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I Am the Cheese

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 7,669 ratings · 823 reviews

Adam Farmer is on a journey - he has to get to Rutterburg with a parcel for his father. But as he travels, he starts to remember the events leading up to this point, memories which are also being prised out in gruelling psychiatric interviews. What is the secret of Adam Farmer? And what will happen when he finds out?

Paperback, 233 pages

Published July 30th 1998 by Puffin Books (first published 1977)

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Nov 20, 2008 Matthew rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Matthew by: my teacher

When I first saw this book, I thought it was strange book that no one would read and it was one of the books I just quote…dumb but Robert Cormier, who describes the protagonist, Adam Farmer, and his epic journey to see his father in Rutterburg, Vermont creates this amazing book -- all in flashbacks. He tells the story of Adam as if he was telling it himself.
Adam Farmer a normal kid in school, one day finds the need see his father in Rutterburg, Vermont. He abandons his mother and his precious...more

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Mar 13, 2008 Ives rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who likes Mystery Books.

Recommended to Ives by: Anyone who likes mystery books.

I Am the Cheese
Robert Cormier
220 pages
HarperCollins,1985
$7.99
ISBN Dell,1981 ISBN 0-440-94060-5.

Have you ever thought about living the life of a victim? Always having the fear of being heard or watched from left to right, up to down? A little taste in what the "bitter-sweet" life is here in this compressed, and brilliant book. The lives of a small, mysterious family of the Farmers (Adam Farmer: Student, son of Mr. & Mrs. Farmer) are on stake. This small family is being hunted down by the g...more I Am the Cheese
Robert Cormier
220 pages
HarperCollins,1985
$7.99
ISBN Dell,1981 ISBN 0-440-94060-5.

Have you ever thought about living the life of a victim? Always having the fear of being heard or watched from left to right, up to down? A little taste in what the "bitter-sweet" life is here in this compressed, and brilliant book. The lives of a small, mysterious family of the Farmers (Adam Farmer: Student, son of Mr. & Mrs. Farmer) are on stake. This small family is being hunted down by the government. What do the officials want from this average family?

"A: I saw the Gray man get out of the car.
A: I could tell mother was dead with her head twisted in an abnormal angle.
T: What else did you see? You must tell me.
T: Tell me of this, Gray man. You must not retreat now.
T: You must not retreat now.
A: I would like to suspend now.
T: You must not. Tell me.."

I think that this is truly an amazing book. Personally being a fan of mystery, I enjoyed how Robert Cormier tosses in and stirs up the story with characters and conflicts to prevent the main character from getting what he wants. It seems as if the story is occurring or playing in my head, as I read each word. I picture the scenes go by and I visualize the characters in front of me, interacting before my eyes.
Adam Farmer, or so he was given this name, lives a normal life - goes to school, hangs out with his friend, goes home, and all that other stuff. However, his dad has been out of town and he hasn't gotten back. Adam recieves a notice that his dad is in the hospital. Worried and stealthily, Adam's guile sets him off onto a journey. He encounters many life-threatening experiences and obstacles that stand in his path. What he doesn't realize is that everything he's ever been told, or lived through, is a lie.
Personally, I think that people who enjoy reading and solving mystery books will love this book because this book has a variety of issues - from identity loss, all the way to helping/talking to strangers. Plus, the story and backgrounds of the characters are interesting as well. It's more fun than just solving any other puzzle; this one's been built incorrectly, and you're the one that has to rebuild it.(less)

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Jun 11, 2008 Kenny rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier was a fantastic book because it totally caught me off guard until the very end of the book. The reason was that Adam, the protagonist, tells a story while he rides a bicycle in a circle. Adam is mentally ill and is put in a facility because Adam knows something that the government doesn't want him to remember. As a result, the government drugs Adam in the hope of erasing his memories. The ending is very surprising, so i do not want to ruin the book. The title is...more

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Mar 02, 2008 Hong Deng rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 9th-grade-in-class-books

This book is about a boy named Adam who was going on a personal journey of finding his real identity. He lived happyliy with his family until one day he became suspicious of his parents and later on found out that his real name is Paul Delmonte. His family had being disguised since he was litte to avoid terrorists. Not long after he found the truth, his parents both died from a car accident and he lost his memory and had to stay in a hospital to recover. The book is really interesting because th...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Pandora rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, class-list, young-adult

I gave the book four stars because it is very well done and so it move up from three stars. I have however a love hate realtionship with Robert Cormier. I love his suspenseful plotting and his vivid descriptions. I hate his endings because they are all the worst possible ending. I will say though his endings fit the stories with the exception of Fade. I felt he cheated in making a horrible ending for that story.

