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Lost Boys
Award-winning author Card proves to be a master at mainstream fiction with this chilling family drama that touches the heart as it frightens the soul. When the Fletchers move to North Carolina, their son withdraws from reality into a world of computer games and fictitious playmates--whose names match those of missing young boys.
528 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1992
251 people are currently reading
3535 people want to read
About the author
Orson Scott Card
892 books20.7k followersOrson Scott Card is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is (as of 2023) the only person to have won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for his novel Ender's Game (1985) and its sequel Speaker for the Dead (1986). A feature film adaptation of Ender's Game, which Card co-produced, was released in 2013. Card also wrote the Locus Fantasy Award-winning series The Tales of Alvin Maker (1987–2003).
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
Card's fiction often features characters with exceptional gifts who make difficult choices with high stakes. Card has also written political, religious, and social commentary in his columns and other writing; his opposition to homosexuality has provoked public criticism.
Card, who is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, was born in Richland, Washington, and grew up in Utah and California. While he was a student at Brigham Young University (BYU), his plays were performed on stage. He served in Brazil as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and headed a community theater for two summers. Card had 27 short stories published between 1978 and 1979, and he won the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer in 1978. He earned a master's degree in English from the University of Utah in 1981 and wrote novels in science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, and historical fiction genres starting in 1979. Card continued to write prolifically, and he has published over 50 novels and 45 short stories.
Card teaches English at Southern Virginia University; he has written two books on creative writing and serves as a judge in the Writers of the Future contest. He has taught many successful writers at his "literary boot camps". He remains a practicing member of the LDS Church and Mormon fiction writers Stephenie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, and Dave Wolverton have cited his works as a major influence.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,023 reviews
April 9, 2008
This is an odd book...It doesn't really seem to be about anything in particular until you get to the very end, but it's also somehow a very gripping page-turner. For most of the book, it's just about a bunch of random, disconnected stuff that happens to this family, but Card makes the family so real and lovable (partly because a lot of it is very autobiographical), that you just have to keep reading.
And then the ending comes along and stomps you right in the gut with steel-toed boots.
And then the ending comes along and stomps you right in the gut with steel-toed boots.
August 18, 2017
Lost Boys is by far the slowest paced horror novel I've ever read.
I don't know why everyone said this story was so emotional. The only emotion I experienced was boredom.
I'd recommend Ender's Game over this any day of the week. Lost Boys? Pass.
I don't know why everyone said this story was so emotional. The only emotion I experienced was boredom.
I'd recommend Ender's Game over this any day of the week. Lost Boys? Pass.
October 15, 2014
So let's say you've read the stuff Orson Scott Card is most known for. You've gone through the Ender saga, you've read it's companion storyline the Shadow saga, and maybe you've even read some books from the Homecoming saga, the Worthing series, and the Alvin Maker story. Let's say you're looking for something else to read from Mr. Card.
Give Lost Boys a try. I did. And I fell in love with the story and the lost boys.
But first, a caveat, if I may. Lost Boys is not for everyone. It's slow moving. It's set in the early 80s. It's dated. It centers mainly on the terrors of everyday family life (you know the kind--is our marriage OK? Is my son/daughter doing well in school? Will I get that new promotion at work?). If you can handle all that, and be patient through the 528 paperback pages to get to the end of this story, then you'll experience the payoff.
And, man, that payoff.
I know of only one other person who's read Lost Boys, one of my brothers-in-law, and I don't think he'd mind it if I said right here, right now, in front of all to see, that both of us were reduced to tears by the payoff. I will always and forever remember where I was when I finished the story. In my living room, sitting in one of our old comfy chairs, the side table with the white cloth covering it next to the chair, a lamp on the table (thought it wasn't turned on because it was in the afternoon. As I approached the end of the story, and it dawned on me exactly what had happened, and what was going to happen, I read the last ten to fifteen pages continually wiping my eyes. I'll never forget those moments. They are some of the most rewarding reading moments in my life.
Lest I make it sound as though this is just a family drama suspense kind of story, let me rectify that. Although it is a family drama suspense story, it's so much more than that. There is evil in this story. Human evil. But, how many of us know that human evil can look very...um...unevil? Sometimes, evil arrives in the most unexpected places, in the most unexpected human form. And sometimes, even that unexpected human evil derives its source from someplace else...someplace else beyond what we consider reality. And sometimes, that's also the place from which our redemption and hope comes.
Now, I know I run the risk of building up this story so much that it can't possibly live up to the expectations I'm setting. But see, I'm willing to risk that, because I really want people to read this book. I want you to read this book. For two reasons. First, I think you'll enjoy it, if you can get past the aforementioned caveat. Second, I'm dying to talk about this book with anyone else who's read it and enjoyed it.
So please, please, do me (I mean, yourself) a favor and read this book.
In my next review, I'll chat about a book that I waited decades to read. I would see the hardcover edition in the library where I used to work while I was in high school back in the mid 80s, think, 'Man, that's a cool cover. I have got to read that one,' but then never get around to it. A couple years ago I finally did get around to it when I purchased a paperback edition (different cover, not as cool, but oh well). This is one of my favorite authors, he took years off from writing a little while ago, but now he's back at it with a vengeance, and I can barely wait for his scifi/horror novel to be released this coming spring. Stay tuned.....
Give Lost Boys a try. I did. And I fell in love with the story and the lost boys.
But first, a caveat, if I may. Lost Boys is not for everyone. It's slow moving. It's set in the early 80s. It's dated. It centers mainly on the terrors of everyday family life (you know the kind--is our marriage OK? Is my son/daughter doing well in school? Will I get that new promotion at work?). If you can handle all that, and be patient through the 528 paperback pages to get to the end of this story, then you'll experience the payoff.
And, man, that payoff.
I know of only one other person who's read Lost Boys, one of my brothers-in-law, and I don't think he'd mind it if I said right here, right now, in front of all to see, that both of us were reduced to tears by the payoff. I will always and forever remember where I was when I finished the story. In my living room, sitting in one of our old comfy chairs, the side table with the white cloth covering it next to the chair, a lamp on the table (thought it wasn't turned on because it was in the afternoon. As I approached the end of the story, and it dawned on me exactly what had happened, and what was going to happen, I read the last ten to fifteen pages continually wiping my eyes. I'll never forget those moments. They are some of the most rewarding reading moments in my life.
Lest I make it sound as though this is just a family drama suspense kind of story, let me rectify that. Although it is a family drama suspense story, it's so much more than that. There is evil in this story. Human evil. But, how many of us know that human evil can look very...um...unevil? Sometimes, evil arrives in the most unexpected places, in the most unexpected human form. And sometimes, even that unexpected human evil derives its source from someplace else...someplace else beyond what we consider reality. And sometimes, that's also the place from which our redemption and hope comes.
