The Road of the Dead
Encyclopedia
The Road of the Dead is a 2006 novel
by Kevin Brooks about teenage brothers living in London
who travel to the moorland
in search of their sister's killer. It is shortlisted for the 2007 Carnegie Medal
. The American Library Association named it as one of the Best Books for Young Adults in 2007.
ISBN 978-1-905294-26-8.
and murder
. Determined to bring closure
to their family, they travel to Lychcombe to collect her body. What begins as a simple task to bring her body home branches out into a quest for revenge when they learn that the murderer must be caught before they can bury Rachel.
Slowly the brothers begin to uncover a plot in Lychcombe, involving the planned installation of a new hotel and vacation resort and several landowners who don't want to sell. Tragically, they discover that Rachel's murder was the result of an accident/miscommunication. However, the brothers are still determined to catch her killer.
When the brothers discover that the killer has already been murdered himself for his mistake, they set out to find his body, the only way they can link him to Rachel. They soon find themselves involved with local gypsies, small town politics and the town's unofficial leader who's not going to give in without a fight.
Ruben: Is the 14 year old younger brother of Cole and Rachel. He is quiet, pensive and very observant. He possesses an ability to "feel" whatever his brother, and on occasion other people, is feeling. He dislikes violence and trusts his brother greatly, despite his brother's violence.
Rachel: Rachel is the 19 year old older sister of Cole and Ruben. She appears in "The Road of the Dead" through flash back like sequences. She is raped and murdered while visiting a friend.
Abbie Gorman: Rachel's friend whom she visits prior to being murdered. Abbie is a soft spoken young woman who moved to the moors after her mother's death and recently married a local man name Vince.
the name translates to the Road of the Dead because funeral parties would carry the dead down the path.
. reviewers on the site have praised the book as "crisp and natural, and often funny and touching at once." Another reviewer described the book as a "heart-pounding, deeply emotional story with strong characters."
On another site, teensread.com, the review (Alexis Burling) praised the book as "an exhilarating ride that teens won't soon forget." She also wrote that the novel "barrels its way towards another Kevin Brooks signature explosive climax, leaving nothing and no one untouched when the dust finally settles."
writes that The Road of the Dead finishes up too quickly, pointing out that "the question of how Cole comes upon a key piece of evidence is brushed away with Ruben's comment, "Does it matter?" Readers have sat through a lot of brutality (albeit strikingly written brutality) to get that information, so the answer is, well, yeah, it does."
Other readers and commenters have noted that the book contains "an overwhelming presence of seriously graphic violence throughout that certainly may not sit well with some parents" (From teensread.com). Another reader writes that at times "it was a little gross but not in a disturbing or sexual way," while still giving it five stars.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Kevin Brooks about teenage brothers living in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
who travel to the moorland
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
in search of their sister's killer. It is shortlisted for the 2007 Carnegie Medal
Carnegie Medal
The Carnegie Medal is a literary award established in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie and given annually to an outstanding book for children and young adults. It is awarded by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals...
. The American Library Association named it as one of the Best Books for Young Adults in 2007.
Plot summary
The Road of the Dead opens as 14 year old Ruben and 17 year old Cole, half gypsy half English brothers, learn about their older sister's rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
. Determined to bring closure
Closure (psychology)
Closure or need for closure is a popular psychology term used to describe an individual's desire for a definite cognitive closure as opposed to enduring ambiguity...
to their family, they travel to Lychcombe to collect her body. What begins as a simple task to bring her body home branches out into a quest for revenge when they learn that the murderer must be caught before they can bury Rachel.
Slowly the brothers begin to uncover a plot in Lychcombe, involving the planned installation of a new hotel and vacation resort and several landowners who don't want to sell. Tragically, they discover that Rachel's murder was the result of an accident/miscommunication. However, the brothers are still determined to catch her killer.
When the brothers discover that the killer has already been murdered himself for his mistake, they set out to find his body, the only way they can link him to Rachel. They soon find themselves involved with local gypsies, small town politics and the town's unofficial leader who's not going to give in without a fight.
Characters
Cole: Is the 17 year old older brother of Ruben. Cole is hot headed, prone to violence and takes after his father, a gypsy who is in prison for murder. He does whatever needed in order to obtain his goals and is looking for the killer of his older sister.Ruben: Is the 14 year old younger brother of Cole and Rachel. He is quiet, pensive and very observant. He possesses an ability to "feel" whatever his brother, and on occasion other people, is feeling. He dislikes violence and trusts his brother greatly, despite his brother's violence.
Rachel: Rachel is the 19 year old older sister of Cole and Ruben. She appears in "The Road of the Dead" through flash back like sequences. She is raped and murdered while visiting a friend.
Abbie Gorman: Rachel's friend whom she visits prior to being murdered. Abbie is a soft spoken young woman who moved to the moors after her mother's death and recently married a local man name Vince.
Meaning of the title
While Ruben is talking to a local girl, he inquires where his sister's body was found. The girl leads him down an old path to where the body was located by a forsetry worker the day after her murder. As they travel, she explains that in GaelicGoidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
the name translates to the Road of the Dead because funeral parties would carry the dead down the path.
Praise
"The Road of the Dead" currently (March 2007) has a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 on amazon.comAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. reviewers on the site have praised the book as "crisp and natural, and often funny and touching at once." Another reviewer described the book as a "heart-pounding, deeply emotional story with strong characters."
On another site, teensread.com, the review (Alexis Burling) praised the book as "an exhilarating ride that teens won't soon forget." She also wrote that the novel "barrels its way towards another Kevin Brooks signature explosive climax, leaving nothing and no one untouched when the dust finally settles."
Criticism
Criticism on amazon.comAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
writes that The Road of the Dead finishes up too quickly, pointing out that "the question of how Cole comes upon a key piece of evidence is brushed away with Ruben's comment, "Does it matter?" Readers have sat through a lot of brutality (albeit strikingly written brutality) to get that information, so the answer is, well, yeah, it does."
Other readers and commenters have noted that the book contains "an overwhelming presence of seriously graphic violence throughout that certainly may not sit well with some parents" (From teensread.com). Another reader writes that at times "it was a little gross but not in a disturbing or sexual way," while still giving it five stars.