Me, Dead Dad, & Alcatraz

Lynch, Chris

3.43

51 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 0060597100 ISBN 13: 9780060597108

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2005

Having always lived with his mother, young Elvin gets the surprise of his life when his high-spirited uncle appears and introduces him to the realities of the world--causing young Elvin to meet himself, understand his roots, realize his own inner strengths, and live for real for the very first time.

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About the Author:

Chris Lynch is a National Book Award finalist and the author of several highly acclaimed books for young adults, including Me, Dead Dad, & Alcatraz and the Michael L. Printz Honor Book Freewill, as well as Iceman, Shadow Boxer, Gold Dust, and Slot Machine, all four ALA Best Books for Young Adults and winners of several other prestigious awards. He holds an MFA from the writing program at Emerson College. He lives in Scotland and has two children.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 8-10–In this darkly comic follow-up to Slot Machine (1995) and Extreme Elvin (1999, both HarperCollins), Elvin Bishop, 14, must deal with an uncle's return from the dead and unsettling questions about everything from his family history to his own sexuality. This novel can stand alone, but readers already familiar with the chubby, anxious, but kindhearted teen and his friends Mikie and Frankie may have an easier time getting into the story. Elvin, who lives with his widowed mother, is shocked to discover that his uncle--supposedly dead from a plane crash–is alive, well, and sitting on the living-room couch. Uncle Alex is out of prison and determined to make up for his checkered past by becoming a father figure to his nephew. Madcap adventures ensue, the funniest of which may be Elvin's attempt to replicate handsome Frankie's hairstyle. Inevitably, Elvin ends up with a frizzy perm and a color between orange and green. Alex's brief presence in Elvin's life creates chaos but also brings understanding. The teen learns to drop his sarcasm and self-deprecating humor to let his true emotions shine through. Some readers may struggle with his ongoing internal dialogue, which sometimes bogs the story down. Still, most will identify with Elvin's outsider status and enjoy his hilarious missteps on the path to adulthood.–Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
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