Then there's the girl next door: Dane can't quite define their relationship, and he doesn't know if he's got the courage to leave the friend zone.Īn emotional novel about mental health, and dealing with grief and growing up, The Tragedy of Dane Riley is the story of a teenager looking to make sense of his feelings in the wake of tragedy, and finding the strength he needs to make life worth living.

He can't stand his mother's boyfriend, or the boyfriend's son, whose favorite pastime is tormenting Dane. Honing in on mental health, dealing with grief, and growing up, THE TRAGEDY OF DANE RILEY is all about finding the strength to make a life worth living. While his mother has moved on after his father's death, Dane desperately misses the man who made Dane feel okay to be himself. We chat with author Kat Spears about The Tragedy of Dane Riley, including its inspiration and challenges, along with writing, book recommendations, and more. etina (cs) Deutsch (de) English (en) Español (es). Stories that bond themselves to readers and live with them-in them-far after the last page.' -Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling author of Stamped and Long Way DownĪ 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 Spearsĭane Riley's grasp on reality is slipping, and he's not sure that he cares. The Tragedy of Dane Riley by Kat Spears, Jun 22, 2021, Wednesday Books edition, hardcover. After seeing a coyote wandering in his upscale suburb of McLean, Virginia, Dane starts to imagine it’s the reincarnation of his father, who died from cancer less than a year ago. 'In this necessary tale grappling with some of the prickly parts of life-mental health, loss, friendship - Spears proves once again that she's a master, not just of the teenage voice, but also of carefully crafting stories with both heart and teeth. In this contemporary twist on Hamlet, 17-year-old Dane Riley struggles with depression after his father’s death.