Whilst initially reluctant to read any book featuring a cow and a garden gnome on the cover, I will always be grateful that I got past my initial prejudice and read the sprawling, rollicking, chaotically perfect Going Bovine.

A very deserving winner of the 2010 Michael L. Printz award, Going Bovine is the tale of Cameron, an American teenager diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, commonly known as Mad Cow disease. Cameron’s already a pretty cranky and disconnected youth, but when the hallucinogenic symptoms of his disease start to take hold, his life starts to become increasingly terrifying and entertaining. It’s hard to describe such a rambling novel that takes the reader on a road trip across America, from voodoo-jazz in New Orleans, to happy-clappy religous cults addicted to positivity and smoothies, to spring-break-girls-go-wild shenanigans in Daytona.

All along the way Bray lampoons American pop culture and highlights (with affection) the various insanities afflicting her country and its teens. This is a gutsy, touching, hilarious rollercoaster ride of a book that can be enjoyed equally by adults as well as teens.