LB Teen

You Killed Wesley Payne

By Sean Beaudoin (Hardcover Book, 2011)

He's come to do a job.
A job that involves a body.
A body wrapped in duct tape found hanging from the goal posts at the end of the football field.

You Killed Wesley Payne is a truly original and darkly hilarious update of classic pulp-noir, in which hard-boiled seventeen year-old Dalton Rev transfers to the mean hallways of Salt River High to take on the toughest case of his life. The question isn't whether Dalton's going to get paid. He always gets paid. Or whether he's gonna get the girl. He always (sometimes) gets the girl. The real question is whether Dalton Rev can outwit crooked cops and killer cliques in time to solve the mystery of "The Body" before it solves him.

Sean Beaudoin (Going Nowhere Faster, Fade to Blue) evokes the distinctive voices of legendary crime/noir authors Dashiell Hammett and Jim Thompson with a little bit of Mean Girls and Heathers thrown in for good measure. It'll tease you, please you, and never ever leave you. Actually, that's not true. It's only a book. One that's going to suck you in, spit you out, and make you shake hands with the devil. Probably.

Full Description

Buy This Book

- Format: Hardcover Book
- Price: $16.99 US/$18.99 CAN
- ISBN-13: 9780316077422
- On Sale Date: 02/01/2011
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Full Details
Formats Available: Hardcover Book, Trade Paperback, Electronic Book
Newsletter

Don't miss updates about our authors, including book tour info and new book releases.

Sign Up

Video

See All Videos

Sean Beaudoin is the author of Going Nowhere Faster. and Fade to Blue. He lives in Seattle with his wife and daughter.

Sean Beaudoin: You Killed Wesley Payne

Praise for Fade to Blue:
"A fast, highly entertaining read, this novel will appeal to graphic-novel enthusiasts, techies, and anyone looking for a cleverly written, inventive romp in which every detail counts."
--School Library Journal

"The language and sophisticated wit are a tasty treat even for those not fluent in geek."
--The Bulletin

"There is a vacuum repair shop in space (think Douglas Adams), a barrage of absurdist pop-culture send-ups (think Neal Shusterman), and some yodeling (think...original emerging voice in young adult fiction)."
--The Horn Book

"A slim Infinite Jest for teens."
--Booklist

Praise for Going Nowhere Faster:
[star] "Written in a comically manic style, this narrative goes from one unlikely scenario to another. And, the reader goes right along with it because the story is both compelling and likeable...."
-- KLIATT (starred review)

[star] "The book will appeal to many levels of readers...word of mouth will make it a favorite."
-- VOYA (starred review)

"Going Nowhere Faster is a charming and heart-felt who-dun-it that never fails to surprise."
-- Ned Vizzini, author of Be More Chill