Reviewed by Alyson Baker
The story starts with the death of Constable Garrett... and continues with his resurrection as a conscious cyborg initially controlled by Spencer Langley aged 13, inventor, entrepreneur and car thief. Things get even more complicated with the introduction of sinister criminals and Garrett’s ex partner. Includes graphic replays every third chapter for the entertainment of all
Spencer is a teenage genius - he makes a bit on the side to help his solo Mum pay the bills, by procuring things for school mates, or by providing them with answers to upcoming exams. But one job goes awfully wrong – a job for a student who has started up the Burdale Yakuza. Fearing retaliation, Spencer enlists the help of his friend, Regan, and they disinter a body so Regan can remotely control it to act as Spencer’s bodyguard.
The body happens to be that of Constable Garret Hunter, killed while on a lone stakeout aiming to catch the notorious Undertaker, an evil crime lord who uses a local bikie gang as muscle. When Spencer decides to use Garret to rob the Stamport Savings Bank, comparing himself to “Robin Hood, robbing from the rich – the bank – to give to the poor – his mum”, Garret has to make a hasty exit and he gets electrocuted, and things take a turn for the weirder!
Meanwhile Constable Cadence Green has been trying to work out what happened to her ex-partner, Garret Hunter – she doesn’t trust the official version of events regarding his death. And Carl, the head of the Burdale Yakuza discovers he hasn’t done due diligence to see if there were any other Yakuza chapters already in the area – there is. The heads of the two major crime organisations get into a turf war, both thinking an army of re-animated corpses would benefit their cause.
The ensuing mayhem, with kidnapping, torture, murder, and explosions, entail various parties forming alliances – with teenagers on both sides. Amid all of this, Regan and Cadence form a friendship and Regan starts to think she might have a future after all. Cadence and Garret re-establish as much of a friendship as is possible with one party rotting away. And Spencer must use all his considerable intelligence to hold things, and bodies, together.
DEADHEAD is text interspersed with comic strip illustrations, and the narrative is in the comic Kersplatt! style, with lots of people being hurt, dying, and being heroic. And there is lots of gruesome corpse goo. It is also very funny, and it has a theme of loyalty and responsibility. The characters are engaging: Spenser who is brilliant but also just a kid who misses his dad and worries about his mum; Regan with no use parents who has found a second home with Spenser and his mum; Cadence the cop who is staunch and brave, and who still has a soft spot for Garret, and Garret who is starting to get lots of soft spots and who goes through lots of personality changes during his post-death experiences.
DEADHEAD is a YA novel, but I think adults will really enjoy it too!
Alyson Baker is a crime-loving former librarian in Nelson. This review first appeared on her blog, which you can check out here.
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