(5th MMGM) Dead Boy by Laurel Gale (top ten list)

Check out the full 5th Annual March MG Madness schedule and enter to win a box of middle-grade books.

Dead Boy

By Laurel Gale

9/15/15

Crown Books for Young Readers

Crow Darlingson isn’t like other kids. He stinks. He’s got maggots. His body parts fall off at inopportune moments. And he hasn’t been able to sleep in years. Not since waking up from death.

Despite the maggots, Crow is lonely. When Melody Plympton moves in next door, Crow finally has a chance at friendship and a shot at getting his life back from the mysterious, wish-granting creature living in the park. But first, there are tests to pass. And it means risking the only friend he’s had in years.

amazon / b&n / indiebound / goodreads

PRAISE FOR DEAD BOY

“A stinky, creepy tale for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Gale takes readers on a dark and surprisingly funny journey. . . . A great recommendation to middle grade fans of dark humor.”—School Library Journal

Top Ten Reasons Life Should Be Like a Middle Grade Novel

1. Middle grade novels are never boring. Any potentially boring parts are described in an amusing way or else completely skipped over. When I’m stuck in traffic or waiting in line at the bank, I definitely wish life were more like a middle grade novel.
2. Middle grade novels are stuffed to the brim with adventure. Have you ever wanted to go on a quest? Fight a monster? Travel to magical lands? Find buried treasure? In middle grade novels, that kind of stuff happens all the time.
3. Middle grade novels are full of mystery. When the heroes aren’t busy with daring adventures, they’re solving crimes or answering ancient riddles. Mental exercise is supposed to help keep the brain active and healthy, and who doesn’t love a good puzzle?   
4. Middle grade novels are pretty funny. Even the ones that aren’t comedies usually have a few humorous observations or conversations. Real life dialogue should be so witty.
5. In middle grade novels, anything is possible. There could be aliens, wizards, monsters, or dinosaurs around every corner. I’ve never seen these things in real life, but I imagine it would be very exciting.  
6. Middle grade novels are safe. Yes, things can turn quite scary at times, but we know everything will work out, maybe not exactly as we wanted, but for the best. In real life, I might not want to face that dinosaur or monster after all.
7. In middle grade novels, conflicts always have satisfactory resolutions. There’s no real chance of crimes going unsolved or villains going undefeated. By the last page, misunderstandings are always cleared up and battles are always won. In real life, such guarantees would be nice.
8. In middle grade, friends and family are all that matters. Characters might get distracted by money, fame, or competition, but in the end, they know what’s important. In real life, we should focus on our loved ones, too.
9. Middle grade novels are optimistic. Sure, they can get pretty sad and even dark at times, but there’s always hope. Of course, real life has hope, too, but sometimes we need reminding.
10. In middle grade novels, even the shy bookworm nobody notices can end up being a hero. In real life—well, in real life, that’s true, too.  Maybe life already is like a middle grade novel.

About the Author

website

Like Crow, Laurel Gale resides in the Nevada desert. She lives with her husband and a band of furry monsters that might actually be ferrets, her favorite animal.

Dead Boy Blog Tour {review & giveaway}

I'm thrilled to have the Dead Boy Blog Tour stopping by today with my review and giveaway...

Dead Boy

by Laurel Gale

September 29, 2015

Crown BFYR

Just because you’re dead doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a life.

Crow Darlingson died in the 4th grade. But he’s still alive. And growing, actually. He can’t eat or taste anything, his body parts sometimes fall off (mom always sews them back on, though), and he’s only allowed to leave his house once per year, on Halloween.

Crow’s parents are separating, and despite their reassurances, he’s pretty sure it’s his fault. After all, having an undead son can’t be much easier than being one. Sneaking out at night only makes things worse, but he can’t resist the chance at a real friendship with Melody Plympton, the new girl next door, who loves mystery more than she minds the stink of his flesh or the maggots that sometimes crawl out of his nose.

Together they investigate the mysterious Meera - a monster living in the nearby park. Logic and fear tell Crow to stay away, but fuzzy memories lure him on. When Crow and Melody venture into its underground lair, Crow’s not just risking the half-life he clings to. He’s also risking the only friend he’s had in years.

The importance of friendship is crystallized as Crow and Melody face tests of loyalty, courage, and honor in this macabre middle grade novel by a debut author.

amazon / b&n / indiebound / goodreads

PRAISE FOR DEAD BOY

“A stinky, creepy tale for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Gale takes readers on a dark and surprisingly funny journey. . . . A great recommendation

to middle grade fans of dark humor.”—School Library Journal

Crow Darlingson is your average 12 year old boy...if being a stinky, maggot filled, limbs falling off, dead, yet still growing boy is your definition of average. Crow’s death and miraculous resurrection are a mystery he’d like to solve. His separating parents won’t tell him just what happened and his overprotective mother keeps him locked in the house, only allowing him out on Halloween. But when magic obsessed Melody, who doesn’t care that Crow is dead, moves in next door, he finally makes a real friend. Soon, Crow and Melody find themselves hunting for a mysterious monster called a Meera and and a way to bring Crow back from the undead.

Laurel Gale’s Dead Boy is a creeptastic middle-grade debut oozing with humor, heart, atmospheric settings, and engaging characters. Gale’s spin on the undead is fresh, darkly whimsical, and frightfully fun. Dead Boy has a good mix of age appropriate genuine chills and exciting thrills, with plenty of spine-tinlgy grossness (falling limbs, maggots, gag-inducing smell) that one expects when it comes to the undead.

Crow and Melody’s search for the Meera and magic take them on a wild adventure through the monster’s underground lair, where they must endure many dangerous tests of courage, loyalty, wits, and more. Full of eerie twists and turns, icky critters, deadly obstacles, and freak-out worthy surprises, Gale brings the Meera’s lair to life with vivid, spooktacular details. Young readers will have a scary good time traversing this macabre maze with Crow and Melody!

And both Crow and Melody, with their endearing, likable personalities and sweet friendship, bring a lot of heart and emotion to the story.

my final thoughts: Readers who crave chills with their adventure, like their fun full of frights, and want both humor and heart in their stories, will devour Dead Boy!

MY RATING

4/5 cupcakes

Like Crow, Gale resides in the Nevada desert. She lives with her husband and a band of furry monsters that might actually be ferrets, her favorite animal (even though they don't make an appearance in this story).

Win a new hardcover copy of Dead Boy!

Thanks to Random House, I have one new copy for one winner.

DETAILS

-US only

-ends 12/11

please read the full rules below

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Unless otherwise stated, the policies and rules for each giveaway are as follows:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.  Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington D.C. who are 13 years old or older as of date of entry.

To enter, fill out the appropriate Rafflecopter form associated with each giveaway.

The start and end dates for each giveaway will be clearly stated and followed.

The specified amount of winners shall be selected in a random drawing.

Winners will be notified by email and must claim their prize within 48 hours. If a winner does not respond within 48 hours, then a new winner will be chosen.
Word Spelunking is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes in the mail. Once a prize is dropped off at the post office, it is no longer my responsibility and I will not compensate in anyway for prizes not delivered because of the USPS.
If a third-party (author, publisher, etc) is shipping a prize, once I provide the winner(s)' mailing information to them, the prize is no longer my responsibility. I will forward your mailing info to the proper people within 48 hours after getting it from you. If you have not received your prize from an author or publisher within 8 weeks, it is your responsibility to contact them further.
By participating in any giveaway, you agree to adhere to these rules. Any breaking of these rules by entrants will disqualify them from the giveaway and their entries will be deleted.