Challenger Deep by Neal ShustermanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I took this book out of the library because it was new and written by Neal Shusterman. His books, Bruiser and The Unwind Dystology are favorites of mine. It really helped me continue to read this book that Laurie Halse Anderson gave it a great review. With that mindset, it was totally scary to plunge into mental illness with Caden Bosch. As the reader, it was a seesaw ride to be Caden in school with family and friends and then to be Caden who is going on a deep sea dive to the Challenger Deep with a captain and parrot who both have one eye and many other bizarre ship mates. I think teens need to read this book (adults too) since it does a very realistic job of portraying a teen's descent into mental illness. Early on, I realized what was going on with Caden, and this story quickly became very meaningful. It is during their teen and young adult years that many begin to struggle with mental illness. As Caden (and Shusterman)realistically (and scarily)portray; mental illness is something one deals and lives with forever and medical treatment, care, and prescription drugs are essential. Caden's journey is not one you wish on anyone, but as a fictional piece delving into mental illness; teens will most definitely benefit from reading this book, and talking about it afterward.
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