Stuck In Neutral

Terry Trueman

HarperTempest, New York, 2000

Genres: Body Self, Family

Reading Level: Young Adult (16-18)

Pages: 114

Awards: Printz Honor Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Summary:

Shawn McDaniel is fourteen years old and he's trapped within his body. Oh yeah, also he thinks his dad is planning to kill him. This story takes you into the mind of a "retarded" teen who is forced to deal with a family that is falling apart.

Reaction:

I couldn't really get into this book at all; I had to force myself to finish it, even though it was so short. It deals with very serious issues that require a certain level of maturity to understand. For that reason, I wouldn't really recommend this book for anybody under that age of 16. I didn't entirely find the character of Shawn to be realistic, but the father was portrayed amazingly well. This book is great for fueling debate and discussion.

Cautionary Note: Very mature content, meaning moral issues of murder and death. It also has some language and sexual references. Ages 16 and up.