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    Stuck in Neutral
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    Stuck in Neutral
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    Stuck in Neutral
    Ebook121 pages1 hour

    Stuck in Neutral

    By Terry Trueman

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    This "intense reading experience"* is a Printz Honor Book.

    Shawn McDaniel's life is not what it may seem to anyone looking at him. He is glued to his wheelchair, unable to voluntarily move a muscle—he can't even move his eyes. For all Shawn's father knows, his son may be suffering. Shawn may want a release. And as long as he is unable to communicate his true feelings to his father, Shawn's life is in danger.

    To the world, Shawn's senses seem dead. Within these pages, however, we meet a side of him that no one else has seen—a spirit that is rich beyond imagining, breathing life.

    *Booklist starred review

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperTeen
    Release dateJul 24, 2012
    ISBN9780062216991
    Author

    Terry Trueman

    Terry Trueman grew up in the northern suburbs of Seattle, Washington. He attended the University of Washington, where he received his BA in creative writing. He also has an MS in applied psychology and an MFA in creative writing, both from Eastern Washington University. Terry is also the author of Stuck in Neutral and its companion novel, Cruise Control; Hurricane; 7 Days at the Hot Corner; No Right Turn; and Inside Out.

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    Reviews for Stuck in Neutral

    4/5

    49 ratings44 reviews

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    • 3/5
      A young man's internal monologue... the only kind he can have, since he is unable to communicate with the outside world. His body does not respond voluntarily... he has cerebral palsy.

      This book made me remember "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" and how hard I thought Jean-Dominique Bauby had it ... of course he does... but this young man literally has zero way to even let the outside world know he is even self-aware.

