Going Bovine

Going Bovine is an interesting story that is not the typical young adult novel. Its themes make us question what is real and what is not, how does one event become real while another does not and is something on real when another person experiences it?

The questioning of reality and about what can happen when your reality is really not "real" at all is an important aspect of the story. It brings to mind elements of The Matrix and Fight Club. Humans can experience things in their mind that can feel so real, but have no real bearing on what is happening outside their own mind. For young adults who enjoyed these books or movies, I think they would also enjoy Going Bovine. Like these movies, Libba Bray gives us enough hints to make us realize that the "journey" Cameron embarks on is all in his mind. But does that mean that his journey is any less real because it is not a physical journey? Journey novels are meant to bring a character from place to place, giving them experiences through their travels that help them to come to a deeper realization about themselves and the world around them. Cameron does find a sense of peace and knowledge and accomplishment through his journey. And as Tara pointed out, Cameron dies, but the realizations he has come to through his journey make him realize this is not the end, but merely the beginning as he is reunited with Dulcie.

Once the novel gets us to the point where Cameron begins his journey, the narration really picks up and becomes more engaging. The first hundred and fifty pages are so are useful in terms of setting up the characters and the past events that have lead up to this moment, but might have been shortened or used as specific flaskbacks during the journey so that the novel can get to the heart of the story more quickly. Because of the beginning of the novel, I think this would be a hard sell for reluctant readers who need a story to really grip them from the very beginning. The length is also another detractor for reluctant readers. While the story is certainly engaging, the length will keep them away from this unique tale.

The tone of language is certainly something that teens and boys especially will relate to. His use of expletives and the cruder side of the English language is certainly something boys understand and it is how they speak to each other in real life. So from this aspect, the language is something teens relate to. And from this point of view, the language is not pedantic and admonishing to teens as so many novels can be. The focus is on the teens and the adults and other characters are on the periphery. And that is how most teens see their world, because most of us as teenagers were incredibly self-centered. Our lives as teens are so horrible and dramatic that we feel as though no one has ever felt what we are feeling or could hope to understand it. And while Cameron is seriously ill, something that most teens can't relate to, he feels the same thoughts and emotions that all teenagers feel. While the characters are certainly unique, they contain enough relatable aspects in their personalities for any reader to connect with the characters.

Some of the aspects of the story are harder for the average teen to connect with - physics, Don Quixote, jazz music, and Mad Cow Disease. The references are not something that the average teen could connect to but I hope that teenagers reading the story would be intrigued by the references and would look them up to find out more information about them, the same way I do when confronted with something I don't know.

While this book would be difficult in a school setting because of the language and some of the more cruder descriptions, it is engaging and interesting enough to have in your public library. This is a truly original story and easy to see why it won the Printz Award.