Now, I know I run the risk of building up this story so much that it can't possibly live up to the expectations I'm setting. But see, I'm willing to risk that, because I really want people to read this book. I want you to read this book. For two reasons. First, I think you'll enjoy it, if you can get past the aforementioned caveat. Second, I'm dying to talk about this book with anyone else who's read it and enjoyed it.
So please, please, do me (I mean, yourself) a favor and read this book.
In my next review, I'll chat about a book that I waited decades to read. I would see the hardcover edition in the library where I used to work while I was in high school back in the mid 80s, think, 'Man, that's a cool cover. I have got to read that one,' but then never get around to it. A couple years ago I finally did get around to it when I purchased a paperback edition (different cover, not as cool, but oh well). This is one of my favorite authors, he took years off from writing a little while ago, but now he's back at it with a vengeance, and I can barely wait for his scifi/horror novel to be released this coming spring. Stay tuned.....
May 20, 2008
I generally like Card's work (despite being uncomfortable with some of the opinions he has espoused outside his fiction), and I loved the short story on which this book was based, but the novel, alas, utterly failed.
The short story was told in the first person, with the main character going by Card's name and most of the family members accurate to his family. That story is about a son who grows increasingly distant from his over-busy parents (the first-person father and his wife) while we hear as asides that several neighborhood boys have gone missing. At last it turns out that this boy too is lost--he, like the others, has been abducted and murdered. The story ends with him bringing his dead friends back for Christmas so everyone can say good-bye. It was a tearjerker if ever there was one, and yet handled without an overdose of sentimentality--which is probably what added to the power of the story. Card wrote in an intro to the story after its original appearance that he took a lot of heat from readers who took his use of his own name, etc., to mean that he'd lost a child to murder, and felt ill-used to find otherwise. Card's defense--a valid one, in my view--was that he was drawing on the tradition of ghost stories in which one tells the story as if it happened to you.
When he expanded the story to novel length, however, he abandoned that device, changing the characters' names and switching to third person. Although that emotional distance didn't help, what really damaged the story was the padding: what the parents are so busy with is being model Mormons, so that the book reads like a giant, not very well produced, commercial for the religion. The parents are so busy being the poster couple for their religion that they have about as much depth as a sheet of posterboard. Their absence of humanity makes it a lot harder to feel for them in their distance from, and eventual loss of, their child.
And padding is what that is. There's also not enough additional story to support a novel. What gets added to fill out the page count just dilutes what was a strong short story. And should have been left at that.
The short story was told in the first person, with the main character going by Card's name and most of the family members accurate to his family. That story is about a son who grows increasingly distant from his over-busy parents (the first-person father and his wife) while we hear as asides that several neighborhood boys have gone missing. At last it turns out that this boy too is lost--he, like the others, has been abducted and murdered. The story ends with him bringing his dead friends back for Christmas so everyone can say good-bye. It was a tearjerker if ever there was one, and yet handled without an overdose of sentimentality--which is probably what added to the power of the story. Card wrote in an intro to the story after its original appearance that he took a lot of heat from readers who took his use of his own name, etc., to mean that he'd lost a child to murder, and felt ill-used to find otherwise. Card's defense--a valid one, in my view--was that he was drawing on the tradition of ghost stories in which one tells the story as if it happened to you.
When he expanded the story to novel length, however, he abandoned that device, changing the characters' names and switching to third person. Although that emotional distance didn't help, what really damaged the story was the padding: what the parents are so busy with is being model Mormons, so that the book reads like a giant, not very well produced, commercial for the religion. The parents are so busy being the poster couple for their religion that they have about as much depth as a sheet of posterboard. Their absence of humanity makes it a lot harder to feel for them in their distance from, and eventual loss of, their child.
And padding is what that is. There's also not enough additional story to support a novel. What gets added to fill out the page count just dilutes what was a strong short story. And should have been left at that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2019
As far as Mormon authors go, Orson Scott Card is by far the best. That in itself doesn't say a whole lot, since he is the only one I can stand. This one is pretty different from his other books - not much of a sci fi aspect to it, and not a religious book either, though the family the book is about is Mormon. It's a very compelling read though, and be prepared to not be able to put it down. Also be prepared to cry your guts out. I finished this book at lunch while at work, and there I was, in my office totally bawling, hoping nobody would come to talk to me. And I am not a crier. Okay, I cry when Eddie in Independence Day flies himself into the alien spaceship to save the world, and when Bruce Willis strands himself on the giant meteor hurtling towards earth so that he can save the human race by blowing himself up with the meteor. But Michelle has probably seen me cry once in our 9 years together, so this is saying something. It'll definitely make you think about how important family is to you, and how dedicated you are to them (at least for men; don't know if has the same effect for women).
May 22, 2014
For some reason I'm rereading this book. At one point this was my favourite Orson Scott Card book but I'm noticing tons of problems.
Orson Scott Card constantly switches from third person to first person and it's extremely annoying. Characters instead of asking other characters what is wrong make assumptions.
The worse crime is what is going on with the son is extremely interesting, but OSC chooses to focus on the mundane details of Step's job. You don't even get to find out what is going on until the end of the book. Why wasn't more of the story in the son's perspective?
I need more books. I don't want to keep reading this and it makes me cry at the end too.
Another problem with this book is the main family is good but everyone is evil. Everyone in the company Step works for is evil. One is even a pedophile! They had nice neighbours, but they moved so all is left is one bad person after the other except for the Mormon nuclear family.
It's somewhat dippy.
Dang it, OSC books just don't stand up to re-readings. For example, why can't the parents just ASK their child about his "imaginary" friends instead of just assuming the child is acting out because he's angry? If he's so angry about them moving, wouldn't talking to him make more sense instead of just making assumptions? That's the problem with OSC. He always has characters assuming they understand the motives of other characters without just straight out sitting down with the character and going, ok, tell me about this. This is what I would do if my child was playing with imaginary friends. It's not like I'd even make a big deal out of him doing that in the first dang place. Some kids are more introverted and don't have 25 friends. It's better to have one or two good friends anyway.
This book is just full of the parent's angsting instead of just solving the problem with a simple question and I hate that sort of thing in books so much. Also just once I'd like to see a book where some child retreats into another world and their parents are actually there to support them and their reality instead of the child feeling like they can't tel their parents about the situation.
Why do I keep reading this book? First of all, rabbits aren't even rodents and why does this woman cry all the damn time? It's so irritating. GAH! I think I hate mundane family life. It's not fun.
One more thing, there's something weird about putting you and your family in a story and casting yourself and your family as these totally, just about perfect good guys. Especially when they keep comparing their kids to Jesus. It's like, I'm sure they are nice kids, but they are probably not allow themselves to be crucified nice. Geez.
