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From Publishers Weekly
Not even death can keep two brothers from meeting to play ball: it sounds like a sentimental TV movie, doesn't it? Actually, Sherwood's second novel (after The Man Who Ate the 747) is warmhearted but not maudlin, exploring the bonds between the living and the dead and the lengths to which we'll go for love. A secret jaunt to a Sox game ends in tragedy when Charlie St. Cloud, who isn't old enough for a driver's license, crashes the car he pinched from a neighbor. The hearts of Charlie and his younger brother, Sam, stop, but miraculously, Charlie is resuscitated. Thirteen years later, Charlie is 28 and working as the caretaker for the Marblehead cemetery where Sam is buried; he's also spending every evening playing catch with the ghost of 12-year-old Sam, who's putting off going to heaven for the game. Charlie's world gets shaken up, though, by feisty, beautiful Tess Carroll, a sailor who had plans to be one of the first women to circumnavigate the globe solo. They have a perfect date, and sparks fly. But then news comes that her boat is lost at sea, and Charlie, whose gift of seeing spirits has grown, realizes that her fading apparition is the result of a failing effort to rescue her. Sherwood tugs at readers' heartstrings throughout the novel, and the sentimentality mostly works. Charlie's final effort to save his lady love from ghostly oblivion strains credibility, of course, but isn't that the point of a tale about love triumphant?
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Charlie St. Cloud loves his kid brother, Sam, more thananything else in the world. So one day, he "borrows" their neighbor'scar and takes Sam to see a Red Sox game, never dreaming that theirescapade will end in a terrible accident that Sam does notsurvive. Thirteen years pass. Still keeping his promise to his brotherthat he'll never leave him, Charlie is the caretaker at Waterside, thecemetery where Sam is buried. Every evening, as soon as Waterside issecured for the night, Charlie goes to a hidden area of the memorialpark and plays catch with his brother. Meanwhile, master sailor Tessis ready to make a solo trip around the world even though she lovesthe "snug little village" of Marblehead, Massachusetts. But in spiteof her state-of-the-art vessel, her tip-top physical fitness, and thedrive of an adventurer, she barely survives a disastrous trialrun. Shaken, she visits her father's grave and meets Charlie, who isimmediately drawn to her. However, he believes that because he robbedSam of his life, he doesn't deserve love, but the more he's around theliving, the weaker his link to the dead becomes. Uniquely lyrical,Sherwood's story of a devotion so strong it transcends death ismystical, magical, and moving. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
MOVING, MAGICAL AND HAUNTING-a great story,
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This review is from: Charlie St. Cloud: A Novel (Mass Market Paperback)
I read this a few years ago but after recently seeing the movie I was reminded of how much I'd liked this story and decided to revisit Charlie St Cloud and his little brother Sam. So even though I knew the big reveal this time through I was still able to immerse myself completely in this magical, moving journey from death back to life. With a story and writing style reminiscent of Nicholas Sparks this is an easy, beautiful and somewhat tear-jerking read that I would recommend to fans of his. There is of course a touching love story here but to me this was more about brothers, letting go of the past and embracing life.Sherwood manages to also bring the seaside town of Marblehead Massachusetts to life with quaint and intriguing secondary characters and a unique yachting theme. There were times here when I could actually smell the sea breeze, feel the salt spray on my face and really see his descriptions of clouds and setting suns. So much so that despite the movie being filmed some 50 miles from my (Canadian) back yard I still had the urge to visit New England. I think what I liked most here though was Sherwood's comforting take on the afterlife; giving us all hope that our departed are with us, all around us and waiting for us. As a teenager Charlie St. Cloud died in a car accident, brought back after a few minutes by the paramedics his younger brother Sam wasn't to be so lucky. During those brief moments before Charlie was returned to life he made a promise to his brother that he would never leave him, and he never has. Now 13 years later Charlie is working in a cemetery, he's still full of guilt over the accident however by some twist of fate he can now see the dead walking amongst the tombstones and every night at sunset he meets Sam in a secret grove where they play baseball together in a Field Of Dreams sort of way. Charlie's never missed a single sunset with the fear that his brother will fade away if he does, in this way though neither of them has been able to move on. The cemetery almost becomes a character of its own here, no longer feeling like a creepy, sad place but one of magic and adventure. Tess Carol is about to embark on a solo sailing trip around the world so meeting someone like Charlie is definitely not in her plans. Yet despite his odd habit of disappearing at sunset she can't help but fall in love, these days he seems to be the only one who really "sees" her. When Tess's boat is lost in a storm Charlie is faced with the ultimate choice between death and life. In joining the search party he chooses love and a future full of possibilities yet in doing so he'll also break his promise and risk losing his brother forever.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Read!,
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This review is from: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud: A Novel (Paperback)
The book starts out slow but in no time I was hooked. Read it in one day. Couldn't put it down. Great story about love and commitment. Good read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A book that everyone should read,
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This review is from: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud (Paperback)
This was honestly one of the best books that I have ever read. It's a great story about love and life... and the book is not very long either, so it is really a book that anyone can read. I wanted to read it before the movie came out this summer, and I am definitely glad that I did.So go ahead and buy the book, read the book, and love the book. You won't regret it.
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