New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014.
340 p. ; 22 cm.
I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this one as much as I did, but when I saw it was a National Book Award finalist, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did; it was really fun (and thought provoking). Whaley has a great premise for his novel - Travis Coates, a 16 yr old young man dying of cancer opts for an experimental procedure to cryogenically freeze his head in the hopes that in 10 or 20 years he can be revived with a donor body. The procedure works, and instead of having to wait 10 or 20 years - he is revived after just 5.
Great, right? Not so fast. The novel then unfolds with all the difficulties that Travis must face: his beloved girlfriend has moved on, his friends are in college, he's just a sophomore in high school, and he's a celebrity news phenom.
This novel is able to be fun, thoughtful, imaginative, and tenderhearted. There is a lot to think of as one reads Noggin - the fleeting nature of time, the process of grieving (and ungrieving!), the nature of relationships, maturity, friendship, and - of course - love.
Noggin is definitely a book I'll be recommending to interested readers.
No comments:
Post a Comment