Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins), Sept. 2007

ISBN-13: 9780060850890 / ISNB-10: 0060850892 Trade

ISBN-13: 9780060850906 / ISBN-10: 0060850906 Library

Hgh School

During a sports physical, Ben Wolf learns he has an aggressive blood disease giving him a year to live, or maybe longer, depending on treatment options. Wolf, aged 18 and an adult in the eyes of the law, refuses treatment and refuses to let the doc tell his family about the illness. Instead, Ben determines that he ought to make the most of his last year and spending time recovering from the side effects of cancer treatment just isn’t the way to do it. Ben goes out for the football team (all 5-foot-nothing, 123 pounds of him), attempts to land the girl of his dreams, save Rudy the town drunk, and rename one of Trout, Idaho’s (pop. 943, whitebread, U.S.A.) streets, Malcolm X Boulevard.

 

This is classic Crutcher, where characters are so much more than words on the page. They, like us, have their own secrets, their private personas, and public selves, and very little is ever straightforward or easy. Fans of Chris’ Whale Talk, and the whole idea of “whale talk” as a metaphor for truth, will find plenty to love in Deadline. As Ben Wolfe’s year progresses, ironically, other people’s truths are revealed to him, some of which may seem worse than being stricken with terminal illness, which cause Ben to do a lot of soul searching and truth seeking of his own…with a little help from “Hey-Soos.” 

I have to force myself to stop! As much as I want to go on, I don’t want to be accused of spoiling something readers have been waiting for, and most won’t get to read until September. I will say this — if you’re not a fan of football, I dare you not to at least be a bit more intrigued after reading the way Crutcher calls a game! If you love football, well, it’s pig in sh*t time my friend! Anyway, you have a couple months before this one hits libraries and bookstores: prepare yourself to become emotionally attached to Ben Wolfe and the people in his world as the Deadline soon approaches.

Thanks to Josh at East Brunswick Public Library for the Deadline ARC!

*Henry Rollins