Poster Boy

by Dede Crane

Overview

Sixteen-year-old Gray Fallon's life is looking pretty good. His easygoing parents -- a university science professor and silkscreen artist -- are happy for him to entertain his friends in his suburban basement. A part-time job at the Cineplex, the occasional beer or joint, a smart, funny best friend, a hot new girlfriend -- things couldn't really be any better.

Then Gray's twelve-year-old science nerd sister, Maggie, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Gray learns that the cancer may have environmental causes and sets out to uncover the cause and make Maggie better. His research reveals that silkscreen chemicals may be responsible for Maggie's illness. His mother's subsequent breakdown and father's anger finally drive him to quit school and seek haven at an organic farm. However, there is no escaping the reality of Maggie's illness, and the climax, written with wisdom, compassion and a complete lack of easy sentimentality, is a tour de force.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554982202
Publisher:	Groundwood Books Ltd
Publication date:	09/01/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	216
File size:	286 KB
Age Range:	14 Years

About the Author

Dede Crane is the critically acclaimed author of the novel Sympathy, and the the teen novel, The 25 Pains of Kennedy Baines. She is the co-editor of Great Expectations: Twenty-Four True Stories about Childbirth. Her stories have been shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards and published in numerous literary journals. Dede is a former professional ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with her husband, writer Bill Gaston, and their four children.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 9 Up—At 16, Graydon Fallon has everything he could ask for: a private bedroom in the basement, the freedom to have parties on weeknights, relaxed parents, a funny best friend, and a hot girlfriend. He and his family are caught unaware when his 12-year-old sister, Maggie, is diagnosed with an advanced stage of a rare form of cancer. Doctors can do little for her, but Gray and his mother are determined to help her recover. For better or worse, these events affect all of Gray's relationships and change his outlook on life. Rich with Chuck Norris jokes and contemporary cultural references to TV shows, Google, and MSN Messenger, this novel will lure reluctant readers. Once captivated, they will be touched by Gray's efforts to save his sister and his family's struggle to cope with her death.—Melissa Houlroyd, Brighton Memorial Library, Rochester, NY

School Library Journal

Cruising along on the fringes of stoner life is cool with 16-year-old Gray Fallon. A cineplex McJob provides cash, but buying pot drains his savings account. After splashing around together in a hot tub, Natalie (who has a voice like Lois on Family Guy) seems willing to punch Gray's V-card. Life's all good until Gray's younger sister, 12-year-old Maggie, begins to complain about aches in her legs and arms. It's a rare form of terminal cancer. Deep in denial, Gray's father withdraws and loses himself in work. Gray and his mother obsessively research possible carcinogens to pinpoint anything that may have triggered the once-effervescent Maggie's cancer. Crane effectively shows a family unraveling, and Gray's authentic teen narration springs from the pages. The plot slows when Gray decides to pull a Thoreau and live on a farm, refusing to eat anything containing toxins. Maggie's life ebbs away as Gray slowly comes to realize what's important. There's a message about poisoning our bodies here, but the real draw is Maggie's doomed battle. It's a three-hankie weeper. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews