Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
44th out of 142 books
—
102 voters
The Dead Boys
There's a dark side to Teddy's new town...
When Teddy Mathews moves to Richland, his main concern is making new friends. But something is not right about this quiet desert town: All the boys he meets seem to vanish before his eyes, while the imposing shadows of the giant tree outside his house appear to be hiding more than darkness.
With the branches of the massive sycamore...more
When Teddy Mathews moves to Richland, his main concern is making new friends. But something is not right about this quiet desert town: All the boys he meets seem to vanish before his eyes, while the imposing shadows of the giant tree outside his house appear to be hiding more than darkness.
With the branches of the massive sycamore...more
Hardcover, 201 pages
Published
September 2nd 2010
by Putnam Juvenile
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
689)
this book is not about the band. it is about a tree that eats young boys. a common mistake, but there is not really going to be any crossover appeal.
for some reason, it didn't occur to me when i put in for a reviewer copy of this book that it was a children's book. so not only am i getting no respite from my required-school-reading teen spree, but i am actually regressing. which is not a terrible thing, just unexpected.
this would be an excellent story to read aloud to children for halloween. no...more
for some reason, it didn't occur to me when i put in for a reviewer copy of this book that it was a children's book. so not only am i getting no respite from my required-school-reading teen spree, but i am actually regressing. which is not a terrible thing, just unexpected.
this would be an excellent story to read aloud to children for halloween. no...more
For a book I just picked up because of the font on the cover, this book was great. I hadn't heard of it beforehand, and usually one-offs by unknown authors in the kids' section have about a 10% chance of pleasing me. But I liked this one! It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was great in terms of sheer horror. I loved the creepy tree drawing at the beginning of each chapter and how its claw-like branches get long and longer as the boy runs from it. Very visually chilling. I read it a while ago and I s...more
OK--I'll never look at an old gnarly tree in the same way again.
What a great concept: nuclear radiation from an old weapons plant in Teddy's new town has mutated the huge tree in the yard next door, so that it likes to catch boys, drain the life out of them, and keep them half dead to feed on. Every ten years, a 12-year-old disappears. It's been ten years, and Teddy is twelve. Uh-oh. His mom encourages him to get out and meet new kids (it's summer), but all the boys he meets turn out to be dead...more
What a great concept: nuclear radiation from an old weapons plant in Teddy's new town has mutated the huge tree in the yard next door, so that it likes to catch boys, drain the life out of them, and keep them half dead to feed on. Every ten years, a 12-year-old disappears. It's been ten years, and Teddy is twelve. Uh-oh. His mom encourages him to get out and meet new kids (it's summer), but all the boys he meets turn out to be dead...more
This is not a book I would have been able to read as a child, let alone curl up with it right before bed. I read it in about two hours straight. I kept telling myself, well, I'll just take a break to finish my holiday cards after this chapter. Four chapters later, I was like, well, I can take a break to start wrapping Christmas gifts. Once I hit the middle of the book, I realized all resistance was futile and climbed into bed to see it through to the end.
I like the pacing of this story - the act...more
I like the pacing of this story - the act...more
This book is pretty creepy. For me, the creepiness was compounded by the "about the author," which appears at the beginning of my ARC, telling a bit about Buckingham's childhood in Richland, downstream from a nuclear power plant and with a huge and gnarly sycamore tree in his back yard. If this ends up coming at the end of the published book, I think it'll add a little chill after everything is over and done with. Because I read it at the beginning, I kept thinking, "This is a real place!" even...more
The Dead Boys had a phantasmic yet spooky concept that would appeal to Middle Grade and Young Adult readers. Royce's conveyed events contributed a distinct fluidity that quickly turned into a fast-paced tale. Due to nuclear waste, Richland's hidden tree of doom pried energy from twelve year old boys. Every ten years, this monstrous, life-draining plant sought out a new victim. The moment Teddy arrived to the neighborhood, his unfortunate location stirred the tree's unnatural yearning. Teddy was...more
I could feel the goosebumps while reading this book. Remember those moments as a child where you look out the window and the tree nearby looks eerie and even human-like? The Dead Boys takes this fear and adds a dream-like world on top of that. The horror elements in this book are supremely well done. The fear is real enough to feel, and the mystery is heightened as Teddy gets closer to solving the secret of the dead boys. These are important to enjoy a horror novel and I think the author does a...more
I thought that "The Dead Boys" was a very good book. It was suspenseful, thrilling, and it kept me guessing throughout the entire book. I think what made it so good for me was that the chapters were very short, but there were about 40 chapters. I like shorter chapters. I think with longer chapters, I get bored with the book more easily and I don't want to continue reading. Overall, I thought it was a very good book.
