Saturday, February 20, 2010

God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker

Book 2 in the Spenser series

Plot: Spenser the detective is looking for a missing boy, a teenager with a bossy, flirtatious mother and a busy, push-over father. He enlists the help of Susan Silvermann, the counselor at the boy's school, and – reluctantly – the police, when things get complicated. While unraveling this twisted conundrum, Spenser employs his usual wit to confuse, annoy, and amuse the strange people he meets.

Comments: I absolutely love the Spenser novels, even though this is only the third one I have read (see the Godwulf Manuscript for an explanation)! Spenser is hilarious and witty, and I laugh through the whole book! However, after reading the first and second books, I've discovered I definitely enjoyed the twenty-somethingth book I read more than the earlier books. Now and Then was wittier, had a smoother plot, and was better at describing the setting in fewer words. Don't get me wrong: I still loved The Godwulf Manuscript and God Save the Child, for sure! I just think Robert B. Parker's writing abilities greatly improved as time went on and as he wrote more and more novels. Have I mentioned that I admire Robert B. Parker's skills immensely? I aspire to be an author myself, and I only wish I could write the way he does, with a nice balance of drama, adventure, romance, and laughter.

The scenarios of Spenser's adventures vary a lot, giving a nice fresh feeling with every book. Each plot is unique, so unique that it feels even more like a real story. The characters are described with huge detail, but written so it's portrayed as Spenser's quick, yet thorough, observations. I can imagine the characters with little effort, and they feel like real people. They are described so there isn't much room for the reader's imagination, but the characters feel so real and fit so well in the story that I felt no need to build on the image in my mind.

Reminder: in case you didn't read my post about The Godwulf Manuscript, I rate these books PG13 for swearing, mature concepts, romance, etc., but I don't think it's all that bad. I recommend 14 and older.

Rating: I rate this book a seven out of ten.

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