Overcoming physical adversity is all to common in literature.
But thanks to his authentic teen voice and his unwavering dedication
to emotional honesty, Terry Trueman's first Young Adult novel,
STUCK IN NEUTRAL gives the overworked plot point new life.
From word-one, Trueman's first-person protagonist -- Shawn
McDaniel -- clearly has a razor-sharp 14-year-old intellect.
ÊThe trouble is, nobody outside his head can see it. McDaniel
was born severely afflicted with Cerebral Palsy -- a disorder
that left him unable to control even the simplest of motor functions.
Experts falsely concluded his brain power was as faulty as his
flesh.
Time and a lack of other options have taught McDaniel there's
no point to self-pity or self-loathing, as he explains in this
excerpt:
"I try not to spend too much time worrying about how 'hard'
my life is. Of course, it's kind of difficult not to think about
it at least part of the time. ÊWhat else is there for me to
do? ÊFor the most part, though, I just live and try not to bitch
to myself too much about the bad-news stuff of my life. ÊBitching
doesn't change anything.
"Is it frustrating being trapped inside a useless body? ÊOf
course it's frustrating! ÊHave I ever felt frustrated? ÊHell,
yes! ÊBut what am I supposed to do? ÊGetting crazy doesn't help
ÊIn fact, I figured out a long time ago that the crazier I get,
the worse it feels."
Trueman's fascinating glimpse into the secret world of an
indentured spirit would be a powerful read without any additional
turmoil. But McDaniel has another problem on the horizon. ÊHis
talk show host father has become so frustrated with what he
sees as McDaniel's relentless suffering, he's considering shutting
it down -- permanently.
Can a powerless boy break through silence to save his own
life? ÊCan he find purpose enough to want to live? ÊTrueman
offers no easy answers. ÊBut he does serve up an engaging, quick
paced read, named one of Amazon.com's top ten YA novels of the
year.
Click here to buy: Stuck
In Neutral at Amazon.com.
