Deadville by Ron Koertge

From the Publisher

Ron Koertge's spot-on repartee highlights the wry, poignant tale of a teen who is numbed by loss but finds an unusual route to reclaiming his life.

Listening to music 24/7. Hanging out with his slacker-stoner friend, Andy. Basically, Ryan's been sleepwalking through life since his younger sister died of cancer two years ago. But when Charlotte Silano — a gorgeous, popular senior way out of his league — has a riding accident and falls into a coma, Ryan finds himself drawn to her hospital room almost every day, long after her friends stop coming around. And oddly enough, Ryan seems to be slowly snapping out of his own brand of coma — working out at the gym, adopting a cool vintage hat, even easing into a relationship with Betty, a classmate who has her own reasons for visiting Charlotte. With his incisive humor and quick-fire repartee, Ron Koertge explores the unpredictable workings of grief and the healing power of self-reinvention.

Children's Literature

Ryan's been in a drug-funk ever since his younger sister died of cancer. The numbness sure beats the grief. Then one of his classmates, Charlotte, falls off a horse and ends up in a coma. As her friends drop by the wayside, Ryan continues to visit her in the hospital and talk to her, encouraging her to come back. He knows what it felt like to be left all alone when his sister was dying. His parents had their own ways of dealing with their daughter's death. His father became more distant and a health freak, wasting away by eating greens and tofu. Another classmate is also drawn to the hospital and Ryan's unfaltering commitment to a girl he hardly knows. They start to date, Ryan begins working out at a gym and slowly he loses his taste for drugs. When Charlotte wakes up, Ryan is not given credit for all the hours he sat by her side, but he accepts it and goes on with his life. He has finally allowed himself to be happy and apologizes to his sister, hoping she will understand. Ryan deals with death in a very realistic way. Reviewer: Janet L. Rose

VOYA

Tenth grader Ryan has spent the last two years in a numb, marijuana-induced haze. Ever since his little sister, Molly, died of cancer, all Ryan does is smoke pot, listen to music, and hang out with Andy, the school drug dealer. When Charlotte, a senior Ryan barely knows, falls off her horse and lapses into a coma, Ryan is compelled to visit her daily. He spends countless hours at the hospital, trying to process what has happened to her and what happened to Molly. Charlotte's accident brings Ryan a new perspective on life. The boy in the room next to Charlotte tells Ryan about a place he sees called Deadville, a sort of waiting room where trauma victims decide which way to go, either crossing over to death or choosing to live. For Ryan, it is like he has been in his own Deadville for too long. He distances himself from Andy, joins a gym, and begins to date Betty, whom he gets to know when they both visit Charlotte. Ryan decides to stop wasting his life and pull himself out of his own comatose state. Ryan is engaging and clever, and his narration is driven by sharp banter with the affable if apathetic Andy and headstrong Betty. His grief feels authentic, and Koertge carefully reveals the full impact Molly's death has had on Ryan's life. Ryan's resiliency propels him out of his pain, and the undercurrent of hopeful possibilities eclipses the at-times heartbreaking sorrow. Reviewer: Amanda MacGregor

KLIATT

Ryan Glazier is dead—not literally, but figuratively dead to the world of responsibility, schoolwork, and anything that might imply a normal life. The only thing he knows are the drugs he takes. Everyone knows Andy, Ryan's drug dealer, and so by association, they know Ryan, who hangs around with Andy. Charlotte Silano is one of the most popular girls in the high school. She has a horrific accident that lands her in the hospital in a coma. For some reason that Ryan can barely articulate, he and Andy go to the hospital with many of Charlotte's classmates. For Ryan, this is a major step: he has a strong aversion to the hospital because of a family tragedy. But now that he has visited Charlotte, he feels he owes it to her to visit on a regular basis. So does Charlotte's volleyball teammate, Betty Bennett. On more than one occasion the two find themselves talking to Charlotte and about their need to visit. Not coincidentally, Ryan begins to more accurately see the life he has been leading, the odd relationship his parents have and the future that awaits him unless he changes paths. The novel is filled with hysterically funny scenes and the witty, sarcastic, irreverent voice of Ryan. It is also a story of hope and recovery that speaks to today's high school readers in a vernacular they will understand. Reviewer: Janis Flint-Ferguson

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up

Ryan, a high school sophomore, is mourning the death of his younger sister, Molly, by smoking dope, semipermanently connecting to his iPod and disconnecting from his parents. When Charlotte, a popular schoolmate, falls from her horse and into a coma, Ryan is drawn to the hospital to talk to her. During his many visits, he meets the young patient next door who claims he can go to "Deadville" and talk to people in that limbo between life and death, including Charlotte. This prompts Ryan to begin to face his grief and explore the meaning of death. While the teen's introspection slows the pace of the story, Koertge masterfully maintains reader interest with rich, right-on dialogue and details about teen life, attitudes, and relationships. Some of the scenes in which Ryan and his friends get high are funny while others show the problematic consequences of each and every joint. Ryan's metamorphosis is clearly illustrated through changes in his choice of clothes and friends without being trite or clichéd. His choice of music goes from "What's Got Me Down?" by U.S. Mail Band to a Celtic folk song that, when shared with his dad, symbolically bridges the gap between them. Deadville provides some realistic, thought-provoking ideas about dealing with the death of a loved one. Readers who enjoyed John Green's Looking for Alaska (Dutton, 2005) will find another Miles Pudge Halter in Ryan as he eventually concludes that there are no simple answers about death and accepts that ambiguity.-Sue Lloyd, Franklin High School Library, Livonia, MI

Kirkus Reviews

A tender, thought-provoking story takes a teen from the depths of despair to happiness. Sixteen-year-old Ryan Glazier's heart broke when his little sister died of cancer two years ago. While his friends have gotten on with their lives, Ryan has plugged himself into his iPod and wrapped himself in a pot-induced fog. He's living in Deadville, a "not-here-but-not-there zone." Then the gorgeous and sexy Charlotte Silano, a classmate, has an accident that lands her in the hospital in a coma. Though he hardly knows her, Ryan visits her daily just to talk. Slowly, Ryan comes to terms with his grief and, with help from Betty, the girl he begins dating, Ryan triumphantly re-emerges into the land of the living. Koertge's talent lies in his ability to create believable situations, well-developed characters and quick, witty dialogue. Ryan punctuates his funny, first-person narration with literary allusions and so many musical references readers may wish for a playlist. Fans will not be disappointed. (Fiction. 14 & up)

Details from Seller

• ISBN: 0763635804
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Pub. Date: October 2008
• Condition:
• Attributes: First Edition, Dust Jacket

Comments from the Seller: 2008-10-14 Hardcover Like New Like new HC w/ mylar covered DJ, Candlewick PressYoung Adult (Gr. 10-12), 1st edition, 2008. Next Day Shipping!

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