This is a short book, but I still didn't finish it. I was too disturbed by the thought that the author maybe wanted to kill his own son and was using this novel as a way of working through that.

Also, and this is kind of strange, the first few chapters reminded me of [b: Bud, Not Buddy|368468|Bud, Not Buddy|Christopher Paul Curtis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388377422l/368468._SY75_.jpg|358453] because the narrators in both are kids in a terrible situation who are just so darn upbeat about everything. And by "upbeat" I don't mean optimistic, I mean they use a lot of whimsical expression punctuated with exclamation points like "Golly!" and "Gee whiz!"

Trigger warning: the main character calls himself a "retardate" and says he's a "real retard" and a "total retard" as if that is an acceptable label for someone with CP. ( )

This book was stunning. The narrator is Shawn, who has no muscle control - so he can't walk, talk, feed himself, or do much besides sit in his chair and think. Nobody knows him - they don't even know he can think and understand everything around him. Not only that, he has the amazing ability to remember absolutely everything he's ever seen or heard. But everyone, including his parents and brother and sister, believe that fourteen year old Shawn has the mental capacity of a three month old baby. They love him, but they don't really know him. He can't tell him that the chronic seizures that are a part of his condition aren't painful like they appear - they are blissful, and during them he can leave his body like in a dream and do all the things he can't usually do. Since they don't know any of that, his family thinks he is suffering from painful seizures and a torturous existence. It seems that his dad wants to put him out of his misery. ( )

The Disability Day of Mourning is every year on March first. It mourns disabled people who have been murdered by their families.
https://disability-memorial.org/

(groans in frustration) This book was super dark and edgy to me when I first read it when I was ten. I was so freaked out and didn't speak to my dad for days. Twenty years later, with a really good physical therapist and also a major advocate in my mom, people act really surprised when I tell them I have the same thing Shawn does, only much milder. I walk unassisted, speak, see, hear and sing clearly. Still, I was delighted to read a fiction book with someone who knew how to spell my condition correctly. So, twenty years later, I reread this as an e-book. The author and people who like this book desperately need to start following disabled people on Twitter. They might learn that we're people, and we deserve to be here. This book is ableist trash told in a cliche and ableist way. I shivered a little when I read that the able-bodied author has a son with palsy. I hope the kid is okay. ( )

Teen fiction; themes: Cerebral Palsy, social issues, ethics of euthanasia. This is kind of like one of those movies where nothing goes right and at the end (and even throughout the middle) you feel terrible. It's a very quick read (should take under 2 hours to finish) and a page turner; it also deals with some pretty heavy issues but it does make a valid point: you can't make assumptions about people just based on their appearances. ( )

This was a very quick read. It explored some really interesting topics about those who have disabilities and what their life might actually be like from their point of view. I would highly recommend to anyone. As a future educator and special education minor, I think it's really important that people understand (or try to understand) those who have disabilities. Even though this book was written by someone without any disabilities, to know what it is like for those people and to understand it's not anyone's fault and there's nothing they or anyone can do to make it better is really important and crucial for our society to understand. "Retard" is not a word to be thrown around lightly. Go read this booK! ( )