It's been a while since I read a good ghost story and this one really hit the mark. It's perfect for a middle school/upper elementary reader who wants a creepy tale that isn't of an intimidating length. Teddy is a 12-year-old boy who moves to Richland, WA when his mother gets a new job. They arrive to find that their new house is next to a run-down property that features a tree that eats children - specifically it prefers to consume a 12-year-old boy every ten years and it has decided that Teddy...more
Teddy is usually a kid who isn't very curious about much. He gets by and lays low, staying out of trouble for the most part. Then he's uprooted from his home and moved out to a small Washington town where his mom has a job at the nuclear plant right outside town. The town has a nasty history of nuclear waster dumping and disappearing twelve-year-old boys. Teddy gets caught in timeslips and has to figure out what is going on before it's too late to save himself.
This book had a very unusual and in...more
This book had a very unusual and in...more
Mar 09, 2012
Kate
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Kate by:
Isinglass Award nominee, Teen Book Club selection
Teddy just moved to a new town, where his mother will be starting a job at the nuclear power plant. Next door to his house there's a tree that years ago sucked up some toxic waste, then developed a taste for 12-year-old boys. Teddy keeps meeting kids his age, who talk and dress funny. Albert runs from a bully and floats down the river. Walter jumps into a ditch and gets buried. When Teddy tries to show the police, suddenly the landscape has changed. Quickly Teddy figures out that the boys he's b...more
Every 10 years a 12year old boy in Richland, WA goes missing. The body is never found and the boy is never seen again. Well that is not entirely true. The next boy to go missing sees them.
Teddy has just moved to Richland because his mom got a job at the Hanford Nuclear Power Plant. As soon as they get there Teddy has a weird feeling about the place. The house across the street is abandoned and he swears the tree keeps moving in unnatural ways. Boys from different decades keep showing up and the...more
Teddy has just moved to Richland because his mom got a job at the Hanford Nuclear Power Plant. As soon as they get there Teddy has a weird feeling about the place. The house across the street is abandoned and he swears the tree keeps moving in unnatural ways. Boys from different decades keep showing up and the...more
When Teddy Matthews moves with his mother to the desert town of Richland, Washington, he is not overly thrilled. He's left his friends and school behind and has moved into a new home where he'll have to start anew.
Upon his mother's bickering that he cannot remain indoors and must venture out to make new friends - he finds himself drawn to the giant sycamore tree in the yard of the abandoned house next door. A tree that has been mutated by nuclear waste - which in turn has taken a life of its own...more
Upon his mother's bickering that he cannot remain indoors and must venture out to make new friends - he finds himself drawn to the giant sycamore tree in the yard of the abandoned house next door. A tree that has been mutated by nuclear waste - which in turn has taken a life of its own...more
My thoughts...At 208 pages, this MG novel would be perfect for readers of all ages, especially young boys. This is one of those stories that make you leave the light on when you sleep and check under the bed. It was very entertaining and well written.
The characters in The Dead Boys were very well written. Teddy, the new kid on the block ventures out to make some new friends. He quickly meets the town bully and his victim, and several other boys that are full of personality. They all seem very i...more
The characters in The Dead Boys were very well written. Teddy, the new kid on the block ventures out to make some new friends. He quickly meets the town bully and his victim, and several other boys that are full of personality. They all seem very i...more
I will be giving HUGE, GNARLY trees a wide berth after reading this book! Wonderful and unique storyline (which I believe will stay with me for a long time) - each chapter is a "cliff-hanger"....you think - I'll finish this chapter and then actually get up and do something, but it just doesn't work out that way. This is a quick read. The spookiness and the mystery all rolled into one really works for this story. After a move to Washington with his mom, Teddy starts looking for new friends, but a...more
My rating: 4/5 stars
I haven't read many middle-grade novels and I know I've never read any novels featuring killer trees... Honestly, I stray away from the younger side of the YA genre. I probably shouldn't say no to a particular group of books anymore because most of the time I enjoy the ones I normally think I wouldn't. But I digress... I quickly gobbled up The Dead Boys. It was tough to put the book down to be quite honest. I just had to know what happened to Teddy and all those...well, dead...more
I haven't read many middle-grade novels and I know I've never read any novels featuring killer trees... Honestly, I stray away from the younger side of the YA genre. I probably shouldn't say no to a particular group of books anymore because most of the time I enjoy the ones I normally think I wouldn't. But I digress... I quickly gobbled up The Dead Boys. It was tough to put the book down to be quite honest. I just had to know what happened to Teddy and all those...well, dead...more
Thank goodness. I'm finally done.
