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A review by megbomb
Intraterrestrial by Nicholas Conley
4.0
Adam Helios is a super smart and awkward 13 year old boy. He's being bullied at school, his parents are always arguing, and he is dealing with being adopted and his feelings about that. When he and his parents are involved in a serious car accident in which Adam is not wearing his seat belt, he ends up in critical condition with a TBI. While his body is in a coma, his mind is on an amazing adventure through space with his new alien friends and enemies, learning how much he is truly capable of. These aliens teach him that life on Earth is all about perception and how we choose to respond to what we perceive.
I love books that make me think, and Intraterrestrial definitely did that. Conley's descriptions are beautiful and disgusting and perfect. I could see Adam's inner most landscape in detail as I journeyed alongside of him. For me, this felt like a deeply spiritual book in a way nothing I have read before has been. It connected the scientific and the innermost soul. Our lives are what we make of them. Courage is fear and fear is courageous.
I did have a few minor issues with continuity and things that just didn't make sense to me- but it is a sci-fi/surreal/speculative book so- whatever. I want to make readers aware that Adam's is a transracial adoption and that does play into his self esteem issues- but I think this could have probably been dealt with in a better way. It feels sort of like it's blown off. The problems all get worked out through his near death experience because everyone is just so thankful to be alive sort of thing.
This book deals with thoughts surrounding "being stuck in your body", unable to communicate or control your movement. It could be traumatic for anyone that has dealt with a loved one that experienced this type of situation. It talks about how the parents would not want their child to be in a nursing home for the rest of their lives and how Adam would not want to live that way. I think these are all very real concerns and fears but I also think that perhaps certain portions of the story could be considered ableist. I am able-bodied, so I don't feel that I can adequately review these types of things.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book, but I recognize that privilege plays a part in that. I think Conley is a very talented writer, and I look forward to checking out his other works.
I love books that make me think, and Intraterrestrial definitely did that. Conley's descriptions are beautiful and disgusting and perfect. I could see Adam's inner most landscape in detail as I journeyed alongside of him. For me, this felt like a deeply spiritual book in a way nothing I have read before has been. It connected the scientific and the innermost soul. Our lives are what we make of them. Courage is fear and fear is courageous.
I did have a few minor issues with continuity and things that just didn't make sense to me- but it is a sci-fi/surreal/speculative book so- whatever. I want to make readers aware that Adam's is a transracial adoption and that does play into his self esteem issues- but I think this could have probably been dealt with in a better way. It feels sort of like it's blown off. The problems all get worked out through his near death experience because everyone is just so thankful to be alive sort of thing.
This book deals with thoughts surrounding "being stuck in your body", unable to communicate or control your movement. It could be traumatic for anyone that has dealt with a loved one that experienced this type of situation. It talks about how the parents would not want their child to be in a nursing home for the rest of their lives and how Adam would not want to live that way. I think these are all very real concerns and fears but I also think that perhaps certain portions of the story could be considered ableist. I am able-bodied, so I don't feel that I can adequately review these types of things.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of reading this book, but I recognize that privilege plays a part in that. I think Conley is a very talented writer, and I look forward to checking out his other works.