Cameron and the Girls

In this tale of an unconventional love triangle, Averett (The Rhyming Season) explores what goes on in the mind of a rebellious teenager suffering from schizophreniform disorder, a short-term type of schizophrenia. Tired of his meddling parents and doctor, 14-year-old Cameron Galloway wants to be free of medication and the bad feelings it produces (“It’s my own life I have to live. Don’t I get to choose?”), so he secretly stops taking his pills. As a result, Cameron starts hearing voices again; one belongs to a girl, who apparently likes him. Around the same time, Cameron meets a real girl in the Emotionally Disturbed Program (EDP) at school, who desperately needs a friend. As the pressure to choose one girl over the other increases, the line between reality and fantasy blurs for Cameron, with potentially dangerous consequences. Without passing judgment, Averett addresses the issue of free choice versus protective care, sharing the pros and cons of Cameron’s decision to refuse medication and exercise his rights. Readers will have no trouble recognizing the impact of Cameron’s hallucinations and his burning need for independence. Ages 14–up. (Apr.)