![]() ![]() His break left him unable to differentiate between what was real and what was in his head. When my son was 16, he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Where did the idea to first write a young adult novel with a central character affected by mental illness come from and why did you feel it was necessary to tell this story? I was fortunate enough to be able to speak with Neal Shusterman about his book and why he decided to write a young adult novel with mental health as its central theme. Working closely with his son to create this work-Brendan’s illustrations can also be found throughout the book-Shusterman has created a beautiful and heartfelt portrayal of a young man losing touch with the world around him. Challenger Deep is the story of Caden Bosch, a brilliant high school student it’s also the story of Caden Bosch, who is on a pirate ship headed for the deepest point on earth: Challenger Deep, the southern part of the Marianas Trench.Ĭhapters alternate between these two realities until they ultimately begin to crash together as Caden’s world becomes more and more confused.Īs Caden emerges from his fog and begins to distinguish between what is real and what is not, it becomes clear that the characters aboard the ship have real-world counterparts in the hospital that Caden has been admitted to.Ĭhallenger Deep is based on the real-life experiences that Neal Shusterman and his family encountered when his son, Brendan, first began to experience the symptoms of a mental illness. ![]() But in Shusterman’s latest book, it may be more than usual. With most writers, some of their own lives ultimately end up in their pages. Neal Shusterman is a New York Times bestselling author of young adult fiction. To receive the print edition of the Advocate, become a member today. This article originally appeared in the Fall 2015 Advocate, click here to see other articles that appeared in that issue.
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