Sarah’s Snippets Book Review: Boo by Neil Smith

Boo, Neil SmithFiction – Young Adult
Released May 12, 2015
320 Pages
Bottom Line: Skip it.
Affiliate Link: Amazon
Source: Purchased

Headline

Despite a good start and some fascinating world-creating, Boo was missing some intangibles for me and I liked it less and less the farther I read.

Plot Summary

After Oliver “Boo” Dalrymple wakes up in a heaven populated only by thirteen year old American children (called Town), he realizes he may not have died of a heart defect like he thought and teams up with fellow “Townies” to unravel the truth behind his and a classmate’s deaths.

Why I Read It

Because it has such an unique premise and promised a bit of suspense…and April of The Steadfast Reader raved about it in her review.

Major Themes

Afterlife, bullying, mental health, forgiveness, retribution

What I Liked

  • Boo shares his story in the form of a “book” written to his parents about his experience in Town. I loved this format because it gives you a glimpse into Boo’s life prior to arriving in Town and his relationship with his family.
  • Smith created a fascinating world that reminded me a bit of The Hunger Games (minus the “fight to the death” match). There are Zones and Councils that “govern” and a “God” named Zig. Part of what I loved about the beginning of the book was learning all the little rules and quirks about how Town works (i.e. people heal faster than on earth, buildings fix themselves, Townies don’t age, but their personalities are gradually adjusted to make them function better in society).
  • Boo is so nerdy (he loves science, and is fascinated by how things work differently in Town), but is likable and quite funny at times.

What I Didn’t Like

  • About a quarter into the book, the story started meandering and losing me a bit. My mind kept wandering off as I was reading and it took me a lot longer to finish a 320 page book than I expected. To use a sports term, this book was just missing some intangibles for me.
  • The plot twists and suspenseful elements about the truth behind Boo’s and his classmate’s deaths didn’t leave me shocked and awed. I didn’t fully guess them in advance (though, I did see parts of them coming), but I just didn’t care that much when they happened.
  • I thought the ending completely “jumped the shark” and I had to push myself to finish the book.

A Defining Quote

You will find this nonsensical, Mother and Father, but this stagnation in the hereafter saddened me more than the realization of my own death did. I would never grow up, never go to college, and never become a scientist. And, frankly, I had seen enough of thirteen-year-olds back in America – their stupidity, cruelty, and immaturity.

Possibly a Better Choice for People Who Like…

Child protagonists, a bit of macabre, fascinating world-creating

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17 Comments

  1. The book description hasn’t really grabbed me, and now I feel a bit more justified in skipping this one. Thanks!

    Posted 6.11.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      No problem! The description DID grab me, but just didn’t really work out.

      Posted 6.11.15 Reply
  2. I have such mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed a lot of it. The world building was neato, the characters were pretty compelling. BUT I felt myself drifting the way you did…something sort of fell apart for me at some point. I would still recommend Boo to a lot of people but… See? Mixed feelings 😉 lol

    Posted 6.11.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Glad to hear someone else felt the same way I did! And, I really couldn’t put my finger on exactly why things went South.

      Posted 6.11.15 Reply
  3. This is one I’ve kind of lost interest in getting to over time. It was super buzzy for awhile, but the buzz quickly died out, so I’m not sure it’ll ever happen for me. Which sounds like it might be okay… I love an honest review, and love when you include the particulars of what did and didn’t work.

    Posted 6.11.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Thanks 🙂 Happy to provide you with an honest review! And – yes, I heard tons about it and read it right away, but by the time I posted my review things had died down.

      Posted 6.11.15 Reply
  4. Well, I think it’s a shame that there wasn’t more to this one; it seemed like it could have lots of potential! Thanks for sharing your experience; I’m going to skip this one…

    Posted 6.11.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Great on paper…to use a dating term!

      Posted 6.11.15 Reply
  5. With all the books I want to read RIGHT NOW, I feel pretty confident in my decision to skip this one.

    Posted 6.11.15 Reply
  6. Thanks for your honest thoughts about this one. Doesn’t sound like something I’d rush to read.

    Posted 6.11.15 Reply
  7. Aww… sorry it didn’t work out for you. 🙂 I do love macabre and world building so maybe that’s why I loved it so much. 🙂 Can’t win ’em all.

    Posted 6.11.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Yep, agreed! I did love some things about it, especially in the beginning, but it just wasn’t connecting with me by the end. But, a super creative story premise!

      Posted 6.11.15 Reply
  8. I’ve been waiting for you to finish this book and while I’m bummed you didn’t love it, I’m not all that surprised because you seemed a little underwhelmed when you first started it. Better luck next time, right?

    Posted 6.12.15 Reply
  9. I’m sorry this didn’t work for you. I liked it as much as April did. 🙂 Btw, LOOOVE this review format.

    Posted 6.14.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      I really thought it would on paper, but just didn’t pan out. Oh well, you can’t love them all! And – thank you re: the review format! I was trying to change things up and make the reviews easier to scan. Glad you like it!

      Posted 6.14.15 Reply
  10. I’ve only read positive reviews of this before yours, so I appreciate getting another opinion on it. I also liked learning the meaning of the phrase jumping the shark! The premise of this doesn’t especially appeal to me so I think I’ll be taking your advice on skipping this one.

    Posted 6.14.15 Reply
    • admin wrote:

      Ha – I love that phrase! I learned it in relation to TV shows…when they take a bizarre plot turn and never really recover (like when Dr. Kimberly Shaw came back from the dead on Melrose Place).

      I know of a few other bloggers who didn’t love it, but chose not to review it.

      Posted 6.14.15 Reply

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