Summary Of Stuck In Neutral

684 Words2 Pages

Stuck in Neutral is about a 14-year-old boy with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a disease that causes people to not be able to move any part of the body or even talk. Even with this condition and not being able to talk or walk, Shawn can remember everything he has ever heard. In addition to his cerebral palsy, Shawn suffers from epilepsy seizures. When he is having his seizures, his spirit ‘travels’ and he goes places he wishes he could go when he is not seizing. When Shawn was first born, his father left his family of two other siblings and his mother because he couldn't handle having a special needs child. When Shawn was born his father wrote a poem that got the Pulitzers prize. Then he later went on to write a book about a guy who murdered …show more content…

When his parents are deceased, he will need to get a permanent caregiver. This is something that really weighs down his family. Someone always has to be there to make sure he is as safe as possible during his seizures. They have to make sure that he doesn't hit his head or break anything. Since Shawn always needs a caregiver, this puts a lot of stress on his family. “ Vonda is my respite care provider … she’s a little impatient at my feeding times, and I'm sure when she has to change my diaper, she comes up with better ideas for making six bucks an hour” (102). Vonda struggles with taking care of him and that's her job, thus showing it can be difficult. The final reason is that Shawn can never express how he feels. In the end of the book, when Shawn's dad came to take over Vondas shift, his dad was telling him how much he loved him. All Shawn wanted to do was tell his dad that he loved him back… but couldn't. When his father says “ Shawn I love you, I have always loved you” (107). Shawn says “I know, I love you too only I wish you could hear me for real” (108). The statements between Shawn and his father shows how much Shawn wishes that he could tell his family that he loves

Open Document