I Am the Cheese

When I bought this book, it was because it was thirty cents in a library sale. I did NOT think I would finish it in just over a day. I did not think I would love it. But somehow both of these things happened. I AM THE CHEESE is a novel that is hard to review, because without giving away the ending it has a very basic, even boring-seeming plot. (Boy rides bike across several states to visit his father in a hospital. Thrilling.) But between this are psychiatric sessions with that same boy, Adam, with the psychiatrist an unknown man. Is he good, trying to help Adam recall his dangerous past? Or is he evil, trying to learn Adam's secrets and then dispose of him? Who IS he? The sense of dread and mystery that permeates this novel makes it the finest psychological horror story I have ever read. As Adam slowly uncovers his past -- a past filled with dangerous escapes, corrupt government, murder, and the ever-mysterious gray man -- the reader starts to understand that something very strange is going on, and perhaps the story of the bike journey is not as straightforward as it seems. Perhaps the psychiatrist is far more than he seems at first glance. Perhaps the song that Adam sings -- the Farmer in the Dell -- and its final phrase, The Cheese Stands Alone, has more meaning for him than just a childhood song. Perhaps Adam himself -- the narrator whose thoughts you hear on the page -- is less trustworthy than you thought. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Highly recommended. Rating: Masterpiece

Chilling. Sometimes authors can be separated into "Authors That End Their Depressing Book Hopefully" and "Authors That End Their Books In Deep Dark Dank Despair". Robert Cormier is of the latter category. In his remarkable, "I Am the Cheese", Cormier tells the technically adept tale of Adam Farmer. Cutting between scenes in which Adam tries to remember the events of his past and scenes of him riding his bike on a small quest to find his father, the book is a deft portrayal of what is real and what is imagined.More than anything else, this is one of the rare psychological thrillers written specifically for youth. As Adam realizes what has happened to him, so too does the reader. And as Adam starts to mistrust his interrogator, ditto the reader. Clues to Adam's past come to him slowly, their subtlety impressive. For example, Adam discovers that his has two birth certificates. One says his correct birthday. The other, a birth date in a completely different month. This is a small discovery on his part, but a perfectly chilling one. He doesn't understand the significance of this discovery, nor does the reader, but we're compelled to discover what it all means. If you've a kid who'd be interested in a book with an unreliable narrator, you couldn't do much better than this. Adam is sympathetic, but ultimately not in control of any of the forces that guide his travels. He is the world's victim, a fact explored fully at the novel's shocking close. DO NOT read the last page of this book if you want to be surprised. I, myself, caught an accidental glance and knew more than I ever wanted to as a result. This is not a book for anyone who likes their protagonist to overcome his/her personal struggles and triumph in some small way in the end. Nor is it a book for those who like the protagonist to use his/her brains to outwit his/her enemies and triumph in the end. This is more a book for those who like their protagonist to be helpless in the face of an unspeakable accepted evil and who will not triumph in any way at all in the end. Not your cup of tea? Avoid this book. Want a good book with a riveting story? Then enjoy the delights of, "I Am the Cheese".

Kids: When you're over Harry Potter and Narnia, and you want a challenging book that will make your head spin, read this book. It's about a young adolescent named Adam on his way to see his father in another town. He's riding his bike alll the way there. There is something strange going on from the beginning, yet, we're not sure what. In addition to this story, we're also seeing Adam being interviewed by a psychiatrist, supposedly after this bike ride has occurred. It is an extremely well-done book, and many kids find it to be a favorite and want to read it over again as soon as they finish it. Some get a little frustrated by it because they want very simple stories that require no thinking. If you are like this, don't read this book--yet. But come back to it when you are ready. (It's sort of like "The Sixth Sense" because it has this shocker ending. Very Cool.)Parents/Adults: If you're not familiar with this book, read it. It can be enjoyable and challenging for readers of any age. But, I suggest it for readers who are not easily frustrated and who seek challenging books. 7th grade and up.

The book "I am the Cheese" by Robert Cormier is a psychological masterpiece. It deals with a boy, Adam Farmer or so you think, trying to uncover his past. This book always keeps you guessing because you always ask so many questions and wonder what happened to that boy. Will he ever get to deliver his package to his father? What happened that was so terrible to make his father leave? What happened to his mother? Why is he seeing a psychologist? Is he really in a psych ward? When and how did he get out? Did he ever get out? His race to uncover his past becomes your race to uncover his past. The ending is unbelievable. No matter how hard you try you will never guess the ending. This book was so good that I couldn't put it down. It makes you really think of how tragic some peoples' lives really are.

As a young child, I considered Robert Cormier one of my heroes. He wrote engaging, enigmatic stories that did not pander to his young adult audience, yet his novels were not too tough-and-stringy for such readers to digest. I read his entire catalog of books, from "The Chocolate War," to "Fade," and everything else in between, and each enthralling book helped me to examine (what were) complex social and moral issues. His books were refreshing and thought provoking, and I greatly appreciated Cormier's assumption that young children were capable of understanding three dimensional characters, hard truths, and pain more substantial the pain of a friend moving away or of losing a beloved pet.Cormier's novels had a deep and beneficial impact on my developing personality, and I thank him.Over the years, although I did not forget his name, I did not think about Cormier very much. He served his purpose, I felt, and had nothing new to offer.Many of us know already that Robert Cormier recently passed away. I read it in the Boston Globe, and I was deeply saddened. I decided to, out of respect, re-read my favorite of his novels, "I am the Cheese." I was a little nervous, expecting to be disappointed.This was not the case. "I am the Cheese," is a novel that is in many ways formatted for children. However, it is also a novel that can bring back (and make real), for those adults who want them, the feelings of loneliness, despair, suffocation, and unreasonable fear that we felt when we were thirteen or so.This is no summer Disney flick with a few hidden tongues-in-cheek for Mom n' Dad. "I am the Cheese" is a (yes) simple, but POWERFUL tour-de-force of brittle yet sepulchral sentiment.As adults (and I guess I am one, but only by default), we pretty much have our minds made up about any issue we might come across. Conservative or liberal, religious or agnostic, and so on. I strongly recommend this book for adults, because it is a gateway to the mind of that child we try so hard to forget; the child who is alone, running away, in constant motion, trying to cope and trying to make sense of it all. And doing just that without the benefit of a helpful tradition of longstanding opinion or any sense of real identity.Finally, adults should keep in mind that this, or any of Cormier's novels, really are excellent books for growing young adults. Yes, Cormier is notoriously associated with banned books and with inciting rebellion in the minds of young readers. Many parents are protective about what ideas their children are exposed to, and do not want to reinforce such messages. Others feel that such frank material is not suitable for an impressionable mind. Keeping this in mind, I nonetheless ask all parents to yank the (flavor of the month) Backstreet Boys' unofficial bio out of the hands of your daughters, and the 50 page, illustrated, pro wrestling advert out of your sons'. You may replace this saccharine, rotting, yet somehow book-shaped compost with "I