Scan barcode
ridiculousamanda's review against another edition
3.0
How would you feel if you heard someone describe you like this: "A 'retard.' Not 'retard' like you might use the word to tease a friend who just said or did something stupid. I mean a real retard. Real in the same way that total means total. As in total retard: Everybody who knows me, everybody who sees me, everybody, anybody who even gets near me would tell you I'm dumb as a rock" (4)? What if someone said it to your face? How would you feel then? If you’re like Shawn McDaniel, who has been described in this way, you may get upset, but no one would ever know it.
Shawn McDaniel is the main character of Stuck in Neutral. He is a fourteen year old boy who is confined to a wheelchair with severe cerebral palsy. He can't function on his own, drools, uses the restroom on himself, etcetera. Everyone thinks he's mentally retarded, but he's not. He has cerebral palsy, but inside his head, he's intelligent, witty and sarcastic. He can remember everything he's ever heard or seen. He understands everything that happens around him although he's not in control of his body. Shawn also has seizures, which everyone around him thinks are painful and terrible, but Shawn has a type of out-of-body experience with each seizure. He can travel from his home in Seattle, Washington, to distant places and see and feel things he's never known before. Shawn's life may seem terrible to you, and sure, he'd like to not be stuck in a wheelchair being called names and never getting the girl, but his life is okay with him.
Stuck in Neutral is written from Shawn's point of view. The reader sees the story develop around Shawn. We see him living his life in the wheelchair and how, even though everyone thinks he's "a retard," we see that he's really not. Even his family treats him this way, especially his father. He doesn't believe that Shawn is living a happy life, which develops the theme of quality of life and how we determine it. Shawn seems to be moderately happy confined to his wheelchair. He's come to terms with it and accepts it, even though it's difficult to understand why. Since no one really knows how someone with severe cerebral palsy is feeling, the book is an interesting take on it, allowing the reader to see it from the mind of someone suffering with it (although we have no way of knowing if that's really how someone with CP feels). When Shawn's father decides that Shawn is suffering too much, that he's not living a happy life, the reader gets to decide if Shawn's father ends his suffering or if he has a change of heart.
Since there is not really any way of knowing how the mind of someone with cerebral palsy works, as in, we don't know if the person is intelligent and understands what we say, it is an interesting read. This really could be how it is. This is a definite strength of the book. A weakness of the book, however, is that I find it awkward. I think it may be because the author has a son like Shawn, which makes me think, Has he thought about killing his own child? and I don't want to think about that.
Shawn McDaniel is the main character of Stuck in Neutral. He is a fourteen year old boy who is confined to a wheelchair with severe cerebral palsy. He can't function on his own, drools, uses the restroom on himself, etcetera. Everyone thinks he's mentally retarded, but he's not. He has cerebral palsy, but inside his head, he's intelligent, witty and sarcastic. He can remember everything he's ever heard or seen. He understands everything that happens around him although he's not in control of his body. Shawn also has seizures, which everyone around him thinks are painful and terrible, but Shawn has a type of out-of-body experience with each seizure. He can travel from his home in Seattle, Washington, to distant places and see and feel things he's never known before. Shawn's life may seem terrible to you, and sure, he'd like to not be stuck in a wheelchair being called names and never getting the girl, but his life is okay with him.
Stuck in Neutral is written from Shawn's point of view. The reader sees the story develop around Shawn. We see him living his life in the wheelchair and how, even though everyone thinks he's "a retard," we see that he's really not. Even his family treats him this way, especially his father. He doesn't believe that Shawn is living a happy life, which develops the theme of quality of life and how we determine it. Shawn seems to be moderately happy confined to his wheelchair. He's come to terms with it and accepts it, even though it's difficult to understand why. Since no one really knows how someone with severe cerebral palsy is feeling, the book is an interesting take on it, allowing the reader to see it from the mind of someone suffering with it (although we have no way of knowing if that's really how someone with CP feels). When Shawn's father decides that Shawn is suffering too much, that he's not living a happy life, the reader gets to decide if Shawn's father ends his suffering or if he has a change of heart.