One other note I Am The Cheese is the most difficult book I have read so far by Cormi...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Greg Fewer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen, thriller

I bought this young adult novel when I was a second- or third-year undergraduate student at university (the book was sold in the college bookshop as it was apparently used as a case study text on a course there). One of the two primary reasons why I bought it at the time was that I had enjoyed reading the same author’s book, The Chocolate War, when I was 11 years old and had wanted to read more books by him. However, for some reason, I don’t think I saw any of his other books in the local booksh...more I bought this young adult novel when I was a second- or third-year undergraduate student at university (the book was sold in the college bookshop as it was apparently used as a case study text on a course there). One of the two primary reasons why I bought it at the time was that I had enjoyed reading the same author’s book, The Chocolate War, when I was 11 years old and had wanted to read more books by him. However, for some reason, I don’t think I saw any of his other books in the local bookshop during my teen years (although this might have been as much because of my focus on fantasy novels such as The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Dragonlance Chronicles as on the possibility that Robert Cormier’s books were not stocked locally at the time). The other reason is that I am a Cormier on my mother’s side and being descended from 17th-century French colonists in Canada with the same name it’s very likely that I’m distantly related to this Canadian-American author.

The strange thing is that it has taken me over twenty years to actually get around to reading the book! The main reason for this delay is probably that the book got shelved at an early date and was soon after forgotten about as I got other books to read for leisure or to study for my BA and MA degrees and subsequent research. Whatever the cause for this delay, I’m glad that I finally did read I am the Cheese! As to what started me reading the book, it was my desire to add, on GoodReads, the correct cover for the edition that I owned, as well as that for The Chocolate War which got me browsing it.

At 191 pages, it’s a short enough read and most of the book was read in two sittings a day apart (if I’d nothing else to do I would’ve read this in a day). Since it is a psychological thriller, it builds suspense well by alternating between two stories. The fourteen-year-old protagonist’s adventure in cycling towards a town in another state so that he could meet up with his father and give him a parcel, the contents of which we are not told about, forms one story. This is told in both the first and third person. The other story takes the form of transcripts of therapy sessions (increasingly embellished by third-person narratives), which are held at some kind of institution where the protagonist – a little older now it seems – has difficulty in recalling some traumatic events in his life. The story combination and their gradual unfolding not only build suspense but also, for me, created an element of dread. This is because you know that, at some point, something bad is going to happen and, all the while, there is growing unease on the part of the protagonist (and the reader) as to the true purpose of the therapy sessions (or was the boy just paranoid?).

The dénouement of the book is depressing. Also, the psychological and ethical issues that arise in the context of the treatment received by the protagonist at the institution where the therapy sessions take place are perhaps typical of a lot of writing in the 1960s and 1970s when scientists were very much interested in themes like mind control and memory suppression. It’s therefore very much a product of its time but I don’t think it has any less value today than it did in the late 1970s. If it gets readers, especially younger ones, to question received wisdom then its value, other than being a good tale, is secure.
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Jun 11, 2008 Amanda B. added it Recommends it for: readers who like twist

Shelves: advisorybooks-2007-08

I have first read this book in 6th grade, and I saw it on my book shelf and wanted to re-read it. I was very satisfied with the new outlook i had on this book. it is a story about a man named Adam who is in a battle to understand his identity and his life as a whole. it is such a moving story because you see the progression of what seems to be a normal story but has many little twist in it. The book starts with Adam on his bike riding towards Vermont to see his father. The book ends revealing th...more

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Oct 21, 2011 Allie Vaccaro added it

I am the Cheese is physiological thriller that revolves around a peculiar teenager named Adam. Adam is trying to tug at his memory for clues from the past so that his present makes sense. His life takes him on journies from riding his bike to Rutterburg to see his father, to running into vicious dogs in the woods. This book is recommended for any teenager looking for a good mysterious story about a young boy. The story is a little hard to follow but in the end it starts to all make sense.