      This was not pleasant to read, or a book you would enjoy, like "Out of My Mind" was. It was a very fast read, and it brought up some interesting thoughts about euthanasia... but perhaps it didn't get deeply enough into them.
    • 5/5
      Cerebral palsy, lives with the thought of knowing his father wants to “put him out of his misery” and kill him.
    • 5/5
      I was hooked by the tag line on the front cover. "My name is Shawn McDaniel...I think my father is planning to kill me." Shawn can not communicate with anyone at all because of his cerebral palsy, but inside he is bright and alive. However, his father's growing activism in a case of a mercy killing is making him edgy. Shawn is a great character and this quick read shows the impact of his condition on the members of his family. Good stuff!
    • 5/5
      What would it be like to be alive and the only thing you can do is be awake or be asleep? You can't talk, walk, move any part of your body voluntarily, eat, or even express your feelings through your facial features. This is what life is like for Sean, who is trapped inside his own body. His family thinks he's a vegetable and that he can't understand a word that is said to him. But behind Sean's seemingly unknowing eyes is the mind of a very intelligent and sensitive young man. He is aware of everything around him, understands the conversations his family has in front of him, and can pick up on everyone's emotions, including his father's increasing agitation about how pathetic Sean's life is. Then one day his dad -- who has moved out of the family house because he can't stand the stress of having a handicapped son -- starts talking about euthanasia and how it would be better to put some people 'out of their misery.' Is Sean miserable? He doesn't think so. In fact, Sean is pretty happy with his life, but with no way to tell anyone that he quickly feels as if danger is heading his way. Could his father actually 'put him out of his misery?'
    • 4/5
      Shawn suffers from a severe form of cerebral palsey; he can not control a single muscel in his body. Therefore, Shawn can not communicate in anyway. Because of this, he has been diagnosed as profoundly mentally retarted. However, Shawn is actually a genius. Shawn can remember everything he's ever seen or heard, but he has no way of telling anyone that he is trapped inside of his own body. To make matters worse, Shawn believes his father is thinking about killing him to put him out of his missery. Only, Shawn isn't in any pain, but he can't tell his father that. Shawn struggles everyday to not loose hope that someday someone may learn who he truly is.
    • 1/5
      Interesting point of view; quick read. It contains some sexual stuff that need NOT be there. This is written for about a 6th grade reading level.
    • 2/5
      SynopsisThis book is told from the perspective of Shawn McDaniel. Shawn has a severe case of cerebral palsy; he cannot move or control any part of his body, he cannot speak, eat on his own, or talk in any way. Shawn is the only person who knows that he’s even “aware”- he is unable to communicate his awareness (awakeness, presence) to anyone. Most people, including his family, think Shawn is profoundly developmentally disabled. What they don’t know is that Shawn has learned to read from watching his sister pretend to teach school and that he can hear everything said around him and he knows what’s going on. One day Shawn starts to suspect that his father (who has since left his mother- because living with Shawn just hurt too much) is trying to kill him. Shawn believes it’s not out of malice- but rather because Shawn’s dad thinks that Shawn is in pain from the seizures he has. Unfortunately, Shawn has no way of communicating to his father that his seizures don’t hurt him and are the most wonderful “gift”- because during the seizure he can free his mind and wander around his house. Shawn doesn’t want to die, but his life is completely dependent on trust because he has no way of voicing his opinion.Review:Trueman’s novel is well-written and extremely thoroughly crafted. Her subject is very difficult and treated fairly for one has no way of knowing if a severely brain damaged child is aware/sentient, or the pain of deciding to end a life (be it medical euthanasia, or simply end-of life DNR). I was alternately captivated and horrified by what I read.
    • 4/5
      This book had the potential to be preachy but ended up being a real eye-opener. The author has a talent of taking a very difficult subject and letting you feel like you experience the real hardships and emotional challenges that come with it.
    • 5/5
      This sad, yet revealing story of a special needs child is told first person by 14 year old Shawn McDaniel, who refers to himself as a "retardate". Shawn has cerebral palsy and cannot do anything on his own. Even his blinking eyes are involuntary movements. He tells his story logically and chronologically as he believes his father is planning to "kill him". This story is a tear jerker within the first few pages. The strength of this novel is Shawn's description of his life, family and his inner most thoughts. He provides the reader with insight and empathy from various points of view. The reading is as stunningly haunting as the book cover.
    • 4/5
      A wonderfully imagined look into the mind of a boy debilitated by cerebral palsy. The author, who himself has a son with cerebral palsy, imagines that Shawn, though confined to a wheelchair with absolutely no control over his own motor functions, is very smart, incredibly observant, and has perfect memory of everything he's heard since a young age.Unfortunately, what Shawn's been hearing lately makes him think that his father is planning to kill him, to "end his pain." Naturally, Shawn has his own thoughts about that plan, but knows that he's completely powerless to stop his father. Yet the father is not portrayed as a villain, but is sensitively drawn as a father who is just trying to do the right thing by his son.
    • 5/5
