Cameron Smith is sixteen and a slacker. He does not really fit in anywhere in high school despite the fact that his twin sister is popular and driven. His parents have started to continually remind Cameron that they are disappointed in him, and he does not seem to be living up to their expectations.
Things start to get very weird for Cameron though and he quickly catches all of his family’s attention: he becomes very sick with the disease Creutzfeldt-Jacob also known as “mad cow” disease. This causes Cameron to lose control of his body as well as hallucinate. After being hospitalized, the really weird things start to happen.
Cameron learns from a pink-haired guardian angel named Dulcie that he must go on a quest to find Dr. X and to save the world and in process heal him from his seemingly incurable disease. Cameron convinces a school mate named Gonzo, who happens to be in the hospital at the same time and staying in the same room, to accompany him. Gonzo is a little person and also a hypochondriac.
On this journey, Cameron and Gonzo come across weird and bizarre situations and eventually acquire another person along their journey: a yard gnome named Balder who thinks that Cameron is now his master and does whatever Cameron asks. Led by cryptic clues, the three guys take on a journey that leads them throughout the country and introduces them to interesting people. A jazz musician, a cult, drunken frat boys, an outrageously popular band, and a fire monster are a few of the people they come across on their expedition.
Is this journey really happening, or is it all a hallucination? Will they ever find Dr. X and will he even know the answer to their question? These are some of the questions I had when I read Going Bovine. While this books has been given great reviews on both Amazon.com and Goodreads.com and even won the Printz Award, I did not enjoy the story as a whole. I found Cameron’s journey to be bizarre and at times slow paced. I like Cameron as a character though, and the first part of the book really caught my attention. However, as his journey dragged on I found it harder and harder to continue reading. And then, in the end, I still did not understand what was really going on.
On Goodreads.com and Amazon.com readers really seem to enjoy Going Bovine. One reader compares the story to Don Quixote and parallels Cameron’s journey to the wacky ones that Don Quixote and Sancho Panza went on. Another reader brings up the fact that this book is so very different from reader’s have learned to expect from Libba Bray. I could not agree with this more! Overall, I have found that most readers really enjoyed this book and while some share my frustrations the majority of people love this book.
I would recommend this book to teens, mainly teen boys, and I think it will be very popular among most young readers. I would warn about the language in the book though, there are quite a few cuss words. Warning to potential readers: be ready for a bizarre, but epic journey!

Awards: Printz Award (2010), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009).
Characters: Cameron, Dulcie, Gonzo, Balder, Dr. X.
Genre: Fantasy, Guys read.
Subjects/Themes: Mad cow disease, journey/quest.