I finally managed to my hands on a copy of the first book - thanks Aunty Mandy!Deja Dead was better than 206 Bones but still nothing impressive. Nothing was keeping me entertained so it was a momentous struggled to get through the book - and that is never a good quality. The plot was too just slow, the characters were too unexplainably volatile and I couldn't muster enough enthusiasm to overlook those aspects. The characters were all such drags but especially Tempe, I couldn't understand her character at all. The way she was constantly angry but there never seemed to be a reason for it; her alarming mood swings that happened out of nowhere, half way through a phone call she would start screaming and cussing. Why...? She was also pretty stupid (in the common sense department) for a supposed genius. The way she went into dangerous situations without calling for backup or letting anyone know where she was going was plain old irresponsible. Tempe never asked a detective or one of the men working the case with her - another factor that pissed me off: the lack of female characters apart from the murder victims - to accompany her to interview people. Shouldn't they be consulted first? Tempe is only the scientist, she isn't an investigator and doesn't really have the authority. I know its part of her characters to be "independent" but it often put her in crazy situations that could have been avoided. The mystery itself was decent enough. I enjoyed the technicality of the forensics side of the investigations. Its fascinating to see how much effort it takes just to determine that a victim's body is female or male. The age is even longer. It was none of the quick-paced solving that is prominent in the TV show and I liked that. It was more believable. Also, the fact that these investigations took about three months to solve was fantastic. I hate when the show rushes the investigations and makes it seems so improbable in reality. I thought that the ending was pretty dull however. We knew who it was about fifty pages before the so called end "drama". Also the fact that we know Tempe has to be in 17 more books destroyed all sense of suspense. She isn't going to die - we just have to wait for her to be rescued then. Boring!In the end, while the mystery wasn't too bad - a little more graphic than I am used to but still, not too shabby - the book was a flop. It was dull, the characters were annoying, the pacing was too slow and I remain disappointed in the author. I think I'll be sticking to the show and her Virals series. A rant - only read if your a fan of the show and can understand my pain at the lack of similarity between the books and show: (view spoiler)[In the book series, Tempe is a brilliant forensic anthropologist - that much is the same. She works with dead bodies and specialises in skeletal identification. She solves cases. But not with a team. Nope. There isn't a Hodgins or a Cam or a Angela to help her out. While there are other scientists in her laboratory, obviously, Tempe doesn't actually work with them in collaboration. They each have their own cases and work separately, occasionally consulting and helping each other if their field of expertise is needed. This may seem like a small inconsistency but the team's dynamics are what make the show so successful. Their banter, their friendships, the way they throw their ideas at each other to solve problems... it works and this element was obviously missing. The detectives and other workers that Tempe does work with are always annoying or unpleasant people because Tempe is a judgmental, hot-tempered annoying character that dislikes everyone. She cusses at these other workers, fights with them, constantly angers them to get a reaction. Who wants to read about a character that is so unjustifiably mean? I don't. Not when I know their is an alternate Tempe out there that is much more developed and decent character.Also why did they change her backstory so damn much? In the book she is recently divorced, an ex-alcoholic, mother of a teenage daughter, daughter of an abusive father... and she isn't any of this in the show.I know that I am ranting and its a barely cohesive rant at that, but I needed to get out there. This book did nothing for me, expect give me more reasons to worship the producers of Bones, and I am quite upset and disappointed about that. (hide spoiler)]
Adequate Yet Strangely UnsatisfyingThis book was entertaining, creepy, and engaging. It also struck me as kind of ridiculous in places and grating throughout.The mystery was decent. The technical perspective (i.e., seeing the crime procedural from the vantage point of the forensic scientist instead of the detectives) was refreshing. The crimes were macabre and disturbing.The main problem for me was voice. This is a first-person tale, told from the perspective of 'Temperance Brennan.' I just didn't like her much. As a person, she's cool. Her way of relating information and talking, however, is irritating. At one point (this book is from 1998 and set in 1994, so let that temper your opinion of the following) she describes the process of sending an e-mail to her daughter. Since that was relatively new in 1998 when the book was released and certainly was in 1994 when the story was set, this can be excused. What can't, however, is the way she does it. After describing the technical aspects of HOW she is able to send the e-mail, she says (and, unfortunately, I quote). "Yahoo! Everyone hop aboard the internet."Ridiculous asides like this abound. She eats fast food chicken and follows off a description of the meal (the book is FULL of descriptions of EVERY meal) with a KFC reference by saying "Thanks, Colonel." No thanks, Kathy Reichs! I feel like it's meant to give a somewhat stream of consciousness perspective into Brennan's mind, but I guess I just don't like it. It's not her fault that I wouldn't want to hang out with someone who communicated like this, and I'm sure lots of people would find it funny, but it just gives this overriding tone that has nothing to do with the story or the characters that rubbed me the wrong way.Also, some of the plot developments are hard to swallow. They find the killer's secret hiding place, with a map on the wall with two Xs where they have already found bodies, and a third X where they haven't looked yet. "Maybe that's another body!" says intelligent Brennan. "We should look!""It's probably nothing," says obstructionist, woman-hating detective man.That's the end of the police's interest in that third X, and it takes an enterprising Brennan to go out there in the middle of the night on her own to look for the body herself (during which time she is assaulted and knocked unconscious, not killed, and then the fact that someone assaulted her--presumably the killer--is never again referenced in the book aside from a time a little later when she wonders what happened).Anyway, I still enjoyed this book and will try reading the others but I must say, I wish that the character of Brennan struck me as more likeable in tone. She's just fine in action and behavior. But other than that, it was a fun read.
What do You think about Déjà Dead (1998)?
This book was such a waste of time! Terribly written, too long, and extremely annoying. The protagonist is probably the dumbest pathologist ever. Incredibly unprofessional, over-emotional, hysterical, and simply so stupid, I could rip her open myself. She runs around the plot like crazy and I think she is summarized perfectly by one of the minor characters: "[she] wouldn't be able to find [her] own ass without a map". Indeed. More luck than wits. On the other hand, she is still probably the smar
—Paulina
Hi Kathy..I'm in the middle of my first Kathy Reichs book and am loving it. I especially like that she seems to use almost no swear words...Is this true of most of her books. I may have a new favorite author. Thanks your your good reviews. They have helped me a lot :)
—Kathy Davie
I have come to think this is one of my guilty pleasure series. Let me break this down a bit:I prefer Temperance from the show. There is less romance in the books then the tv show, but you get more of a feel for most of her co-workers/friends in the tv show. (At least in the books I've read before). So, I guess it depends on what you are looking for. I know fans of the book who don't like the show, and vice versa. The show and book are very different.I LOVE the fact that this book series seems to be set predominantly set in Canada. <3 I love this gif so much. :DSo, both are good/okay in their own way. :D Just don't go into reading this as a duplicate of the show, I think you might be disappointed.
—Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!}