      Stuck in Neutral is the story of a teenage boy named Shawn. Shawn is handicapped with cerebral palsy. He can’t move or even control his blinking. Shawn hears his dad saying he is going to kill his son out of mercy. Shawn has to come to terms that although he knows exactly what is going on in the world, everyone else thinks he is just a vegetable. Stuck in Neutral would be really well to use in the classroom. I could use this book when teaching about handicaps and how they affect people. This story is a true depiction of how handicap children not only affect the person afflicted with the handicap but also the family.I absolutely loved this book. It was a really big eye opener to families with handicap children. It really made me think about children who have diseases like cerebral palsy would be able to hear and think just like everyone else. This is a really good written book and very moving.
    • 5/5
      A very short book about a boy who is unable to move or speak. The book opens with the father debating killing his son. This book stays with you long after you've finished it.
    • 5/5
      What would it be like to be alive and the only thing you can do is be awake or be asleep? You can't talk, walk, move any part of your body voluntarily, eat, or even express your feelings through your facial features. This is what life is like for Sean, who is trapped inside his own body. His family thinks he's a vegetable and that he can't understand a word that is said to him. But behind Sean's seemingly unknowing eyes is the mind of a very intelligent and sensitive young man. He is aware of everything around him, understands the conversations his family has in front of him, and can pick up on everyone's emotions, including his father's increasing agitation about how pathetic Sean's life is. Then one day his dad -- who has moved out of the family house because he can't stand the stress of having a handicapped son -- starts talking about euthanasia and how it would be better to put some people 'out of their misery.' Is Sean miserable? He doesn't think so. In fact, Sean is pretty happy with his life, but with no way to tell anyone that he quickly feels as if danger is heading his way. Could his father actually 'put him out of his misery?'
    • 5/5
      Brutally honest and engaging, Terry Trueman pulls you deep into the mind of a young man who, by all appearances, is stuck inside a useless body he cannot control with a mind equally handicapped. The reality is that his mind is sharp, comedic and philosophical. An amazing story written by an author with unparalleled insight.
    • 1/5
      For the first nine-tenths, I thought this book was very good. It was a very interesting look at a severely disabled child who was nevertheless happy, and his fear and horror when he realized his father planned to 'euthanize' him. It brought an important issue to the surface. But the ending ruined the whole book for me. I was enraged at Terry Trueman's inability to make up his mind. I was so angry at being cheated like that, that I actually threw the book away in the garbage. It was a lovely book most of the way but the ending was so bad I can't recommend it to anyone.
    • 4/5
      Shawn McDaniel is stuck in a wheelchair. He has Cerebral Palsy and is unable to control any of his muscles. Though he is unable to communicate in any way, his mind is active and he is completely aware of what is going on in the world around him. His dad loves him and can't stand to see Shawn suffer (he regularly has seizures that look painful). Shawn's dad may or may not be planning to kill Shawn--either way, there is nothing Shawn can do. This is a wonderful book. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because the ending left me somewhat disappointed.
    • 2/5
      Shawn is a 14-year-old boy with severe cerebral palsy, and he thinks his father is trying to kill him. Although Shawn may not look intelligent, he is. Shawn can remember anything and everything that has happened in life. Shawn's dad is a Nobel Peace Prize winner for his poem that he wrote about Shawn and he left the family when life with Shawn become to hard. When he comes over to see Shawn, he makes remarks about "ending Shawn's pain." After his dad goes on television about his new book defending a man who killed his son with cerebral palsy, he shows up at Shawn's school with a camera crew making claims about the government money spent to "babysit" children like Shawn. Shawn, despite is severe handicap, does not want to die. He enjoys his life and has come to love life through his disadvantages. I would not use this book in a classroom because of the language, but without the language it would be a great trade book for any high school English class. Since the novel incorporates poetry, it would be easy to introduce some poetry for the students to compare to what is in the book. It would also be beneficial to discuss other disorders like cerebral palsy when reading this book. I liked this book and although the stakes where high, the language never reflected such. I never really felt like Shawn was about to die and was never led up to a point of anxiety for the characters in the book. Although it was interesting and easy to read, it is no wonder how short it is because the author didn't have a lot to say. However, I would mention this to certain students that I believe would benefit from reading this.
    • 5/5
      Told from Shawn’s point of view, Stuck in Neutral effectively shows the reader Shawn’s intelligence and humor. We see that like his mother, Shawn deals with life’s difficulties with a positive attitude. Most importantly, we see that Shawn is a complete person. This is what makes us feel strongly the poignancy of a life lived in secret awareness where no one really knows who Shawn really is. This is a moving and thought-provoking story.
    • 4/5
      This was an intense and compact book, perhaps made more intense by its brevity. I picked it up this afternoon and was drawn through it in an hour. Shawn's voice rings achingly true, as do the voices of his family. Parts of it are really, really tough to read but it's worth the pain.