I'm not usually your suspense/thriller kind of gal, but a friend told me (aka forced me!) to read it. So I did. And, as far as the thrill and suspense parts of the book, I was very disappointed. When I read a book that scares me out of my mind, I have respect for the author. After beating the living crap out of the book and then throwing it out of my bedroom window, that is. But this book? I was practically drooling on the page. Literally, I was exhausted with t...more
I'm not usually your suspense/thriller kind of gal, but a friend told me (aka forced me!) to read it. So I did. And, as far as the thrill and suspense parts of the book, I was very disappointed. When I read a book that scares me out of my mind, I have respect for the author. After beating the living crap out of the book and then throwing it out of my bedroom window, that is. But this book? I was practically drooling on the page. Literally, I was exhausted with t...more
Teddy, with his mom, move to a new house in a new town when she gets a new job at the nuclear plant. Mom is anxious for Teddy to make new friends but he finds that it isn't going to be easy especially when the boys he does meet are in strange situations and then they disappear. It turns out the boys are somehow related to the sinister sycamore tree in the neighboring yard that seems to be trying to get him..
The mysterious boys, the creepy tree and Teddy's adventures kept me entertained and wanti...more
The mysterious boys, the creepy tree and Teddy's adventures kept me entertained and wanti...more
The Dead Boys was a very quick read. I read it in about 4 hours.
It was definitely a young adult book. Though there was no romance or even a girl in the book, it was still a very interesting storyline.
Tree grows by sucking the radiation out of the river. Accidentally comes across a drowning boy and realizes the energy of the boy is even better than the radiation, therefore, lures other boys through the years to suck their energy as well, but making sure not to kill its victims.
Then Teddy moves t...more
It was definitely a young adult book. Though there was no romance or even a girl in the book, it was still a very interesting storyline.
Tree grows by sucking the radiation out of the river. Accidentally comes across a drowning boy and realizes the energy of the boy is even better than the radiation, therefore, lures other boys through the years to suck their energy as well, but making sure not to kill its victims.
Then Teddy moves t...more
Jan 03, 2011
Karis (YA Litwit) Jacobstein
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
a-z-author-challenge,
favorites
This book was a real page-turner. I started it at around 11pm, last night, and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. Kids, ages 8+, will LOVE this book if creepy is their thing. It will leave you with goosebumps every time you look at an ancient tree for the rest of your life. It's that kind of book. The kind that stays with you because even though it's paranormal, it's almost plausible, it's so well written. I will definitely keep an eye out for more of Royce Buckingham's books. A+
Well written, suspenseful, book about a 12 year old kid, Teddy, who moves with his mother into a small town in Washington. Teddy senses that there is something strange about the huge, sycamore tree growing next door in the yard of an abandoned house. Things get even stranger when the town starts moving backward and then forward in time. It turns out that radioactive waste from the nuclear power plant nearby mutated the tree, which now feeds on boys, not killing them, but keeping them trapped. Th...more
Teddy moves to town with his mother who is starting her new job at "the lab." (This also, conveniently, keeps her out of Teddy's hair most of the time, allowing him to wander the town without any grown-ups getting in the way). As he begins looking around the town for some kids to play with, he keeps running into boys who talk funny, are dressed weirdly, and have some sort of accident or disappear when he tries to find them again. He also takes note of the the abandoned house next door, and the g...more
Things I Liked:
This was a deliciously creepy story. I'm not a fan of horror or scary stories generally, but this one was quite good. I loved the disturbing situation that Buckingham created for Teddy and especially the evil tree force. It is an imaginative and really vivid story that will have you breaking out in goosebumps and watching out for trees over your shoulder. A perfect Halloween read, I'd say (too bad I read it in January).
Things I Didn't Like:
The fantasy element in the story was not...more
This was a deliciously creepy story. I'm not a fan of horror or scary stories generally, but this one was quite good. I loved the disturbing situation that Buckingham created for Teddy and especially the evil tree force. It is an imaginative and really vivid story that will have you breaking out in goosebumps and watching out for trees over your shoulder. A perfect Halloween read, I'd say (too bad I read it in January).
