Homebody: A Novel (edition 1999)

After this book, I swore I would never read another book by Orson Scott Card. ( )

Don who has suffered a terrible loss is trying to carry on with his life.
Hi makes his way by buying and refurbishing old homes. One day he spots
a house that seems to have so much promise, he just has to have it. It is a
well built and once beautiful home.. it has potential, he thinks. He is right, but potential for what?
That is the question. ( )

This is certainly not OSC's best work, but it is a quick read, and doesn't suck you into a long and involved epic. The characters don't seem as fully fledged, or if there is a hint of a full character, it gets lost in the shuffle of a story that isn't fully explained. It almost feels like it was intended to be a series, but his editor didn't believe there was enough draw to extend it beyond one book.

All in all, I am generally in love with his work, and that won't change. This one, though, well, it will not keep a place in my heart for long. (It will keep a place on my shelf, though. It wasn't *that* bad.) ( )

The main character, Don Lark, is an architect- builder who moves into a haunted house in Greensboro, NC with plans to renovate the house and then sell it. The story starts off lonely and depressing, but the plot quickly jumps around to new events and changes that take place in Don's life. Several characters play a role in his discoveries, the biggest discovery being that the house is haunted.
This book seemed to throw me off at first because I wasn't sure where the leads were tying into the previous details. I realized that the style of this book simply had several sub-plots within an overall plot that recurrently picked back up. This book was unique and enjoyable due to its ability to create suspense and interest in its small mysteries without depicting horror or disturbing scenes. Although the house in this book is haunted, the suspense is appeasing and delightful and not at all scary. The plot and sub-plots are slightly random and obscure, but the characters are likable and well developed and descriptions are detailed and wonderful! ( )

This is an incredibly powerful ghost story. As a fan of history, I really liked the details about restoring the old house, which should be expected from Mr Card who often writes vividly. Here I am, just reading along, not really expected much to happen and then wow does it ever. No spoilers, but this book was a great deal when bought used and I've already re-read at least once. ( )