Citation:
Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. New York: Random House, 2009. ebook.
Annotation:
Life is kind of one big joke to Cameron Smith. He takes nothing too serious- school, friends, family and any future goals. Everyone assumes he has hit the drugs a little too hard when he starts acting crazy complete with radical hallucinations and shaky muscles. When the doctors quickly discover it's actually mad cow disease, Cameron goes on an epic journey to save the world and maybe even himself.
Nomination thoughts:
Duuuuuuude, this book is really a trip. Cameron narrates his mission to save the world. It's an unbelievable task. Since there is no way to do it justice in my words, here's a quote from the book:
" Never once did I see myself standing under the window of a house belonging to some druggie named Carbine, waiting for his yard gnome to steal his stash so I could get a cab back to a cheap motel where my friend, a neurotic, death-obsessed dwarf, was waiting for me so we could get on the road to an undefined place and a mysterious Dr. X, who would cure me of mad cow disease and stop a band of dark energy from destroying the universe."
Along this incredible journey, the reader gets to see a true transformation take place in Cameron. He starts out as self-centered and kind of a jerk. His attitude will make sense to many YA as Cameron talks of his "perfect" sister and his mom and dad who are both teachers and not sure how their kid is "barely not failing high school". He is the odd man out in his family. This theme of finding one's identity and struggling to find your place comes across strongly.
The biggest challenge, of course!, is how to come to terms with his fatal disease. So he takes flight in the only way he can- in his mind. As a reader, YA or otherwise, close attention to these shifts in mental state will help make sense of the story. Also key is knowing that reality and fantasy play off each other. The characters on his trip come from pieces of his life- people, hopes, dreams and a sudden urge to make sense of it all. The author does a surreal and amazing job weaving it all together. It might get a little long (crazy? psychedelic?) and harder to follow in the middle though. In the end, Cameron becomes a person who learns how to embrace life on his own terms even if only in his head. It all has a way of prodding the reader to think about the deeper meaning to things, events and people in their own lives. Or even if there is a deeper meaning!
Nominate:
Yes! I do think the book has strong appeal to a YA audience. It's an emotional journey that will keep the pages turning. Cameron finds his answers without it necessarily being the answers for everyone. This let's each reader draw their own conclusions about what is and can be.
Genre:
Coming of age, Printz, Fantasy
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