Going Bovine
(2009, Fiction - Fantasy, Written by Libba Bray)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Edgy, quirky road trip fantasy skewers reality TV and more.
Themes in this book include: friendship, growing up
Why We Rated This
for Ages 15 and Up
The good stuff
What to watch out for
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Role models:
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of Going Bovine was written by Stephanie Dunnewind
Parents need to know this wacky novel features a teenager's death, a punk angel, and plenty of edgy behavior by teens (condom-free sex, drinking, pot-smoking, and running away). Lots of salty language, too.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about the CESSNAB, the cult-like youth compound with the motto, "Don't hurt your happiness." Would you want to live in a place like that? Was it a utopia or dystopia?
- Would you want to participate in a "realitymercial" where you could order custom-made lives? What is the author trying to say about "reality" TV?
- Why do you think the author chose to make a yard gnome a key character in the novel?
Have you read it? Review It!
More on Going Bovine
Book Summary
When Cameron, a high-school slacker, finds out he has fatal mad cow disease, he sets out on an epic quest to find a cure and maybe save the world, too. Accompanied by his friends -- Gonzo, a dwarf, and Balder, a Viking god disguised as a long-suffering yard gnome (don't ask) -- Cameron faces an increasingly bizarre series of misadventures involving a punk angel, New Orleans jazz musicians, and snow globes in this very postmodern retelling of Don Quixote.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of Bray's Gemma Doyle triology (A Great and Terrible Beauty) will recognize the alternative-world fantasy elements in GOING BOVINE, but any resemblance ends there. Though the middle section stretches too long as Cameron moves from one absurd situation to the next, readers will stick with Bovine for its male bonding and humorous send-ups of fast-food restaurants, self-esteem, and reality shows. The over-the-top elements ultimately serve a quieter purpose, asking teens to ponder what it means to really live an engaged life.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: Delacorte Press, Publication date: 9/22/2009
Number of pages: 496, Price: $17.99 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 14, Read Alone: 14
Number of pages: 496, Price: $17.99 (hardcover)
Read Aloud: 14, Read Alone: 14

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