Librarians.info: YA Book Review

	YA Book Review by Tara L. Dirst Golden, Christopher. Body Bags. New York: Simon Pulse, 2002.
Body Bags, originally published in 1999 as the first in a series entitled "Body of Evidence," is a suspenseful forensic mystery geared to a young adult audience. Jenna Blake, the main character, is embarking on college life and encountering the stresses common to freshmen: meeting new people, getting accustomed to dorm life and a roommate, being away from home for the first time, and deciding on a major. Unlike most college freshmen, though, she takes a position as an assistant to Dr. Slikowski, a renowned forensic pathologist, at her college's medical school. Jenna decided to look into the possibility of studying forensic medicine because while she was interested in her mother's line of work (medicine), she didn't think she was well-suited for examining live subjects*fear of blood could do that to a person. Jenna's father, a professor at the college she is attending, sets her up with an interview with Dr. Slikowski (called "Slick" behind his back). While being interviewed by Slick in the middle of an autopsy, the proceedings turn unexpectedly gruesome. With the knowledge of the subject's aggression and violence prior to his death and the discovery of live bugs in his brain, Jenna finds herself drawn into a mystery involving strange forensic evidence, entomology, the FBI, drug smuggling, and Central American politics. After Jenna witnesses the bizarre death of her political science professor, who is also her father's best friend and house-mate, she is determined to discover the truth. Jenna's insights into the mystery are largely dismissed by the authorities although she is able to continue to investigate her hypotheses surreptitiously. She is the one who solves the mystery by putting the forensic clues together with the politics that connect the victims. With death, extensively detailed autopsies, Central American politics, arson, stalkings, and the occasional love interest and college class, this book is jammed with suspense, excitement and mystery that will interest many young adults (YAs). This book was written for older YAs, high school juniors and seniors and recent graduates, and has a sophisticated vocabulary. With the current interest in television shows about forensic science, both fictional ("CSI") and reality-based ("The New Detectives" and "Forensic Files"), this book appeals to an adult audience as well as a YA audience. The underlying story of Jenna's adjustment to college life is specifically attractive to a YA audience. This book has no illustrations and is laid out in a traditional third person narrative style. There are advertisements for other YA books published by the same publishing company, most with supernatural elements, although this particular book was not based on the supernatural. I really think this story is outstanding. I found it very engaging and I couldn't put it down. Jenna was a really strong female character and I appreciated the scientific bent. I would recommend this novel for any YAs with an interest in science and mystery. © 2004 Tara L. Dirst. All rights reserves. Used by permission.
©2004 Librarians.info. All rights reserved. About. Updated 20 Feb. 2007. Email Karen Woodworth-Roman

Body Bags, originally published in 1999 as the first in a series entitled "Body of Evidence," is a suspenseful forensic mystery geared to a young adult audience. Jenna Blake, the main character, is embarking on college life and encountering the stresses common to freshmen: meeting new people, getting accustomed to dorm life and a roommate, being away from home for the first time, and deciding on a major. Unlike most college freshmen, though, she takes a position as an assistant to Dr. Slikowski, a renowned forensic pathologist, at her college's medical school.

Jenna decided to look into the possibility of studying forensic medicine because while she was interested in her mother's line of work (medicine), she didn't think she was well-suited for examining live subjects*fear of blood could do that to a person. Jenna's father, a professor at the college she is attending, sets her up with an interview with Dr. Slikowski (called "Slick" behind his back). While being interviewed by Slick in the middle of an autopsy, the proceedings turn unexpectedly gruesome. With the knowledge of the subject's aggression and violence prior to his death and the discovery of live bugs in his brain, Jenna finds herself drawn into a mystery involving strange forensic evidence, entomology, the FBI, drug smuggling, and Central American politics.

After Jenna witnesses the bizarre death of her political science professor, who is also her father's best friend and house-mate, she is determined to discover the truth. Jenna's insights into the mystery are largely dismissed by the authorities although she is able to continue to investigate her hypotheses surreptitiously. She is the one who solves the mystery by putting the forensic clues together with the politics that connect the victims.

With death, extensively detailed autopsies, Central American politics, arson, stalkings, and the occasional love interest and college class, this book is jammed with suspense, excitement and mystery that will interest many young adults (YAs). This book was written for older YAs, high school juniors and seniors and recent graduates, and has a sophisticated vocabulary. With the current interest in television shows about forensic science, both fictional ("CSI") and reality-based ("The New Detectives" and "Forensic Files"), this book appeals to an adult audience as well as a YA audience. The underlying story of Jenna's adjustment to college life is specifically attractive to a YA audience.

This book has no illustrations and is laid out in a traditional third person narrative style. There are advertisements for other YA books published by the same publishing company, most with supernatural elements, although this particular book was not based on the supernatural.

I really think this story is outstanding. I found it very engaging and I couldn't put it down. Jenna was a really strong female character and I appreciated the scientific bent. I would recommend this novel for any YAs with an interest in science and mystery.

YA Book Review by Tara L. Dirst

Golden, Christopher. Body Bags. New York: Simon Pulse, 2002.