Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Ok, I have been trying to come up with something to write on in the blog. Then, it hit me. As many of you know, I enjoy a good book probably more than most people. The most recent book I read was called Deadline by Chris Crutcher. I am the kind of guy who could spend hours in Borders or Barnes & Noble looking for a good book to read.

I'm not going to lie; this one did not catch my eye at first. However, I had read many of Crutcher's books in Junior High and was considering buying a box set, so needless to say I bought the book. Boy, was I in for a surprise!

The book goes into the storyline right from the start, and it never stops. Deadline is about an eighteen year-old boy named Ben Wolf. Ben goes to the doctor one day and finds out that he has terminal disease (they never mention which one). Ben makes a shocking decision that enrages the doctor: he decides not to tell anyone and not to undergo treatment for the disease. Since he is eighteen, he threatens to sue his doctor if he tells any of Ben's family members. Ben has a plan for the year, and he does not want to be sickly the whole year and just die later. He wants to go out with a bang. Ben does many things that most people would not have the guts to do. He joins the football team his senior year, he asks the girl of his dreams to homecoming, he tries to help the town drunk, and many other amazing things. At one point, Ben begins to have dreams about a mysterious guy named Hey-Soos (take that as you will). I'm not going to spoil the ending for you, but let's just put it this way: I stayed up till the wee hours of the night (10:45) reading this book. When it was over I almost cried. It is by far one of the best books I have read in a long time.

5 stars out of 5, two thumbs up and all that jazz. Read it!

~Drew W.