Dane Washington and Billy D. couldn't be more different. Dane is clever and popular, but he's also a violent rebel. Billy D. has Down's syndrome, plays by the rules and hangs out with teachers in his lunch break.
But Dane and Billy have more in common than they think - both their fathers are missing.
They're going to have to suck up their differences and get on with helping each other. There are answers to be found.
Powerful, funny, moving - the ultimate coming-of-age novel.
My thoughts
Dead ends is one of those books that completely draws you in making you not want to put it down for even the briefest moment. I thoroughly enjoyed every page and utterly fell for the relationship that develops over the course of the book.
Dead end is the story of the unlikely friendship between Dane and Billy D. Dane is the local thug, at risk of permanent expulsion from school, and BIlly D is a teenager with Down's syndrome. I loved that this book had a main character with a disability and I loved how it challenged perceptions and quick judgements society makes of people who have such disabilities. We need more of this in YA fiction please.
I loved seeing how the friendship between Billy D and Dane develops over the course of the book. To start with Dane is having none of it and treats Billy D poorly but as Billy works his magic Dane softens to him and a strange friendship develops. I loved seeing how they interacted and they they learnt from one another. I particularly enjoyed seeing how Dane changed as a result of his friendship with Billy and how much he learnt from him. I also loved how Billy wasn't portrayed as a weak victim of a character which do easily could have happened had this book not been so thoughtfully and insightfully done.
All in all a fab story with a brilliant relationship at its heart which draws you in from the first page. Highly recommended.
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