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corinnekeener's reviews
433 reviews
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
4.0
Challenger Deep is likely the best book about mental illness aimed at young adults that I've ever read.
Shusterman approaches the subject with knowledge and experience, and as such seems to handle the subject with more care than your run of the mill "teen problem book." Challenger Deep is easily able to side step the cliches and romanticized - or maybe exploitative, is a better word - versions of schizoaffective disorders that I feel familiar with in literature, especially for teens. This is both refreshing and tremendously important.
Told in short and engaging chapters, the book reads rather quickly. It may take the reader a bit of time to orient herself as the point of view changes not between characters, but realities. Caden's story is told from varying levels of consciousness and with varying grips on the "real world." I, personally, found this device to be incredibly engaging and necessary for explaining the explainable. What Caden's mind does is not logical, there's not a word that, told straight, can describe what's happening. The wishy-washyness of his reality presented as such and without pretense makes this story.
I appreciate the effort put in to presenting the issues that a person with such a disorder faces. The side effects of medication, but also the absolute need for that medication and therefore the side effects of not having medication, as well as the success that a person can achieve with support and the right medical attention. This is a novel written with great care and it shines because of it.
That being said, there are just a few things that got to me after a while. Many of the chapters that are told from Caden's straight reality, or in retrospect are a little precious. They work out into clever metaphors for life, the construction of reality, all very important themes for the novel, but are handled just a little too neatly for my taste. I don't mean this to say that they do not add to the experience of having read the book, but I at times found them distracting.
I also found the addition of Callie's character a little hurried and off putting. As though someone read it and was like, "This is for young adults, right? Then where's the romance?" I take issue with the plot to free her. Really? A boy needs to save a girl? Again? But mostly I want you to make Callie a person, not a metaphor. If she's important to the story she deserves some character development.
Lastly, the puzzle piece. Are you sure that's the best use for it? Seems a little convenient and very under explained. I'm not saying that all of Caden's thoughts and actions made sense, but in a novel that is otherwise very tidy, this stuck out.
Overall, this was a great read and a novel that I am happy exists. It's smart about it's subject and in trusting its readers.
Shusterman approaches the subject with knowledge and experience, and as such seems to handle the subject with more care than your run of the mill "teen problem book." Challenger Deep is easily able to side step the cliches and romanticized - or maybe exploitative, is a better word - versions of schizoaffective disorders that I feel familiar with in literature, especially for teens. This is both refreshing and tremendously important.
Told in short and engaging chapters, the book reads rather quickly. It may take the reader a bit of time to orient herself as the point of view changes not between characters, but realities. Caden's story is told from varying levels of consciousness and with varying grips on the "real world." I, personally, found this device to be incredibly engaging and necessary for explaining the explainable. What Caden's mind does is not logical, there's not a word that, told straight, can describe what's happening. The wishy-washyness of his reality presented as such and without pretense makes this story.
I appreciate the effort put in to presenting the issues that a person with such a disorder faces. The side effects of medication, but also the absolute need for that medication and therefore the side effects of not having medication, as well as the success that a person can achieve with support and the right medical attention. This is a novel written with great care and it shines because of it.
That being said, there are just a few things that got to me after a while. Many of the chapters that are told from Caden's straight reality, or in retrospect are a little precious. They work out into clever metaphors for life, the construction of reality, all very important themes for the novel, but are handled just a little too neatly for my taste. I don't mean this to say that they do not add to the experience of having read the book, but I at times found them distracting.
I also found the addition of Callie's character a little hurried and off putting. As though someone read it and was like, "This is for young adults, right? Then where's the romance?" I take issue with the plot to free her. Really? A boy needs to save a girl? Again? But mostly I want you to make Callie a person, not a metaphor. If she's important to the story she deserves some character development.
Lastly, the puzzle piece. Are you sure that's the best use for it? Seems a little convenient and very under explained. I'm not saying that all of Caden's thoughts and actions made sense, but in a novel that is otherwise very tidy, this stuck out.
Overall, this was a great read and a novel that I am happy exists. It's smart about it's subject and in trusting its readers.