Summary:
Cameron is a 14 year old boy that is just going through puberty and discovering he is changing in ways he is not sure about. If that wasn't enough, he also has a schizophreniform disorder. This is must like schizophrenia, but the episodes are shorter. This disorder has basically been the focus of his entire life. He is on medication for it, in a special class for students with Emotional Disturbances, and his parents focus way too much attention on him. Up until now, he is gone along with everything, but now he is making the decision to stop taking his medication. The voices in his head make him feel less lonely and help him understand things differently. The hallucinations are interesting and he is embracing the normal of his life. He also is gaining an understanding of depression through his friend Nina, who he often finds in a comatose like state without the wish of being interrupted. As with any coming of age type novel, Cameron is beginning a new awakening of who he is and what role those around or inside of him play in that development.
My thoughts:
Based upon the cover, I really did not expect the direction this story took. It is an extremely introspective novel that dives deep into psychology and the world of mental disorders. The reader sees things through Cameron's eyes in a touching tale of rediscovery. There were several moments that I teared up, but equal enough moments that I found funny. As with any teenage boy, there are times when Cameron is irritating or annoying, but he is also endearing and caring. Through the first person narrative we also receive the perspectives of the voices within Cameron's head. It is an interesting twist within the POV. It's almost like being omniscient and narrow at the same time. For parents or teachers, there isn't anything overly offensive or adult-like; however, for younger (6th grade-early 7th grade) students/children, I would pay attention to how they react to the disabilities. If they seem to share a lot of empathy, then they would probably enjoy the novel. If they are chuckling at the disability itself, they may not be mature enough to dive into Cameron's head.
Cameron is a 14 year old boy that is just going through puberty and discovering he is changing in ways he is not sure about. If that wasn't enough, he also has a schizophreniform disorder. This is must like schizophrenia, but the episodes are shorter. This disorder has basically been the focus of his entire life. He is on medication for it, in a special class for students with Emotional Disturbances, and his parents focus way too much attention on him. Up until now, he is gone along with everything, but now he is making the decision to stop taking his medication. The voices in his head make him feel less lonely and help him understand things differently. The hallucinations are interesting and he is embracing the normal of his life. He also is gaining an understanding of depression through his friend Nina, who he often finds in a comatose like state without the wish of being interrupted. As with any coming of age type novel, Cameron is beginning a new awakening of who he is and what role those around or inside of him play in that development.
My thoughts:
Based upon the cover, I really did not expect the direction this story took. It is an extremely introspective novel that dives deep into psychology and the world of mental disorders. The reader sees things through Cameron's eyes in a touching tale of rediscovery. There were several moments that I teared up, but equal enough moments that I found funny. As with any teenage boy, there are times when Cameron is irritating or annoying, but he is also endearing and caring. Through the first person narrative we also receive the perspectives of the voices within Cameron's head. It is an interesting twist within the POV. It's almost like being omniscient and narrow at the same time. For parents or teachers, there isn't anything overly offensive or adult-like; however, for younger (6th grade-early 7th grade) students/children, I would pay attention to how they react to the disabilities. If they seem to share a lot of empathy, then they would probably enjoy the novel. If they are chuckling at the disability itself, they may not be mature enough to dive into Cameron's head.
