Going Bovine, by Libba Bray

I've been saving Going Bovine, an award-winning novel by Libba Bray, because it's one of my favorite books to date. 

Cameron is a first-rate slacker and a nobody at his high school, unlike his over-achiever perfectionist of a twin sister, who is Miss Popularity and has the admiration of their parents and their teachers. Cameron could care less, content to slide through life without making so much of a ripple.

Things change, though.

Out of the blue, Cameron is diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease, which, last time he checked, is 100% fatal. The disease is quick-acting and has no known cure. Now Cameron has all sorts of regrets for a life not lived...and all sorts of resentment toward his healthier peers. Too bad there are no second chances.

Or are there?

Enter Dulcie, a punk-rock angel Cameron isn't positive isn't a figment of his rapidly-deteriorating mind (he is after all, the only one who can see her). Dulcie taps Cameron for a mission to save the world and life as we know it. He is joined in his quest by gaming-obsessed dwarf, Gonzo, and Balder, who claims to be a cursed Norse God trapped who is forced to travel the mortal realm in the guise of a yard gnome until he can find a way back home.  The three friends road trip from Texas to Florida, dodging evil Agents, Happiness Cultists, mad scientists, Spring Breakers, snowglobes, and an enemy so terrible one cannot look him in the face without meeting their doom.

And the reward if Cameron succeeds in his quest? He will get to live after all.

What could possibly go wrong?

I first read Going Bovine years ago, after hearing some minor buzz about it winning a Printz award. Typically, I tend to end up disliking over-hyped books (or at the very least being disappointed by them), but this is the one rare exception. I loved it! Still love it. The premise is so unique, the characters (and character arcs) are well-developed, and the whole package is a mixture of all kinds of feels...from laugh out loud humor to gut-punch "did that just happen?" situations. It's a road trip book, a friendship book, a book that stays with you long after you finish it. This book is perfection. Or as close to it as can be found.

If you plan to read Going Bovine (and I highly recommend you do), here's a tip: Pay attention to small details early on, as they may be important later. 

--AJB