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Sep 22, 2008 Jorgina rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: NOBODY

Wish I had NEVER read this book. Required reading for my 10th grader so I read it first. Starts out good, keeps you reading even if it does bounce back and forth in time. Then it ends horribly, suddenly without resolving anything and with no hope no finality. It just ends where it begins. It does give you the endless circle that a mentally disturbed person must feel but GOSH! Why, during a youth's most unsettling years of self doubt, low self esteem, bouts of depression, hopelessness; the teen y...more

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Feb 28, 2008 Jay Gowen rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I enjoyed this book, I didn't think it was as good as the (only) other Cormier book I've read, We All Fall Down. The ending not only surprised me, but confused me as well. I remember re-reading it a couple of times before I felt as though I understood it, and even then, my wife and I were in disagreement as to what we believed actually happened.

That's the only drawback in my opinion: Cormier holds his hand so close to his chest during the entire book, that once he decides to reveal it, it...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Eleanor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: usa-ya

Robert Cormier IS the Cheese (the King Cheese, all bow down. I want to devour all his other works now)

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Jan 26, 2009 Jackiejukie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Searching desperately for a book, i find myself in my brother's library to discover not only a mysterious past, but how loneliness drives one to shut down to have no recollect of their past.I Am The Cheese is a story of mystery which is not unraveled until the very end of the story. The main character Adam seems to be traveling from therapist sessions back to encounter a journey to visit his father. Eventually the ending answers all the questions we have about Adam. Who is he? Why is he being in...more Searching desperately for a book, i find myself in my brother's library to discover not only a mysterious past, but how loneliness drives one to shut down to have no recollect of their past.I Am The Cheese is a story of mystery which is not unraveled until the very end of the story. The main character Adam seems to be traveling from therapist sessions back to encounter a journey to visit his father. Eventually the ending answers all the questions we have about Adam. Who is he? Why is he being interviewed? What has he faced? What does cheese have to do with the title?
At first the novel attracts you with a what we assume is a teenage boy who is riding his bike to give his father a present. We are not told what is in the box of the present but the "clues" as it were, we learn through out his journey. Adam is in love with a girl names Amy Hertz, lives in Monument Massachusetts, and is seeking to give his father something, whose ideal location is in Vermont. All the while, Adam is willing to make this trip by bike. Throughout the first half of the book we try to establish the relationship between these sessions and the story Adam keeps sharing. In the sessions Adam can't seem to recall most of his memories and referred to them as "blanks". Noticing that these stories were not only different but that in each segment, he refers to himself differently. Such that of when he shares what seem to be his hidden memories, he refers to himself by third person, using "Adam said this" or "Adam did that". Then when it gets to the story portion he speaks as though he is explaining his own feelings to the reader.
The sessions eventually reveal themselves to being a way to help unlock Adams past, but the "therapist" insists on luring Adam to dark place about his family. Eventually the secret that Adam's family had been lying to him about his entire existence. Adam's family had been under protective watch ever since his father testified against a powerful role in government. In order to keep the family safe, all their identities had to be heavily protected. Showing that Paul Delmonte is Adam Farmer's true identity.
Not giving too much away, but learning soon that the story of traveling to visit his father has become a yearly routine. Not due to the father having a birthday, but in fact Adam can not seem to remember his memories after sharing them with the therapist. All the interviews tend to have a similar routine until Adam seems to be holding things inside, whether it was to not go through the pain or know when to not trust anyone he was speaking to. Once he reaches his limit or remembrance. the cycle begins all over again. He is living a reoccurring nightmare over and over again, and will not stop unless sent out of the hospital for good, or is put to silence, indefinitely.
When "Adam" was growing up, his father would sing him a song about their name, farmer. it would start out "the farmer in the dell, the farmer in the dell, hi-ho the merry-o, the farmer in the dell". Eventually as of singing the entire song, it ends up with, "the rat takes the cheese, the rat takes the cheese hi-ho the merry-o, the rat takes the cheese. The cheese stands alone the cheese stands alone, hi-ho the merry-o the cheese stands alone." Adam seems to relate himself to the cheese for once his family was taken away from him, he had no more connections to the real world, and was completely alone, without proper memory of his life.
I would recommend this book because it's entertaining to read and you never want to put it down. it could be due to the fact that it keeps interchanging between interview and story. it was well written and i had a great time reading it even though it turned out to be very depressing. I tried not to spoil the whole book, i think i didn't because i kept good details. So read it. You'll enjoy it.
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May 23, 2013 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am the Cheese is an edgy story, forcing readers to piece together broken shards of Adam’s life as they read. The completed puzzle doesn’t reveal a placid scene of a lake or forest glade; rather the completed puzzle still feels like there are pieces missing, and the parts that are in place have been warped by rain and sun, creating an image that is neither harmonious nor pleasant to view.

