Challenger Deep in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Oct 12, 2015 Lori rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

Oh, how I tried to like it. I just couldn't. I'll admit, I didn't finish. I made it to the third CD out of 6 and it was too much. I have enough crazy in my life, I don't have time to read someone else's crazy gibberish. ...more

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Jun 07, 2015 Lacey Louwagie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, 100-book-challenge-2015, youngadult

This is one of those books that is going to be hard for me to review.

First off, I know it's an important book. Contrary to a review I read on the book, it is NOT rare for YA literature to tackle mental illness, but I've never seen it addressed in quite this way. Challenger Deep consists of two parallel story lines, one that takes place in the "real world" and one that takes place on a pirate ship. It is not difficult to see how these stories intersect as you read on. Still, it takes a little wh This is one of those books that is going to be hard for me to review.

First off, I know it's an important book. Contrary to a review I read on the book, it is NOT rare for YA literature to tackle mental illness, but I've never seen it addressed in quite this way. Challenger Deep consists of two parallel story lines, one that takes place in the "real world" and one that takes place on a pirate ship. It is not difficult to see how these stories intersect as you read on. Still, it takes a little while to get grounded in the story. The pirate storyline is not historically or culturally accurate, and at the beginning it seems free-floating enough that it's hard to find an anchor (no pun intended) to hold on to. This made me prefer the "real-world" storyline in the first half of the book, although as the book went on the pirate storyline began to make more sense and proved very intriguing.

This book really gave me a "feel" for what it might be like to experience schizophrenia, especially in the dream-like sequences on the pirate ship and in the descriptions of Caden's increasingly unusual drawings. Is this an "accurate" depiction of what life is like for a schizophrenic teen? I have no way of answering that and hope that people with direct experience or mental health expertise will weigh in.

This book was scary in that there was no clear "reason" for Caden's schizophrenia. Of course, we know it is a mental illness that does not need a "reason" other than the brain chemistry one was born with. But I wondered whether anyone else in Caden's family tree had ever struggled with mental illness. His parents are supportive and fleshed out fairly well, but neither of them seems able to provide any insight into what is happening to their son, and they both seem pretty mentally healthy.

Although this still feels like a "problem novel," Caden IS more than his mental illness. He has interests, is concerned about his sister, develops a crush, and speaks his mind. The presence of an adult mentor who is managing his own schizophrenia was also a nice touch, giving the reader an idea of what a history might look like for Caden.

I wavered between giving this book three and four stars. This is my first Shusterman book, and there is no doubt that he is a gifted writer. The teen voice and the dialog ring true. I didn't find the end to be completely satisfying and thought the revelation of who "The Captain" really was was a bit of a letdown, although I can also see the symbolic role he may have played in Caden's life. Also, I already mentioned the slow beginning. But the middle is strong -- ultimately too strong to relegate this book to 3-star territory. ...more

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Nov 21, 2015 Suzanne Hamilton rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-books-read

I wish I could like this book, having heard the author's heartfelt speech at the National Book Awards. It's important to bring to light the experience of mental illness. But this book didn't do that for me. It took me a long time to settle in to the book's structure -- real world vs. phantasmagoric ship. Or to connect with Caden or any of the other characters, real or imagined. I couldn't believe that it took his parents so long to recognize his illness. So, as sincere as this book is, I just ca ...more

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Dec 02, 2020 Marisa rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, boybooks, 2020

Well-written, important subject. Every time I read a Neal Schusterman book I think, “I should read more Neal Schusterman.” I think I’ll put Scythe on hold.

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