By: Chris Singer,
on 1/26/2011
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* Review of Catcher, Caught by Sarah Collins Honenberger
By: Chris Singer,
on 1/9/2011
Catcher, Caught by Sarah Collins Honenberger
Reviewed by: Chris Singer
About the author:
Sarah Collins Honenberger’s prize-winning fiction has appeared in Antietam Review, New Millenium, South Lit, The Hook and other literary journals. She is the author of two books in addition to Catcher, Caught: White Lies and Waltzing Cowboys, a 2009 nominee for the Library of Virginia Fiction Award. Additionally, her essay, “Gathering Rosebuds: A Manifesto for Working Women,” was included in a 1998 Oprah Book Club segment. She divides her time between Orange, VA and a river house in Tappahannock, the setting for Catcher, Caught. Tragically, after penning the story of Daniel Landon’s battle with an aggressive cancer. Now in remission, she is currently working on her fourth novel.
About the book:
Catcher, Caught tells the story of Daniel Solstice Landon, a 15-year-old high school student diagnosed with leukemia, as he struggles to find his place in the world while staring down his own mortality in the wake of a recent leukemia diagnosis. A reading of Catcher in the Rye, causes Daniel to question the intentions and authority of those around him. 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.
My take on the book:
Sarah Collins Honenberger presents readers with a story based on today’s headlines. 15-year-old Daniel Landon is a few months into being diagnosed with leukemia and struggling to make sense of a world he knows he’s not long for. With parents who are reeling from trying to make sense of this tragic diagnosis and friends not sure how to treat their dying classmate, Daniel looks to Holden Caufield and a recent reading of Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye for some semblance of meaning.
Honenberger captivated me with Daniel’s voice and I couldn’t put the book down. I think she brilliantly takes on the question of what is the best way to deal with your own impending mortality. As a teen trapped between the world of adults and childhood, Daniel is often left with no say in his own treatment and no choices about how to live his remaining days. Daniel’s parents spurn traditional treatments for alternative means and eventually get charged with abuse and neglect. It’s hard for us not to judge Daniel’s parents, but it’s also hard to believe their actions are tantamount to abuse and neglect. No clear answers are given and Daniel often is caught in the middle and gets frustrated at his lack of voice about matters relating to him.
I disagree with other reviewers who stated that besides Daniel, there is a lack of development in the other characters. What they’re missing is the story is told from Daniel’s 1st person point-of-view. It’s easy to miss this which is a
I’m going to add this to my TBR pile, which is enormous, but that’ll never change.
It’s really quite good. The criticisms I have read on Amazon are off base in my opinion as well. They would make sense for some books but I think they’re off for this one.
I’m looking forward to that interview with Sarah Collins Honenberger and to hear what motivated her to write such an unusual story!
Loved your frank review Chris and I couldn’t stop reading after this sentence: “Honenberger captivated me with Daniel’s voice and I couldn’t put the book down”
One cannot help to be fascinated with heavy-hitting stories such as this one, I guess that you are probably still having flashbacks even after you finished reading.
What do you think is the youngest reader age for this book?
Thanks for the great review
Read Aloud Dad