Where I got it: Library
Rating: 5 stars
Cover Rating: 5 stars (This is a fun picture for the cover. Everything in it is necessary and let's you know what you're in store for...mostly...sorta.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Page Count: 324 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Del was deemed a felon at age 14. It wasn't really his fault though. Now he's stuck at seventeen with no conceivable future in front of him. The only thing he has in his world is his parrot Fred and digging graves. It's here, at the graveyard, where he meets a girl who shines a little light in his life. He has to tell her about his past, but Del doesn't know if he can say the words out loud. If he wants a future though, he has to overcome his past as best he can.
Wow. This was an amazing story. I have read and loved Susan Vaught and the past and this novel just cements that I will continue to keep reading her novels. Del was an amazing character who answered the door when the wrong fate came a-knockin'. I loved the take on sexting in this novel. Susan presented in with hard facts. It may not really be wrong in the eyes of your parents and yourselves, but the swift hand of the law takes prisoners. Del was an extremely well-mannered kid considering all the crap that had been thrust into his lap. I would have been friends with him, because he seemed like a great person who just happened to have this black cloud following him around. Del's parrot Fred was amazing. She made me wish I could get an African Grey parrot (parrot is a girl). I would love it if this book had push buttons that made Fred noises, that way it would be just as ridiculous as I imagine Fred to be. Harper was pretty fantastic too. He was the graveyard owner and he was just a swell guy (minus the drinking). He understood Del in a lot of ways that nobody else seemed to, which is something Del really needed. This novel was just good in every way. The characters were vivid and alive and the small town seemed normal. It was interesting that Del worked at a graveyard too. A place to be alone with his thoughts and take a different perspective on a lot of things. Before the end of this year you all should definitely pick up this book; it will make you laugh and it will make you cry and it will make you angry. Hopefully you'll love it as much as I did though.
First Line:
"Dead zones."
Favorite Lines:
"The air fills chilled as I climb the rest of the stairs like a badly oiled robot, jerking at the joints."
"Some of these people look so old they might have died last week and somebody forgot to wheel them out."
Del was deemed a felon at age 14. It wasn't really his fault though. Now he's stuck at seventeen with no conceivable future in front of him. The only thing he has in his world is his parrot Fred and digging graves. It's here, at the graveyard, where he meets a girl who shines a little light in his life. He has to tell her about his past, but Del doesn't know if he can say the words out loud. If he wants a future though, he has to overcome his past as best he can.
Wow. This was an amazing story. I have read and loved Susan Vaught and the past and this novel just cements that I will continue to keep reading her novels. Del was an amazing character who answered the door when the wrong fate came a-knockin'. I loved the take on sexting in this novel. Susan presented in with hard facts. It may not really be wrong in the eyes of your parents and yourselves, but the swift hand of the law takes prisoners. Del was an extremely well-mannered kid considering all the crap that had been thrust into his lap. I would have been friends with him, because he seemed like a great person who just happened to have this black cloud following him around. Del's parrot Fred was amazing. She made me wish I could get an African Grey parrot (parrot is a girl). I would love it if this book had push buttons that made Fred noises, that way it would be just as ridiculous as I imagine Fred to be. Harper was pretty fantastic too. He was the graveyard owner and he was just a swell guy (minus the drinking). He understood Del in a lot of ways that nobody else seemed to, which is something Del really needed. This novel was just good in every way. The characters were vivid and alive and the small town seemed normal. It was interesting that Del worked at a graveyard too. A place to be alone with his thoughts and take a different perspective on a lot of things. Before the end of this year you all should definitely pick up this book; it will make you laugh and it will make you cry and it will make you angry. Hopefully you'll love it as much as I did though.
First Line:
"Dead zones."
Favorite Lines:
"The air fills chilled as I climb the rest of the stairs like a badly oiled robot, jerking at the joints."
"Some of these people look so old they might have died last week and somebody forgot to wheel them out."
This sounds really cool and fun, thanks for reviewing it.
ReplyDeleteThis cover always makes me think of Pushing Daisies for some reason.
ReplyDelete