Stuck in the Neutral by Terry Trueman

[Brys]

An amazing YA book I remember reading when I was 11 or 12. It was a novel from the perspective of a boy with severe cerebral palsy. Here's the amazon synopsis:

Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel loves the taste of smoked oysters and his mother's gentle hugs. Unfortunately, it's impossible for Shawn to feed himself or to hug his mom back. Shawn has severe cerebral palsy, a condition he has had since birth that has robbed him of all muscle control. He can't walk, talk, or even focus his eyes on his own. But despite all these handicaps, despite the frustration of not being able to communicate, Shawn is still happy to be alive: "Somehow all the things I think about and remember turn to joy... favourite movies... pinecones... chocolate pudding... the scent of Comet in a stainless steel sink.... Life can be great, even for me. Even for me." That is why he panics when he begins to suspect that his father is thinking of killing him. Shawn knows that his father is trying to be kind; he imagines that his son's life is an endless torment. His dad has no idea of the rich life that Shawn lives inside his head. And Shawn, helpless and mute, has no way of telling him.
Stuck in Neutral is a unique journey into the mind of a truly unique character. Shawn McDaniel, who is literally trapped in his own body, will serve as a powerful metaphor for teens who feel cornered by circumstances or their own physical shortcomings. Terry Trueman's first-person portrayal of Shawn is made all the more poignant by the fact that Trueman's own son, Henry, also suffers from cerebral palsy. This is an original and moving debut. (Ages 11 to 15)

It's probably the darkest YA novel I've ever read, and there are some very modest fantasy elements. It's a YA masterpiece IMO, and one of the best plotted and characterised novels I've read. It gave me a completely different perspective on disability - but I was wondering if anyone else had read it. I suddenly remembered it because there was a lecture yesterday on technology for the disabled.

 

[rune]

Sounds like a thought provoking book. But Im not sure it falls into fantasy or horror.

 

[Alia]

Interesting perspective to write from and the material Trueman is writing from is intriguing. I'll have to check this one out. Better yet, I'll have the teenager read it. Thanks for the referral.

 

[Brys]

There are some mild elements of fantasy - eg the descriptions of the seizures were pretty fantastical in nature, saying that the spirit was detatched from the body etc - it isn't the focus of the book, but there's some of it there, and if nothing else, it is certainly original and imaginative - isn't that what fantasy's supposed to be about?
And there's definitely an argument to be made for it being horror - psychological horror at least, as Shawn fears for his life, and what is everyday and ordinary to us is very different to someone with cerebral palsy.