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hollsbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.0
trin's review against another edition
2.0
The TV show Bones is probably the best and worst thing to ever happen to this series. The best because it’s no doubt brought a whole slew of new, eager readers to these books—including ones like me, who are really only sporadic watchers of the show. And the worst because all those new readers will inevitably be hauling all their show-based expectations with them. At which point they will discover that this book is—to me, sadly—nothing like the show.
The main character both on TV and in print is called Temperance Brennan, and in both mediums she is a forensic anthropologist. That’s pretty much where the similarities end. TV Temperance is brilliant and socially oblivious—in short, she’s wonderfully weird. Apparently, her personality is based more on Reichs’ own than on anything in the novels (thanks, Wikipedia!), which makes me wish Reichs had stuck much more closely to writing what she knew, because book Temperance—or Tempe, as she prefers to be called—is far less entertaining. She’s just so...normal. Aside from her somewhat eccentric choice of career, she’s a fairly average woman with fairly average concerns (prior to getting caught up in the book’s serial killer plot, anyway) and tediously average thought processes, on which Reichs spends way too much time. (I’m not sure I as a reader ever need to hear about every stray song lyric that gets stuck in a character’s head.)
I have to say, I really prefer my main characters to be oddballs. This may be my predilection for socially awkward geniuses at play, but I really do think it’s especially important in a genre that can all-too-easily become formulaic: you know there’s going to be a bad guy, and in the end, you know he’s going to get caught. A good mystery is really all about the journey, so the person you are accompanying on that trip needs to be unusual in some way. Bones the TV show is full of weirdos and goofs, and is packed to the brim with surreal moments and humor and—at times, an overabundance of—wacky shenanigans. I was in the mood for something like that: a puzzle, some jokes, a dash of sexual tension to add a little spice. Instead I got a depressingly straightforward police procedural, anchored by a lot of stiff, mostly colorless characters and a protagonist who, in being rendered more “relatable,” becomes much less interesting than her TV counterpart.
The main character both on TV and in print is called Temperance Brennan, and in both mediums she is a forensic anthropologist. That’s pretty much where the similarities end. TV Temperance is brilliant and socially oblivious—in short, she’s wonderfully weird. Apparently, her personality is based more on Reichs’ own than on anything in the novels (thanks, Wikipedia!), which makes me wish Reichs had stuck much more closely to writing what she knew, because book Temperance—or Tempe, as she prefers to be called—is far less entertaining. She’s just so...normal. Aside from her somewhat eccentric choice of career, she’s a fairly average woman with fairly average concerns (prior to getting caught up in the book’s serial killer plot, anyway) and tediously average thought processes, on which Reichs spends way too much time. (I’m not sure I as a reader ever need to hear about every stray song lyric that gets stuck in a character’s head.)
I have to say, I really prefer my main characters to be oddballs. This may be my predilection for socially awkward geniuses at play, but I really do think it’s especially important in a genre that can all-too-easily become formulaic: you know there’s going to be a bad guy, and in the end, you know he’s going to get caught. A good mystery is really all about the journey, so the person you are accompanying on that trip needs to be unusual in some way. Bones the TV show is full of weirdos and goofs, and is packed to the brim with surreal moments and humor and—at times, an overabundance of—wacky shenanigans. I was in the mood for something like that: a puzzle, some jokes, a dash of sexual tension to add a little spice. Instead I got a depressingly straightforward police procedural, anchored by a lot of stiff, mostly colorless characters and a protagonist who, in being rendered more “relatable,” becomes much less interesting than her TV counterpart.
king_taylor's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kitkat175's review against another edition
1.0
I was curious about this book and now the curiosity is dead because of how boring this book was. This book is not like bones at all, I don't think I will be continuing with this author these books. I do love Temperance Brennan but I like her in the show more than I do the book. This book is so loosely based on the show it gave me a headache reading this book and trying to figure everything out. I love the show but dislikes the book so much. The thing I love about the show is the slow burn of Temperance and Booth and they are just so cute together throughout the show. I love how he watches out for her and takes care of her. Also this Claudel character who does he think he is. To be honest this should have been a DNF but I was listening to the audiobook so I would listen to the audiobook while doing other things as well. I do enjoy the show more than the book itself. The show itself is so loosely bases from the show I think the other thing they kept the same was the name Temperance Brennan and he job, I think that was it. Also this book had a lot of graphic detail more than mot shows that I watch, and I have watched a lot of Murder Mystery shows. I don't know I was just so excited for this book and it was kind of a downfall to be honest.
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
I can't believe I missed this one after having read everything else in the series. It felt odd to read this beginning of the Temperance Brennan series at the end of the series...more like deja vu for me!
And it reminded me why I love reading this series. Intrigue, mystery, history, great characters, beautifully detailed (and involving) details in a well-written story.
And it reminded me why I love reading this series. Intrigue, mystery, history, great characters, beautifully detailed (and involving) details in a well-written story.
escapiism's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
lizzycatslibrary's review against another edition
3.0
Mmmm.... this book was pretty much what I expected it to be. It is a first novel and there were parts where I was flipping through quickly and parts where I was fighting to keep my concentration on the book. The character of Temmperance Brennan seemed somehow underdeveloped and throughout a good portion of the book I felt myself yelling through the pages at her like in those horror movies where you know what they are doing is going to be bad and yet they do it anyways. I thought the ending was predictable... pretty much what I knew the entire book was leading up to... but I wonder if that is just a result of the mystery genre. Anywho... I imagine someday I will read another one of this series but at the moment I am in no hurry to do so.
ja1995's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75