~ LOST BOYS ~
Orson Scott Card

Review by: Pontifax

Back Cover:
THE PERFECT PLACE TO RAISE A FAMILY

From best-selling storyteller, Orson Scott Card comes a gripping story of terror within a small town. Step Fletcher, his pregnant wife DeAnne, and their three children move to Steuben, North Carolina with high hopes. But Step's new job with a software company turns out to be a snake pit, and eight-year-old Stevie's school is worse. As Stevie retreats into himself, focusing more and more on a mysterious computer game and a growing troop of imaginary friends, the Fletchers' concern turns to terror. Young boys whose names match a list of Stevie's nonexistent friends have mysteriously vanished from Steuben. And as evil strikes out from the most trusted corners, it's suddenly clear: Stevie's next on the list.

List of Characters:
Step " Junkman" Fletcher - heroic father of three, soon to be four; computer programmer; programmed a game for the Atari called 'Hacker Snack'; will protect family at all costs; admirable in every way

DeAnne "Fish Lady" Fletcher - wife of Step; overprotective of her children; pregnant with a fourth child; strict Mormon

Stevie "Doorman" Fletcher - Step and DeAnne's oldest boy; 8 years old; very quiet and introverted; sees imaginary friends

Robbie "Robot" Fletcher - second oldest son of the Fletchers; about 6, I think; very talkative and curious

Elizabeth "Betsy" Fletcher - youngest child and only daughter of the Fletchers; 2 years old

Saladin Gallowglass - Real name 'Roland something or other', young co-worker of Step's; likes to go by his D&D name which is 'Saladin Gallowglass'; also goes by 'Glass'; like to molest really young girls

Ray Keene - snake of a boss that heads the Eight Bits Inc. computer company; real jerk; rarely appears to the masses

Dicky Northanger - Ray's flunky; does all of Ray's dirty work; tries to pretend he knows how to program computers, but ends up screwing it up; will not agree with anything Step says under any circumstances

Lee Weeks - crazy young man whom Step takes to home church classes; thinks that he is God

Mrs. Jones - very mean teacher of Stevie who treats him like crap; freaks out and quits her job after being confronted by Step; sends the Fletchers a stalking record.

Bappy - real name "Baptize Waters"; old man who used to live in the Fletchers' house with his son; does odd jobs around the Fletchers' house for free; is actually killing and burying children underneath their house

'Zap' - the Fletchers' fourth child; born with cerebral palsy

Favorite Character:
Either Step, whom I admire every way for the way he defends his children and family, and the way he handles all sorts of situations, or Glass because he plays D&D and because he is quite sarcastic and funny and works with Step to make Dicky look like a moron. They are quite successful too.

Least Favorite Character:
That's got to be that annoying mother of pearl Dicky. He is such a pain in the butt that you want to smack him every time he enters a room. *SMACK* Go back in your room, Dicky.

Favorite Quote:
"I didn't even wash it!" -Lee Weeks, about a quarter when telling Step that he swallowed his quarter and got it back after using the bathroom and then put it in the pay phone.

Favorite Part of the Book:
Definitely beyond a shadow of a doubt Chapter 7. It is the part where Step confront Mrs. Jones about her treatment of Stevie and they get into a huge battle of words and wits. I was flustered the entire time! Nothing else in the book got me so riled up, except maybe the end…still, it was a triumph!

Comments:
This is a very very good book. For all you Card fans out there who haven't read anything but Card's science fiction, Ender's Saga, you should definitely try this. It has Card's magnificent writing style and a lot of dry and subtle humor that had me roaring with laughter. The plot is excellent and keeps you guessing until the very very end. (At least it kept ME guessing…Emma figured it out right off the bat) The ending was SO sad that it made me cry!! A book! Made me cry!! Anyway, I don't think I'll tell you what happened, but just know that it was sad. The book really is fantastic. There are some slow parts where it discusses just everyday routines and Mormon practices, but those are easily overlooked in the rest of the story.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

ISBN: 0061091316
Edition: M.M.Paperback