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rei_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
sarahrahrah's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow, this was a powerful but tough read. Schusterman did a fantastic job of writing in such a way that you as the reader feel the sense of confusion about what is reality or not just as much as the character. I loved the insight from his son as well as the inclusion of his many drawings and scribblings. The shift in Caden's struggle and eventual hospital admittance/diagnosis was built at the perfect pace, and it felt like I was figuring out the connections of the doctors and nurses and other patients to the crewmates on the ship as Caden was also figuring it out. There were many poignant descriptions throughout the book, and one that has really stuck out to me is how Caden describes having to clean the cannon barrel, and how loud and disorienting it was and later finding out that was his experience of getting an MRI done.
All in all amazing book, I think the only reason I am not giving it a full 5 stars is because if how tough it was for me to keep reading at parts due to my own mental health journey
All in all amazing book, I think the only reason I am not giving it a full 5 stars is because if how tough it was for me to keep reading at parts due to my own mental health journey
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Suicide attempt
soggypotatoes's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
a_rock_to_live_under's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
my gf gave me this book and said it was her favorite, I liked it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Child death, Death, Rape, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
graciejames's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death and Rape
joanne19m's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
jojo_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Abandonment
Minor: Ableism, Death, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Grief
breedawnwriter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Sometimes there are moments when we objectively face the never, and it overwhelms us.”
When I read this book for the first time, I literally didn’t know what to do with myself. Neal Shusterman’s words had touched me so deeply, so honestly, that I didn’t know how to step back into a world that pretends mental illness is a myth. This book made me feel so understood, even though I only struggle with an anxiety disorder and not something as heartbreaking as schizophrenia.
That’s really the only way to describe why I love this book so much: it makes me feel SEEN. It makes me feel like mental illness is SEEN. It reminds me that there are still people out there who get it and understand and care.
“I know I have been a victim of many things beyond my control—but in this moment, in this place, here is something I have the power to choose. There are no miracles here, the parrot had said—but neither is there hopelessness, no matter what the serpent wants me to believe. Nothing is inevitable.”
Reading it a second time, especially aloud, only emphasized my feelings. It sounds cheesy, but there really is something truly powerful about this novel. Caden is such a beautifully written character because not only is he incredibly – INCREDIBLY – flawed, he allows the reader to explore how devastatingly, how painfully, human he is.
How devastatingly, how painfully, human we all are.
And how possible it is to crawl back toward the light and the blue sky when Hopelessness and the Abyssal Serpent watch inches away, ready to devour you the second you give in and whisper that you can’t go on.
Caden Bosch is a fictional representation of the battles fought every day by those with mental illness.
I’m not going to lie, there are times when this book would be far too painful to read. It’s dark, gritty, and dives straight to the murky depths of the ocean that is Mental Illness. But in that murky depth there is power. There is meaning to be found. There is healing and the strength to move forward in the darkening trenches of Challenger Deep.
There is the acknowledgement that just because you’ve won a battle, doesn’t mean you’ve won the war. Neal makes it painfully obvious that this is a battle Caden will fight long after the final page is written.
But there is a lingering hope that resonates in the cracks long after you’ve closed the book and returned it to your bookshelf.
When I read this book for the first time, I literally didn’t know what to do with myself. Neal Shusterman’s words had touched me so deeply, so honestly, that I didn’t know how to step back into a world that pretends mental illness is a myth. This book made me feel so understood, even though I only struggle with an anxiety disorder and not something as heartbreaking as schizophrenia.
That’s really the only way to describe why I love this book so much: it makes me feel SEEN. It makes me feel like mental illness is SEEN. It reminds me that there are still people out there who get it and understand and care.
“I know I have been a victim of many things beyond my control—but in this moment, in this place, here is something I have the power to choose. There are no miracles here, the parrot had said—but neither is there hopelessness, no matter what the serpent wants me to believe. Nothing is inevitable.”
Reading it a second time, especially aloud, only emphasized my feelings. It sounds cheesy, but there really is something truly powerful about this novel. Caden is such a beautifully written character because not only is he incredibly – INCREDIBLY – flawed, he allows the reader to explore how devastatingly, how painfully, human he is.
How devastatingly, how painfully, human we all are.
And how possible it is to crawl back toward the light and the blue sky when Hopelessness and the Abyssal Serpent watch inches away, ready to devour you the second you give in and whisper that you can’t go on.
Caden Bosch is a fictional representation of the battles fought every day by those with mental illness.
I’m not going to lie, there are times when this book would be far too painful to read. It’s dark, gritty, and dives straight to the murky depths of the ocean that is Mental Illness. But in that murky depth there is power. There is meaning to be found. There is healing and the strength to move forward in the darkening trenches of Challenger Deep.
There is the acknowledgement that just because you’ve won a battle, doesn’t mean you’ve won the war. Neal makes it painfully obvious that this is a battle Caden will fight long after the final page is written.
But there is a lingering hope that resonates in the cracks long after you’ve closed the book and returned it to your bookshelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcohol
tezariah's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
kshertz's review against another edition
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was an interesting concept. I dive into mental illness, explaining it through the idea of a journey out into the ocean. It was very well done. It’s scattered and time is not linear which is hard for me in books but it makes sense when explaining mental illness. Not my favorite of Neal’s books, but it you know someone suffering from a mental illness, I definitely recommend reading it to learn more about those you love.
Content Warnings
Minor: Chronic illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment