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Going Bovine Audiobook
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(3.00) - 14,650 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
From the author of the Gemma Doyle trilogy and The Diviners series, this groundbreaking New York Times bestseller and winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for literary excellence is "smart, funny, and layered," raves Entertainment Weekly. All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America . . . into the heart of what matters most. From acclaimed author Libba Bray comes a dark comedic journey that poses the questions: Why are we here? What is real? What makes microwave popcorn so good? Why must we die? And how do we really learn to live? "A hilarious and hallucinatory quest."—The New York Times "Sublimely surreal."—People "Libba Bray's fabulous new book will, with any justice, be a cult classic. The kind of book you take with you to college, in the hopes that your roommate will turn out to have packed their own copy, too. Reading it is like discovering an alternate version of The Phantom Tollbooth, where Holden Caulfield has hit Milo over the head and stolen his car, his token, and his tollbooth. There's adventure and tragedy here, a sprinkling of romance, musical interludes, a battle-ready yard gnome who's also a Norse God, and practically a chorus line of physicists. Which reminds me: will someone, someday, take Going Bovine and turn it into a musical, preferably a rock opera? I want the sound track, the program, the T-shirt, and front row tickets."—Kelly Link, author of Get in Trouble, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize
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"This book took me on a trip to Crazy Town, but has the kind of crazy that you want to write home about. Cool characters, bizarre circumstances and a great message about living life to its fullest. A fun read that sometimes left me shaking my head and saying "WHAT?""
— Lesley (5 out of 5 stars)
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“The novel is a laugh-out-loud, tear-jerking, fantastical voyage into the meaning of what is real in life and how someone can learn to live.”
— VOYA -
“[Going Bovine] manages to turn a hopeless situation into a hilarious and hallucinatory quest, featuring an asthmatic teenage dwarf, Gonzo; a pink-haired angel in combat boots, Dulcie; and Balder, a Norse god who is cursed with the form of a garden gnome…Libba Bray not only breaks the mold of the ubiquitous dying-teenager genre—she smashes it and grinds the tiny pieces into the sidewalk. For the record, I’d go anywhere she wanted to take me.”
— New York Times -
“Bray’s surreal humor may surprise fans.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“An unforgettable, nearly indefinable fantasy adventure.”
— Booklist (starred review) -
“A scathingly observed social satire of the ways in which we numb ourselves to avoid the pain and risk of actually engaging with our lives; a stay-up-late-to-finish-it page-turner; and a sprawling, hilarious, and deeply moving meditation on what it is, in the end, that makes life worth living.”
— Children’s Literature -
“Bray takes a turn at the fantastical with this very excellent tale. Cameron is a realistic, warts-and-all teen, and therefore, at times, frustrating and unlikable. But thanks to Bray’s rather formidable writing skills, readers will still root for him. Cameron’s surreal journey is funny, bittersweet, and thought-provoking all at once. Pick this one up; you won’t be sorry.”
— RT Book Reviews (4½ stars)
Awards
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Winner of the 2010 Michael L. Printz Award
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Selected for the Autumn 2009 Kids' Indie Next List: Teen List
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A 2010 Indies Choice Book Award Finalist
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A New York Times bestseller
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A 2010 Audie Award Finalist
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A 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Book for Children's Fiction
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A 2010 Locus Award Nominee
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Winner of Printz Awards, 2011
Going Bovine Listener Reviews
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" To tell you the truth, I wasn't very impressed with this. Quarter of the way through I thought it might be pretty good. Halfway through I was getting a little bored with it. And then I didn't even like the ending. I think my major issue with this book is that there are a lot of scenes that are just, blah. Scenes that I don't care about and I'm pretty sure they don't NEED to be in there either. There was always something going on, but nothing held my attention. ;/ "
— Gwen, 2/18/2014 -
" I liked it, but not as much as Bray's other work. "
