| Plot Summary of Worm |
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"Throughout the small New England town of New Milford, strange deaths have been occurring at an unusual rate. A woman is driven off the road to her death, with a rabid squirrel found bouncing around the interior of her vehicle. An old man's lifeless body is found floating under the scum of the town pond, miles from his home. A teenage boy is found electrocuted in his bathtub. In all three cases, the victims share a common thread: each was abusive to animals in some way, and each died in much the same manner in which their pets were abused.
On the surface, these deaths appear to be nothing more than unfortunate accidents. But there is one person in town who sees a connection between these deaths: New Milford's newest detective, Jake Allen. As a boy, Jake was called "Worm," due to his thick, round glasses and the turtleneck sweaters he wore -- even during the hottest days of summer -- to hide the bruises caused by his abusive father and aunt. Upon graduating from high school, Jake left New Milford to join the army. Upon returning, he noticed that his appearance had changed so dramatically that no one in town recognized him anymore -- not even Jake's high school crush, Maggie McCarthy.
Maggie is the owner of a small pet store in town that she inherited from her father. Unbeknownst to her, she is also the catalyst and sole inspiration behind a series of serial killings in her beloved hometown. The story of Worm follows Jake's investigation into these serial killings, interspersed with short journeys into Jake's past. Jake soon realizes that in order to solve these murders, he must first confront his problems face-to-face. By doing so, he will learn the answers to all of his questions, including why, at the scene of each murder, he hears the ominous echo of a rooster's crow."
Michael Glander, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Worm |
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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
Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 50%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%
Tone of story
- suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain?
- Difficult, but some clues given
Time/era of story:
- present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- nearly 100%
Special suspect?
- investigator him/herself
Misc. Murder Plotlets
- Proving innocence of very obvious suspect
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot?
- animal antics
Crime Thriller
Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown)
Yes
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric/Mental:
Yes
Eccentric:
- eccentric
- emotionally unstable
How much violence does he/she use?
- just the right amount
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- none
Profession/status:
- killer
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
- deluded
- mentally ill
- emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- an average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Setting
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
How many deaths?
- 8 or more
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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