Another problem with this book is OSC's character that is him acts as if this psychologist is such a terrible person because she doesn't like religion. But she is willing to take her son to church if it will help him, where as OSC's character whines about having to take his son to see her. (And they could have just ASKED HIM ABOUT THESE ISSUES INSTEAD) He tries to make it seem like she's a bad person for being a psychologist with a mentally ill son, but that's seldom a parent's fault. The cub had schizophrenia or something. That's never anyone's fault. She tried to do her best, no matter what, even if it meant taking him to a church she didn't agree with so he can find people he can fit in with. That was kind of nice of her in a way.
Why did I ever, ever, ever think OSC was a good writer?
Also let me add that this STUPID BAD MOTHER PISSES ME OFF. I'm sorry, Mrs. Cowper that is pronounced Cooper but you do NOT put your brood in a car and NOT BUCKLE THEM UP! What are you thinking, you stupid heifer?! They could get in a car accident! You do NOT parent all lackadaisically and then use God as an excuse for it! I'm sorry, but you don't just let your kids climb all over everything and create havoc and use as an excuse, well God gave us lives to live. And he apparently GAVE YOU YOUR CHILDREN SO YOU CAN SIT ON YOUR BEHIND AND BE USELESS! Makes me so IRRITATED! Buckle your kids in. GET A DAMN CAR SEAT! I know it's the 80s but the 80s are so STUPID if you going to let them bounce around!
Orson Scott Card constantly switches from third person to first person and it's extremely annoying. Characters instead of asking other characters what is wrong make assumptions.
The worse crime is what is going on with the son is extremely interesting, but OSC chooses to focus on the mundane details of Step's job. You don't even get to find out what is going on until the end of the book. Why wasn't more of the story in the son's perspective?
I need more books. I don't want to keep reading this and it makes me cry at the end too.
Another problem with this book is the main family is good but everyone is evil. Everyone in the company Step works for is evil. One is even a pedophile! They had nice neighbours, but they moved so all is left is one bad person after the other except for the Mormon nuclear family.
It's somewhat dippy.
Dang it, OSC books just don't stand up to re-readings. For example, why can't the parents just ASK their child about his "imaginary" friends instead of just assuming the child is acting out because he's angry? If he's so angry about them moving, wouldn't talking to him make more sense instead of just making assumptions? That's the problem with OSC. He always has characters assuming they understand the motives of other characters without just straight out sitting down with the character and going, ok, tell me about this. This is what I would do if my child was playing with imaginary friends. It's not like I'd even make a big deal out of him doing that in the first dang place. Some kids are more introverted and don't have 25 friends. It's better to have one or two good friends anyway.
This book is just full of the parent's angsting instead of just solving the problem with a simple question and I hate that sort of thing in books so much. Also just once I'd like to see a book where some child retreats into another world and their parents are actually there to support them and their reality instead of the child feeling like they can't tel their parents about the situation.
Why do I keep reading this book? First of all, rabbits aren't even rodents and why does this woman cry all the damn time? It's so irritating. GAH! I think I hate mundane family life. It's not fun.
One more thing, there's something weird about putting you and your family in a story and casting yourself and your family as these totally, just about perfect good guys. Especially when they keep comparing their kids to Jesus. It's like, I'm sure they are nice kids, but they are probably not allow themselves to be crucified nice. Geez.
Another problem with this book is OSC's character that is him acts as if this psychologist is such a terrible person because she doesn't like religion. But she is willing to take her son to church if it will help him, where as OSC's character whines about having to take his son to see her. (And they could have just ASKED HIM ABOUT THESE ISSUES INSTEAD) He tries to make it seem like she's a bad person for being a psychologist with a mentally ill son, but that's seldom a parent's fault. The cub had schizophrenia or something. That's never anyone's fault. She tried to do her best, no matter what, even if it meant taking him to a church she didn't agree with so he can find people he can fit in with. That was kind of nice of her in a way.
Why did I ever, ever, ever think OSC was a good writer?
Also let me add that this STUPID BAD MOTHER PISSES ME OFF. I'm sorry, Mrs. Cowper that is pronounced Cooper but you do NOT put your brood in a car and NOT BUCKLE THEM UP! What are you thinking, you stupid heifer?! They could get in a car accident! You do NOT parent all lackadaisically and then use God as an excuse for it! I'm sorry, but you don't just let your kids climb all over everything and create havoc and use as an excuse, well God gave us lives to live. And he apparently GAVE YOU YOUR CHILDREN SO YOU CAN SIT ON YOUR BEHIND AND BE USELESS! Makes me so IRRITATED! Buckle your kids in. GET A DAMN CAR SEAT! I know it's the 80s but the 80s are so STUPID if you going to let them bounce around!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2008
I bought this book second-hand in hardback, *without* a book jacket. I read it blind, completely ignorant of what it would be about. After seeing the title, I just sort of crossed my fingers and hoped it wasn't about vampires. It wasn't.
I must say, I was absolutely captivated by the story of this family. I loved it. Orson Scott Card has a way of - well, saying 'a way of humanizing 10 year old kids' would sound all kinds of wrong - but I what I mean to say is that he has a way of elevating his child characters, in a way that amazes me. I can't help but respect how emotionally & spiritually strong a child protagonist can be in his hands & *believably* so.
I must say, I was absolutely captivated by the story of this family. I loved it. Orson Scott Card has a way of - well, saying 'a way of humanizing 10 year old kids' would sound all kinds of wrong - but I what I mean to say is that he has a way of elevating his child characters, in a way that amazes me. I can't help but respect how emotionally & spiritually strong a child protagonist can be in his hands & *believably* so.
November 18, 2025
Orson Scott Card has the unique distinction of having two separate books be so impactful that I remember where I was when I completed them. The first was ENDER'S GAME. The second was LOST BOYS. I happened to think about it earlier this year, so ordered a new copy (mine had long been lost) and it sat on my TBR bookshelf in my sunroom, waiting for an opportunity.
My wife and I were going out of town for the weekend, and I was waiting for folks in my discord to finish a Parker book so I could start the next one in the series, so I grabbed LOST BOYS, remembering that this had been super impactful on me when I was a senior in high school.
I don't want to spoil the story. I just want you to read it. If I did a TBR swap, I'd put this book on there, just to have people read it. I do not think they would all enjoy it. I don't even think it would be as impactful for others as it was for me. But I do know that this book left an indelible mark on me that I remembered 25 years later.
So, if the following caveats don't deter you, go read it.
1) It's by Orson Scott Card. A bunch of people don't like him as a person, so won't read his work.
2) It's, at its heart, a family drama. The book seems like it's about nothing, just some vignettes of this family of 5 living in North Caroline of the 1980s. It seems so very ordinary. This will probably bore some people.
3) This family is very *very* Mormon. There is a lot about the inner workings of the Mormon church and the every day life of Mormons in community with one another. This, too, will probably turn some people off.
