GOING BOVINE, by Libba Bray
Sept 22, 2009 by Delacorte Press
Hardcover, 480 Pages
Library Copy

Cameron Smith is kind of a loser; he is scraping by in his classes, not interested in college, not popular and hangs out with the kids who smoke pot in the bathroom. He suffers from constant comparisons to his preppy twin sister Jenna and seems to be a big disappointment to his parents. Basically Cameron has no motivation and is on the path to nowhere. A terrible sickness is about to change Cam's life forever.(Wow what a great outlook for a kid: the road to nowhere and then a dark crazy sickness)

That road to nowhere takes a twist when his outrageous behavior and terrifying visions are revealed to be caused not by drug use (which everyone thinks and which he does do) but an incurable case of mad cow disease. As the tissue in his brain breaks down, he slowly and painfully go’s crazy-Why the hell did I read this again- apparently when the madness begins to take over, his brain gives into the freaky visions of fire and wizards and all things mad cow disease makes your brain do. Pretty soon, Cameron is in the hospital with a terminal diagnosis and facing the reality that he might be about to die.

ONCE we reach the hospital stage things get even weirder, he meets a punk rock angel named Dulcie and a hypochondriac dwarf named Gonzo. At this point Cameron sets off on a road trip to find Dr. X, a physicist who disappeared years ago. Dr. X holds both the potential to destroy the entire world and the ability to cure Cameron's disease. Along the way an indestructible talking yard gnome who might be the incarnation of the Norse god Balder, joins Cameron's trip.

Hmmmmm yeah…….ok.

I loved the Gemma Doyle Trilogy and I think Libba Bray is a very talented and fabulous writer. That’s why going into Bovine I was very surprised this was the same author. It was a complete 180 from the style of the Gemma books, not that she picked a different topic or even the fact that humor is a talent she possesses (there were many humorous lines in her previous books) but the writing itself seemed to be coming from a different person. I guess that in itself is talent when you can whip out a book so unlike your previous writings it gives the reader a complete and new look at you as an author.

What bothered me was the fact that I found no humor in a story of a young boy dying and the eager use of drugs, no matter what quirky and ludicrous characters he met (hence he’s going absolutely crazy so the strange characters fit the story) but If you've ever watched a young person (or any person for that matter) that you are close with die, reading a humorous story about someone losing their life is no laughing matter. Ugh I know, I sound all preachy but I think the mood I was in didn't mesh with the mood of this book.

Also (coming from a mom’s perspective) Im finding a not so great trend in the YA world: What’s up with all the bone head irresponsible parents? Even more disturbing, since when did writing about kids doing drugs become a cool and funny subject to laugh about? Don’t schools and parents and countless others stress to our children “Don’t do Drugs"? Why is it that a novel targeted towards young teens have characters smoking pot as cool? I think that is an irresponsible message to young kids, sorry Libba but the humor dried up for me as soon as your doobies took over.

2/5 Mature YA-Fiction