Dead End in Norvelt

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos


My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I have read a few of Jack Gantos' books, including "Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key", and so I was expecting a really great story. This book received a few starred reviews and is a Best Book for 2011, but I don't think it deserves all this praise. I really can't see how most middle school boys (or girls for that matter) would relate to this story.


The main character, Jack Gantos himself, (as a boy of about 13) befriends an old lady in his community, and writes obituaries for her one summer. There really is not much action, and his writing does not make me care for any character in the book at all. Disappointing (sigh).




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