Description
In this poignant, first-person novel, fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel—living with severe cerebral palsy—offers a clear-eyed account of his days, his family, and the inner world he can still access. As Shawn observes the people around him, his perceptions raise unsettling questions about what his father may be planning, forcing readers to confront the thin line between fear, misunderstanding, and truth. Blending emotional realism with suspense, the story explores themes of disability and agency, the ethics of caregiving, and how love can coexist with control and danger. Through Shawn’s distinctive voice and Terry Trueman’s compassionate, character-driven storytelling, the book invites readers to see beyond appearances and to consider what it means to be “stuck” in a life others decide for you.
Available Editions
paperback
Harper Tempest
Published Jan 1, 2001
114 pages
ISBN: 9780064472135
Reviews
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Community Reviews(1)
this review is 19 years after i’ve read the book so it’s all based on my vague memories of a 10 year old. i LOVED this book as a kid. it was so unique to me then and i was in terror the whole time as his dad has clearly lost the plot. i remember feeling just the undeniable drive to live from the main kid. lots of reviews below consider this book incredibly ableist and it may be. i don’t remember. i was too young to notice. what i do remember is seeing his father as a terrorizing villain and the book focusing on the boy’s will to live. i definitely have to read this one again to see how muddy my memories are…
Details
First Published
2000
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Stuck in Neutral by Terry Trueman.