Things I Didn't Like:
The fantasy element in the story was not...more
I've been debating whether or not I wanted to stop reviewing YA until my son is a little older to read them. It seems that for the most part I either really like them or can do without. I think I'm going to have to keep reading them if they are anything like The Dead Boys.
This book is only 201 pages, but where it lacks in length it more than makes it up in storytelling. It's not every boy that can move to a new town and deal with a tree that is trying to eat him. Teddy is a strong young man who...more
This book is only 201 pages, but where it lacks in length it more than makes it up in storytelling. It's not every boy that can move to a new town and deal with a tree that is trying to eat him. Teddy is a strong young man who...more
http://www.theunreadreader.com/2010/0...
Are you a tree hugger? If so, you may find yourself reconsidering after reading this super creepy story of a tree that lives off the life force of young boys!
Almost as soon as he move to the small desert town, Teddy realizes something isn't quite right in Richland. The abandon house next door gives him the chills, but really makes him shudder is the imposing sycamore tree that seems to be thriving despite the climate. Even thought Teddy is reluctant, his...more
Are you a tree hugger? If so, you may find yourself reconsidering after reading this super creepy story of a tree that lives off the life force of young boys!
Almost as soon as he move to the small desert town, Teddy realizes something isn't quite right in Richland. The abandon house next door gives him the chills, but really makes him shudder is the imposing sycamore tree that seems to be thriving despite the climate. Even thought Teddy is reluctant, his...more
This is an excellent book for preteen and up readers whow enjoy a good spine tingler. Following a move by Teddy and his mother to Richland, he soon discovers he sees boys from the past and they all seem to want him to join them. The huge tree that seems to be watching his every move also is creeping him out. Does the tree and ghost boys have anything in common? An interesting book that will have you reading chapter after chapter. Not meant for younger readers, but a good book for preteens.
When I was in the library walking through the children's lit section to find The Spiderwick Chronicles, this book was laying flat on a shelf and the cover immediately caught my eye and I wanted to read it. So I checked it out. Having read it... I don't really have a strong opinion of the book. It was alright and I enjoyed it, but I'm not too excited or thrilled about the story. However, I really enjoyed the ending and I wasn't quite expecting it, so that was a pleasant surprise.
All in all, it wa...more
All in all, it wa...more
I borrowed this book from a friend (thank you nicole)! i am loving it so far. it is an easly read but I love them mystery behind it so far. Cannot wait to find out what happens next!
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read but the content was great. It had a nice spooky factor to it but not horror movie level spookiness. The characters were easy to follow and get to know.
I think the story behind this was incredible. Royce has a wonderful imagination to create this story.
I actually give it...more
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read but the content was great. It had a nice spooky factor to it but not horror movie level spookiness. The characters were easy to follow and get to know.
I think the story behind this was incredible. Royce has a wonderful imagination to create this story.
I actually give it...more
Reading Level: Grade 6-8
When 12-year-old Teddy moves, he is menaced by the eerie tree next door and a cadre of strange boys who all seem intent on luring him to disaster.
Other creepy stories include:
The Light by D.J. MacHale
The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki
The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafron and
Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz
For more book reviews from the HPPL Youth Department, click here.
When 12-year-old Teddy moves, he is menaced by the eerie tree next door and a cadre of strange boys who all seem intent on luring him to disaster.
Other creepy stories include:
The Light by D.J. MacHale
The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki
The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafron and
Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz
For more book reviews from the HPPL Youth Department, click here.
I wish I could find more books like this one for my ten year old son to read! Dead Boys is creepy and suspenseful and has the same appeal at the Goosebumps books he's hooked on, with a more challenging plot and vocabulary.
The Dead Boys of the title really are dead, so it might not be the best choice for kids who are easily freaked out or expecting a happy ending. It would've had my lying awake all night, but my kids apparently aren't as wimpy as I was.
The Dead Boys of the title really are dead, so it might not be the best choice for kids who are easily freaked out or expecting a happy ending. It would've had my lying awake all night, but my kids apparently aren't as wimpy as I was.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Royce Buckingham lives in Bellingham, Washington, with his wife and sons.
More about Royce Buckingham...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jan 05, 2011 04:07pm
i have no pun to say you are making me laugh.
Jan 05, 2011 04:34pm