Book Review - Dead End in Norvelt

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gantos, Jack. (2011). DEAD END IN NORVELT (Audible). Narrated by Jack Gantos.
Macmillan Publishing Group LLC. Harrisonburg, Virginia. ISBN: 9781250010230

2. PLOT SUMMARY

In this story, the main character Jack gets grounded for the whole summer and ends up
helping his elderly neighbor Ms.Volker. She writes for the town’s newspaper and gets
Jack to type up the obituary columns for her. The summer turns into a hilarity of
adventures including being the middle-man between his feuding parents and reveals a
mystery: all the elderly people in the town are dying. Jack and Ms. Volker uncovered the
mystery all while dealing with Jack’s frequent nosebleeds.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The audiobook for this story was narrated by the author himself Jack Gantos. The
cadence and persona he brought to the voice of Jack sounded natural. Gantos displayed
Jack’s mischievous character, his disgust at the embalming process, and his curiosity
during the fires that any twelve year old exhibits, all through his voice.
In regards to the story, the author touches on tough topics prevalent in the 1960s like
racism and the fear of communism spreading into America. He does so while still
keeping a lighthearted humor that’s seen throughout the whole book. Some of it is in a
casual way like when Jack’s dad calls someone a “commie” or when Jack learns about
internment camps. The author does not shy away from the realities of the time period,
but instead integrates it nicely to be consumable to a young reader who might not know
the importance of that time period.

Lastly, the author’s continuing use of humor and improbable situations creates a book
that is hilarious while still touching on important topics. Along with the graphic
descriptions of Jack’s nosebleeds and other gore related topics, the main character has
a catch phrase - “Jesus crust” - that’s reminiscent of a 90’s sitcom and continues to be
comical during the entirety of the read.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

NEWBERY MEDAL WINNER - 2012
SCOTT O’DELL AWARD
NOTABLE CHILDREN’S BOOKS
KIRKUS STAR REVIEW: “Characteristically provocative gothic comedy, with sublime undertones.”
BOOKLIST STAR REVIEW - AUDIBLE VERSION

5. CONNECTIONS

*Sequel: FROM NORVELT TO NOWHERE ISBN: 978-1250062789
*Other books by Jack Gantos:
JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY ISBN: 978-125006

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