Disability stereotypes get a thrashing in new Erin Lange book: Dead Ends

Over the past decade or two, box-office hits such as Toy Story, Shrek and Frozen have put paid to the idea that cartoons are solely for children. The book world has seen a similar phenomenon. Crossover fiction has existed for centuries – Robinson Crusoe, Lewis Carroll's Alice books, Treasure Island, The Chronicles of Narnia – but the success of authors such as JK Rowling, Mark Haddon, Veronica Roth and John Green has heralded a new dawn for children's books that also appeal to adults.

The US writer Judy Blume was bridging the divide long before Harry Potter had cast his spells over the collective imagination. In the 1970s, books such as Are You There God? It's me, Margaret, Blubber and Forever won the author an international following of teenagers and adults alike. Her nonjudgmental and often excruciatingly honest accounts of turbulent adolescent worlds are still hugely popular.

Erin Lange, the emerging talent behind the crossover novel Dead Ends, cites Blume as one of her influences. It is easy to draw parallels. The Illinois author lets her characters speak for themselves and allows them by doing so to upend the stereotypes of an ill-informed world. Dead Ends is Lange's second novel, following her acclaimed debut, Butter; it tells the story of two misfit single-parent friends who go in search of their fathers.

The book’s central characters are outsiders. Sixteen-year-old Dane is a bully with anger-management issues. Choking a rich kid with his foot when we first meet him, Dane is nonetheless a decent soul at heart conforming to the labels of others. An intelligent and frustrated teenager, he has a tendency to see things in black and white, borne of his upbringing and a conviction that people either love you or not. Dane and his young mother are two peas in a pod, the bond between them fierce and heartbreaking.

Dane is on his final warning at school when a new neighbour arrives. Billy D and his suspicious mother are also a single-parent family, but, unlike Dane, Billy yearns to track down his father. Billy D has Down syndrome, a high-functioning type of the disability that allows him to attend remedial classes at a regular school. It is an accepted part of his life, more troubling to others than to Billy D. With the brazenness and innocence of youth, Dane asks him straight out if he has Down syndrome. “Obviously,” replies Billy D, “like he was talking to the dumbest person on earth.”

It is easy to stereotype marginalised characters such as Dane and Billy, but Lange avoids these pitfalls. The duo are flawed but likeable and act as a foil for each other. Billy D is a smart operator. His character has an edge that hints at a troubled past. He quickly sizes up situations and understands how to turn them to his advantage.

Blackmail

Leveraging the special treatment he receives at school on account of his disability, he blackmails Dane into helping him find his father. It is the most forthright and honest of blackmails. Billy D thinks things through in his logical and cheerful way and explains to Dane how he intends to profit. The friendship that develops between them is believable, the dynamic on both sides ranging from brotherly love to annoyance to anger.

Their frankness with each other exposes the condescension of the adult world. When a school secretary tries to coddle Billy, Dane is annoyed at her belittling his friend: “He can speak for himself. He’s not retarded.” Mrs Pruitt’s breathless response captures the squeamishness of political correctness: “Didn’t say – horrible word – detention would be good enough for – of course not retar- disable- challenged –”. His friend, meanwhile, is unperturbed: “Billy interrupted, either ignoring or totally unaware of her internal struggle.”

One of the reasons why Dead Ends is so successful is that it is not a book about a child with Down syndrome. Rather, it is a book that takes someone with the disability and isn't afraid to put them centre stage without victimising or pigeonholing.

Plot, pace and clear description are vital components of children’s books. These readers are not generally interested in style or fancy writing. The story is all important, as it should be. Lange’s novel weaves a compelling tale, with cryptic clues left by Billy’s father for the boys and their friend Seely to unravel.

In a hilarious sequence, Billy takes his blackmailing to the next level, owning the stereotypes of Down syndrome by using them to his advantage. His antics result in a road trip that tests the bromance to its limits. En route Dane learns dark truths about Billy’s life and, in turn, himself. Funny, sad and suspenseful, this is a poignant coming-of-age tale with a vibrant and memorable cast.