Title: Challenger Deep
Author: Neal Shusterman
First published April 21, 2015
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Rating: 4.14
Overview
In Neal Shusterman’s Challenger Deep, we follow the journey of Caden Bosch as he embarks on a voyage to the deepest part of the ocean. Despite being a gifted student, Caden’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic and his friends begin to worry.
Along his journey, Caden is tasked with documenting the trip with his art, yet remains lost in his own thoughts. As he struggles with his allegiance to the captain and the temptation of mutiny, Caden is torn between two worlds.
Join Caden on his unforgettable journey into the depths of the unknown.
About the Author
Neal Shusterman, an award-winning author, began writing at an early age in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York. After attending the American School of Mexico City for his junior and senior years of high school, he went on to graduate from UC Irvine, where he not only made his mark on the UCI swim team but also wrote a successful humor column.
Within a year of graduating, he secured his first book deal and was hired to write a movie script.
Since then, Neal has been successful as a novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. He is his own hardest task-master, always creating new stories to tell.
His books have received numerous awards from prestigious organizations such as the International Reading Association and the American Library Association, as well as winning many state and local awards across the United States.
Neal’s talents extend beyond writing, having directed two short films that won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards, and writing music and stage plays, including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” currently playing in Boston. He has even developed three successful games for teens, including “How to Host a Mystery,” and seven “How to Host a Murder” games.
As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the “Goosebumps” and “Animorphs” TV series and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect.” Currently, he is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.
Neal’s unique approach to writing stems from his degrees in psychology and drama. His novels deal with topics that appeal to both adults and teenagers, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, all bound together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.
Neal’s reputation as a dynamic storyteller and speaker is well-known wherever he goes. Much of his fiction is inspired by stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers, like his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas.
As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences.
School Library Journal described Everlost as a “rip-roaring adventure,” and What Daddy Did as a “compelling, spell-binding story.” The Schwa Was Here was praised for its characters reminiscent of those crafted by E. L.
Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli, and Scorpion Shards was called a “spellbinder” by Publisher’s Weekly. The Eyes of Kid Midas was named “one of the best young-adult titles of the year” by The Midwest Book Review and “inspired and hypnotically readable” by School Library Journal.
Neal currently resides in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration.
Editoral Review
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman – A Deep Dive into Mental Illness
Challenger Deep is a young adult novel written by Neal Shusterman, published on April 21, 2015. The novel garnered various accolades, including the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2015.
Shusterman has written in numerous genres, but his works have often dealt with heavy themes like death, grief, and mental illness. The story follows a teenager named Caden Bosch, who struggles with mental illness.
His parents and the people around him do not understand his condition, and he starts to believe that he is on a ship that is on a journey towards the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean. The novel takes place within the context of Caden’s delusions and what he believes is happening to him on this imaginary ship.
He encounters various people on the ship, each representing a facet of his personality, and they guide him through his journey to find the Challenger Deep. In Challenger Deep, Shusterman’s writing style is both beautiful and haunting.
He deftly captures the language of delusions, hallucinations, and the distorted perceptions of reality. The novel reads like a beautiful and heartfelt poem, as Shusterman effortlessly describes the debilitating impact of mental illness.
His prose feels almost stream-of-consciousness at times, which only adds to the immersive quality of the novel. The pacing of the novel, however, can feel slow at times due to the recurring imagery and monotonous tone.
The characters in the novel are all uniquely distinct, each representing a unique facet of Caden’s mental illness. The characters on his imaginary ship are intriguing, but the supporting characters in the real world are less fleshed out, making them feel a little one dimensional.
Nonetheless, the character development of the main protagonist, Caden, is exceptional. The reader is taken on an emotional journey as Caden comes to grips with his illness and realizes the importance of acknowledging and accepting help.
Challenger Deep is particularly remarkable for its handling of mental health through the lens of a teenager. In today’s world, mental health is still taboo, and it is essential for young readers to understand the concept and destigmatize these conditions.
Shusterman’s novel offers readers an opportunity to get inside the mind of someone suffering from mental illness, which is a fully immersive, emotional journey that helps readers understand the complexities and nuances of the illness. Overall, Challenger Deep is a beautiful novel that offers a more nuanced depiction of mental illness.
Despite some of its structural limitations, the book remains an important read for teenagers and adults alike; it delves deep into the human psyche and offers an insightful meditation on mental health. For readers willing to take the plunge, this novel offers fantastic rewards.
I, therefore, recommend this book to all teens, parents, and educators seeking an immersive and emotionally charged journey. I give this book a rating of 4.5 out of 5 due to its exceptional portrayal of mental health and enchanting prose.
