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| Plot Summary of Strange but True |
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"
Morrow, August 2004, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN 0688175716
While Phillip Chase recuperates at his mother's Philadelphia house after falling from the fire escape in his fourth floor New York apartment, Melissa calls because she wants to come over to tell him and his mother something. When she arrives, she tells them that she is pregnant with Ronnie Chase's child, a situation they find impossible to believe. Ronnie died five years ago in an automobile accident coming home from the prom.
The only time Melissa had sex was on prom night and she believes this child is her dead lover's since she never even dated another man. Phillip's mother Charlene is hoping that Ronnie deposited his sperm at a sperm bank and she goes to Melissa's house to see if it is true. She never arrives but Phillip talks to Ronnie who he feels sorry for. Before he can return home he discovers something that could put him and the wife of Melissa's landlord in danger.
John Searles has written an unusual but enthralling work of psychological suspense that keep fans wondering who the father of Melissa's child is since she insists she has been celibate for five years and readers believe her. It is STRANGE BUT TRUE that the protagonist has no idea how she got pregnant and readers will empathize with her need to believe it is Ronnie's child. A surprise twist at the climax of this novel brings everything into focus so that the audience will feel they have read a poignant family melodrama.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Strange but True |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- present (2000-2010)
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Pregnancy/Child rearing
Yes
Major part of story:
- dealing with unexpected pregnancy
Main Character
Gender
- Female
Profession/status:
- unemployed
Age:
- 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- killer
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style:
- a lot of play on words
- a lot of stream of consciousness
- No single main character?
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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