If none of those bother you, read it. I find the family dynamics to be real and believable, a realistic depiction of people of faith trying to adjust to a life in a foreign environment. I don't actually always like them, and sometimes I find them partially insufferable, but they aren't perfect and they don't make the same choices I would make in my marriage or family, but I understand. Even when I don't.
And the entire time you're reading, you know that something is *wrong* and though you're trying to figure it out, you're in the meantime swept up in the Fletchers' lives. I'd say plenty more, but I think this one is just one to take in blind and read until it's done.
My wife and I were going out of town for the weekend, and I was waiting for folks in my discord to finish a Parker book so I could start the next one in the series, so I grabbed LOST BOYS, remembering that this had been super impactful on me when I was a senior in high school.
I don't want to spoil the story. I just want you to read it. If I did a TBR swap, I'd put this book on there, just to have people read it. I do not think they would all enjoy it. I don't even think it would be as impactful for others as it was for me. But I do know that this book left an indelible mark on me that I remembered 25 years later.
So, if the following caveats don't deter you, go read it.
1) It's by Orson Scott Card. A bunch of people don't like him as a person, so won't read his work.
2) It's, at its heart, a family drama. The book seems like it's about nothing, just some vignettes of this family of 5 living in North Caroline of the 1980s. It seems so very ordinary. This will probably bore some people.
3) This family is very *very* Mormon. There is a lot about the inner workings of the Mormon church and the every day life of Mormons in community with one another. This, too, will probably turn some people off.
If none of those bother you, read it. I find the family dynamics to be real and believable, a realistic depiction of people of faith trying to adjust to a life in a foreign environment. I don't actually always like them, and sometimes I find them partially insufferable, but they aren't perfect and they don't make the same choices I would make in my marriage or family, but I understand. Even when I don't.
And the entire time you're reading, you know that something is *wrong* and though you're trying to figure it out, you're in the meantime swept up in the Fletchers' lives. I'd say plenty more, but I think this one is just one to take in blind and read until it's done.
October 19, 2015
This book made me promise that, if I ever had the chance, I would punch Orson Scott Card in his stupid mouth. I just want the time I wasted reading this book back. It's stupid auto-biographical nonsense with a ghost mystery mixed in when Mr. Scott Card can tear himself away from talking about himself long enough to fill us in. The book has a handful of useless red herrings and then when he's wasted enough of our time, Mr. Scott Card says, "Yup, it was that dude all along." Not that there were any real clues leading up to this or any real motivation. Nope, the bad guy's just the bad guy because, heck, the book's almost over it's time to wrap things up since I burned through so much time telling you about my royalty checks and how I get a calling at church super quick.
Orson Scott Card is the George Lucas of literature. He did one good thing one time and now we must be subjected to his garbage again and again because he's convinced that he is still the greatest thing to ever happen to pop culture.
Orson Scott Card is the George Lucas of literature. He did one good thing one time and now we must be subjected to his garbage again and again because he's convinced that he is still the greatest thing to ever happen to pop culture.
March 3, 2008
I have strong mixed emotions about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed Card's writing style, his character development, and the twists in the plot. I also enjoyed seeing regular, everyday Mormons and their day-to-day lifestyle being portrayed favorably in a mainstream novel. On the other hand, the very subject of the book, child abduction and murder, plus the gut-wrenching, parents'-worst-nightmare ending, gave me nightmares. I also thought the end was cheesy in addition to being tragic. The novel addresses some very important issues, it definitely makes you think. It definitely left a lasting impression on me.
September 28, 2012
At the writing workshop I attended, Orson Scott Card said that Lost Boys was his most autobiographical novel. He also mentioned that he deeply regretted putting a prologue in this book, and recommended skipping it. I skipped it and then read it afterwards and I agree. His regret and description made me curious enough to buy the book and then read it.
It's been a long time since I read a book that I really wanted to get back to a finish reading quickly. The relationship between the husband and wife is so well written. They have their disagreements, but usually work something out, even if one of them gets a little mad for a few minutes. There's also lots of sarcastic banter, which I can relate to. The conflicts were framed in such a way that I felt compassionate for both sides, which is really Card's strength in writing. I did get a bit tired of the phrase "It was true" through. Writing a believable relationship is something the LDS novel Olivia I read a while back utterly failed at.
The fantastic/magical realist aspects of the book were kind of cool, and the constant fake-outs kept me extremely anxious (it seems like every 50 pages a child is disappearing, and then it turns out they're just fine). I kind of wish Card had done more with this or just left it out. The mystery is about a serial killer, but the book isn't really a mystery... it's more like a novel about a couple and their family with a twist.
Also, Duran Duran's "wild boys" kept getting stuck in my head while reading this book.
It's been a long time since I read a book that I really wanted to get back to a finish reading quickly. The relationship between the husband and wife is so well written. They have their disagreements, but usually work something out, even if one of them gets a little mad for a few minutes. There's also lots of sarcastic banter, which I can relate to. The conflicts were framed in such a way that I felt compassionate for both sides, which is really Card's strength in writing. I did get a bit tired of the phrase "It was true" through. Writing a believable relationship is something the LDS novel Olivia I read a while back utterly failed at.
The fantastic/magical realist aspects of the book were kind of cool, and the constant fake-outs kept me extremely anxious (it seems like every 50 pages a child is disappearing, and then it turns out they're just fine). I kind of wish Card had done more with this or just left it out. The mystery is about a serial killer, but the book isn't really a mystery... it's more like a novel about a couple and their family with a twist.
Also, Duran Duran's "wild boys" kept getting stuck in my head while reading this book.
January 29, 2011
I was wondering when the story was going to get to the "scary part". I was wondering when the story would actually change from a Mormon commentary. I was wondering what the twist would be. Now I'm just wondering why I read that book. I loved the other stuff I've read by Card. He is an amazing author, but honestly, this book was one thing, and that one thing was depressing. This book made me want to cry... not a good cry, just a "i want to clean my brain out from ever reading this". Honestly, a book should leave me with a good feeling, or an intrigued feeling. This honestly just left me hurting inside and wanting to scream at it, "WHY DID YOU WRITE THIS AND END IT THAT WAY?!" Sorry Orson, I think you're awesome, but this book as enormously depressing. Maybe my faith is so small that i couldn't understand it completely. The only part i liked is when DeAnne told off that self-righteous witch. That was great.
November 23, 2007
For my wonderful LDS friends out there:
Orson Scott Card may be a member of the LDS church, and I understand that he has written some very compelling apologetics for the same; however, this does not, in any way, mean his fiction is something that you would enjoy. Let me begin by saying that I felt the book was very well-written, and that Card is able to create some very realistic characters throughout the story. In the end, though, it was just too creepy, and if you have children or have any strong affection for children, this book will truly disturb you. I actually became extremely upset that someone had given and recommended this book to me, knowing that I had two small children. Keep your sanity intact and skip this one.
