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The Tragedy of Dane Riley

Kat Spears (Goodreads Author)

4.50 · Rating details · 8 ratings · 6 reviews

A teen confronts his feelings about his father's death, his new family, and the girl next door in this emotional young adult novel from critically-acclaimed author Kat Spears

Dane Riley's grasp on reality is slipping, and he's not sure that he cares. While his mother has moved on after his father's death, Dane desperately misses the man who made Dane feel okay to be himself ...more

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Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: June 22nd 2021 by Wednesday Books

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Oct 21, 2020 Kat Spears rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

You know what? I'm just going to go ahead and say here that I do love this book. It took me three years to write it, because the main character was struggling with a lot of the same questions that I've had for most of my life. And I had to find some answers before Dane could find some answers. And if you don't love this book, too--that's totally cool. It doesn't mean we can't like each other. One of my best friends loves to wear Candie's shoes and has never missed an eyebrow waxing. If you've ev ...more

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Feb 27, 2021 Ashley rated it really liked it

I picked this book up because NetGalley made it a ‘read now’ title at the perfect time. I was just about to finish the book I was reading and didn’t know what to read next and The Tragedy of Dane Riley just fell in my lap. I’m so glad it did.

Dane Riley’s father died some months ago, I think about six months, though there’s no firm timeline given. It was a long illness, cancer, which Dane only found out about when he got back from boarding school prior to summer. His father died only two months I picked this book up because NetGalley made it a ‘read now’ title at the perfect time. I was just about to finish the book I was reading and didn’t know what to read next and The Tragedy of Dane Riley just fell in my lap. I’m so glad it did.

Dane Riley’s father died some months ago, I think about six months, though there’s no firm timeline given. It was a long illness, cancer, which Dane only found out about when he got back from boarding school prior to summer. His father died only two months later and Dane still feels absolutely blindsided. By that, and by the fact that his mother almost immediately hooked up with his dad’s best friend and business partner, Chuck. This book is a rollercoaster ride of Dane grieving, coming to terms with his mother’s relationship, struggling through his senior year of high school, and just generally trying to find something in life worth living for.

The way Spears deals with grief is so on point. It’s perfect and conversational and just so heart wrenching sometimes. Dane just doesn’t know how to deal with his feelings, like so many of us. There’s a lot going on and his mom doesn’t support him at all, pretty much treating him like his feelings are invalid or otherwise wrong. I mean, she fully supports his therapist prescribing him with antidepressants and anxiety medications because she thinks his feelings are wrong, that he shouldn’t be grieving for his father as hard as he is. And she gets mad at him for being upset. The intrusive thoughts are also very accurate, jarring and unexpected.

There’s a lot of stress and anxiety, particularly about Dane’s mental state. He’s not in the best frame of mind, yet he continues to insist that he’s fine. And then he does something completely off the wall and I’m like, oh no; he’s definitely not okay. The slow progress to recovery is not linear in the least and doesn’t always make sense. It’s not some formula where you suffer from a trauma, talk about the trauma, time passes, you see a therapist, and suddenly, you’re better. Grief rises and falls for no apparent reason. Sometimes a place or memory triggers you into it, and sometimes it comes out of nowhere. His emotions are raw and so authentic it hurts.

Dane comes out with some wonderful gems of advice. He’s a romantic, and a deep thinker. He’s fairly lonely, despite having some friends that he’s known for most of his life. The writing is so easy, so matter of fact. Though this book dealt with such deep topics, the writing flowed so well and I read it quickly, so absorbed into Dane’s inner thoughts and grief. I wish the ending had been more, but I think it was supposed to be that way. It makes me want more, yet I also know the story was brought to a really wonderful conclusion. Hopeful, but not too much. The world isn’t fixed and it’s not perfection, but it’s an improvement and Dane has the resources to continue to improve.

The world is such an overwhelming place and finding our purpose in this world is so hard. This book is something I will highly recommend to anyone who needs a little more hope. Realistic hope, not some magical cure for all ills. High school students, in particular, should find comfort in this book. It’s super relatable and authentic. Highly recommend!
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Feb 16, 2021 Adrienne Graham rated it it was amazing

Advanced copy provided by Net Galley

I absolutely loved this book and I wish that there was more of it or a sequel to read.

The book is told from the perspective of Dane Riley, who, while a bit of an unreliable narrator, is likeable from the first page. It follows him as he struggles with depression and grief that is overwhelming him after the loss of his father. Spears manages to find the perfect balance between internal reflection (read existential crises) and external dialogue. This book had ...more

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Feb 03, 2021 Delfina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2021

Full review to come closer to publication date, but I had such high hopes because I loved Kat Spears' previous book, Breakaway, and I was absolutely not disappointed <3 ...more

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Jan 26, 2021 CJ Connor marked it as to-read

ooh is this a hamlet retelling? i am intrigued

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Feb 19, 2021 kglibrarian (Karin Greenberg) rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult-books, mental-illness, grief

In this page-turning YA novel, Spears tackles the difficult subjects of depression and grief in a way that is accessible to teenage readers.
*Full review in a future issue of School Library Journal

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About Kat Spears

Kat Spears

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Kat Spears grew up moving every few years and is still looking for her hometown. Kat writes realistic, edgy, honest, sometimes heartbreaking, often funny books about and for young people. Being a teenager sucked for Kat, and she’s still trying to write her way out of it. She spends her free time rearing caterpillars, vacuuming up dog hair, and writing letters the old-fashioned way. Her favorite jo ...more