Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Cameron Smith is the king of low expectations. To him, not caring equals minimum disappointment, so he doesn't put an effort into school, his job, or his family. It seems that his life is going nowhere - that is, until he contracts Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as Mad Cow disease. Cameron's illness is fatal, but there seems to be hope when he is visited by a sugar-loving angel named Dulcie. According to Dulcie, Cam must embark on a journey that will simultaneously cure his disease and save the world. Accompanied by a dwarf and a talking yard gnome, Cam must outwit evil wizards, fire monsters, snow globe fanatics and a happiness cult in order to save himself and humanity.

When Libba Bray announced the synopsis for Going Bovine, I thought it was a joke. It sounded so weird that I was certain she was just joking around. But I was wrong. I probably would never have read this book because it sounded so odd; but I love Libba and thought I would give it a try.

Going Bovine was a very interesting novel. The author, Libba Bray, is also known for her Gemma Doyle Trilogy, which is completely different than this book. It was weird going from the historical fiction/fantasy that is Gemma Doyle to the present day/craziness that is Going Bovine. I'm not lying when I say that this book was really weird. It was weird in a good way, but still just totally out there. Cameron's journey is set in our world, but there were some fantastical elements, like talking yard gnomes and punk-rock angels, that kept things lively. I must say that I liked the juxtaposition of real life and fantasy, even if I sometimes didn't get it completely. The crazy parts, along with the witty dialogue, made this book extremely funny. There were several times that I laughed out loud. I also liked that the reader never knows if what is happening is real or just a dream, which leaves the book open for interpretation. But even with the weird parts, Going Bovine was also surprisingly deep and heartfelt and somewhat a commentary on our addiction to reality TV shows. The only negative is that this book is LONG. Like 480 pages long. The reason I haven't posted anything in such a long time is that this book took me forever to read. So I think it could have been shortened a tad, but it was still a fun read.

7 out of 10.