Going Bovine was possibly one of the best books I have ever read. No joke. I mean, I’ve used the term “best book ever” until it was worn out to my sister’s old pair of Converse that really should be mine now, but no, my parents just had to give it back to her.
Screw her feet that stopped growing after she hit the age of fourteen.
Anyways, Going Bovine made me think in ways that I had thought of before, but not so in-depth... ly. I had always pushed the thoughts of “Why are we here, and what comes next?” but I always countered it with “eternity”. I, being a person of faith and doubt all at once, devoured (lol fail word choice- though people have reported me for eating bits and pieces of their math homework) this book up like frozen yogurt on a hot summer day. (Hrm. Methinks I talk about froyo a bit too much. Meh.) I am a Christian, and while some of the things that Libba Bray talked about made me iffy, I felt... changed, in a way, by the book. Though not religiously, I really felt that Libba Bray made me a bit of a different person with this book, with this fabulous writing she must be proud to call her’s. I mean, seriously.
Speaking of that, I’ve always felt that the way to tell who’s a good actor/actress is by how well they play two completely different personalities. Who says it’s different for authors? Libba Bray spun a completely different story, with characters completely different from the Gemma Doyle trilogy. They were more unique, and not those cliche, rebellious protagonists that everyone, for some reason, all like. There was a dwarf and a cussing Nordic god, for heaven’s sake! I mean, I thought Libba Bray was weird and funny before, from when I read her acknowledgments (and I am totally up for that zombie bunnies idea, just FYI), but this- this was just pure, delightful goodness that I usually find in music. Going Bovine was like a drug, like something I just couldn’t get enough of, and I was under the influence of the words of Cameron Smith, a dying teenager.
Anyways, there was also the characters that made me smile.
Gonzo used to be some weird, video-game loving dwarf that was paranoid about every little thing except for grilled cheese sandwiches and his asthma inhaler. Gonzo seriously was one of the most effing hilarious characters I have ever read about. In fact, every character in this book, except for like, the Wizard of Reckoning was. Okay. Getting off topic. But in the end, he like evolved, like, EVOLVED, into someone else. A butterfly coming out of its cocoon and becoming cute. Like in Rugrats. But yes, he grew in a single 473 pages, unlike some character growth in other books. Don't even get me started on that.
Balder was a Norse god trapped in the body of a lawn gnome. Which, I have to say, is pretty freaking sad. He was determined that his ship, Ringhorn, would come. Well, of course, it didn't and he was hallucinating just as much as Cameron, but hey, insane people are cool. Of course, if you know the story of Balder, he's killed. By mistletoe. And just as that happened in the traditional Norse myth, he is in this book. The part where they lit him up in the crapola of a ship was one of the most touching parts I have ever read in a book that consisted of a lawn gnome, a dwarf, a dying teenager, and an angel. Not kidding here.
Dulcie was and is a "loopy punk angel with a bad sugar habit", but she's not just one of those carefree people that skip around in a field of flowers. She was hiding things inside, things that Cameron didn't want to know. And I think that makes an amazing character- one with secrets. A cliche character nonetheless, but Libba Bray took that chance and used it. And speaking of taking chances- what kind of book IS THIS? No sane person would ever attempt to write a book with this plot line but Libba Bray and manage to make it one of the most heartfelt books you have ever read. *cough* Moving on to the characters.
And of course, there was Cameron. I didn't forget Cameron, you sillies!
Cameron was dying. DYING. Dead. The hamburger in the sky, that place. Yet he still managed to live his life and possibly save the world. I don't even know how to explain this; it was just... pure awesomeness, amazement, and whatever. You know what? I'm just gonna stop talking about it. Go read it yourself.
This book was just... fantastic. Everyone that doesn’t have a problem with constant cussing should read this book- especially those that can’t face the fact of death. Going bovine will always make me laugh, smile, and think in so many ways for so many ages. This book is a true wonder.
My rating: 5 stars
2 out of 60 books! Let us rejoice!
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