Despite the disconcerting number of threads that still dangle loosely at the novel’s conclusion, the story’s...more

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Apr 26, 2013 Daria added it

In I Am The Cheese, Robert Cormier tells of a young boy living in Monument, Massachusetts. At ten o'clock in the morning, Adam Farmer sets out for Rutterburg, Vermont by bicycle. During his journey, Adam meets the inhabitants of the small towns in New England although determined to arrive at his destination, he sings to himself all the way. The book switches to a series of undated, taped transcripts between Adam and a doctor named Brint, and he asks Adam to remember his earliest memories. Toget...more In I Am The Cheese, Robert Cormier tells of a young boy living in Monument, Massachusetts. At ten o'clock in the morning, Adam Farmer sets out for Rutterburg, Vermont by bicycle. During his journey, Adam meets the inhabitants of the small towns in New England although determined to arrive at his destination, he sings to himself all the way. The book switches to a series of undated, taped transcripts between Adam and a doctor named Brint, and he asks Adam to remember his earliest memories. Together, Adam and the doctor sift through Adam’s past and uncover the truth about the Farmer family. “I turn the corner and see the hospital. The iron gates gleam in the sun... Mr. Dupont is waiting for me... He is always waiting for me.” (Cormier 224) It becomes apparent, that in reality, the entire excursion occurs within the confines of an institution. Adam rides his bike around the parking lot of the hospital but within his thoughts, he carries a package to his father in Rutterburg. The final page of the novel restates the first paragraph of the book, where Adam begins his journey to Rutterburg from his home.
The book was written in first person for most of the story. Adam narrates his own journey from Massachusetts to Vermont and the book’s most interesting context takes place in these chapters. Nearly every other chapter, our story switches to a collection of taped transcripts.
“A: But I wondered. Why did he keep the birth certificate if it was wrong, had the wrong date? And why did he keep it sealed?
T:What did you do about it?
(5-second interval)
A: I’m tired. I’ve got a headache.
T: What did you do about it?
A: Its late. I want to go to bed.
T: What did you do about it?
A: I can’t remember. Its too hazy.
T: What did you do about it?
(6-second interval)
A: Nothing.” (Cormier 74) Although the tapes are essential to Cormier’s plot, the conversations between Adam and Brint can become dull and a little slow. The main themes of the book were the discovery of one’s identity, helpless individual v.s. powerful organization and the song, “The Farmer and The Dell”. Although this book is a quick read it’s plot contains very adult concepts. Robert Cormier is a great children/teen writer and I enjoyed reading this book. I am the Cheese would mainly appeal to readers near Adam’s age because of some simple connections kids at the ages eleven through fifteen can make. I was recommended this book by my mother who read it recently so this book can be appreciated by all ages.
I give this book a four out of five. I understand that the book was written to attract a younger audience but the depth of the story line does not match the level of reading. I would have given I am the Cheese a five but the writing is for a lower level reader. Join Adam and experience a memorable trip through a thirteen year old mind!(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Name: Michelle Muro
Citation: Cormier, R. (1977). I am the cheese. New York, NY: Pantheon.
Genre: Mystery
Format: Print
Selection Process: YALSA website

Review:

Adam Farmer is on a journey by bicycle to see his father in the hospital while also battling the mysteries of his mind. The story is told in two different formats. It starts with a narrative of Adam on a bicycle going to give his father a package. The next chapter is a transcript between an interviewer and Adam who is trying to remember his pa...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Heidi rated it 4 of 5 stars

(As I glance through the other reviews I can see every plot twist revealed. Don't read too many reviews if you want to be surprised by this book.)

I think this was my first psychological thriller. I remember being blown away by this book in high school, so when I noticed it had been released as an ebook I decided to re-read it for old times' sake.

