There wasn't much going on plot wise but there was great displays of situations and emotions teenagers go through. Like acceptance, first love, grief ECT.

This book bought back a lot of memories for me in regards to losing my own parent. I cried and I cried some more. The emotions that this book gave me where a lot. I love the writing and the depth of the character. This author is absolutely amazing. I would recommend this book to everyone

During the course of this novel we follow our main character Dane Riley. Dane is a 17 year old who is learning to deal with the death of his father. Along the way, there is romance introduced into his life and he isn't so sure how to take it. I loved the writing and the way this novel was set into acts like it was a Shakespearian play. I highly recommend this to everybody.

I was initially attracted to this book because I'm always looking for male protagonists to pry my male readers away from genre fiction and poorly written sports novels. While Dane is something of a difficult character to like, I think his story shows the different ways in which characters handle grief. When Dane learns to recognize how others might actually have problems, he can actually look at himself in a different light and realize how his interactions with them have made things more difficult. I appreciate that at the end, all we know is that he seems to be headed in the right direction.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for a copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I was really drawn to this book due to its cover initially - who doesn't love bright orange and fire? - but then reading the tag line on NetGalley made me really excited to read it. A book about the hard aspects of life as a teenage male including death of a parent and first love is not something I have seen a lot in YA books, at least not recently from my memory, and I was really curious to see what the psychological aspects of this book were. Kat Spears did not disappoint! Dane was incredibly frustrating and stubborn, just like a 17 year old suffering from depression & hopelessness would be, and I could relate a lot to his feelings from when I was 17. I did find some of his mannerisms a bit grating at times but I also have never experienced what he went through and grief is so unique to each person. His interactions with his friends and surrounding environment/people were also relatable & interesting, so the book was engaging the entire time I read it. I appreciated all of the clinical conversations with his counselor and the trying to mend relationships, but most of all I appreciated how the book ended. Spoiler: if you are looking for a happily ever after or a nice bow to wrap up this book, you will not get that here, at least not in the version I read. Overall, I really appreciated this book, and I give it a solid 4/5

This book is the story of a teenage boy, Dane, who loses his father to cancer. He is forced to deal with grief and anger in addition to the already overwhelming emotions of being a teenager and he must do it without his father while being thrust into a new blended family.

Written in the first person, this book gives a glimpse into what it may be like to deal with mental health issues as well as grief and adolescence simultaneously. The author does a good job giving depth to Dane and making it easy to care about him and the outcome.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dane is grieving the loss of his father, and his mother has quickly taken up with his father's best friend, Chuck. This alone makes me incredibly sad for Dane.

In preparing to read this novel, I read that the plot and characters seem to mirror Shakespeare's Hamlet. What an interesting premise, and I can see the connections readers made. Very interesting!

I would have liked to have seen Dane work through more of his emotions responses than he did- they seem kind of quickly skipped through. On the other hand there were other scenes that seemed to move so slowly (umm gross throw up scene).

I didn't quite understand why Dane had no reaction to Ophelia...still thinking on that one. I thought he was deeply connected to her, but then no type of reaction whatsoever.

I really enjoyed Kat's writing style, it was beautifully done in that respect. I had trouble connecting completely to the characters' behaviors and responses though at times.

I am thankful for the gifted copy and the chance to read it- I have found a new author who's writing style I truly enjoy!

I liked the way this book and the author handled grief. It was done well, as was life in general for some teenagers.

Dane was a very brash character though, so I could see him rubbing readers the wrong way. He went through something tragic and throughout the story he's trying to deal with that. I think the supporting characters were ok. Nothing really stood out to me about them.

The Tragedy of Dane Riley is a modern re-imagining of Shakespeare’s Hamlet and it pleases me to no end.
Like Hamlet, Dane is crippled by his grief and his mother’s unfeeling betrayal of Dane’s father’s memory.

Dane, too, is stuck in his head and locked into a never-ending battle with his materialistic and shallow mother.