    • 2/5
      I'm not sure why this book got so many accolades. It was okay but not anything I want to tell everyone in the world about.
    • 3/5
      Trueman provides a great concept--a boy made entirely immobile by cerebral palsy is in fact a genius--and adds onto it an extremely suspenseful and claustrophobic setting.
    • 4/5
      This novel is about a young boy with cerebral palsy. Because of his condition, he cannot control any of his muscles, but his brain works completely normally. The only trouble with this is that he can't tell anyone; even if they were to ask him. His father left him and his family when Shawn was four. He hated seeing his son in pain during his seizures. Shawn's father starts contemplating killing Shawn to put him out of his pain. Shawn doesn't want to die. He loves his life, but how does he tell anyone that? What he fears the most is that he will die without anyone ever truly knowing him and who he is.This book was very moving. A great lesson that I learned from it, and believe students would, is to think twice about how I treat "retarded" people. We never think twice about them being able to understand us or what is going on around us just because they may not be able to pass our tests of aptitude and such. Also I think it gives a great opportunity to discuss what real love looks like. Shawn and his father's relationship is very odd. It poses some great questions about the extremes love may push us to.I really liked this book. It was an easy read, and I couldn't put it down. It was quite moving. I would definitely recommend this to my friends for pleasure. It really made me think of all the mentally challenged people I have encountered in my life; how I've treated them, talked to them, interacted, and I wonder how much of it they really got. I would for sure read it again.
    • 5/5
      This packs a punch in a mere 114 pages. The writing is sparse and excellent with no need for more embellishment.Compact and haunting, this Printz Honor book is a story of fourteen year old Shawn who is profoundly impacted by cerebral palsey. With no control of his muscles, and no ability to communicate, those in his environment deem him severely stuck in an area wherein they cannot fathom his mind working.While Shawn cannot communicate, he is indeed a genius and able to remember details and process the world around him. He is loved by his parents and siblings, but the toll of taking care of him and the emotional fortitude required is too much for his father. This results in his father leaving the home.Shawn has no doubt his father loves him. Perhaps his father loves him so much that he might decide to take Shawn's life to put him out of his perceived misery.While his body is weak, his mind is strong. If only Shawn could communicate with his father to tell him he longs to live!Highly recommended. Five Stars.
    • 4/5
      Shawn's inner life is amazingly well drawn, complete with humor and out-of-body experiences and male teen fixations. His parents fail him in a variety of ways. His dad, while agonizing about Shawn's pain, leaves the family because he can't handle it; but them builds his career from a poem he wrote about that angst. What a loser! His mother functions at a much higher level, seeming to provide all that she can; except that she still relates to him as an infant. That would be hard to pull off. His siblings are fiercely protective and treat him as an individual, even without any of the feedback usually needed in relationships. I look forward to reading more about this family.
    • 5/5
      This book was a great, quick read. Terry Trueman does a great job in showing the reader how the mind of Shawn, a boy with cerebral palsy is just like the mind of any other boy his age. The ending was not what I expected or wanted but did leave me thinking about how a person can love another so much and yet think about doing such a horrible thing.
    • 3/5
      This book had a great premise, but I thought the writing was a little boring. I hate ambiguous endings, too. That could have been the best scene in the book if he would have actually written it instead of his cop-out.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed the suspense this novel brought since it was told in the present tense and you didn't know what was going to happen. I think it was great to be in the head of someone with disabilities (that can't move or talk). It really makes you think about the way you view other people and that sometimes what you think is not what it really is. Although the language is bold/harsh at times I think the book made an impact on the way I view others. There's also a sequel to this book from the perspective of the brother; I haven't read it yet though.
    • 5/5
      Stuck in Neutral is the story of a fourteen-year-old boy name Shawn who is disable. Although, Shawn's disabled he can read and remember everything he's seen or heard before, but nobody else knows this because he's unable to communicate. He has a number on seizures on a daily basis but instead of seeing them as painful, he sees them as a outer body experience. Shawn thinks his dad is planning to kill him, not for a thrill but to rescue him from the pain he endures. Although, this is an easy read I wouldn't use this book with students in grades below high school because of the langauge. Teaching students that people with disabliltes can learn as well as a normal functioning person. Teaching students that people with disabilites shouldn't be mistreated because of his/her conditions, they are still human and should be treated as such. I enjoyed this book Shawn McDaniel's story is a powerful and touching one. I think Terry Truman's title was perfect because it describes Shawn's life on a daily basis. His mind functioning normal but being unable to control anything else. This book makes me think more about people with disabilites and how he/she might feel not being able to do things like others.
    • 3/5
      Shawn's favorite food is the barbecue potato chips his brother sneaks to him. His sister taught him how to read. And his dad wants to kill him. Shawn doesn't want to die, but he doesn't take it personally--his father is only thinking about it out of love, because Shawn’s cerebral palsy means can't communicate at all and has no way to tell anyone that he's not suffering.

      A not-usually-seen perspective on the disabled, showing a rich inner life that the body can't express. I really liked the open ending, but now there's a sequel, so so much for that. I'll be mixing this into the high school booktalks for this year.
    • 3/5
      I thought that the book, Stuck In Neutral was very good. I would recommend it to just about anyone. I think that it taught me a lot about life itself. It taught me that life is not always beautiful but it is a beautiful ride. I thought that the end however, was good, but not the best because I would have liked it to be more straight forward as to what had happened to Shawn at the end.