Rotters by Daniel Kraus
Author Biography:
Daniel Kraus is a Chicago-based writer and filmmaker. His novel THE MONSTER VARIATIONS (Random House, 2009) was selected to New York Public Library's "100 Best Stuff for Teens." Fangoria called his acclaimed, Odyssey Award-winning, Bram Stoker-nominated second novel, ROTTERS (Random House, 2011), "a new horror classic." Information retrieved from Amazon.com.
Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0385738579
Genre: Fiction/Horror
Reading Level: Grades 9 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
As an outcast at school, Joey Crouch’s job as a grave robber doesn't help his social status much. Dressing himself in finery pilfered from the dead, Joey is caught between the horrors of school and the dangers facing those in the grave thievery business.
Plot Summary:
Joey Crouch’s life has hit rock-bottom when his mother dies in a tragic car accident. Though his future is instantly uncertain, his father whom he knows very little of emerges and takes custody of him, moving him to a new town and a new life.
Further misfortunes await Joey, however, when he arrives at his father's place – which is little more than a dumpy little shack filled to bursting with piles of newspaper clipping and wreathed with a terrible smell. His father unceremoniously drops him off and leaves him with no bed to rest on or any clue what he could possibly eat. Staking a small corner of the room for himself, Joey unpacks his few belonging and dreads what the future may hold.
School is no better for Joey, and he is often the target of bullies. He frequently – and desperately – calls his best friend from his old city but the calls become increasingly brief to the point where there is no reason to call. With no relief at home, at school, from his old friend, and with very little food to eat, Joey becomes sullen and depressed.
Just as things seem as if they couldn't be any worse, Joey learns the horrible truth about his father – he is a grave robber. The newspapers are actually research documents – giving his father important information about when a person dies, where they were buried, and how wealthy they were. If Joey wants to eat and wear clothing that isn't entirely ramshackle, he must help his father unearth corpses, steal their possessions, and claim them for his own. As Joey learns the finer points of digging holes quickly, learning how to escape from a coffin after being buried alive, and how the melted ooze forming pools at the base of corpses is known as “coffin liquor,” a terrible change begins to take hold of Joey, destroying his innocence and transforming him into something morbid and incomprehensible.
Critical Evaluation:
While many YA books deal with bullying, paranormal romances, and sickness, Kraus has created a macabre book focused on a topic rarely explored. Readers learn about how stealing from the dead isn't just a matter of digging a hole and cracking open a coffin – instead, the act is presented as if it as a forbidden art few know. He also creates a heartbreaking story with Joey who, though he never had the best life prior to his mother’s death, is forced into a world that turns him into a twisted being beyond his wishes. Rotters is dark, twisted, violent, unsettling, and difficult to put down for anyone who becomes enchanted with its vile world.
Curriculum Ties:
Challenge Issues:
Defensive Maneuvers:
Book Talk Ideas:
Ever been embarrassed by your parents? Well, the main character of this book, Joey, has a father that is a grave robber and forces his child to steal with him. If he doesn't, he gets nothing to eat and has nothing to wear. And if he does, Joey gets to wear the clothes of dead people. How do you feel about your parents now?
Why This Book?
Rotters is dark, twisted, violent, unsettling, and difficult to put down for anyone who becomes enchanted with its vile world. It explores a topic teens are unlikely to have considered, which may be entertaining for some. And, at the very least, they'll learn how to escape from a coffin if they are ever buried alive.
Daniel Kraus is a Chicago-based writer and filmmaker. His novel THE MONSTER VARIATIONS (Random House, 2009) was selected to New York Public Library's "100 Best Stuff for Teens." Fangoria called his acclaimed, Odyssey Award-winning, Bram Stoker-nominated second novel, ROTTERS (Random House, 2011), "a new horror classic." Information retrieved from Amazon.com.
Published by: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0385738579
Genre: Fiction/Horror
Reading Level: Grades 9 and Up
Reader’s Annotation:
As an outcast at school, Joey Crouch’s job as a grave robber doesn't help his social status much. Dressing himself in finery pilfered from the dead, Joey is caught between the horrors of school and the dangers facing those in the grave thievery business.
