The Dead Enders

March 19, 2018
A bustling Oregon resort town provides the backdrop for four friends navigating a pivotal summer in Saldin’s (The Girls of No Return) emotionally resonant novel. High school juniors Ana, Davis, Erik, and Georgie are “Dead Enders,” full-time Gold Fork residents gearing up for the intrusion of the Weekenders, who are anxious to take advantage of the town’s sparkling lake. Georgie deals drugs to save up for her dream of taking her band to the city; quiet Ana struggles to understand her single mother; brainy Davis works for the local paper; and star athlete Erik just lost a scholarship, his best chance to escape an unhappy home life. A fire that destroyed an empty church two years earlier links these unlikely friends, and when a lake cabin burns down, too, arson is suspected, opening old wounds and threatening to reveal long-held secrets. Told in alternating first-person chapters, Saldin’s novel poignantly explores the inner lives of four teens and the darkness and poverty that lie underneath the veneer of a golden summer. This thoughtful, atmospheric read will linger with readers. Ages 14–up. Agent: Denise Shannon, Denise Shannon Literary Agency.

March 15, 2018
Summer is always a party in the small town of Gold Fork, Oregon, but this year will be more memorable than ever--and not for the right reasons.First-person narration alternates among four high schoolers during summer vacation: two boys--brainy Davis and athletic Erik--and two girls--kind Ana and cool drug dealer Georgie. They are friends, of a sort, tied together by an accidental fire at a chapel that took place two years earlier during a church youth group camping trip when the four sneaked out at night to smoke a joint. Summer romances abound as well as complicated family affairs. On top of it all, someone has been committing arson around town, and the big questions everyone is pondering are who--and why? Most of the residents live dead-end, poverty-stricken lives in this tourist town, while the Weekenders who flock there during the summers and for the winter ski season see only a beautiful refuge. The characters are raw, giving this clever, moving story a staggering realism in addition to being a gripping thriller and a compelling critique of society. While there is mention of a Latinx community in Gold Fork, all main characters are white except for Latina Ana and her mother.In part coming-of-age story, mystery, and romance, this book has something for everyone. (Mystery. 14-adult)

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May 1, 2018

Gr 10 Up-Georgie, Erik, Davis, and Ana are an unlikely foursome, bonded by witnessing the arson of a vacation cabin in their hometown. Gold Fork is a tourist's dream, but the teens feel stifled, especially by the Weekenders, vacationers who seem to have a never-ending supply of money and hubris. Georgie, the town pot dealer, is especially over Gold Fork. Her savings were stashed in the burnt cabin, and she's desperate to build her funds back up so she can get out of town. They all have their issues-Erik lost a football scholarship, Davis was just dumped, and Ana's about to lose her surrogate grandma. As their lives intersect, with one another and with some of the Weekenders in unexpected ways, their relationships are about to come unraveled. The writing is beautiful with several noteworthy passages, a fascinating setting, and a dreamlike feel. However, pacing is slow, and the story doesn't pick up steam until the last 30 pages. The four protagonists narrate alternately, but their voices aren't distinct enough to make this format successful. The most fleshed-out character is Gold Fork itself, and the inside peek at what it's like to live in a town year-round that others consider a vacation paradise, is intriguing. VERDICT Purchase for larger collections in need of dark teen dramas.-Mandy Laferriere, Fowler Middle School, Frisco, TX

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