Deadman’s Castle

Igor Watson has moved so many times that he can’t remember his real name. It’s been seven years since his father witnessed a horrific crime and the family went deep into hiding. Every few months, his dad sees something suspicious and they “bug out”, the Watsons’ term for getting the hell out of town, and fast. It is a lonely and alienating life, and Igor is sick of it. So at the age of 12, living in a new house in a new town is a new opportunity to finally set down some roots. Even though he is ordered to stay within a few blocks of his home, to keep his head down and to always watch vigilantly for danger, Igor explores and insists on attending school for the first time. Here he makes his first friends, Zoe the Goth, and Angelo who, at first, tries to bully Igor when he arrives in school in a shiny thrift store suit.

It is inevitable that Igor will eventually tell his secrets to Angelo: the story of the Lizard Man, so called for his lizard tattoo, who terrorizes Igor and his family. But Angelo does not believe in the frightening Lizard Man — he’s just a bogeyman invented by Igor’s dad, Angelo says, to keep Igor scared and obedient. This possibility opens a whole new world to Igor who explores further afield and begins to recognize landmarks. This is the city where he lived until he was five, he realizes, and he tracks down his old house and original name. Unfortunately, Angelo is wrong, and he is kidnapped by the Lizard Man in a case of mistaken identity. It is up to Igor, Zoe and Angelo’s heroic dog, Smasher, to save the day.

While Deadman’s Castle is a rousing and satisfying adventure story, it is primarily a book about independence and growing up. Igor only remembers a sheltered existence where his every move is controlled and he has little contact with anyone besides his parents and his little sister. The flight to yet another new life and environment, which opens the novel, is a whole new beginning for Igor who is finally at an age where he is developing a sense of individual identity. He isn’t quite sure why he is testing boundaries, but he is. He isn’t quite sure how he knows that he will disobey his dad this time. But he does know that there is a future waiting for him where he will make his own decisions and where he will stop being scared all the time. It’s an obvious allegory about growing up, but it is thoughtful and effective way to explore this theme.

Deadman’s Castle has a powerful message about life: that living in fear is no life at all. This idea is delivered, unexpectedly, by Igor’s gym teacher who is considered a bit of a joke by the kids at school. But he is actually a wise mentor. “The way a guy plays ball, that’s how he lives his life,” Mr. Moran tells Igor after he hangs back during a soccer game. “Stay out and stay safe, or go in a take your shots. Winners don’t stay safe, Igor.” Igor doesn’t totally understand the message yet, but, after his dad shows up at school looking for him, Mr. Moran tells him, “You’re growing up, Igor. Findin’ your feet. If your dad can’t accept that, well, that’s his lookout. Don’t let him stuff you back in a sack.” By this point, Igor has come out of shell enough to know Mr. Moran is right. He won’t live in fear.

Igor is a fish out of water at school. This provides an opportunity for a real outsider’s view of what happens in middle school, the routines and culture of an environment totally unfamiliar to Igor. Angelo is a nuanced and fun best friend, a good counterpoint to Igor. Zoe is a complex and mysterious character. I appreciate her strange, almost magical quality, but she doesn’t quite seem like a real person. Likewise, Igor’s dad is better drawn that his mom. Igor’s dad is a flamboyant, overwhelming and tragic figure while Igor’s mom is usually working at her telemarketing job (via a special secret phone) while quietly supporting her son. This is really a book about boys, for boys.

Igor and his family are in an approximation of “witness protection” where a shadowy agency called the Protectors help them hide their identities. The idea of hiding or being on the run as a child opens up lots of topics of conversation. What would you do? Would you be able to start life again as a new person? Is it worth it? Is it better to be brave and not hide? This dilemma is a fun and fruitful avenue to consider.

The novel has a tidy plot with very few loose threads, and it moves along at a great pace. The environments are all evocative, and it’s easy to picture Igor’s rambling old yellow house near a ravine, and the eerie ruined building which gives the book its title. The prose is clean and snappy, and the suspense is palpable on almost every page.