Orson Scott Card may be a member of the LDS church, and I understand that he has written some very compelling apologetics for the same; however, this does not, in any way, mean his fiction is something that you would enjoy. Let me begin by saying that I felt the book was very well-written, and that Card is able to create some very realistic characters throughout the story. In the end, though, it was just too creepy, and if you have children or have any strong affection for children, this book will truly disturb you. I actually became extremely upset that someone had given and recommended this book to me, knowing that I had two small children. Keep your sanity intact and skip this one.
June 8, 2008
"Lost Boys" has just enough surrealism in it to make it slightly creepy, but at the same time it is completely believable. The depiction of family life is warm and real and sometimes quite funny, as in the first chapter when the two-year-old throws up all over the car. This is definitely something every parent can relate to. The story's believability serves to make the end even more shocking, and terribly poignant. I learned a lot about the Mormon faith from reading it as well. Peopled with various odd characters, this book entertains and keeps the reader guessing until the last few pages. I'm not sure why this has never been made into a movie, unless Card is afraid of what Hollywood might do to it.
March 4, 2009
Orson Scott Card is quite a prolific author, and despite his position as a fixture in science fiction world, many of his novels transcend that genre. Lost Boys is an unusual little book well outside of the Sci-Fi genre. As it was put in another review I read, nothing really happens in Lost Boys until the end, but despite that, it's a thoroughly gripping read right from the very beginning.
It's difficult to discuss the plot of this book without giving away too much, but the story follows a young family through a tumultuous year: moving to a new area, working a new job, dealing with unique and colorful people that surround them, etc. All of this seeming "normal" interaction is only a long preface to a few painful and touching events which tie everything together at the end.
While the story of Lost Boys is gripping, it is the writing style that really brings this book to life. Card has always been a writer who relies on his characters and his story to move his books along, rather than hyper-ornate prose whose only purpose is to serve as an indicator of the author's intelligence and wittiness. This novel is no different. The writing is plain, the vocabulary straightforward, but nevertheless Card manages to paint vivid pictures and fully three-dimensional characters while still telling a solid story.
Perhaps more than any of his other works, Lost Boys is an honest novel. In the audiobook version, Card himself states that this is the only "autobiographical" novel he's ever written or will ever write. The direct ties to a real life give this book a much more solid foundation of believability than any of his other works. I have never seen a more honest and accurate depiction of Mormon life in literature. The groundedness of the writing and story make for some of the most realistically engaging characters in Card's entire catalog.
This is a great book. It's not science fiction. It's not historical fiction. It an unusual cross between autobiography, fantasy, spirital tome, and suspense/thriller. I've never quite read anything like it, but days after finishing the novel, it's been stuck in my head.
It's difficult to discuss the plot of this book without giving away too much, but the story follows a young family through a tumultuous year: moving to a new area, working a new job, dealing with unique and colorful people that surround them, etc. All of this seeming "normal" interaction is only a long preface to a few painful and touching events which tie everything together at the end.
While the story of Lost Boys is gripping, it is the writing style that really brings this book to life. Card has always been a writer who relies on his characters and his story to move his books along, rather than hyper-ornate prose whose only purpose is to serve as an indicator of the author's intelligence and wittiness. This novel is no different. The writing is plain, the vocabulary straightforward, but nevertheless Card manages to paint vivid pictures and fully three-dimensional characters while still telling a solid story.
Perhaps more than any of his other works, Lost Boys is an honest novel. In the audiobook version, Card himself states that this is the only "autobiographical" novel he's ever written or will ever write. The direct ties to a real life give this book a much more solid foundation of believability than any of his other works. I have never seen a more honest and accurate depiction of Mormon life in literature. The groundedness of the writing and story make for some of the most realistically engaging characters in Card's entire catalog.
This is a great book. It's not science fiction. It's not historical fiction. It an unusual cross between autobiography, fantasy, spirital tome, and suspense/thriller. I've never quite read anything like it, but days after finishing the novel, it's been stuck in my head.
June 6, 2009
When I found Lost Boys on the shelf at the library, the synopsis on the back of the book was intriguing enough that I decided I was willing to try one of Card's non-Ender novels. The book's plot summary gives a creepy description of a child's imaginary friends and vague promises of terror and evil; I haven't done a good horror novel in a while, so I was looking forward to reading it.
Except it's not really a horror novel. For about 500 pages, it's really just about a family. I read about their move to North Carolina, the father's new job that he hates, the mother's pregnancy, their involvement with their church, and their three, and later four, kids. Nothing really happened - there are some crazy-ish people who provide small diversions, but it's really just 500 pages of a year in the life of the Fletcher family. It was interesting enough, and went by quickly, but it wasn't what the back of the book advertised at all.
Until the last 26 pages or so, which provided the punch-in-the-gut ending reminiscent of a Twilight Zone episode. Which was great. But just like the one season of TZ that had 1-hour episodes, there was just far too much filler on the road to the ending. Apparently this was originally a short story, which makes the TZ comparison especially apt; when Rod Serling stuck to 30-minutes per story, the pacing was just perfect. I imagine that the short story Lost Boys is based on felt a lot more perfect, too. Even if he wanted to expand it to novel-length and build up the reader's emotional connection to the Fletchers, he did not need to take 500 pages to do it.
Except it's not really a horror novel. For about 500 pages, it's really just about a family. I read about their move to North Carolina, the father's new job that he hates, the mother's pregnancy, their involvement with their church, and their three, and later four, kids. Nothing really happened - there are some crazy-ish people who provide small diversions, but it's really just 500 pages of a year in the life of the Fletcher family. It was interesting enough, and went by quickly, but it wasn't what the back of the book advertised at all.
Until the last 26 pages or so, which provided the punch-in-the-gut ending reminiscent of a Twilight Zone episode. Which was great. But just like the one season of TZ that had 1-hour episodes, there was just far too much filler on the road to the ending. Apparently this was originally a short story, which makes the TZ comparison especially apt; when Rod Serling stuck to 30-minutes per story, the pacing was just perfect. I imagine that the short story Lost Boys is based on felt a lot more perfect, too. Even if he wanted to expand it to novel-length and build up the reader's emotional connection to the Fletchers, he did not need to take 500 pages to do it.
April 24, 2009
I wasn't a big fan of Lost Boys, even though I seem to love everything OSC writes.
The family unit in this story is strong. After I while, I just wanted to scream at the book "I get it! This is a strong family! Can we move on with the story, please?" I understood the family dynamic after the introductory car ride, but I had to sit through DOZENS of small and sometimes large arguments or conflicts, with the same result... a strong, reasonable family decision. It got to the point where I couldn't understand why I had to sit through yet another "you're putting words in my mouth" argument, as they never seemed to move the story forward.
The story would have been better told through the eyes of Stevie, not through the eyes of his parents. The most interesting parts of the story were the parts he was involved in. Sure, the mystery would be different, and the payoff would have to be different, but I came to loathe the long explanations of the wife/husband dynamic, wanting rather to focus on the poor, lonely kid.