Spears presents a comprehensive study in grief, depression, hopelessness, and despair. I know many, many readers will see facets of themselves reflected in Dane’s image. He’s a teen, he’s lost so much, and he can’t seem to shake himself out of his pain, no matter the attempts of dear Ophelia. And I think that’s an important conversation to have with young people: grief isn’t something you can just “snap out” of and “just be happy!” about. It’s a living, breathing, malignancy in your very being. Kids need to know it’s okay to feel and grieve.

Dane Riley is an interesting character. He needs purpose but has extreme difficulty finding any. His self esteem is rock bottom and he’s grieving the loss of his dad. Dane is a senior on the verge of graduating high school yet he has no idea what he wants for his future. He has a few good friends that don’t attend the same high school and he has a deep crush on Ophelia, his classmate that also happens to be his next door neighbor. This story gave me food for thought and some good advice along the way. I especially appreciate the statement that Dane’s English teacher told him:

“During high school, it seems like nothing that you’re doing is important, but if you want to eventually have an interesting job, to have some reason to look forward to getting up in the morning, the course you set for yourself really does matter.”

This is also a well-advised quote:

“Life is just what you make it. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

Every young adult and adult should read this book. It might build connections between parents and children, teachers and students and a greater understanding of the lives and perspectives of others. Am enjoyable and valuable read, 5 stars!

I was interested in this book because I adore books that study grief. Kat Spears is not an author I have read from before, and I really enjoyed her writing style.

This book follows our main character, Dane, who has lost his father and is having a hard time moving on. His mother, who has moved on, is more interested in taking her son to every counseler in a 30 mile radius to fix him than working on her own problems.

I realized, after reading this, that while I love the exploration of grief, I do not like when it is the entire plot of a story. There were some small side plots, but mostly this dealt with Dane trying to get over the death of his dad. It didn't hold my interest as much as I wished.

However, I still gave it 3 stars because I enjoyed the writing style!

The Tragedy of Dane Riley is a YA book about grief, growing up, the meaning of life, and figuring out how to move on. It’s not an easy book to read, but I’m so glad I read it.

In a Hamlet-inspired plot, senior Dane Riley is grieving the death of his father and trying to manage his anger at his mother who moved on too quickly with his father’s business partner, Chuck. But the truth is Dane has been trying to manage his depression for much longer and isn’t sure what the point of life is. He’s barely passing school, has no plans for the future, and can’t come to terms with a world without his father. The only bright spot in his life is girl-next-door Ophelia, who is so out of his league it’s almost not worth mentioning. The way he interacts with her and misinterprets her intentions is painful and so relatable.

The book is really a beautifully written reflection on grief, and I imagine there are a lot of triggers to watch out for. Death of a parent, suicidal ideations, depression, anxiety, child abuse/neglect. I didn’t notice the tagline on the cover until after I finished: “a love story with an expiration date.” At first, I thought this was a little misleading because, while there is a romance in the story, and one I’d say is pretty core to the story, I don’t think it’s the main arc in the book. But it might have a broader meaning. It might be a suggestion that there are expiration dates of some sort on all the things we love.

One of my favorite things in this story were the interactions between Dane and the different adults in his life. There are interesting conversations with his therapist, with his boss, Ophelia’s father, a teacher who sees more in him than he sees in himself, and even some beautiful exchanges with his mom and the dreaded Chuck. Unlike many YA books, where adults seem to be absent, in this one, they were everywhere reflecting back different aspects of the main character that helped the reader get a broader understanding of Dane.

I’d definitely recommend this one, but make sure you’re in the mood for something a little heavier.

DNF’ed at 12%

The Tragedy of Dane Riley is an exploration of grief in the wake of loss. Dane’s father is dead, and he’s having a hard time processing it all.

I’ve read plenty of positive reviews, and I’m sure his story will resonate with many readers. Personally, though, there were enough issues in the first 12% of the book that I wasn’t interested in continuing it.

