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ftrebelo's review against another edition
5.0
This is a beautifully written book which literally takes you on a dive through the experience of mental illness.
sydneybeth's review against another edition
I think it was just hard to follow on audio because I was pretty confused with the jumping back and forth, and that made it hard to like the story. I’ll probably try again on paper.
pancake_lizard's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
1madesun's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a trip. This book effectively told a split plot. It was interesting and nice to have a story that was centered around a teen schizophrenia and how that impacts teen life. This book reminded me of two other books combined into one, Moby Dick by Melville and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Chbosky. I like seeing a story focused on Man v. Himself motif because I don’t see it often or done well. I was really rooting for the main character Caden fighting his mental illness as I know how hard it is to go on as if nothing is wrong or trying to fit your mental illness into your life. I was clearly able to see Caden’s descent into his own form of madness/illness thanks to the diction and the two storylines melting together. I also think that this book good at depicting mental illness. This was a sweet and endearing book. You want the characters to succeed.
marsius's review against another edition
4.0
"Count your blessings,” the captain says, “And if you count less than ten, cut off the remaining fingers.”
I wish I could have read Challenger Deep without having heard that it touched on mental illness, but there's simply no way to avoid that knowledge. The blurbs on the back declare it to be among the best portrayals of mental illness ever written, the interviews and talk shows bring in experts on psychosis, and the hardcover even comes with stickers on it declaring its content. Even so, that this books exists, that we have the opportunity to read it, is a blessing to us all.
Shusterman's portrayal of the onset and descent into psychosis, largely informed by the experiences of his own son, are haunting and full of insight. It's also disorienting. He writes in the first person and in the present tense, and as the protagonist begins to blur reality and his own psychoses, the prose begins to blur reality for the reader. Thankfully, the false reality is as engrossing and fleshed out as the real one.
One fun bonus: it's written in 161 chapters of 320 pages, a series of vignettes making up a complete narrative. The upshot is that it's almost perfectly written for commuting by public transit, as you're always right near the end of a chapter. Of course, there's a minor problem in that I had difficulty putting it down, but that's just something I had to deal with.
Overall, highly recommended.
I wish I could have read Challenger Deep without having heard that it touched on mental illness, but there's simply no way to avoid that knowledge. The blurbs on the back declare it to be among the best portrayals of mental illness ever written, the interviews and talk shows bring in experts on psychosis, and the hardcover even comes with stickers on it declaring its content. Even so, that this books exists, that we have the opportunity to read it, is a blessing to us all.
Shusterman's portrayal of the onset and descent into psychosis, largely informed by the experiences of his own son, are haunting and full of insight. It's also disorienting. He writes in the first person and in the present tense, and as the protagonist begins to blur reality and his own psychoses, the prose begins to blur reality for the reader. Thankfully, the false reality is as engrossing and fleshed out as the real one.
One fun bonus: it's written in 161 chapters of 320 pages, a series of vignettes making up a complete narrative. The upshot is that it's almost perfectly written for commuting by public transit, as you're always right near the end of a chapter. Of course, there's a minor problem in that I had difficulty putting it down, but that's just something I had to deal with.
Overall, highly recommended.
ilsevdhout's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide attempt
lalawoman416's review against another edition
5.0
Really good, but really hard to read if you love anyone living with schizophrenia. A fictional insiders look at a boy losing touch with and struggling to maintain a hold of reality.
cabby25's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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