Dane isn’t handling the death of his father well. It doesn’t help that his mother moved on so quickly, with his father’s best friend. As we watch Dane try to cope with the changes and pressures at school, his world seems to be falling even more apart. The only bright spot in his life is Ophelia, the girl next door. Instead of telling Ophelia he’s in love with her, he’s rude and pushes her away. But the hurt he’s carrying inside is spreading to his relationships. Dean needs some help healing and fast.
This story was a mixed bag for me. I appreciated how the author showed Dane’s struggles, but I felt the story’s pacing was off. Sometimes we spent time on relatively insignificant things and then raced through some important things. It was a bit jumpy from chapter to chapter, but I feel that reflected the turmoil that was going on in Dane. I think there’s a good message in this story, and many readers will benefit from reading it. Thank you, St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, for sending this along.
The Tragedy of Dane Riley is available for preorder on Amazon for $10.99, it releases June 22nd.
About the Book:
Dane Riley’s grasp on reality is slipping, and he’s not sure that he cares. While his mother has moved on after his father’s death, Dane desperately misses the man who made Dane feel okay to be himself. He can’t stand his mother’s boyfriend, or the boyfriend’s son, whose favorite pastime is tormenting Dane. Then there’s the girl next door: Dane can’t quite define their relationship, and he doesn’t know if he’s got the courage to leave the friend zone.
An emotional novel about mental health, and dealing with grief and growing up, The Tragedy of Dane Riley is the story of a teenager looking to make sense of his feelings in the wake of tragedy, and finding the strength he needs to make life worth living.
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