Going Bovine

GOING BOVINE

LIBBA BRAY

All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

So, as all reviews start, I'm herping and derping around the library. I usually stay in the 'New Books' part, but today is special. Well, it's not special. I just ended up in the plain YA section. And I found this. And now I'll stop talking and start reviewing.

So, even if it wasn't from the section I usually look at, there's a lot to say about this book.

The plot seems a little strange, I know. Someone dying of Mad Cow disease traveling space and time with a yard gnome who claims to be a Norse god and a dwarf with an angel with pink hair in the mix. Somehow, though, Libba Bray made it work. The entire thing flowed together like it was simply meant to be, like chocolate and peanut-butter. Even though the book was long and had a tendency to sidetrack, it all came together so you'd forget you were reading, not watching the characters go along.

The descriptions were, even if they went a hair longer than they needed to be, were well-handled.

The characters, while they were all unique and written in at the best time for understanding the story, didn't seem to develop as much as I was expecting, though. Really, the only character who seemed to change a substantial amount was Dulcie, but she was only one of many could-be-explored characters. Though it's kind of disappointing when I look back on it, I doubt I really noticed anything while reading. So as long as you don't over-think things like I do, you should be good.

So, to sum it up, it was a good book with its only fault being hardly noticeable while you read. I'd recommend it. 

Sorry for the wait. It's been a long time.
~ Corinne