengthy speech about . . . how America is a fearful nation. Surely there are other, more subtle ways to get one’s message across. Certain scenes in the book that were meant to come across as charming and quirky feel forced and laborious to get through. Lastly, Reichs consistently ends her chapters with a cliffhanger. Although it was an effective way to keep up the tension, such a device tends to grow tiresome.
Despite these flaws, Devil Bones proves to be a surprisingly enjoyable read. Given the book’s release date fell in early August, diehard fans will most likely have finished this title already. If new fans were curious about the book and didn’t want to read any of the prior installments, they can pick it up and absorb the story without any difficulty.
Devil Bones, the eleventh volume in Kathy Reichs’ series of novels about forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, opens with the good doctor suffering through a tedious meeting with her colleagues at the University of North Carolina. It is during the meeting that the county medical examiner alerts her about the discovery of a shrine containing both animal and human bones. Soon after, a man walking on the beach finds the headless corpse of a teenage boy.
The matter only gets worse when when the town’s staunchly religious commissioner urges citizens to seek justice and find the killer(s) themselves. Oh, and Temperance finds herself dealing with the sudden reappearance of her ex-boyfriend and the advances of a former high school flame. At least she won’t have to sit through a faculty meeting . . .
Although Reichs’ series is one that never seemed appealing, the references to Wicca and Satanism made Devil Bones seem unusually promising. It may be far from a work of art, but the book managed to considerably surpass low expectations. Due to its multiple subplots and twists the story can get convoluted, but Reichs manages to neatly resolve everything at the book’s conclusion. Unlike other authors, Reichs does not portray her main character as perfect and omniscient (a possible cause for concern since author and character share many similarities—they both teach at the University of North Carolina and hold jobs in Quebec and North Carolina). As the novel progresses, Temperance briefly loses her battle with alcoholism and receives sharp criticism for confronting the aforementioned commissioner. And although Reichs has a penchant for giving explanations of topics ranging from Wicca to insects, the information presented is concise and to-the-point.
Unfortunately, Reichs fails to convey through her novel a definitive message.. She presents an idea of America as a fearful nation by having Brennan give a lengthy speech about . . . how America is a fearful nation. Surely there are other, more subtle ways to get one’s message across. Certain scenes in the book that were meant to come across as charming and quirky feel forced and laborious to get through. Lastly, Reichs consistently ends her chapters with a cliffhanger. Although it was an effective way to keep up the tension, such a device tends to grow tiresome.
Despite these flaws, Devil Bones proves to be a surprisingly enjoyable read. Given the book’s release date fell in early August, diehard fans will most likely have finished this title already. If new fans were curious about the book and didn’t want to read any of the prior installments, they can pick it up and absorb the story without any difficulty.