The Less-Dead

January 11, 2010
In Austin, Tex., 16-year-old Noah “despises church and religion and phony youth pastors who think it’s their job to save your soul.” Noah’s acts of rebellion have gotten him sent to an “alternative school for juvenile delinquents,” where he meets Will, a gay, homeless kid with whom he connects through a shared interest in music and poetry. When several gay teenagers are strangled and found with crosses carved into them and Bible passages nearby, Noah blames evangelical Christianity for contributing to an atmosphere of hate. And after Will becomes the next victim, Noah investigates the murder to avenge him. In her compelling mystery, Lurie (The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine
) draws attention to the prejudice and hatred many gay teens face (the title is a reference to the idea that the deaths of youths like Will count less). While fundamentalism-fueled homophobia is central to the story, Lurie doesn’t dismiss or caricaturize Christianity either. Though the book’s politics can feel heavy-handed (an author’s note offers rebuttals to scriptural stances against homosexuality), readers should still find it suspenseful and emotional. Ages 14–up.

May 1, 2010
Gr 9 Up-Part mystery, part morality tale, "The Less-Dead" preaches tolerance through a story about a serial killer murdering gay teens. In Lurie's convincingly drawn corner of Austin, TX, youth groups and church camps dominate the social scene. Noah Nordstrom, son of radio personality Bible Answer Guy, is as much a rebel for his anti-evangelism as for the drug offense that got him sent to an alternative school. When a local gay teen in foster care is murdered, with a quote from Leviticus left nearby, Noah suspects that a homophobic caller to his father's show is responsible. His interest in the case becomes personal when he meets Will. Although Noah wants to respect gay peopleboth for moral reasons and to annoy his fatherhe is initially uncomfortable and hostile when Will reveals that he is interested in him. Then Will is killed. Noah uses his unique knowledge of him, including a journal of his poetry stolen from the crime scene, to investigate. Unsurprisingly, Noah learns there is more than meets the eye to a variety of characters: the tough-looking kid at school, the member of a homophobic church who is arrested for the murders, and, of course, the person who turns out to be the real killer. This is an adequate mystery, but savvy gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens, or those who already have LGBT people in their lives, may be underwhelmed by the message of tolerance."Megan Honig, New York Public Library"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2009
Grades 9-12 A little hashish landed Noah and his buddy Carson in juvie, but that doesnt alter their goal of breaking into the local Austin, Texas, music scene. While playing guitar in a pedestrian area, Noah is befriended by Will, who shares Noahs interest in poetry. The first shock is that Will is gay; the second shock is that Will has a crush on Noah, who is straight; and the third shock is that Will ends up dead, the latest victim of a killer who is targeting homeless gay teens. Cryptic notes suggest the killings have a biblical bent, yet a strained relationship makes it hard for Noah to turn to his religious talk-show host father (known as the Bible Answer Guy). Though peppered with surprises, the plot strains credibility near the end; thankfully, Luries character details are totally refreshing. Noahs conflicted response to Will is dead-on, as is the handling of the various strains of Christianity. A lengthy authors note breaks down the Bible passages most commonly used to label homosexuality a sin.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)