Stuck in Neutral

Review Three

Trueman, Harry. Stuck in Neutral. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 2000. Print.

Annotation: The story of how a 14 year-old boy with cerebral palsy is convinced that his father intends to kill him.

Justification for Nomination: What a fantastic introduction to the genre of Realistic Fiction for Young Adult readers! This book has numerous elements making it a strong, well-rounded nominee for a Mock Printz Award.

Stuck in Neutral, by Terry Trueman, is told from the perspective of a 14 year-old boy named Shawn McDaniel. Shawn has a severe case of cerebral palsy, a condition that allows him zero control over any of his bodily functions, from ability to speak, to eating or going to bathroom, to the simple ability to focus his eyes in one area. On top of his inability to control any of his bodily functions, Shawn suffers from intense, out-of-body-like seizures. Although Shawn has no control over his bodily functions, he is able to hear, comprehend and even remember just about everything he hears. Imagine living in this world: one where you are able to absorb what is going on around you, but completely unable to interact, much less evidence this to others.

This dilemma is the main driving force in in the 114-page novel. At the heart of the story is the classic young adult question of "Who am I?" and "How do I relate to society?". Shawn reevaluates his self-worth through the context of a range of relationships: from his family who understand and love him, to his father and other strangers who truly do not understand Shawn's condition.

Trueman's accessible writing style works on many levels. He creates an an authentic teenage-boy voice, using appropriate colloquialisms in the right places, making the voice believable. At the same time, Trueman is able to communicate mature ideas of self-reflection and self-evaluation in terms of the world outside the self. Trueman sparks insightful, philosophical questioning of what happiness and love are. He masterfully ignites evaluation of mature themes for the young adult audience.

The father of a son who suffers from the same condition as the protagonist, Trueman presents an authentic, enlightening, and fresh character in his portrayal of Shawn McDaniel.

Overall, the novel works well for the middle to early high-school level reader to experience a unique story that deals with timelessly resonant themes of the value of family, happiness, love and the impact of society on the individual (and vice a versa). The hints of ambiguity throughout and especially the unanswered ending make this book a wonderful example of how Realistic Fiction can work to prompt deep, philosophical thought for our young readers who deserve the credit for having the capability to discuss this kind of real-world dilemma.



Genre: Realistic Fiction; Printz Honor Book, 2001