Since there is not really any way of knowing how the mind of someone with cerebral palsy works, as in, we don't know if the person is intelligent and understands what we say, it is an interesting read. This really could be how it is. This is a definite strength of the book. A weakness of the book, however, is that I find it awkward. I think it may be because the author has a son like Shawn, which makes me think, Has he thought about killing his own child? and I don't want to think about that.
the_magic_bookstar's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book was so frustrating cause I hated his father but got where he was coming from. I loved Shawn and might want to continue the series to see what happens
roseleaf24's review against another edition
5.0
This was such a difficult, but quick and important, read. Shawn has cerebral palsy, and is completely paralyzed. He has no control over any movement, and thus is unable to communicate. Doctors have assured his family that he is developmentally disabled as well. In reality, he has an active mind that remembers everything he hears, and we, the readers, are the only ones privy to it. Written by a father of a son in a similar situation, this story is heartrending. It raises questions that we absolutely must consider as our society becomes more and more comfortable with euthanasia, abortion, and other choices of death over a quality of life judge unacceptable by some outside influence.
flippingthepages's review against another edition
4.0
It's hard to give a book like this a review. I was angry that the Dad felt the way he did about Shawn. Then taking into consideration about the reasoning behind the actions, I'm scared to say they do or don't make sense because I'm not in that situation. To love someone so much that you would be willing to sacrifice your life to end theirs? Your child's at that? I enjoyed being able to kind of see into Shawn's mind, since he can't verbally speak. This book will leave a lasting impression on me that's for sure. I'm glad that I picked it up. It gives readers a lot to think about and a lot to take into consideration on how we treat disabled, mentally and physically, humans.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
3.0
This book had a great premise, but I thought the writing was a little boring. I hate ambiguous endings, too. That could have been the best scene in the book if he would have actually written it instead of his cop-out.
kimlynn77's review against another edition
5.0
Sooo good and a quick read. I don't want to say anything to spoil it but it is sooo good! Suspenseful. Did I say that already?
cindyjac's review against another edition
3.0
What is going on in the mind of a boy "trapped" in a body that he has no control over. His family has no idea how much is going on in his brain. Parts of this book reminded my of "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" , the memoir of a man with locked-in syndrome. Shawn has teen-age boy thoughts and desires (some mature content for middle schoolers) and can remember everything he's ever heard. He thinks his father may be trying to kill him to stop his suffering. He thinks Shawn is basically in a vegetative state and has always been in this state. Disturbing and thought provoking.
audreychamaine's review against another edition
3.0
Shawn McDaniel is fourteen years old and loves life. Unfortunately, he was born with cerebral palsy and cannot control any of his muscles, not even his eyelids. He cannot communicate with anybody around him and he will never get better. Shawn lives within his own mind, finding beauty in the world around him and bliss in the frequent seizures that allow his soul to float above his body. Shawn’s life is in danger, though. It is becoming more and more apparent that his father believes Shawn is in pain and wishes to kill him to put him out of his misery. Shawn is trapped, unable to tell his father that he loves his life and that he loves him.
This book is both uplifting and heartbreaking. It is beautiful to imagine that all people with diseases like cerebral palsy are as intelligent and happy as Shawn. This book may be a comfort to a student who has a disabled friend or sibling, or is disabled him or herself.
This book is both uplifting and heartbreaking. It is beautiful to imagine that all people with diseases like cerebral palsy are as intelligent and happy as Shawn. This book may be a comfort to a student who has a disabled friend or sibling, or is disabled him or herself.
bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
3.0
What if individuals we've labeled a profoundly handicap really do have fully functioning brains--can read, remember everything they hear or see, and know everything that is going on around them? Shawn has a fully functioning brain but a body that doesn't work.
And his dad is considering euthanasia as a charitable alternative to Shawn living what he sees as being a small and weary existence.
A very thought provoking story.
And his dad is considering euthanasia as a charitable alternative to Shawn living what he sees as being a small and weary existence.
A very thought provoking story.