Books like I Am the Cheese

But I keep pedaling, I keep pedaling...A photograph of Robert Cormier will show you an old man with a kind face, who was born and grew up in a small town of Leominster in Massachusetts which he never left, who graduated from a private catholic school and wrote articles for the local newspaper. It might be a surprise to learn that Cormier's novels are very bleak and pessimistic; concerned mostly with young protagonists and the pains of adolescence of growing up. Betrayals and conspiracies abound, secret societies full of violence and betrayals. No one is safe, and the good guys don't always win. Cormier's novels are unusually dark for fiction addressed towards a younger audience, so much that concerned individuals and institutions tried to ban them. In most of his works there's no hope or redemption at the end - perhaps Cormier's censors wanted to protect young minds from what they perceived to be unnecessary gloom. They underestimated writer who refused to back down and the intelligence of his audience. If they knew how truly cruel kids can be, their heads would explode.I Am The Cheese is the story of Adam Farmer, a 14 year old boy who cycles from Monument, Massachusets to see his father at a hospital in Rutterburg, Vermont. It's a long trip, and unusually ominous; Adam is fearful as there always seems to be something waiting around the corner or behind his back. He carries a package which he must deliver to his father, but why is he alone on his trip? Why is he suspicious of everybody he meets? Why is his father in a hospital so far away? Cormier's novel explores the themes of adolescence and alienation, with a brilliantly sinister twist. I was surprised at how ambiguous and dark the novel was, considering the audience it was aimed at - the feeling of confusion and helplessness and the fear of growing up. Most of us still can remember the time our trust in our friends was broken, and the realization that our parents aren't perfect and all-knowing as they once seemed. Children experience these emotions deeply and take them very seriously, but often do not let them out and keep them locked deep within themselves, and can relate to Adam and his struggles on his trip to Vermont.I Am The Cheeseis a terrific novel both for children and adults. It's very quiet and subdued, turning up the suspense with a deliberate slowness, revealing its secrets one by one until they all come together at the end in a truly shocking (and brave) conclusion. I can't wait to read more works by Cormier - he was truly an excellent author and is now sadly missed by one more reader.