A Different Topic. I Digress

Dear readers, this is going to sound like the saddest thing you have ever heard, or close to it:

We are heading into April, the month known for the rain and grey skies and lack of sunshine (Think of it as a month long trip to the Northwest coast of the United States). And with all that greyness and rain, it’s a time to really reflect on what you want to do when it’s over. So, I am christening April, the month of death. Sad isn’t it? But it will be interesting blogging about deathly books for an entire month, and, I am going to give a little taste with the next few posts before April really comes.  

The book I’ve chosen is Deadline by the great Chris Crutcher. The story is of Ben Wolfe, who is starting his senior year in high school when he learns that this year is all he has left. Ben has a blood disease so advanced that aggressive treatment wouldn’t even really work. Because Ben is eighteen, he persuades Doc to not tell his parents and to pass him for his physical (the reason he came in anyway), which the Doc does.

Ben gears up for his last year by making some different choices. He decides that he wants to leave a mark in his town, so Ben joins the football team. At first, he is treated badly because of his size, but thanks to Cody, Ben brother and the star quarterback, he gets a position on the team. He also decides to be as much of a pain in his classes as he can, which includes naming a local street after Malcolm X. He also wants to help the town drunk, Rudy McCoy, get clean, which is a bit of a long shot.

The most important to Ben, though, is Dallas Suzuki. No, this is not a car dealership, but a girl that Ben has been in love with for a long time. Then Dallas asks Ben to homecoming and they start a relationship, much to the surprise of Ben. But, things are falling apart. It’s getting harder to keep his secret, but he doesn’t want to hurt the people that he loves. Especially his mentally ill mother, Dallas and Joe Henry, her little brother who adores Ben. 

RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. Chris Crutcher is a critically acclaimed author, and for goos reason. His other novels are so great, and this one continues that streak. Full of humor, anger, and the philosophy of life and death.

MASS APPEAL: Everyone needs to read this book, and the others by Crutcher. Great for any person, and good for book reports, which are a pain unless you have a great book(hint, hint).

Buy this book on Amazon. Click here!