Caden Bosch is on a
ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the
southern part of the Marianas Trench.
Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.
Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence, to document the journey with images.
Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.
Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.
Caden Bosch is torn.
A
captivating and powerful novel that lingers long beyond the last page,
Challenger Deep is a heartfelt tour de force by one of today's most
admired writers for teens.
Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Expected publication:
April 21st 2015
by HarperCollins
Terri's Thoughts
**I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher HarperCollins via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is April 21st 2015**
I have never in all my life read a book that pitted my objective side so far at odds with my emotional side. My emotional side will tell you that I did not like this book at all however my objective side will rave about the genius of capturing the topic at hand, mental illness, within its pages.
Let me address my emotional view. While I really get what Shusterman was trying to achieve with the plot, and acknowledge its brilliance, it did not capture my imagination. I literally had to stop myself from skipping ahead during all passages about the ship and the captain. Maybe my imagination is lacking or maybe my thinking is so linear that I couldn't embrace what was being done with the story. Regardless this made the story very dull for me
BUT...
On the other hand, the parallel between "real life" and Caden's mind were very intelligent. It described how one can slip in to mental illness and how reality can be distorted. In my case I appreciated this more after the fact than while reading. As a very relevant issue within our society I feel it is important to shed awareness on all types of mental illness. This story highlighted it from an insiders perspective.
To summarize I am no less conflicted than when I first started typing this review. The actual plot was difficult for me to get in to and I found the story much longer than the 320 pages it claims to be. On the flip side the fact that it was a difficult read for me would suggest that it accomplished what it set out. Wouldn't it? This is one of those stories that I suggest people form their own opinion as opposed to taking the word of others.
About the Author
Award-winning author Neal
Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an
early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at
the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he
made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column.
Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired
to write a movie script.
In the years since, Neal has made his
mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a
full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always
at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many
awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association,
and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of
state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from
film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE
Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book
and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently
playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having
developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as
well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.
As a screen and TV
writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series,
and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently
Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal
Studios.
Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a
storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back
to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such
as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant
demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama
give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with
topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life
characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all
together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Of
Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what
happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity.
While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring
adventure…”
Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote;
"This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel,
impossible to put down once begun.
Of The Schwa Was Here, School
Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those
crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind
of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the
finest children's classics.
Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's
Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and,
through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it
stunningly believable. A spellbinder."
And of The Eyes of Kid
Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the
best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and
hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.
Neal Shusterman
lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle,
and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration.
Website:
http://www.storyman.com/
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