Challenger Deep: A Book Review

I just finished reading a book called Challenger Deep, originally written for a teen audience by a man named Neal Shusterman. Inspired by his son, who was traumatized with psychotic episodes throughout his adolescent life, the book explores the human psyche through the mind of a 15-year-old boy suffering from schizophrenia. Through the usage of an unreliable narrator, Shusterman is able to portray how powerful the mind can be, and how deceptive. Our main character Caden has trouble discerning what is real, as he experiences two intertwined realities. One involves his experience with the Juvenile Mental Hospital, and the other is his life and adventures aboard a pirate ship. As we progress through Caden’s journey, we are able to identify the similarities between Caden’s two lives. As a result, it becomes a little easier to understand why Caden reacts to situations with his family, environment, and his own mind in such a unique way.

Throughout the book, Shusterman raises some important questions concerning mental illness. Most of the children suffering from psychotic behavior seem to reject the idea of someone (a therapist) or something (medicine) trying to fix them. Most seem to prefer the way their minds work, and we gain an insight as to why. Caden, for instance, is able to live in a different reality, and is able to understand and question ideas in a way that would be impossible for most “mentally stable” individuals. Through Caden, along with other characters, Shusterman hits on the idea that mental illness often corresponds with genius, and how often that is misunderstood to be defective, or less valuable.

I believe these same questions – Why do we want to fix people? Do people want to be fixed? What can we actually do to help? – can apply to not only someone with a difference mind than us, but anyone with a different life situation that may “handicap” that individual in today’s society, a society that places so much value on normality. The Giving Gifts is not a fix-it charity. We are not seeing problems and solutions and solving them for other people. Helping someone starts with understanding. First, do they want change? If they don’t want change, and are perfectly content with their current situation, whose place is it to decide that they should change? If they do want change, do they want to be fixed, or would they rather fix themselves, creating their own change? These are some questions to consider, as we try to understand communities at the individual level, and react appropriately to their answers. If they want change, and want to change themselves, be an initiator, be in charge of their own future, and their own life, then we can help them achieve that. The Giving Gifts intends to inspire change, help develop change, and provide the initial resources (through a loan) for change to become reality, but The Giving Gifts will never attempt to fix someone. As we see through Challenger Deep, true healing, true change, true “fixing,” doesn’t come externally, it comes from within.

-Clark