Plot Summary:
Joey Crouch’s life has hit rock-bottom when his mother dies in a tragic car accident. Though his future is instantly uncertain, his father whom he knows very little of emerges and takes custody of him, moving him to a new town and a new life.
Further misfortunes await Joey, however, when he arrives at his father's place – which is little more than a dumpy little shack filled to bursting with piles of newspaper clipping and wreathed with a terrible smell. His father unceremoniously drops him off and leaves him with no bed to rest on or any clue what he could possibly eat. Staking a small corner of the room for himself, Joey unpacks his few belonging and dreads what the future may hold.
School is no better for Joey, and he is often the target of bullies. He frequently – and desperately – calls his best friend from his old city but the calls become increasingly brief to the point where there is no reason to call. With no relief at home, at school, from his old friend, and with very little food to eat, Joey becomes sullen and depressed.
Just as things seem as if they couldn't be any worse, Joey learns the horrible truth about his father – he is a grave robber. The newspapers are actually research documents – giving his father important information about when a person dies, where they were buried, and how wealthy they were. If Joey wants to eat and wear clothing that isn't entirely ramshackle, he must help his father unearth corpses, steal their possessions, and claim them for his own. As Joey learns the finer points of digging holes quickly, learning how to escape from a coffin after being buried alive, and how the melted ooze forming pools at the base of corpses is known as “coffin liquor,” a terrible change begins to take hold of Joey, destroying his innocence and transforming him into something morbid and incomprehensible.
Critical Evaluation:
While many YA books deal with bullying, paranormal romances, and sickness, Kraus has created a macabre book focused on a topic rarely explored. Readers learn about how stealing from the dead isn't just a matter of digging a hole and cracking open a coffin – instead, the act is presented as if it as a forbidden art few know. He also creates a heartbreaking story with Joey who, though he never had the best life prior to his mother’s death, is forced into a world that turns him into a twisted being beyond his wishes. Rotters is dark, twisted, violent, unsettling, and difficult to put down for anyone who becomes enchanted with its vile world.
Curriculum Ties:
- Parental support
- Bullying
- Ethics
Challenge Issues:
- Homosexuality
- Torture
Defensive Maneuvers:
- Have the library's collection policy on hand and memorized. Even though you may have it committed to memory, being able to show specific provisions as proof with strengthen your position.
- Be familiar with the book. Having great knowledge of it will prove you understand the content and the way the challenged matters interact with each other. The homosexual aspects are a part of a character, and is not glorified or used for shock value. Torture is used as a device to show how monstrous the characters are.
- Cite any awards the book may have. Though the patron may disagree with the book, showing that it is well known and seen as having great literary merit will strengthen your defense.
- Have a few reviews ready from respected sources such as Amazon or VOYA. At the very least, you can prove you understand the material and reviews will corroborate that.
- Have a strong idea WHY that item is in the library. Explain its merits, who the intended audience is, and so on.
- State your library's commitment to providing intellectual freedom as written in the Library Bill of Rights.
- Stay calm. Getting defensive or hot under the collar will only weaken your position.
- And finally, be open to discussion and LISTEN. Even if you do not agree with the patron, their concerns are still legitimate and you should show that you are engaged with them. Listening to their concerns may be enough to take the edge off.
Book Talk Ideas:
Ever been embarrassed by your parents? Well, the main character of this book, Joey, has a father that is a grave robber and forces his child to steal with him. If he doesn't, he gets nothing to eat and has nothing to wear. And if he does, Joey gets to wear the clothes of dead people. How do you feel about your parents now?
Why This Book?
Rotters is dark, twisted, violent, unsettling, and difficult to put down for anyone who becomes enchanted with its vile world. It explores a topic teens are unlikely to have considered, which may be entertaining for some. And, at the very least, they'll learn how to escape from a coffin if they are ever buried alive.