SuitabookGoing Bovine
Libba Bray
- Reading
- If the illness and death themes feel close to home, consider checking in as you read; you could also pause to talk about how the book balances its comedy with those serious ideas.
- Themes
- Comedy, fantasy and uncertainty: Cameron's search for a cure unfolds as a fantastical road trip, while the possibility that he is hallucinating remains in play. The shifting, surreal premise makes uncertainty about what is real part of the story's construction, alongside its comic tone.
- Changing concern for others: Cameron begins as self-described apathetic and eventually learns to care about people besides himself. The described change gives caring about others a positive place in Cameron's development.
- Satire of social pressures: The novel makes fun of reality television, standardised tests and a fictional group that promotes constant happiness and consumer spending. These targets are presented satirically; the coverage describes the novel as mocking society's over-consumption.
- Worth knowing
- The story includes a teenager facing the prospect of death, sexual activity, drinking and cannabis use, frequent strong swearing, and some peril and destructive violence.