Between the Bookcovers

Author: Sarah Honenberger
Published: December 28, 2010
Pages: 256
Rating: 4/5 Stars

Description from Goodreads:

A few months after doctors tell him he has only a year to live, a precocious 15-year-old from a small town in Virginia has an intense reaction to The Catcher in the Rye. Deriving inspiration from Salinger's narrative, Daniel  Landon begins to question the intentions and authority of those around him in his own search for identity as he faces death. Tired of his cramped surroundings and hippie parents' alternative approaches to his treatment, he follows the footsteps of Holden Caulfield to New York City in search of the same eternal truths, only to discover the importance of home when death looms. A coming of age story, a love story, and a new classic, CATCHER, CAUGHT will engage the imagination of more than one generation, searching for lasting values.






Review:

Daniel Landon has been diagnosed with Leukemia. After reviewing treatment options and getting no guarantee that chemotherapy will cure him, his parents opt to use alternative, herbal treatment. Unfortunately, their misguided plan is costing Daniel his life. The story follows Daniel over the next year as he experiences normal teenage angst while also contemplating his own death. Along the way he reads The Cather in the Rye and identifies with the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, and begins to use the book as a guide to help him decide how to take control of his life.

Honenberger has created a genuine character in Daniel. We are treated to his thoughts about living and dying, and his agony at being cheated from his share of life. But all is not dark and dismal; we follow him as he tries to fit in all the life he can and are treated to his interaction with friends well as his search for love. 

Catcher pays respect to Holden as we see Daniel's trip of self discovery. The book does not neatly tie up all the loose ends and by the novel's end a happy ending is not assured, but there are no promises in real life so the novel does an excellent job in reflecting reality. This is a novel that teaches lessons while allowing the reader a glimpse into the head of a teen. It is well worth your time.

Rating: It is worth taking the trip onthis journey of self discovery.