Deadville

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

The most popular girl in school fell off a horse and she's now in a coma in a nearby hospital. Ryan finds himself drawn to her bedside, even though he is most definitely not in her social circle or even the distant stratosphere of her world. Does he visit her because she is perhaps the hottest girl in school, or because he hopes to move in on her absent boyfriend's territory, or because two years ago he lost his own sister in her battle against cancer?

The strange thing is that Ryan doesn't really know why he visits this girl in a coma. It's just something he feels he must do.

Running parallel to the Charlotte Silano coma-girl story are several other captivating plot show more lines.

Ryan's visits to the hospital allow him to meet and develop a relationship with Betty, another girl from school who previously didn't really hang in the same crowd with Ryan. There is also the strained relationship between Ryan and his parents. He maintains a fairly normal mother/son relationship, but the connection between father and son has deteriorated to almost nothing since the death of his sister, Molly. It's not just a problem for Ryan, since his father has seemingly cut ties with his wife, as well. He has changed his whole lifestyle, right down to his choice of a vegan menu. Ryan's mother has chosen to throw herself into yoga and meditation to cope with the loss of her daughter. It seems a healthy avenue to stress relief, but she appears to be getting a bit too close to her instructor, causing Ryan to fear for his parents' marriage.

One benefit of Ryan's frequent visits to Charlotte's hospital room is that he is putting some distance between his so-called friend, Andy, and the never-ending supply of pot that has so far been getting him through his periods of grief. Is it possible to stay sober and confront tough times long enough to pull himself together? That's the question facing Ryan for most of DEADVILLE.

Ron Koertge successfully takes readers into Ryan's world of emotional stress and pain. Everyone has their own way of coping, and DEADVILLE illustrates them all in a direct, straight-forward style. show less

I will start by acknowledging my love of all things Koertge. He is one of my favorite YA authors and I always enjoy his books. This one was no exception. He manages to combine wittiness and poignancy. Ryan, the main character, feels like a fully realized teen. Unhappy and constantly stoned, Ryan can't deal with the death of his little sister. Slowly, and with the help of a comatose class mate, he discovers that he needs to change in order to live the life he deserves. Quirky and honest, Koertge made me smile yet again.

Classic Koertge: misfit characters, odd pairings, desperate situations, quick-witted dialogue, drug use, liberal use of cursing...but it all somewhat works out okay in the end.

I can’t remember where I first saw Deadville mentioned. I put it on my wish list and more or less forgot about it. Ron Koertge does not come up often in my blog reading, so nothing kept him in the forefront of my mind. Last week I picked his book off the wish list to check out from the library. It’s really good. Mostly believable teens. Great treatment of death and illness. And good music thrown in to boot.

(Full review at my blog)

This book is about a boy who has lost his little sister and how this has effected his life. There is a very positive message and it is a quick read.

It shows that even through tragedy and how bad your life gets you can turn it right around. I just thought by reading the back there would be more action, so I was disappointed. This book was well written, it just wasn't my style of book. Other kids might find interest in this book, but not me. AHS/JD

I would tell my friend it is a very good book and it was bery inspirirng, it shows the best way and worse way to deal with death. It i a great book.
Q4P4 AHS/Amanda B