I disliked how one character, after hearing Dane talk about the death of his dad, accused him of “ear-raping” people with his problems. The same character bragged about paying for two abortions and having unprotected sex. It was so off-putting I decided to put the book down.

After the fact, I also saw a trigger warning for suicidal ideation, which solidified my decision. I’m not in a place, mentally, to handle that well.

There are lots of other books which handle depression with greater sensitivity.

What an amazing story.
I love that it's messy and dark. Dane is struggling - struggling with reasons to get up in the morning, get dressed. Why finish high school? Why go to class? Why eat in the morning? Why does <i>any</i> of this matter? Because Dane has recently lost his dad and life feels. . .like a series of pointless activities.

It was dark and angry to be in Dane's head but it resonated as so realistic. The anxiety of the big life choices and the pointlessness of the little ones. The frustration of not understanding others and not really being sure they are worth understanding. That realization that high school is really a sea of people you don't like but are forced to spend all day with. I just wanted to hug Dane and tell him the same platitudes that would have made him mad.

Ophelia was a great addition to the story - she's this anomaly you don't really get to start knowing until about 1/2 way through the book. I also liked the additions of the therapy sessions, both as family counseling and individual. The more we grapple and tackle and talk about mental health, the more we'll search to try to understand and know more.

I can see this story really reaching a lot of people right now who are struggling with the big scary things they can't solve and give them just a glimmer of sunlight under the big dark door. I loved it.

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

This was a little too much for me and a little triggering for some of my anxiety. I'm sure many will really love this story, I just couldn't get past some of the triggers.

I always enjoy novels that are based on classic lit because I love finding all the ways the author transformed the original ideas. The character development in this novel is very well done. The plot…eh. It’s still worth reading as a parallel with a Hamlet unit.

DNF @ 25%

I just could not get into this at all. It felt like nothing was happening and not in the sense that it was more of a 'slice of life' story, but in a lack of plot sense.

This is an impactful and emotional story about grief, mental health, family, and friendship. Dane's father recently died -- and he feels like he is the only one still grieving his loss. His mom is dating his father's best friend, her partner's son likes to torture Dane, and everyone else seems to have moved on. His one positive relationship is the girl next door, but Dane can't tell if they are even friends, much less something more. The novel explores how Dane navigates his life and these relationships while struggling to see a future.

This is a terrific book. Strongly recommended!

While I was a little put off at first with Dane's obsession with suicide, I found this story to be a heartfelt look into the complicated lives of teens. Mental health is a serious issue for young adults, and this novel deals honestly with the challenges that parents, teachers, and friends face when trying to help a teen in crisis.

What I Liked:

Characters:

Dane is grieving over the death of his dad which comes out as anger towards his mom. This adds to a depression that has persisted for several years. As he enters his senior year of high school, Dane has absolutely no idea what he wants to do after graduation. He doesn't see himself going to college, like most of his peers. But he also doesn't see any other path for his future. This is making him even more anxious than he usually is. I think the author gets this restlessness spot on. Very few seventeen year-olds know what they want to do in life. And the pressure to have set goals, such as to attend college, is enormous.

Ophelia is Dane's neighbor and the girl of his dreams. She is also under pressure from her father to be the perfect daughter: straight A student, completely focused on school, and responsible. But no one is perfect. I think she feels compelled to please her father because her mother has a drug problem. She has gotten the message from her dad that she can't take after her mom if she wants his love.

Mental Health Issues:

Dane has dealt with depression for several years as the book opens, and has attempted suicide in the past. This make his mom very anxious about how he's dealing with his father's death. While Dane thinks his mom is going overboard with therapists, it's what any competent parent would do.

What I found so realistic about this story is that Dane can't see that there's anything wrong with him, yet he has a serious problem with impulse control. For instance, he thinks that setting a fire in the backyard and nearly burning the house down is just a simple misunderstanding. He doesn't really consider the consequences of his actions. While it's understandable in a teenager, he make several missteps that put his life in danger. At several points in the book, I wanted to yell, "Dane, don't do it!"