But still... I really wanted to solve the mystery despite the annoying over-explanation of family and Mormon dynamic. Even though I thought that my imagined ending (who Boy was and where the Lost Boys were) was more exciting, I was still thumbing through the book after, trying to find the clues that would have gotten me the correct solution. Good mysteries do that, make it so that you COULD have seen, if only you knew what to look for.
The family unit in this story is strong. After I while, I just wanted to scream at the book "I get it! This is a strong family! Can we move on with the story, please?" I understood the family dynamic after the introductory car ride, but I had to sit through DOZENS of small and sometimes large arguments or conflicts, with the same result... a strong, reasonable family decision. It got to the point where I couldn't understand why I had to sit through yet another "you're putting words in my mouth" argument, as they never seemed to move the story forward.
The story would have been better told through the eyes of Stevie, not through the eyes of his parents. The most interesting parts of the story were the parts he was involved in. Sure, the mystery would be different, and the payoff would have to be different, but I came to loathe the long explanations of the wife/husband dynamic, wanting rather to focus on the poor, lonely kid.
But still... I really wanted to solve the mystery despite the annoying over-explanation of family and Mormon dynamic. Even though I thought that my imagined ending (who Boy was and where the Lost Boys were) was more exciting, I was still thumbing through the book after, trying to find the clues that would have gotten me the correct solution. Good mysteries do that, make it so that you COULD have seen, if only you knew what to look for.
January 18, 2023
This book was absolutely nothing like I expected, but shocked me with how engaging it was. I go in blind to most of my reads nowadays, but I had some kind of vague inclination that this was going to be a horror story, and I was neither disappointed nor bored with the result. The book is subtly creepy in a way that’s both entrancing and shiver-inducing. I’d agree that one of Card’s strengths is developing incredibly deep and complex characters, but I also enjoyed his writing style quite a bit here. (And this was a surprise to me, since I read and strongly disliked Ender’s Game. I’m convinced this is because for Card, Lost Boys is an anomaly, a book which he himself claims is almost “autobiographical” in nature. Whatever he did differently here, I like it.) There are similar themes from some of his other books, such as surprisingly deep commentaries on the nature of abuse and of course the ever-present “little boys smarter than grown-ups” trend is featured. Card’s Mormonism also shines through clearly in this story, but it actually wasn’t abrasive—if anything, it helped me relate to that culture far more. I’m sure I missed a number of the nuances that native Mormons would have picked up on, but I found it to be a fascinating study into a sect of religion I’m unfortunately largely unfamiliar with.
The family dynamics captured here are equally intriguing to me. One thing I’ve discovered about my tastes as a reader is that strong characters who reflect deeply on reality are incredibly engaging to me, and Card delivers full force in this story. Through an interesting (“boring”) plot that borders on slice-of-life, we get a thorough examination of one couple’s marriage, anxieties, family, work, and acquaintances, who range from irritating to relatable to repulsive to downright infuriating. This feels like an ideal and highly enjoyable book to pick apart in a book club—perhaps I’ll suggest it as such.
As for the story itself, I found it utterly intriguing. As mentioned, it’s not gory, but rather quietly creepy at times in ways that really drive their little claws into a reader’s brain. I couldn’t stop thinking about this book, and that’s still true even after I’ve finished it. All the pieces fall into place within the last few pages, but the journey to that point is rich with food for thought and small details that truly enhance the story. I’d have an extremely difficult time fitting this book into any conventional genre because it mixes and mingles so many genres into something completely unique and irresistible. It’s certainly not for everyone, and I can understand why some people found it boring or couldn’t stand it. For me, though, it was perfect.
Lost Boys garners a reflective, somewhat melancholy, but 100% impressed 5 stars from me.
The family dynamics captured here are equally intriguing to me. One thing I’ve discovered about my tastes as a reader is that strong characters who reflect deeply on reality are incredibly engaging to me, and Card delivers full force in this story. Through an interesting (“boring”) plot that borders on slice-of-life, we get a thorough examination of one couple’s marriage, anxieties, family, work, and acquaintances, who range from irritating to relatable to repulsive to downright infuriating. This feels like an ideal and highly enjoyable book to pick apart in a book club—perhaps I’ll suggest it as such.
As for the story itself, I found it utterly intriguing. As mentioned, it’s not gory, but rather quietly creepy at times in ways that really drive their little claws into a reader’s brain. I couldn’t stop thinking about this book, and that’s still true even after I’ve finished it. All the pieces fall into place within the last few pages, but the journey to that point is rich with food for thought and small details that truly enhance the story. I’d have an extremely difficult time fitting this book into any conventional genre because it mixes and mingles so many genres into something completely unique and irresistible. It’s certainly not for everyone, and I can understand why some people found it boring or couldn’t stand it. For me, though, it was perfect.
Lost Boys garners a reflective, somewhat melancholy, but 100% impressed 5 stars from me.
July 15, 2012
This book is the first of only two horror novels I've ever read (I don't count the audiobook presentation of Stephen King's "The Mist" I heard in jr. high), and it is definitely the best (that's not a knock at the other one at all, though.)
Card throws a very unique and interesting twist into the mix by creating a Mormon (a.k.a "LDS") family for use as main characters. He manages to treat Mormon doctrine pretty fairly without getting the slightest bit preachy, but "Lost Boys" is hardly a novel about the Mormon Church.
Rather, it's a novel about how good people deal with evils they not only cannot control, but may not even know exist. The killer is revealed almost at the very end, after a very unexpected plot development; meanwhile, the family has gone on almost unaware of the danger that lurks frighteningly close to them. In fact, to read "Lost Boys," you'd almost think it was more of a "drama at work" story than anything about a killer on the loose.
That's part of what makes the book as chilling as it is--the simple fact that it highlights our own vulnerabilities suddenly and clearly by using people that we can relate to (e.g. they have real life jobs, kids, drama, marital issues/triumphs, etc.).
It's about as much of a "hometown thriller" as you could make it (complete with the small, sleepy Southern town).
Card excels at plausibility (as always), has incredible dialogue, a rock-solid plot, and engaging characters. The book is so well-written that he can even get away with starting every chapter in the same manner.
I truly enjoyed "Lost Boys," even if it qualifies as "horror."
Card throws a very unique and interesting twist into the mix by creating a Mormon (a.k.a "LDS") family for use as main characters. He manages to treat Mormon doctrine pretty fairly without getting the slightest bit preachy, but "Lost Boys" is hardly a novel about the Mormon Church.
Rather, it's a novel about how good people deal with evils they not only cannot control, but may not even know exist. The killer is revealed almost at the very end, after a very unexpected plot development; meanwhile, the family has gone on almost unaware of the danger that lurks frighteningly close to them. In fact, to read "Lost Boys," you'd almost think it was more of a "drama at work" story than anything about a killer on the loose.
