I don't know what I want to say about this book, but no one else is initiating discussion (and it's been a while since I have), so I'll just start rambling.
Wow. That's my impression of this book. I felt it extremely strongly within the first ten pages, twenty pages, thirty pages—and even at the end, I'm still thinking "wow" (although a little less strongly). This entire premise is fascinating to me. I loved Shawn—his voice, his personality, his honesty, his earnestness—and I loved being in his mind (especially since no one else ever is or could be).
It's so wonderful to think about Shawn being a secret genius, being so with it inside, being so aware and alert, but it's also so sad, to think that no one will know, no one will know him, no one can hear what he wants to say.
The debate of the book—is Shawn's life worth living—is so conflicting and confusing for me to wrap my head around. I love that Shawn likes his life, that he's happy, that he wants to live and doesn't want to die. But I also agree with the dad that Shawn is trapped inside his own body. Because I believe that when you die, it's not the end of you (wait, this isn't going to turn into a religious hedgehogs v. nonreligious hedgehogs argument, is it? KIDDING), part of me really does think that Shawn would be better off dying and being able to be free, fly and soar like he does during his seizures, all the time. He could communicate and have people know him, and he could really be the Shawn that we saw through his narrative. [Obviously we have different versions, if any, of an afterlife, and I'm just imagining mine.] Am I a horrible person for thinking that? Mind you, it's not that I think Shawn's father should kill him. I just can't help but wonder if Shawn would be better off in another world, in another time. He think he's happy now, but I think he could be happier. It's a moot point, since he isn't in another world or another time and he's living life here, but it's still really difficult for me to process, his quality of life and his happiness.
I don't think Shawn's father does or will go through with it. I think he's torn and conflicted, but I don't think he will ever resolve that enough to actually go through with it. It's like Trueman says in the author's note: "I can't say 'yes' to any of these questions. But I can't say 'no' either." And I don't think Shawn's father would go through with it if he can only answer "I don't know." I'm still trying to decide what I think of Shawn's father, though. I know he loves Shawn. But an absent father doesn't gain a whole lot in my mind, even with that.
Before I make any kind of excuses for what I've already written—controversy, controversy, controversy!—I'll stop. Thoughts?
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Eunice, thanks for starting the discussion! I read this during slow times at work (we actually carry it! Shocking!) and had responses similar to yours.
Shawn's a very likeable character and it is fascinating to read the voice of a voiceless individual. And not just voiceless -- completely void of any kind of communication. It made me think about how I deal with people who don't communicate well, regardless of their reasons why.
The story reads very personably. Shawn is clearly talking to us, confiding his narrative without delving into the "Dear Reader" sort of book. And he knows how to read! That's awesome!
I thought the dad was not fully believeable as a character. Paul was, but the father seemed off or maybe just too melodramatic. I found his poem kindof stupid -- not the context or setup of it; the poem itself sucked.
The book (especially with the unresolved ending) is clearly meant to encourage discussion.
A few questions:
Are unresolved endings a copout? Do you like them or consider it cheating? Do they give you closure?
I usually like open ended books (like The Giver). They can get annoying, like the author is purposefully turning to you and saying, "Now, what can we learn from this story? What do you think? Let's talk about it!" But they give every reader the chance to believe what they want and, as a result, come away from a book satisfied. (Unless you are the sort of person who hates unresolved endings.) People can argue about What Really Happened but there is no right answer.
Me, I think Shawn's dad killed him. He did so out of a kind of selfish, well-meaning love, and as much as I understand why (thinks Shawn suffers terribly during seizures, can't communicate, etc.), I don't agree with it. I tend to fall into the "life at any price is still worth living" category. Like all of us, Shawn will have plenty of time to be dead. I thought the out-of-body experiences were slightly hokey and added an unnecessary fantastical element to the story. I treated them as just a brain tweak and all imagined; the communication with his dad a coincidence.
Shawn knows his situation sucks, but what else is there? He either has to accept it or be miserable all the time (though it's not like anyone else could tell).
The author's note at the end kinda freaked me out. It made the story all too real and immediate; here Terry Trueman is revealing thoughts about the reality he deals with on a daily basis.
In spite of Shawn's condition, I kept trying to think of some way he could communicate. Harness his brain waves? Anything?
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