A Density of Souls (2000) by Christopher Rice

 1,001 Novels; A Library of America

A Density of Souls (2000)

by Christopher Rice

Louisiana: 20/28

   This is an utterly ridiculous novel by the son of author Anne Rice.  Three boys and one girl are friends as children.  Upon entering high school, two of the boys become "jocks," the girl becomes the girlfriend of one of the jocks and the fourth, who is clearly the main protagonist, is gay.   The other three all turn on the gay friend for reasons that are entirely unexplained.  Although there are no year specific tells, it seems clear that A Density of Souls, is set in the 90's, in a period where anti-gay bullying was still OK, but the bullied had an idea that their situation was temporary and would improve outside of high school.  The story just gets more ridiculous by the page, with plot points involving incest, insanity, forced institutionalization and lots and lots of gay stuff.   By the end, the mysteries are resolved, but it left this reader scratching his head.  What the hell did I just read, was my thought at the end.  Published by Harvey Weinstein, as well.