Going Bovine: Entry Three

The very beginning of this story starts with Cameron stating, "The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World" (Bray, 1). This sets the stage of this entire book brilliantly by doing numerous things from the get go.

This is Cameron's sass at the beginning of it all.

One, characterization. It reveals Cameron's beginning attitude towards his life and communicating in general as rather pessimistic and to himself. Without even knowing his name we can tell he isn't one to brighten the mood or spark a casual conversation. You could even consider him a tad on the sassy side; which makes this book feel much more open and casual. I appreciate it Libba Bray.

Two, the anticipation. When I read that line for the first time, I knew this book was something special. Is that really the best day of your life? That's rough... What happened? Did you nearly choke on a Mickey Mouse ice cream bar? How do you even remember something when you are five? It rather hooked me; and I'm sure it has hooked others.

Three, the development of a theme. Bray was capable of crafting a nice before and after piece where Cameron is put into the same position twice, yet there are two completely different outcomes. In the beginning, he's helpless, reckless, and scarred as he nearly drowns in the river of the Small World ride and looks at everything as a threat to his well-being; resorting to dissing out at everything and never taking a risk. (Start of Spoiler) But by then end, he's optimistic, and sees everything a whole shade brighter and as a more mature being after living through the most insane yet spectacular two weeks of his life. It certainly is the about the journey not the destination. (End of Spoiler) A true turn-around in every sense of the word.

This quote contains so much in so little. It shows the potential power that once sentence can have, and it paved the way to a great novel.

Going Bovine: Entry Two

Let us take a closer look at our main characters; shall we?

Cameron: Kind of a jerk; very self-centered, and rather lazy. This is one of the few times that I truly disliked the protagonist as a character. He seems to just want to slide by life and do the bare minimum; and not a drop more. Over the course of the book however, I feel that he begins to see the importance of synergy and dynamically grows as a character: when he finds the love of his life. I cannot tell who because it is somewhat of a spoiler but I will say that you will be surprised.

Gonzo: Constantly anxious about the smallest of things and a mama's boy. Seriously, the guy calls his mother every second possible and thinks he is allergic to all foods: except grilled cheese, that's his safe haven. Crazy about video games, he finds any opportunity to make a reference to it and distracts him enough to neglect the one job he had to do: watch a massive, distinct, roaring, bus. Like Cameron, Gonzo becomes bolder by the end; after a forced situation of discomfort leading to a realization of comfort (again, spoilers).

Balder: Imagine a noble, courageous, and immortal viking yard gnome came to life; that's Balder. After being discovered in the backyard of some trailer by Cameron, Balder joins their adventure in search of his own vessel Ringhorn that shall lift the curse that turned him into a yard gnome in the first place and become a Norse god once more.

These three seemingly contrasting beings come together to discover the answer to a question we have always asked: what is the purpose of life? Every so often Dulcie checks in with Cameron on his travels, but not necessarily to make sure he is on the right path. She seems to only come to joke around, and about the random amazing things about our world; such as the power of hope and microwave popcorn: those little yet special things in life. Perhaps this journey is more than just saving the world? Perhaps, "'Time is what you make of it...'" (Bray, 334)

***One of the small yet special things in my life are certain videos on YouTube. This one in particular never gets old: a turtle dances under a stream of water to Shake it Off by Taylor Swift, it always makes my day, and you can watch it here.

One last note, I feel this book is structured perfectly. It is all sequential - like most stories - making it rather simple to follow and you don't have to connect the dots. Each chapter is titled through Cameron's point of view, and briefly summarizes the chapter, albeit rather humorously. For example, there's "Chapter Eleven: In Which I Recount the Untold Joys of MRIs and Open-Backed Hospital Gowns" (Bray, 77) and "Chapter Twenty-Four: Of What Happens When I Bowl a Perfect Strike and Learn Not to Hurt My Happiness" (Bray, 199); they get me every time.

Going Bovine: Entry One

Life. What a beautiful thing. We exist through one of the most complicated processes known to man and sometimes we take that for granted. For our main character Cameron Smith; that sometimes is all the time.

The cover

He - like others his age - is an awkward, misunderstood, and drug-addicted teenager in Texas struggling through both high school and a social life. And just when he (and myself) thought it couldn't get any worse; Cameron is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: a disease that affects the brain and slowly makes the victim go insane. In other words, Cameron has the human equivalent of mad cow disease. And, to top it all off, there is no cure. Unless...

Cameron gets a visit from a messenger angel named Dulcie. Along with showing off her spoon-balancing skills, Dulcie revels that there is indeed a cure for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, yet it will require him to go on a cross-country journey through the United States to find a mysterious Dr. X and not only same himself, but the world from a wormhole that will arrive in two weeks. Cameron, with help from a short, video game loving, classmate who just so happened to have a hospital bed right next to Cameron, Gonzo, and later also with a Norse god viking yard gnome, Balder, go on a journey to save both himself and the world before he "goes bovine."

This book really reminds me of the timeless classic Don Quixote, in its over-the-top plot and presentation. In fact, Going Bovine even references Don Quixote by making it a school assignment for Cameron near the beginning. It truly is something special, and I could not wait to find out what trouble Cameron and Gonzo get in.