I Am The Cheese

I saw this book on several different sites and apparently it had been out for a long time, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I was completely sucked in by this book. I honestly did not know what to expect at all, but knew that Cormier is one of the original YA authors and that I should read some of his work. If his other books are like this one, I will be reading more.

This is the story of a boy who knows something isn't right in his life, starts to put the pieces together and, for most of the book, keeps these thoughts to himself. He discovers conflicting stories in what his parents have told him and what he can find out through libraries and databases. The story is told through two different settings - one in which he is remembering trying to figure out what is going on, and another is the transcription of interviews that are being conducted though by whom and for what purpose is hidden.

I could not put this book down. It is probably best for an advanced reader, not necessarily for the content, but the way the story is told makes it difficult to figure out what is going on. I was sure I knew what was happening several times, only to have that idea tweaked to the point where I wasn't sure anymore, would come up with a different idea, be convinced that idea was right and then be unsure again. I have every intention of reading this book again in the near future just to see what I missed the first time when I was convinced it was something else.

I like that about a book, that as soon as I'm done, I really want to re-read just to catch everything that went on. It give a book lasting power. I highly recommend this book.