Book Review: Going Bovine

TITLE: Going Bovine
PART IN SERIES: Standalone novel
AUTHOR: Libba Bray
PUBLISHED: 2009
GENRE: Young adult, drama
PREMISE: Cameron discovers he has mad-cow disease. See how he copes.
MY REVIEW: For those of us who read and loved the Gemma Doyle trilogy (me!) this book was probably not expected. I kind of respect Bray for doing a novel completely different from Gemma Doyle even though that was a hit for her. She could have easily had done a similar fantasy love story thing instead...she does a crazy story about a boy finding out he has mad-cow disease and is dying and it's about the complete opposite of Gemma Doyle. So, Bray gets my respect for that.
So now you know the story please don't be turned off by it. This is a wonderful book, if a tad bit odd at times (there's a talking knome...no, really) and may not be to everyone's taste. The ending is also sad. But it comes with Bray's usual great writing, Cameron's interesting sense of humor (despite the premise, there is some hilarious stuff in here), and some thought provoking ideas. I see why it was up for awards (it won a Newberry! Or...something like a Newberry...it won an award I know that).
So if you don't mind a touchy thing like people dying, I definitely reccomend this book. I can't wait to see what Bray writes next. She has definitely become one of my favorite authors.
WHO SHOULD READ: anyone inclined to pick it up
MY RATING: Four and a half out of Five knomes

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