Dead Boy

Fans of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book will embrace this darkly funny and literary debut novel about a dead boy named Crow who has a chance at friendship—and a chance at getting his life back.

Crow Darlingson may be dead, but he still loves air hockey, bowling, and drawing. Like other kids, his mother makes sure he finishes his homework, and healways looks forward to Halloween.

But 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 friendshipand 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.

Debut author Laurel Gale’s story about friendship fulfilled may be the most moving—and most macabre—yet.

Dead Boy is Laurel Gale’s first novel. Gale says, “I wondered what it would be like for a ‘live’ dead boy to try to make friends. I had no idea what would happen next, so I kept writing to find out.”

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).