Title: Going Bovine
Author: Libba Bray
Pages: 496
Source: Library (I get most of my books here, as you'll soon see...)
Synopsis:
All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.from Amazon
Going Bovine was a book that I saw at least three times before I finally decided to read it, and I'm glad I finally did. It took me three weeks to read, but I think this is one of the most fun books to read that I've ever read. Cameron, the protagonist is sarcastic and witty, and his point of view constantly makes me laugh.
The story is about Cameron, and all that happens after he gets diagnosed with mad cow disease and learns he will die soon. Dulcie the angel soon appears and offers him a quest that will get him a cure and save the world. He accepts, of course and with the dwarf, mummy's-boy Gonzo and the God of gnomes, he starts following the signs. They're completely random and seem like coincidences, but there are no coincidences as Cam learns early on.
My favourite thing about this book is Cameron's dialogue and thoughts. It sounds so much like a real teens! And I can't say how many times I laughed out loud. But it isn't all funny voice and jokes, Going Bovine deals with serious issues too, like death, love, happiness, and loneliness. 100 pages in and I was hooked. Hell, 30 pages in I was hooked.
This is honestly one of my favourite books. It's a book that made me laugh and cry, be depressed and giddy with happiness. Overall it's a book I'm glad to have read, and I recommend to others. The ending is satisfying, and not completely random. Though I think it's meant to be a standalone, I wouldn't object to more.
5 stars
*****
P.S. This book made me feel the same way the Percy Jackson series did. But it's obviously for older audiences.
P.P.S (sorry) I'm still working on how to write a good review, so if anyone has any suggestions I'd be glad to follow them.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Going Bovine is one of my favorite books. I agree that Cameron is an amazing character. I also struggled with whether I wanted to laugh or cry throughout most of the book.
ReplyDeleteAs far as writing reviews go - I don't have a magic formula to share. I just kind of write whatever pops into my head at the time. What I will recommend is checking out as many book reviews as possible on a ton of different blogs. Find the ones you like best and then figure out why that review appeals to you. Then try to use some of those same traits in your own work.
Thanks for the advice and I'm definitely going to do that.
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