Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman is a poignant and raw portrayal of a young man's descent into mental illness, specifically schizophrenia. The book alternates between Caden's reality and his hallucinatory world on a ship, blurring the lines between the two and providing a unique insight into his struggles. Through Caden's narrative, readers are taken on a journey through the depths of psychosis, hospitalization, and the impact of mental illness on both the individual and their loved ones. Shusterman's writing style delicately balances the harrowing nature of the story with moments of hope and compassion, creating a narrative that is both heart-wrenching and enlightening.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book contains triggers related to mental illness, paranoia, hallucinations, and themes surrounding hospitalization and suicide.
From The Publisher:
National Book Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book
Golden Kite Award
National Book Award * Golden Kite Award Winner * Six Starred Reviews
A captivating novel about mental illness that lingers long beyond the last page, Challenger Deep is a heartfelt tour de force by New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman.
Caden Bosch is on a ship that's headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.
Caden Bosch is a brilliant high school student whose friends are starting to notice his odd behavior.
Caden Bosch is designated the ship's artist in residence to document the journey with images.
Caden Bosch pretends to join the school track team but spends his days walking for miles, absorbed by the thoughts in his head.
Caden Bosch is split between his allegiance to the captain and the allure of mutiny.
Caden Bosch is torn.
Challenger Deep is a deeply powerful and personal novel from one of today's most admired writers for teens. Laurie Halse Anderson, award-winning author of Speak, calls Challenger Deep "a brilliant journey across the dark sea of the mind; frightening, sensitive, and powerful. Simply extraordinary."
Ratings (16)
Incredible (9) | |
Loved It (6) | |
It Was OK (1) |
Reader Stats (52):
Read It (15) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (28) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (7) |
1 comment(s)
"Challenger Deep" is an amazing young adult novel that shows a fifteen-year old's experience with mental illness as well as how his illness impacts his family and friends.
The book begins with an illustration followed by an entry by the unnamed narrator sharing his thoughts of being in his house with his family while also rationalizing that the neighbor and others are not trying to kill him. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the narrator is fighting a battle to keep a grasp on his reality for fear that the captain will come and claim him.
The next entry introduces the character of the captain and has the still unnamed narrator on a boat headed for the deepest point on Earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of Mariana Trench. In the remaining 159 entries, we eventually learn the name of the narrator is Caden Bosch and follow him as he alternates between life as a sophomore in high school living with his mom, dad, and younger sister and a crewman on a ship who eventually becomes the designated ship’s artist in residence.
As the novel progresses, Caden’s family eventually become aware that something is wrong after he pretends to join the school track team but instead ends up spending his afternoons walking for hours absorbed by the thought in his head. Although the novel ends on a somewhat happy note, Caden accepts that his mental illness is something he will have to endure for life and realizes that this means he will sometimes have good days and sometimes have bad days but, in the end, it’s all about making it through each day.
This was an interesting novel due to the insight that Shusterman provides through Caden as he navigates the choppy waters of mental illness. The further the novel progress, the more that the reader realizes that the members of the ship are actually based on people in Caden’s life. Through the illustrations in the novel as well as Caden’s perspective, the author aims to give the reader empathy for those who experience mental illness and well as empathy for their family and friends.
I really enjoyed this novel due to the amount of transparency that Shusterman provides regarding his personal connection to the mental illness portrayed in this novel. After sharing how he felt as he watched his son journey to the deep and feeling powerless to help him, he felt compelled to work with his now adult son to capture what it feels to be experiencing mental illness including the highs, low, and the paranoia. By working together to create “Challenger Deep” this novel not only serves as a way for readers to gain perspective on mental illness in teenagers but through the list of resources provided at the end of the book, it can also act as a tool to help those who may be experiencing mental illness.
What can you read after
Challenger Deep?
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