That's part of what makes the book as chilling as it is--the simple fact that it highlights our own vulnerabilities suddenly and clearly by using people that we can relate to (e.g. they have real life jobs, kids, drama, marital issues/triumphs, etc.).
It's about as much of a "hometown thriller" as you could make it (complete with the small, sleepy Southern town).
Card excels at plausibility (as always), has incredible dialogue, a rock-solid plot, and engaging characters. The book is so well-written that he can even get away with starting every chapter in the same manner.
I truly enjoyed "Lost Boys," even if it qualifies as "horror."
September 11, 2009
I love most of what Orson Scott Card writes, despite my repulsion towards several of his personal beliefs and quotations. However, this one really tested my waters more than his sci-fi works. It was interesting to learn more about how Mormons live day-to-day, but extremely frustrating how every part of the book was laced with religion and every choice every person made was motivated by religion.
Also, I became annoyed pretty quickly at the fights between the husband and wife. Maybe this is because I was listening to a male narrator portray both characters and, understandably, the fighting was a little bit whiny. Either way, I wanted more substance to the fights--it isn't realistic to me that every fight goes nowhere and that people forgive within five minutes and call back to apologize and tell you they love you...brb...okay, I'm back from answering a phone call where someone told me I am always right and they love me.
I'm sure I am not the only one to say this, but
I liked listening to the book, as usual for OSC's work, but this one just didn't do it for me. 2.5 stars.
Also, I became annoyed pretty quickly at the fights between the husband and wife. Maybe this is because I was listening to a male narrator portray both characters and, understandably, the fighting was a little bit whiny. Either way, I wanted more substance to the fights--it isn't realistic to me that every fight goes nowhere and that people forgive within five minutes and call back to apologize and tell you they love you...brb...okay, I'm back from answering a phone call where someone told me I am always right and they love me.
I'm sure I am not the only one to say this, but
I liked listening to the book, as usual for OSC's work, but this one just didn't do it for me. 2.5 stars.
April 12, 2018
I will tell you this book made me ugly cry at the end. But that does not mean the whole book was terrible. I used to love Orson Scott Card. Then I avoided his books because he is a known homophobe. But I could not resist a new Orson Scott Card book. That'll teach me. This book is a lesson in being a Mormon. That's okay, I guess, but reading a religious tract is not my thing. Then the book is filled with the supernatural. Okay. But then something terrible happens. Really, really terrible and it's sad, but in the end it will be okay because - God. NO. Terrible is terrible, and a good who allows terrible things like this to happen is not one I think should be worshiped, much less have a book written that makes this all okay somehow. STAY AWAY FROM THIS BOOK. IT IS A HORRIBLE BOOK WITH A HORRIBLE MESSAGE.
September 6, 2007
I had some friends who raved about Card's science fiction, which I've never yet picked up, but instead, I read this book. I have never had a book hit me with such completely contradictory feelings. On the one hand, I found the main character's description of everyday life in the Mormon church, how it worked, and the movement of the plot, all to be interesting, much more so than I would have imagined. On the other hand, the delving into child molesting and murder was so upsetting that I had to force myself to get through it, and I'm afraid that fact alone in a "Blink" kind of way has kept me from engaging anew with Card.
August 20, 2022
This was a re-read this time around. This is actually the first book I read by Orson Scott Card who became my favorite author many years ago
September 29, 2025
I may never recover
March 9, 2015
Orson Scott Card has rarely delved into horror -- among his work, the only three vaguely horror novels are this one, "Homebody," and "Treasure Box." Of these three, "Lost Boys" was the first, and almost certainly the best.
Other reviewers have often commented that Card's work lacks in specificity. Card has displayed impressive prowess with things like genetics (such as in "Wyrms" and "Treason"), but otherwise he's refrained from engaging in detailed depictions of his science throughout most of his work. "Lost Boys" takes a break from that, offering the reader a great degree of verisimilitude as Card wends his way through details that in other, less capable hands, might come off as tedious.
The story offers Step Fletcher, a young father recently moved from Utah to North Carolina, as its protagonist. Step Fletcher's life in many ways parallels that of Card's. Set in the early 80's in the wake of the first video game market crash, Fletcher is a once-famous software programmer fallen on hard times, taking a job writing instruction manuals for a shady software company. After the move, he deals with a litany of issues -- a teacher that verbally abuses and shames his son in the classroom, a brilliant programmer that makes innuendos about Fletcher's children, a terrible boss that likes the idea of a famous name on the letterhead without having to listen to his opinion, the bugs that constantly find their way into his rental home, and so on -- as the story marches forward.
It's to Scott's credit that he's able to make the mundane seem so interesting, and he's able to do so largely because a lot of the material is autobiographical. Like his character Step, Scott had a son born with cerebral palsy, and found himself adrift in the tech crash of the early 80's (little known fact: Card wrote the dialog for the video game "Curse of Monkey Island" among other SCUM-engine based games), ultimately ending up himself in North Carolina. Card accurately captures the despair of a man doing something he hates in order to provide for his family -- a man selling his own soul and aspirations a little piece at a time so he can know that his family is provided for. Card gets the technical details right -- the minutiae of IBM's takeover of personal computing in the mid-80's, the death-march slog of working on crummy software because somebody without a technical bone in his body says to, the church meetings the Fletchers go to on Sundays. Like many of his other works, this has a Mormon influence as well; as a former adherent of that faith, it's nice to see the warts-and-all presentation of it here. Across several chapters, Fletcher starts staying up later and later, wanting to wring every last minute of wakefulness of the day, knowing that in the morning he'll have to go to the office and listen to his brain scream at him in exasperation of the futility of it all.
The heart of this book is all the little conflicts. Fletcher gets tired of his manual-writing job and considers taking work with a competitor, but it will mean a gap in his health insurance while his wife is pregnant. Thus, do the right thing for the family (and stay with his shitty employer) or save his soul and move on to something better? When a teacher mocks his child, Fletcher inadvertently gets her fired, though the teacher is a sympathetic character as well.
There are, strangely enough, comparisons to be drawn between this book and Stephen King's "Pet Sematary" (also recently reviewed). Both are, at their heart, stories about fathers and sons, and the things men do to provide for their families and shield them from the vicissitudes of reality. It's about the men slowly being worn down, and doing questionable things that nonetheless make sense in the context of their principles. Both are, ultimately, about the death of children, which is a terrible topic in any context.
The book resonates strongly with me in some ways. As somebody that spent a long time steeped in the two cultures described (shady software and legacy technology, Mormonism), there are at times descriptions of the challenges Step's facing that align precisely with ones I've seen. It makes Fletcher seem mostly sympathetic; he's not helpless and he's not trying to hurt people, but that's the outcome in many cases.
