- Hardcover: 192 pages
- Publisher: Viking Children's Books (Aug 28 1996)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 067086725X
- ISBN-13: 978-0670867257
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.5 x 2.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
After spending seven chapters articulating the conflicts and relationships of high-school senior Cray Buchanan, Cadman (Taking It; Breaking the Fall) zaps readers with a sudden crisis: the inexplicable disappearance of Cray's older sister, Anita. Tension mounts rapidly as the protagonist, along with his parents and the police, traces frustratingly vague clues taken from fragments of conversations and excerpts from Anita's diary. As this riveting novel progresses, the tragedy unravels the fabric of family life. The personalities of characters undergo subtle changes: Mrs. Buchanan, an archeologist, puts on a stoic front, Cray's father, a factory owner, becomes somewhat fanatic in his behavior and Cray begins to be more open and honest about his feelings. Although the mystery remains unsolved, as in Susan Beth Pfeffer's The Year Without Michael, the final scene, set at the family's lakeside cabin, affords a type of closure. Fans of intense psychological dramas can expect to be emotionally drained by the time they reach the last chapter. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10?Cray Buchanan, high school senior, narrates this taut, waking nightmare of contemporary American life. When his 18-year-old sister Anita fails to come home from work one night, all normal, daily events and problems abruptly lose importance. Cray's fleeting hopes of becoming the varsity quarterback and a fire at his father's furniture factory fade into obscurity. Days stretch out in a litany of tension and futility?police interviews, searching dumpsters and alleys, and MISSING posters. Poignant scenes unfold as Cray invades the sanctity of his sister's room and diary to uncover clues to her disappearance. Cadnum's character portrayals resonate. Torn between grief and anger, the family tries to make sense out of the senseless. The mother, a practical scientist, retreats into her study and her research, with periodic raids on the refrigerator, all the while preparing for the worst. The father clings to the optimistic high ground, leaving no person or organization untapped, and passes his days in a frenzy of activity, but no resolution is in sight at novel's end. Cray delves deep into his sister's secret self, a direct contrast to his earlier inattention. His regret over not knowing her better allows him to reevaluate his friends and family. Exquisite descriptions cruelly juxtapose the unbearable open ending, leaving each reader with "zero at the bone."?Alice Casey Smith, Sayreville War Memorial High School, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
2.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty Bad, Aug 16 2009
By L. Hoppough "LMNO" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Zero At The Bone (Paperback)
I'm sorry, but I thought this book was bad. Approaching awful. The premise was interesting enough--a boy's sister goes missing, and it (as it always does) affects his family. But the truth is that the whole thing--plot, dialogue, character--was tedious. All of it.The family made assumption based on nothing, and although the grief they were going through seemed true and thought-out, in the end it became a simple game of repetition and whininess. And though I wasn't going in expecting the book to end all happily ever after, I WAS wanting at least the tiniest bit of it to be resolved; but no. The book ended abrubtly and with questions unanswered.
In the end: two stars. It was bad, but the concept was good and the sadness was portrayed well enough.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tami's Review, Dec 7 2002
By Tami Fontaine - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Zero At The Bone (Paperback)
Setting- Oakland, California neighborhoodMain Characters- Cray, brother of the missing girl, Anita; Mom-bone researcher; Dad-lumber business owner, Kyle- Anita's boyfriend; Detective Waterman.
Plot summary- Anita, Cray's sister, goes to work and doesn't come home. Cray tells of the day his sister turned missing and the days following as he struggles with trying to deal with it. He goes through the stages of denial, numbness, anger, into grief. He searches his sister's diary for clues. He hopes that she just ran away from home and is angry that she did that. He tells of how his future desires change and life because more precious, relationships deeper. His parents choose different ways to deal with their loss and the culminating scene is one in which they bring her dental records to determine if a murdered girl is Anita. It isn't, but the reality sinks in.
Author evaluation- The thoughts and actions are extremely realistic. Characterization is strong and so is the emotional progression. Extremely helpful information to develop empathy. A short read but excellently written.
Audience- Since the main character is at least 16 years old, it is recommended for 10th grade and up. Younger, but mature readers would enjoy it too. There is not much action so it is not recommended for those who like action/adventure.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Zero at the Bone, Mar 19 2001
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Zero at the Bone (Library Binding)
In the book Zero at the Bone, Cray jokes about his sister being gone but that night she doesn't return home and his dad gets worried as the days go by.Then a few months later they find a body at the morgue that looks like Cray's sister.... If you like suspence you would like this book
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