What I Was Mixed About:

Romance:

As Dane and Ophelia discover that they like each other, they decide to place an expiration date on their relationship. Their rationale is that the best part of dating is at the beginning, so why not just set a date on when it's over? Then, one doesn't need to deal with all the messy bits. But as another character points out, this is a lazy solution. They never need to put any effort in their romance to make it actually work. If they truly cared about each other, which I believe they did, they should have wanted to learn more about each other, and from the relationship. I think ending their dating on a specific date was the easy way out.

Possible Date Rape:

The book also touches on a possible sexual assault of one of the characters. We see all the signs that a person was given a date-rape drug, and the victim shows signs of trauma. But nothing comes of it in the story. The girl never says that she actually was assaulted, and Dane doesn't feel the need to find out. I found this really strange. Sure, everyone deserves a right to privacy, but, if you think that someone you care about has been raped, wouldn't you want to help the girl get some assistance?

Trigger Warning for suicide and sexual assault!

I would like to extend a bit of a trigger warning for The Tragedy of Dane Riley: this book delves deeply into a grieving teenager’s mind, and there are parts of this book that introduce topics such as self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts.

Dane Riley, the titular character of the novel, has been coasting through life ever since his father passed away the year before. As if that weren’t bad enough, his mother is now dating his father’s best friend Chuck, and Dane is saddled with a pseudo-stepsibling who loves to cause him misery. Everyone in his life appears to have moved on, but Dane remains stationary, struggling to come to terms with the death of his father, the only person who made Dane feel like it was okay to be himself. An emotional novel about mental health, loss, and growth, The Tragedy of Dane Riley is a book that forces you to reflect on your meaning of life and what (or who) you live for.

This book was an incredibly difficult read, as it fixates on extremely heavy content that can be hard to digest. Losing a parent is something that happens to everyone; whether you have a close relationship with them or not, whether it has happened in your life or not, this happens to everyone and will happen. Although it has not yet happened to me, I imagine that it is an unbelievably harsh reality to navigate.

The character of Dane Riley goes through a lot, especially within the condensed time frame that the novel presents. The upheaval that his father’s death and his mother’s new relationship causes does not help with his deteriorating mental health, and he slowly begins losing his grip on reality and his desire to keep going, whether it is graduating from high school or identifying the purpose to continue living. The text is particularly draining; Dane’s mind is a cesspool of dark thoughts, hopelessness, and so much anger.

There are moments where we can come up for a breath of air, such as when Dane gradually relaxes when working at Mr. Edgar’s Grocery Store, or when he is with Ophelia, the girl next door and his first love. Wry humor is also stamped in various places to help balance out Dane’s despondency, but for the most part, readers are quite literally forced out of their comfort zone as they share a space with Dane’s musings.

Yet, this is the compelling nature of Spears’s writing. Readers are not only immersed in the Dane’s story, but also Dane’s state of mind. Dane even mentions it multiple times in the novel: everything that he feels is exhausting, and sometimes there are only brief moments of a reprieve before he sinks back down, similar to how depression and/or anxiety may feel to others (I don’t wish to speak generally, but based on my own experience, this is comparable to how my emotions drained me at my lowest lows). Spears does an excellent job at tying this element into her novel to interact with her audience and encourage empathy toward her character and those who are like Dane.

The Tragedy of Dane Riley is a heartbreakingly raw examination of mental health and coping with loss. Spears does not shy away from Dane’s reality, and she also takes care to implement brief instances of differing realities from the characters around him. Everyone’s walk through life is different, and being sad or depressed is a perfectly acceptable response to life and its many punches. Spears’s novel manifests this concept in an honest manner, and while it doesn’t have a traditional “happy ending,“ I was left with a message of hope alongside the debilitation that there is something to live for for everyone. It may take others longer to identify it, but it is there, and it is waiting.