Scan barcode
hannah8713's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cglamb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition
3.0
In general, this was a good book. The main character is very human and enjoyable; the plot, interesting; and the book, pretty fast reading. However, I started this book because I really like the tv show Bones, which is based on this series of books. Actually, the show is very very loosely based on the books, as it turns out - and I like the show better. The characters are much more appealing and the tone is much lighter. In fact, it would have been hard for the tone to have been any darker in the book, which was kind of wearing.
And then there are my big gripes about some of the writer's techniques. First, I hate it when the main character - who works for the cops - is stalked by the ubiquitous serial killer for no reason. I hate coincidences (unless the book is supposed to be funny) and this book really really skirted the edge of this. It turned out at the end that it wasn't as bad as I had thought, but that did little to make me less grumpy because... the author by that time had used my number one most hated trick: "Oh, I forgot to tell you this most important piece of information that would have made the book at least 100 pages shorter! Hehe!" It makes the character who does this look like a complete idiot, which especially hurts the story if the character is supposed to be super competent. If you can't build tension without that crap, then you should go back to the drawing board. On top of that, there were lots of lose ends, overused plot devices, and unnecessarily long technical passages (like 3 pages of the main character talking about using an image editor) that dragged the book down.
So, what did I think? Well, I'm hoping that these are newbie problems that will get better as the author continues to write, and I'm willing to give the writer one more chance. But just one.
And then there are my big gripes about some of the writer's techniques. First, I hate it when the main character - who works for the cops - is stalked by the ubiquitous serial killer for no reason. I hate coincidences (unless the book is supposed to be funny) and this book really really skirted the edge of this. It turned out at the end that it wasn't as bad as I had thought, but that did little to make me less grumpy because... the author by that time had used my number one most hated trick: "Oh, I forgot to tell you this most important piece of information that would have made the book at least 100 pages shorter! Hehe!" It makes the character who does this look like a complete idiot, which especially hurts the story if the character is supposed to be super competent. If you can't build tension without that crap, then you should go back to the drawing board. On top of that, there were lots of lose ends, overused plot devices, and unnecessarily long technical passages (like 3 pages of the main character talking about using an image editor) that dragged the book down.
So, what did I think? Well, I'm hoping that these are newbie problems that will get better as the author continues to write, and I'm willing to give the writer one more chance. But just one.
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.