— Kristina, 2/14/2014 -
" I have to say there were times where I loved the narrative but I also almost stopped reading this book three or four times. Not my favorite read. "
— Jamie, 2/13/2014 -
" I wasn't sure how this book would go but I ended up kind of liking maybe just for the references to Norse myths. The story went at a great pace but the ending annoyed me. Overall an okay book but not one I'd read again. "
— Charlee, 2/8/2014 -
" This book was so fantastic.. I could barely ever put it down! It is an insiring tale on love, the meaning of life, and the inevitability of change. Thank you Libba Bray for this novel... "
— Angela, 1/28/2014 -
" All I can say is, Wow, what a ride! This was a fabulous book--great characters, lots of humor, excitement, outrageous action, as well as very serious subject matter, and some tear-evoking moments. A book that will stay with me for awhile. "
— Kristy, 1/26/2014 -
" I really enjoyed this look at reality and what it means. Sometimes I was laughing out loud while others I was just trying to figure out what was actually happening. "
— Bre, 1/19/2014 -
" Interesting and pretty damn weird book! 0_o I liked it, thought! "
— Jennnzilla, 11/16/2013 -
" This really did nothing for me and seemed really long. "
— Lisa, 10/26/2013 -
" This is a very strange novel, but very well written and I couldn't put it down. Haven't read a book by this author that I didn't enjoy. "
— Melissa, 9/25/2013 -
" I loved how imaginative this book is. The adventure continues going, without causing boredom, but never throwing too much at the reader at any point. "
— Mags, 9/18/2013 -
" I just finished this book. My mind is still feeling a little blown. Basically: I loved it and you should read it. Please. So freaking good. "
— Traci, 8/8/2013 -
" Brilliant! Hilarious and dark. I loved the gnome. :) Libba Bray is amazing. The writing is terrific and the storyline sound. I do wish the foreshadowing had been a bit less obvious, but it did not detract from my overall love of the book. "
— Elle, 7/13/2013 -
" wow the ending was so predictable... i mean, come on, they were reading Don Quixote in their english class! "
— Grace, 5/13/2013 -
" YA, brain bendy, gnome featuring. "
— Christabel, 1/10/2013 -
" Awesome book, weird ending though. "
— Victoria, 7/28/2012 -
" bleh. slow moving and scattered. "
— Franci, 3/5/2012 -
" Pretty deep yet lots of laughs. "
— Bill, 10/22/2011 -
" This book was sad, humorous, uplifting. There really are no words to adequately describe this book. Libba Bray is an amazing author. I highly recommend this. "
— Cheryl, 6/15/2011 -
" What the heck was that? It was all a DREAM? <br/><br/>Congratulations, Libba Bray. All the character development and wonderful adventures have become meaningless thanks to that plot-twist that one could see coming. Damn post-modernism. "
— Olivebirde, 5/23/2011 -
" It was awesome and sad "
— Brittany, 5/23/2011 -
" Probably my favorite book in the world. I love Libba Bray, she's an amazing author and word smith. (Yes, not that helpful of a review, but oh well. "
— Abigail, 5/22/2011 -
" I have always enjoyed Libba Bray's writing style and this book didn't disappoint. However, sometimes it felt as if the plot was a little too predictable and at times I thought, isn't this book over. It still was a good, fun read. "
— Kimberly, 5/13/2011 -
" This book was meaningful, inspirational, funny, romantic, and clever. This was an AWESOME realistic fiction with hints of fantasy. It made me really think about things. You just have to read it, because it was THAT good. And it's really hard to explain. :) "
— Samantha, 5/9/2011 -
" This book was very interesting, if also confusing to follow at some points. The ideas and activities taking place are very abstract, but made for a great read all the way through. "
— William, 5/9/2011 -
" Hilarious and depressing all at once -- how does she do it?? "
— Crystal, 5/7/2011 -
" Definitely not my kind of book, all real life and very, very confronting. That said, I thought it was one of the funniest books I've read in a while with an amazingly original storyline. <br/>I really liked it! "
— Francois, 5/3/2011 -
" This was one of the best books I've read in so long. heart breaking and lovable. The characters are witty and the repoirte will make you laugh out loud with tears in your eyes. Absolutely beautifully written. "
— Lauren, 5/2/2011
About Libba Bray
Libba Bray is the author of the bestselling Gemma Doyle Trilogy and the Diviners series, among others, and the author of Beauty Queens, which was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Going Bovine, which won the Michael L. Printz Award.
About Erik Davies
Erik Davies is an accomplished audiobook narrator and voice-over actor. His stage credits include G.R. Point, Unpublished Letters, and Flats Fixed. Some of his television and film appearances include ER, Third Watch, and a starring role in the hit indie comedy High Society: A Pot Boiler. His audiobook narration has won three AudioFile Earphones Awards.