For those who enjoyed "Ender's Game," this will be a significant departure. Whether or not you'll like this book will depend largely on the narrowing of scope -- from the safety of the entire galaxy to one small family in North Carolina -- and the sharp change in subject matter.
I'd recommend this book for most, though it will certainly impact some more than others.
Other reviewers have often commented that Card's work lacks in specificity. Card has displayed impressive prowess with things like genetics (such as in "Wyrms" and "Treason"), but otherwise he's refrained from engaging in detailed depictions of his science throughout most of his work. "Lost Boys" takes a break from that, offering the reader a great degree of verisimilitude as Card wends his way through details that in other, less capable hands, might come off as tedious.
The story offers Step Fletcher, a young father recently moved from Utah to North Carolina, as its protagonist. Step Fletcher's life in many ways parallels that of Card's. Set in the early 80's in the wake of the first video game market crash, Fletcher is a once-famous software programmer fallen on hard times, taking a job writing instruction manuals for a shady software company. After the move, he deals with a litany of issues -- a teacher that verbally abuses and shames his son in the classroom, a brilliant programmer that makes innuendos about Fletcher's children, a terrible boss that likes the idea of a famous name on the letterhead without having to listen to his opinion, the bugs that constantly find their way into his rental home, and so on -- as the story marches forward.
It's to Scott's credit that he's able to make the mundane seem so interesting, and he's able to do so largely because a lot of the material is autobiographical. Like his character Step, Scott had a son born with cerebral palsy, and found himself adrift in the tech crash of the early 80's (little known fact: Card wrote the dialog for the video game "Curse of Monkey Island" among other SCUM-engine based games), ultimately ending up himself in North Carolina. Card accurately captures the despair of a man doing something he hates in order to provide for his family -- a man selling his own soul and aspirations a little piece at a time so he can know that his family is provided for. Card gets the technical details right -- the minutiae of IBM's takeover of personal computing in the mid-80's, the death-march slog of working on crummy software because somebody without a technical bone in his body says to, the church meetings the Fletchers go to on Sundays. Like many of his other works, this has a Mormon influence as well; as a former adherent of that faith, it's nice to see the warts-and-all presentation of it here. Across several chapters, Fletcher starts staying up later and later, wanting to wring every last minute of wakefulness of the day, knowing that in the morning he'll have to go to the office and listen to his brain scream at him in exasperation of the futility of it all.
The heart of this book is all the little conflicts. Fletcher gets tired of his manual-writing job and considers taking work with a competitor, but it will mean a gap in his health insurance while his wife is pregnant. Thus, do the right thing for the family (and stay with his shitty employer) or save his soul and move on to something better? When a teacher mocks his child, Fletcher inadvertently gets her fired, though the teacher is a sympathetic character as well.
There are, strangely enough, comparisons to be drawn between this book and Stephen King's "Pet Sematary" (also recently reviewed). Both are, at their heart, stories about fathers and sons, and the things men do to provide for their families and shield them from the vicissitudes of reality. It's about the men slowly being worn down, and doing questionable things that nonetheless make sense in the context of their principles. Both are, ultimately, about the death of children, which is a terrible topic in any context.
The book resonates strongly with me in some ways. As somebody that spent a long time steeped in the two cultures described (shady software and legacy technology, Mormonism), there are at times descriptions of the challenges Step's facing that align precisely with ones I've seen. It makes Fletcher seem mostly sympathetic; he's not helpless and he's not trying to hurt people, but that's the outcome in many cases.
For those who enjoyed "Ender's Game," this will be a significant departure. Whether or not you'll like this book will depend largely on the narrowing of scope -- from the safety of the entire galaxy to one small family in North Carolina -- and the sharp change in subject matter.
I'd recommend this book for most, though it will certainly impact some more than others.
August 9, 2011
I did not really care for this book at all. The mystery of the lost boys and Stevie's connection with them was not what this book was about - in fact it was barely mentioned at all until the last chapter.
The whole book was pretty much about day to day life of a mormon family - Dad hates his job and is always being either rude or sarcastic to anyone he feels better than, mom is busy doing church work and along the way they run into some weird people who have nothing at all to do with the mystery of the lost boys.
The whole book I kept waiting for the mystery to begin. I kept waiting for mom to dad to ask Stevie about his imaginary friends but they never did until the last couple chapters and then when they did it was a letdown. The concept of the book is great. The execution of that concept - not so much.
The whole book was pretty much about day to day life of a mormon family - Dad hates his job and is always being either rude or sarcastic to anyone he feels better than, mom is busy doing church work and along the way they run into some weird people who have nothing at all to do with the mystery of the lost boys.
The whole book I kept waiting for the mystery to begin. I kept waiting for mom to dad to ask Stevie about his imaginary friends but they never did until the last couple chapters and then when they did it was a letdown. The concept of the book is great. The execution of that concept - not so much.
September 16, 2008
WAY too much mormonism in this one. The story was ok and I still like his writing, but the preachy elements started to overwhelm any enjoyment of the book. Near the beginning, it was mildly entertaining to see how their version of the church works, but that got old FAST.
I totally agreed with the analyst's interpretation of religion and its effect on the kid so much so that I was laughing as she delivered this to Step. I knew where he was going with this, but still found it hilarious. Barely a 2 star.
I totally agreed with the analyst's interpretation of religion and its effect on the kid so much so that I was laughing as she delivered this to Step. I knew where he was going with this, but still found it hilarious. Barely a 2 star.
November 12, 2018
Perhaps to need to be a religious person if not Mormon to get this book.
A very long and boring story. It was so dull that i almost missed the big twist at the end.
It is horror because it deals with a serial child murderer but the story surrounding that is so numbing that that doesn't even register.
A very long and boring story. It was so dull that i almost missed the big twist at the end.
It is horror because it deals with a serial child murderer but the story surrounding that is so numbing that that doesn't even register.
October 15, 2019
Abandoning with 9 hours of audiobook left. I can't take it anymore. Moving on.
September 14, 2017
Orson Scott Card is a fabulous storyteller. I can't pinpoint what it is, but he has a way of writing that draws you in, tells a story that moves, and doesn't let you go until the end. I absolutely loved this story, especially the way he writes about the lives of this Mormon family. This book is in no way LDS fiction (I'm not a fan), but he writes about Mormonism that presents it in it's reality (in my opinion). Card depicts real life - real people with real struggles, and there's no glossing over the ugliness that life sometimes presents. We're not perfect, life gets real, parents argue, kids aren't always perfect little angels, people (yes, even Mormons) are sometimes cruel, and all of this is depicted with truthfulness and grace. Life if imperfect and I think most of are doing the best we can. I especially loved the depiction of a mother struggling with being pregnant, carrying for her three children, worrying about her oldest child's behavior, wondering if her life is fulfilling because she chose to stay at home and raise children, her work in her church callings, etc. I'd love to discuss this book with someone who knows and understands Mormon life and culture. I'd actually love to discuss this book with the author.
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