''Stuck in Neutral'' is a young adult novel by

Terry Trueman Terry Trueman (born December 15, 1947) is a Printz Award-winning author of young adult fiction, with his best known book being '' Stuck in Neutral'', as well as books of poetry and short stories for adults and children. Born in Birmingham, Alaba ...

. It focuses deeply on the subject of

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be p ...

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

, and

euthanasia Euthanasia (from el, εὐθανασία 'good death': εὖ, ''eu'' 'well, good' + θάνατος, ''thanatos'' 'death') is the practice of intentionally ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. Different countries have different eut ...

. The main character is Shawn McDaniel, a fourteen-year-old who has cerebral palsy. The story, told from Shawn's perspective, also focuses on how his family copes with the condition. Shawn's mother, brother, sister, and father are all talked about in the book. Stuck in Neutral received recognition as an Honor Book for the

Michael L. Printz Award The Michael L. Printz Award is an American Library Association literary award that annually recognizes the "best book written for teens, based entirely on its literary merit". It is sponsored by '' Booklist'' magazine; administered by the ALA's ...

in 2001. Trueman wrote the novel because his own son has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and he wanted to educate young readers both about the condition and about showing

tolerance Tolerance or toleration is the state of tolerating, or putting up with, conditionally. Economics, business, and politics * Toleration Party, a historic political party active in Connecticut * Tolerant Systems, the former name of Veritas Software ...

for those with severe disabilities.

Plot summary

The book follows Shawn McDaniel's first-person

point of view Point of view or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the pronou ...

. He is a 14-year-old boy and has lived in Seattle his entire life. He suffers from cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects motor control. In Shawn's case, his entire body is affected; he has absolutely no control over any of his bodily functions. Shawn's condition is a major part of the story, for it affects how everyone looks at him and their opinions on him. In the first few chapters, Shawn McDaniel explains his condition to the reader. He includes what he feels to be positive sides of his condition, such as his perfect

memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered ...

. Shawn remembers every experience, every sensation, and everything he's ever learned from school or television. Unfortunately due to his complete lack of motor control, Shawn is unable to talk or make contact with his family in any way; it is believed by those around him that Shawn's mind has no higher functional skills. A running theme throughout the book is Shawn's desire to be truly known by someone. Shawn introduces his family to the reader. His mother is his main caretaker and his father is a writer who has won a Pulitzer Prize for a poem about Shawn. The main story is about euthanasia. Shawn feels that his father Sydney McDaniel is trying to kill him. Sydney constantly talks about euthanasia. In an interview during a

Jerry Springer Gerald Norman Springer (born February 13, 1944) is a British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, former lawyer, and politician. He hosted the tabloid talk show '' Jerry Springer'' between September 30, 1991 and July 26, 2018, an ...

-style show Sydney interviews a man who killed his son with a similar condition, who reveals that he just wanted to end his son's pain. In the end, the reader is left to wonder if Sydney follows the other man's example, or allowed Shawn to continue his life. Shawn frequently expresses that he dislikes being talked down to as if he were a baby. He stresses throughout the novel that he is just as intelligent, or more intelligent, than others around him. We are also introduced to his school life in the middle of the novel. "Either way, whatever he does, I'll be soaring."

Reception

''Stuck in Neutral'' caused some

controversy Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...

at a school in Evansville,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, where the book was required reading. Parents felt the subject matter was too sad and violent. Trueman strongly defended his book and school officials in Wisconsin eventually agreed. Stuck in Neutral remains required reading for students.

Play

In 2013 Allison Cameron Gray and Matt Corpenning adapted the novel into the play Stuck in Neutral. The show ran from May 10, 2013 - June 10, 2013 at the Secret Rose Theatre in North Hollywood, CA, Directed by David P. Johnson with positive reviews. The cast included Jonathan D. Black as Shawn McDaniel, Mary Carrig as Lindy McDaniel, Tommy Cramer as Paul McDaniel, Amy Greenspan as Cindy McDaniel, Swati Kapila & Breana Tomey as Ally, Leslie Thurston as Alice Ponds, David Michael Trevino as Cyd McDaniel and

John Walcutt John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

as Earl Detruax respectively.{{Cite web , url=http://tolucantimes.info/section/entertainment/just-a-regular-kid-stuck-in-neutral/ , title=Just a Regular Kid, Stuck in Neutral | the Tolucan Times , access-date=2013-06-17 , archive-date=2014-07-01 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701072429/http://tolucantimes.info/section/entertainment/just-a-regular-kid-stuck-in-neutral/ , url-status=dead

References

External links

''Stuck in Neutral'' on Amazon

American young adult novels American novels adapted into plays Novels about diseases and disorders Plays and musicals about disability Works about cerebral palsy and other paralytic syndromes Euthanasia 2001 American novels