Not Up to Card's Usual Standards

I just finished Orson Scott Card's Lost Boys, and I have to say that it's not one of Card's best. It's not a bad book, but it's not really all that great either.

The book, set in the early Eighties, tells the story of a Mormon family who moves to a small southern town where the father has taken a job with a software company. Somehow they make a lot of enemies in just a few months, and they meet quite a lot of interesting people, many of whom seem to be lunatics of one sort or another. Unbeknownst to the family, there is a serial killer in town, stalking young boys, and the eldest son's imaginary friends have the same names as the victims.

Unfortunately, it's not as interesting as it sounds. We don't even learn about the serial killer until the book is more than halfway over, and before that there's not really any suspense. Most of the book seems to be about politics--in an office, a church, and a school. There is also a lot about the close relationship of a loving family.

Don't get the idea that the book is all bad. The characterization is superb, just like you'd expect from an Orson Scott Card novel. You'll also learn a bit from this book. You can learn about the workings of the Mormon Church (assuming you aren't already an expert). You can also learn about the early days of home computers, back before the PC became a major force or Macs even existed.

I'll give Lost Boys 3.5 yo-yos. Up next, Outlaw: Champions of Kamigawa .