Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers

Dance on My Grave

8.5

Storyline

8.0/10

Queer Representation

8.0/10

Writing

9.5/10

Pros

• Engaging writing style
• Well-developed characters
• Nonjudgmental

Cons

• Queer Death
• Some stereotypes
• Slightly outdated

Title: Dance on My Grave

Author: Aiden Chambers

Original Publication Date: 1982

Original Publisher: Bodley Head

Queer Representation: 1 teenage gay protagonist, 1 (bisexual/queer) love interest

Page Length: 253

Hal, both in relation to Barry and on his own, is a psychologically rich character worthy of deeper thought and examination

Memorable Quote: “Maybe I loved him. I thought I did. As much as I knew what the word means. How do you ever know? I used to think I would know when it happened. Know immediately, without having to wonder about it.”

Review:

When Hal Robinson capsizes in his classmate’s boat that he borrowed, he is rescued by Barry Gorman. Barry is a few years older than Hal and had to leave school in order to help his mother run the family store after his father’s death. Meanwhile, Hal is deciding whether to continue on with school or enter the workforce himself. After Barry rescues Hal, they begin to spend a great deal of their time together. Hal even gets a summer job working with Barry and his mother. Hal is drawn to Barry’s unique take on life while he continues to try to figure out his own. Eventually the boy’s relationship becomes sexual and Hal finds himself completely enamored by Barry.

From the very first page, however, readers are aware that this love story does not have a happy ending. The book opens with a newspaper article detailing that a 16 year old, who we can conclude is Hal, was arrested for defiling Barry’s grave. The rest of the book is Hal’s recount of what happened mixed with running reports by a court appointed counselor. As Hal struggles to come to terms with the events of the summer and understand Barry’s death, readers are presented with an engaging coming of age story that is far from usual.

Dance on My Grave is the second book in Aidan Chamber’s Dance Sequence, a series of novels related to one another only in spirit. In this novel, Chambers asks his readers to contemplate the meaning and complexity of life in a way that is quite refreshing in a young adult novel. While some of the stereotypes of queer youth in young adult literature (such as the absentee parent) are present in this novel, the final product is a tale that feels refreshing even today, and it is well worth the read.