Noah Nordstrom has been dissing the religious
beliefs of his father, who hosts a popular
Christian radio show and whom Noah accuses of
spreading hate. When two local gay teens are
murdered, Noah’s anti-evangelism intensifies—he’
s convinced that the killer is a caller on his dad’s
program.

Then Noah meets Will Reed, a cool guy. But
when he learns that Will is gay, Noah gets a little
weirded out. Especially since Will seems really
into him. Noah gives Will the brush-off.
Meanwhile, the killer is still at large . . . and soon
Noah finds the next victim. It’s Will.
Racked with guilt, Noah decides to investigate. He knows the serial killer is targeting gay
teens, but only those who live in foster homes, whose deaths are not that important to
society; they are the less-dead. Noah, however, is determined to prove that someone
cares. With the help of Will’s journal, which he pocketed at the scene of the crime and in
which the killer has written clues, Noah closes in on an opponent more dangerous than he
can guess.
Praise
"In her compelling mystery, Lurie draws attention to the prejudice and hatred
many gay teens face ... Suspenseful and emotional."
                                               
Publishers Weekly

"Lurie's character details are totally refreshing.  Noah's conflicted response to
Will is dead-on, as is the handling of the various strains of Christianity."
                                                
Booklist

"Lurie has wrought a compelling, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep
readers riveted to the end."
                                                
Kirkus

"Will keep readers engaged and thinking about their own beliefs well after
they finish the novel."
                                                ALAN Online (An ALAN's Pick)


An ALA Rainbow List Selection                                       
                                                            
A Kirkus Reviews Say No to Hate: Notable Gay/Lesbian Book
Delacorte (January 2010), 240 pages, Ages 14 and up, # 978-0385906265
The Less-Dead
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