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kimlynn77's review against another edition
4.0
A companion to "Stuck in Neutral" and "Cruise Control." Great quick read and engaging enough for reluctant readers.
readwithpassion's review against another edition
3.0
This is an excellent sequel to Stuck in Neutral. I was glad to hear Shawn's voice again. His life has changed as he has fallen in love and the family takes in his mother's cousin, who has Down Syndrome.
aprilbooksandwine's review against another edition
3.0
Life Happens Next is the sequel to Stuck In Neutral by Terry Trueman and honestly, after reading this book, I can’t wait to check Cruise Control, the companion novel out of the library. So, um spoiler alert: Shawn doesn’t die, and so Life Happens Next focuses on Shawn’s life after he avoids being murdered by his dad.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here
claudiaswisher's review against another edition
4.0
Terry Trueman is writing this with the full weight of experience. His son has CP and is similarly trapped in a body that just doesn't work, exactly like Shawn. And his wife has a sister with Down Syndrome, just like Debi, a new character added from the first book.
At the end of STUCK IN NEUTRAL, we and Shawn wonder if his father is about to kill him...out of love and despair, but kill his own son. We obviously learn the answer with this book.
Shawn's voice is so smart and smarty. He is so ironically aware of the huge difference between what he KNOWS is happening in his brain, and what the world, including his family THINKS is happening. He remembers everything he hears; he can read; he understands complex relationships. But he's trapped in a body that doesn't work.
Into the family comes Debi and Rusty. Debi's a relative of Shawn's mother -- mentally retarded and very childlike for her adult body. Rusty is a dog that truly scares Shawn, who is powerless against the teeth and intent of this suspicious canine.
But Shawn learns that Rusty can anticipate his seizures and can comfort him. He learns that Debi understands how smart he is. She's the first person to reach out and take his hand.
Trueman forces his readers to acknowledge how very little we know about each other. Give someone a disability and the fences go up and we know even less.
I'm so impressed by Trueman's honesty and courage...he tells us about his own family as he invents Shawn. Important book.
At the end of STUCK IN NEUTRAL, we and Shawn wonder if his father is about to kill him...out of love and despair, but kill his own son. We obviously learn the answer with this book.
Shawn's voice is so smart and smarty. He is so ironically aware of the huge difference between what he KNOWS is happening in his brain, and what the world, including his family THINKS is happening. He remembers everything he hears; he can read; he understands complex relationships. But he's trapped in a body that doesn't work.
Into the family comes Debi and Rusty. Debi's a relative of Shawn's mother -- mentally retarded and very childlike for her adult body. Rusty is a dog that truly scares Shawn, who is powerless against the teeth and intent of this suspicious canine.
But Shawn learns that Rusty can anticipate his seizures and can comfort him. He learns that Debi understands how smart he is. She's the first person to reach out and take his hand.
Trueman forces his readers to acknowledge how very little we know about each other. Give someone a disability and the fences go up and we know even less.
I'm so impressed by Trueman's honesty and courage...he tells us about his own family as he invents Shawn. Important book.
theawkwardbookw's review against another edition
2.0
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This is the sequel to Stuck in Neutral which follows a 14 year old boy with Cerebral Palsy. After his father didn't kill him like he planned, Shawn McDaniel is happy to be alive. Everyone still thinks he is a vegetable and unable to understand or communicate with others effectively. That's when Debi, his mom's 41 year old cousin with Down Syndrome comes to live with them and is the first person to see him for who he truly is.
Although I find the concept of the book being written from Shawn's perspective intriguing, I found it boring and uneventful. I did like how his family was so supportive and understanding and I really enjoyed Debi and Rusty as characters. I will say that I enjoyed Stuck in Neutral a lot more and did not think this brought anything new to Shawn's story.
This is the sequel to Stuck in Neutral which follows a 14 year old boy with Cerebral Palsy. After his father didn't kill him like he planned, Shawn McDaniel is happy to be alive. Everyone still thinks he is a vegetable and unable to understand or communicate with others effectively. That's when Debi, his mom's 41 year old cousin with Down Syndrome comes to live with them and is the first person to see him for who he truly is.
Although I find the concept of the book being written from Shawn's perspective intriguing, I found it boring and uneventful. I did like how his family was so supportive and understanding and I really enjoyed Debi and Rusty as characters. I will say that I enjoyed Stuck in Neutral a lot more and did not think this brought anything new to Shawn's story.
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