Going Bovine

Peach’s Picks Rating


Title:
Going Bovine

Author:
Libba Bray

Illustrator:
None

ISBN:
978-0-385-73397-7

Publisher:
New York: Delacorte Press

Copyright:
2009

Length:
480 pages

Plot Summary:
Cameron, a 16-year-old slacker living in Texas, has a popular twin sister who does not want much to do with him. All he wants is to get through life without effort. He realizes that he has been feeling especially lethargic and finds himself diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, otherwise known as mad cow disease. The diagnosis is death and he hasn’t even lived life or kissed the beautiful but unattainable Staci. Now he is in the hospital on his journey toward death and talking a parallel hallucinatory ride that reflects those of Don Quixote on drugs. He is guided on his soul-searching trips by Dulcinea, a pink-haired angle with white feathery wings. His companion is Gonzo, a Mexican-American dwarf and Balder, a talking garden gnome. Cameron’s travels take him through the south looking for Dr. X, who can cure him. Along the way Cameron fights the Dark Wizard and fire giants who keep attacking him. Readers will laugh out loud at Cameron’s musings and adventures and, like Cameron, will find it complicated to distinguish reality from hallucinations.

Critical Evaluation:
This is a long and difficult book that bogs down in the middle. It is also a funny and witty book that will make the reader laugh out loud and cry at the inevitable sad ending that is curiously satisfying. The book is complicated and the reader must pay close attention or become lost in the many threads. However, if a reader is able to remain with the story, they will be rewarded by Cameron’s insights, struggles, and hallucinatory travels. Cameron’s character rings true as a teenage boy and even though death is inevitable the story does not become maudlin. In order to get the most out of the quirky story the reader needs to be familiar with Don Quixote by Cervantes and with Norse mythology. The book is recommended for strong readers rather than reluctant readers. Fans of Bray’s other books might feel themselves on unfamiliar territory with this offering, but will recognize her use of fantasy and magic if they stick with the book. It is a thought provoking, funny book, which will keep Cameron in the reader’s mind long after he finishes his story.

Reader’s Annotation:
Cameron knows he’s a slacker just trying to get through high school, but now he really feels like one and to everyone’s surprise he’s been diagnosed with mad cow disease. He’s traveling in and out of the hospital on fantastical adventures with a dwarf and a talking garden gnome. Cameron seeks to save his life, lose his virginity, and destroy the Dark Wizard.

Author Information:
Born 1964 in Alabama and raised in Texas
Moved to New York City when she was 26-years-old
Her father was a Presbyterian minister
She lost her left eye in a car accident and has an artificial eye
Married with one son
Favorite books include: To Kill A Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies, Catcher in the Rye
Maintains a blog, http://libba-bray.livejournal.com/

Genre:
Contemporary realistic fiction - issues

Curriculum Ties:
Use in literature classes.

Booktalking Ideas:
Do you remember the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown and the project where you had to send him around the world…well, Cameron in Going Bovine has a garden gnome that goes on adventures that are more exhilarating and raunchy than Flat Stanley could ever imagine.
Sixteen-year-old Cameron is going to die and he hasn’t even started living yet.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
High school

Additional Books by Author:
Rebel Angels
A Great and Terrible Beauty
Sweet Far Thing
Many more publications

Challenge Issues:
Language, sexual situations, death
Deal with challenge by having a challenge policy in place, selection policy in place (ALA policies). Meet with library administration if necessary. Provide positive review(s) from professional publications.

Why this work is included in Peach’s Picks:
Going Bovine is included in this blog because it won the 2010 Printz Award. The book only receives four peaches because, while it is unique, it is too long and bogs down in the middle.

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Going-Bovine-Libba-Bray/dp/0385733976

References:
Bray. L. (2010). “Biography”. libbabray.com. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://libbabray.com/