Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
"As American Desert opens, the novel's hero, Theodore Street, is driving toward the ocean, where he plans to walk into the waves and drown himself. But on his way, he is hit headlong by an oncoming van. He sails through the windshield, and although his face is unscratched and his bones unbroken, his head is sliced cleanly from his body." "At his funeral three days later, he sits up in his coffin, the sloppy stitching that binds his head and body together clearly visible. The mourners are horrified by his resurrection, and the story makes instant headlines throughout the world. He becomes a source of fear and embarrassment to his daughter, an object of derision and morbid curiosity to the press, a prized specimen for scientists, and Satan incarnate to an obscure religious cult."--BOOK JACKET.
Is American Desert appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
This darkly comic literary fantasy features graphic descriptions of decapitation and suicide attempts, though presented in a satirical rather than gratuitous manner. The protagonist's resurrection after violent death drives an exploration of identity and society's response to the inexplicable.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include death, grief, and body horror (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teen readers interested in philosophical questions about death, identity, and what happens when someone becomes a media sensation will find this darkly funny and thought-provoking.