Lost Boys

This is one of the few books granted a rating of five that I will never read again. Damn you, OSC, for being able to draw me in so completely.

This is a story that allows the reader to see a family's life, the small details that might seem unconsequential, the large issues that most would like to keep covered, the love and the frustration that comes from having so close a connection with other humans. It wraps you up in the relationships, and it ends up ripping out your heart.

Be forewarned, as I was, when my husband read it first, finished it, and came to me with tears in his eyes. Read it anyway, as I did. It is worth it.

The Lost Boys is a triumph in setting. The most frequent complaint I found about this book before reading it myself was how long it takes to get to the plot (the plot, per se, occurs on page 374 and runs for about 15 pages before the book ends.) People who say such things are missing Card's point. The Lost Boys is not about plot -- it is about how the most mundane things can conspire to drive us down -- how teachers can be too cynical to love children, how churchgoers can be so self-absorbed that they wrap God around themselves and how businesses can be so obsessed with the bottom line that they are torturing their employees. It is about how witty Step and kind DeAnne get disillusioned and how hard they have to work to pull themselves show more back up. And ultimately, Lost Boys is Card's testament to Mormonism -- how faith in the unseen can be the most important thing of all. show less

Not really OSC's normal fare. It is a compelling read nonetheless, for a certain reader. OSC blends mormon culture into this 1980s-era thriller(ish) novel in a way which is educational, but readily digestible, for the non-mormon, and I imagine unusual, and for that reason, entertaining, for mormons. I found the story believable even with the slightly off-popular-culture perspective. As a software developer of a slightly younger age than the protagonist (also a software developer), I felt OSC did a first-rate job of research into that character position. As an athiest, a student of religions, and a software developer, I found the book engrossing. Highly Recommended for the 2 other GoodReads members who fit that profile.

The Short of It:

A touching, moving, all-around great read. A perfect package.

The Rest of It:

Set in the early 80′s, Step Fletcher and his wife DeAnne move to Steuben, North Carolina to begin his new job as a technical writer. With them, are their three kids, Stevie (7), Robbie (4) and their toddler sister Elizabeth. DeAnne and Step are expecting baby number four and life looks promising. Except, that the job isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, and Step’s real passion is designing video games. Having previously been self-employed, Step finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. You see, he’s been hired as a tech writer, yet his real job is to audit code behind his boss’ back which is really, an impossible show more situation to be in.

On the home front, DeAnne is trying to find her place in this new neighborhood, and since they are of the Mormon faith, they are immediately accepted into their new ward. However, that’s not as perfect as it sounds, as this particular ward has some colorful characters who set out to make things difficult for the Fletcher family. Stevie has an increasingly hard time in school and cannot seem to find his place. The house they live in is plagued by insects (no one knows why) and there is the quite a bit of debt hanging over them all, which forces Step to work in a place that he truly hates.

This novel is classified as a horror story, and I must say, it took quite a bit of time for the horror to sink in but when it did, it took my breath away. It’s not the type of horror that is obvious. It’s the slow realization that something is desperately wrong. While the Fletchers try to settle into their new life, little boys begin to disappear one by one and then it becomes obvious to both DeAnne and Step that Stevie is not quite right.

I loved this novel so much that I turned right around and listened to it on audio. The audio version is read by Stefan Rudnicki who is absolutely fabulous. I’ve never read anything by Orson Scott Card so I had no expectations while reading this book but I don’t think it could have been more perfect.

You must read or listen to this book and then tell me what you think of it. Since it was originally published in ’92, the references to computers and video games is quite dated, but since I work in technology, where everything becomes outdated in just three months’ time, I found this to be quite entertaining. Also, don’t let the religious undertones scare you away. The Mormon faith plays a big role in this novel, but it’s not preachy in any way. show less

audiobook from the library - Not bad, but not really my cup of tea. But then at the end there was a short interview with OSC, in which he said it wasn't his cup of tea either. I think that made me like it more. It's a little heavy on computery stuff that I don't understand because it takes place before I was born, but I did catch a few of the jokes about everyone hating IBM but knowing that it was the future. It was also a bit heavy on the Mormonism, but I thought that was more interesting.

I liked the plot, though it was pretty slow at first. The characters who were supposed to evoke reactions in the reader did so. The twist was good, though it was partly spoiled for me by reading the tags on the work page. I won't spoil it here; I'll show more just say that OSC is great at blending reality and fantasy seamlessly.

All-in-all, I recommend it, but I wish it had been shorter. show less

I don't really know how to rate this. It's extremely slow, to the point that the back of the book tells you plot points that aren't revealed until 4/5 of the way in. There's too much family life description and narrative. But the last forty pages or so are so brilliantly written that it ends on a five star note. I'm not sure I could read this again, though, knowing the end. It's just way too disturbing once you know the clues

This is a tough read due to the subject matter, but an outstanding book.

For Step Fletcher, his pregnant wife DeAnne, and their three children, the move to tiny Steuben, North Carolina, offers new hope and a new beginning. But from the first, eight-year-old Stevie's life there is an unending parade of misery and disaster.

Cruelly ostracized at his school, Stevie retreats further and further into himself -- and into a strange computer game and a group of imaginary friends.

But there is something eerie about his loyal, invisible new playmates: each shares the name of a child who has recently vanished from the sleepy Southern town. And terror grows for Step and DeAnne as the truth slowly unfolds. For their son has found something savagely show more evil ... and it's coming for Stevie next.

I'm a tremendous fan of Mr. Card and several years ago I got to spend some time talking to him. When I told him how much Lost Boys had reached me, he said that it was one of his favorites.

I recently purchased the audio version from CHIRP! show less