Noggin is one of the strangest books I've ever read and it's nearly impossible to fit it in a single genre. John Corey Whaley's novel is a mixture between coming-of-age, science fiction and romance elements to create one irresistible, yet bizarre novel. This isn't your typical YA novel and Noggin is truly an unique, out of the box novel that is filled with poignant, heart-breaking moments.
Travis was suffering from cancer and his doctors offered him the possibility of a new life thanks to the amazing scientific advances of cryogenics. The problem is that nobody believed that nobody believed cryogenics would allow Travis to return to his old life. Fast forward five years after Travis's head was frozen, the doctors have finally figured out how to successfully transplant Travis's head onto a new body. Travis has to learn how to deal with the fact that his family and friends have moved on and that he has a new body.
Travis is a character that I was completely sympathetic to even when he acted rash and immature. It was so upsetting to see how Travis had 5 years of his life stolen from him and it broke my heart to see how much he missed in that time span. It's hard to fault Travis for his childish behavior because even though his head wasn't always in the right place, his heart was (Get it?). I truly felt for Travis and I felt like I understood him on a deep, personal level.
Though Noggin is a captivating novel about loss, rediscovering love, and the importance of friendship, it managed to make me laugh. Whaley truly writes extremely hilarious dialogue and his dialogue really helped add so much depth to his characters, making them feel extremely three-dimensional. I'm not sure if the humor in Noggin is for everyone, but it was just the kind of dry wit I needed to brighten my day.
Noggin is the type of novel that will have readers laughing hysterically one moment and the next readers will be bawling their eyes out. I'll admit it, Noggin made me cry and this novel really was filled with raw emotional moments; readers should definitely have tissues on hand while reading this book. This isn't an easy book to read, but Noggin is definitely worthwhile and I think that there's so many important messages that readers can take away from this novel.
Do yourself a favor and pick up Noggin because this "John Hughes-esque" novel is an absolute must read for both teens and adults alike. I really look forward to reading Whaley's Where Things Come Back and I hope it amazes me like Noggin did. Few books have surprised me like Noggin and this book is at the head of my favorites of 2014 list. Get ahead of yourself and read Noggin, this novel will mess with your head in the best way and will break your heart that I can guarantee.
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