The book 'Deadline' by Chris Crutcher is a book about a high school senior with a terminal illness that will kill him if he doesn't get treatment. They young Ben Wolf decided to not take the treatment, so he can enjoy the time he has left the way he wants to. Ben being 18 already told his doctor that he didn't want anyone to know so the doctor had to keep it a secret.
I believe the theme of this book would be live your life to the fullest because everyone's life ends eventually, and live his life he did. Most people who know of their future tend to come up with a bucket list and so did Ben in this book. He wanted to accomplish a few things before he dies, so he began to accomplish the items on his bucket list. He gets a girlfriend, Dallas, and they have 'relations' and accomplished that. He also went out of his comfort zone and instead of track he joined football.
His family has their own problems, but he doesn't let that get to him. Ben's mother has a disorder where she get chronically depressed often. His younger brother Cody is more mature than him, and is the star of the football team, whereas Ben can barely get any credit and had to practically beg the coach to let him be on the team. His dad works all the time and is barely home. Even outside of the family there are problems.
His teacher argues with Ben through every turn. Ben is reading a book about Malcolm X, and decided that he wanted to name one of the local streets after him. Ben constantly argued with his teacher, in the end Ben never gave up, but neither did his teacher. Aside from the teacher Ben meets the town drunk, who used to be a preacher, but quit. Later in the story you find out that the preacher was a molester and had more than average feelings for Ben and ends up killing himself.
You begin to get attached to the characters, and start finding out all the bad things that continue to happen to Ben. Ben's girlfriend, Dallas has a child and you find out that this child is the byproduct of her uncle raping her. She tells everyone that her child is actually her brother and relationship issues start to spawn after Ben finally tells her the truth about his illness and they separate.
So Ben finally decides to start telling people about his illness, and frankly everyone is shock. Not to surprising but his mother goes into a deep depression, his dad and his brother are emotionally unstable. But what surprised me the most was when he first announced about his disease. He was setting in class arguing once again with his teacher when he finally comes clean, but when they finally believe him everyone is shocked and his brother gets pissed at him.
Though he is getting closer and closer to dying all of these things begin to go completely wrong. Ben is trying to accomplish the last of his bucket list. Try to get back on good terms with Dallas. As Ben creeps closer and closer signs of his illness begins to show up, but that doesn't stop him he perseveres and gets back on the good side with Dallas.
Eventually the time comes and Ben dies. Yeah no miracle he was saved this book is realistic there is a lot of drama involved, but as a parting gift Ben writes a speech that his brother Cody gave for him at the graduation ceremony. When Cody gives the speech Ben says a lot and leaves some comedic relief in the speech. In the end of the story everyone else seems to live happily ever after, sorta. Now that there has been a spoiler alert ruining practically the whole book. However, the book is still an excellent read and has a good meaning and displays how not all life ends happily.
The book's meaning is important, you can take a lot from it. The book is interesting and an easy read. It keeps people standing on their toes, and has a lot of unique things about it. It is a book worth reading.
Crutcher, Chris. Deadline. USA: Greenwillow Press, 2007. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment