Read It: Going Bovine by Libba Bray

I adore Libba Bray.

I love her hilarious interview/trailer/promo video for Going Bovine.



And I heart this book*.

I heart it so much I can't even tell you what it's about. Not because I don't want to spoil it, but because it's about...well...it's kind of about everything.

Unremarkable 16 year old Cameron get diagnosed with mad cow disease and is gonna die in a few weeks. No treatment. No hope. Until a punk rock angel (like, with wings) tells him about a cure and he sets off on the ultimate road trip with a hypochondriac dwarf and a garden gnome/Viking god to find it.

The book made me sad and angry. Then it made me laugh. Then it gave me a couple of anxiety attacks. (If you're not comfortable with exploring the "big questions" that the book promises to tackle - what does it mean to live and to die - then be ready for some anxiety attacks.)

It made me uncomfortable and no, I didn't love every minute of it because being uncomfortable sucks but to every kidlit naysayer or literary snob who dismisses young adult literature as less than (insert whatever is "enough"), you need this book.

It's the kind of novel that lives, grows, and changes. It means one thing when you first read it, another when you consider it months later and something new when you re-read it down the road. One book - a bevy of emotions. In a tough economy, it's worth the investment!


* This is a review of the ARC