Chris Crutcher

Deadline

How can a pint-sized, smart-ass eighteen-year-old make his mark on the world from Nowheresville, Idaho—especially when he only has one year left to do it? When Ben Wolf learns his senior year of high school will be his last year, period, he is determined to go out in a blaze of glory. That means not letting anyone know about his diagnosis. It means trying out for the football team. It means giving his close-minded civics teacher a daily migraine. It means going for the amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki. But living with a secret isn't easy . . . What will Ben do when he realizes he isn't the only person who's keeping one?

Melissa Palmer

Book #100 Read in 2017
Deadline by Chris Crutcher

This is actually a re-read for me; I read it years ago when it first came out. It will be our next class read in my Young Adult Literature class. Ben, a senior, finds out that he has an aggressive terminal illness. He decides to forgo treatment in order to have a "normal" senior year. He also decides to keep news of illness to himself. This proves problematic as he develops new friendships and he realizes he has to let his friends and family know. While the topic is heavy, this book is filled with a humor, and a philosophy on life, that will appeal to high school and adult readers alike.

Deadline

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