Adam Farmer is riding his bike from Massachusetts to Vermont to see his father. That's all we really know. Interspersed with the bike-riding chapters t...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Tommy Gibbs rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of my all time favorite books. I first read it in 7th grade. The story is of a boy Adam Farmer (actually Paul Delmonte). The story is complicated in that there are three developing plots. One is of Adam Farmer who is riding his bicycle from his home town of Monument, Massachusetts to an unknown location. This plot is simply of his journey and several trials that occur during it. The second plot is of, presumably, Adam sitting with an unnamed interviewer, presumably his psychiatrist,...more This is one of my all time favorite books. I first read it in 7th grade. The story is of a boy Adam Farmer (actually Paul Delmonte). The story is complicated in that there are three developing plots. One is of Adam Farmer who is riding his bicycle from his home town of Monument, Massachusetts to an unknown location. This plot is simply of his journey and several trials that occur during it. The second plot is of, presumably, Adam sitting with an unnamed interviewer, presumably his psychiatrist, This plot is simply of the two of them conversing in a room. And the third plot is of the life of Paul Delmonte that is slowly uncovered during the discussions in the second plot. After a long series of revelations it is learned that Paul Delmonte is the real identity of Adam Farmer after his father testified against the mafia. Delmonte family was relocated and changed there name to Farmer. Then it is revealed that Adam is currently in a mental hospital because he had a mental collapse after the mafia successfully killed his parents in a car bomb explosion (Adam was in the car durring the explosion). But its not done yet, the therapist of Adam is actually a member of the mafia attempting to elicit a confession from Adam that he actually is Paul Delmonte so that the mafia can confirm they killed the right family. The Bicycle ride was all a delusion of Adam's on mind to coup with the fact that his parents were killed and every event in the bicycle ride is synonymous with the events in Adams life before the murder of his parents. As you can probably tell, the storyline is very complex and confusing, but that itself is a part of the theme to the book; that nothing is really as it seems. The same theme appears in the storylines of Long Way Gone, HeLA, and 12th Night. Nothing in the book that is assumed in the beggining of the book is actually as it is in the end of the book when is all is revealed just in life rarely are situations as they appear to be There is always a deeper meaning, deeper secret to. A smaller theme could be argued that the authorities are not to be trusted. The police betrayed the Delmonte family by an inside-man giving away their new location, and the therapist betrayed Adam by actually being a mafia agent trying to elicit information. And then an even smaller theme could be that one should never get involved in with the mafia or interfere with the mafia; they will find you, and kill you. (less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Amanda Childs rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: engl-420-fall-2012

WHOLE CLASS READING

Adam's whole life is like a maze. He remembers when his life was happy and normal. But a mysterious man, Mr. Grey, controls everything in his family's life, and the implications are sinister. Adam embarks on a bicycle quest, pedaling to find his dad. as he does, he starts remembering, and then things come crashing down.

This book is certainly smart. It's mostly psychological and requires the reader to keep up and pay attention. that said, I found it to be disappointing. Indeed...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think my original experience with this books sums up the reaction to it pretty well. It was assigned reading for the class (either freshman or sophomore year, not sure) and so I brought it home to read through once before we started picking it apart in class. Of course, I loved it and our class discussion of it was abandoned halfway through because most of the students were frustrated and confused. From what I've heard since, that seems to be the general consensus of readers: either they love...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Colleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Teens dealing with issues

Shelves: great-books, great-ya-books

I am the Cheese by Robert Cormier

Cormier, Robert. I Am the Cheese. New York: Knopf, 1977. Print.

Synopsis:

It is hard to summarize this book because I don't want to spoil anything for you. Nevertheless, the novel starts with our protagonist Adam pedaling away fast on his bicycle to see his father. As he pedals, we are immersed in the mystery of Cormier’s complex plot. The farther Adam rides, the more we learn. Chapters are split between Adam biking to the next state and what feels like a fast forw...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Robert rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, 5-6, crime, mystery, public-library

The other day on the way home from work I tuned into All Things Considered on NPR. I listened to this segment. I was mesmerized by the description of a book that had left its impression upon someone so long ago. I was intrigued.

That evening I took the children to the public library to check this out.

I loved the story here. Cormier's writing is compelling. Adam lives in a dark world that he discovers as the book proceeds. There is a great mystery that unfolds. As a reader, it is easy to be caught...more

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May 22, 2012 Matt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favorite, exceeded-expectations, read-in-2011-or-2012

4.5/5

This is "Shutter Island" with Leonardo DiCaprio for teens. LOL

Robert Cormier was there and doing Young Adult Lit before it was hip. Long before J.K. Rowling or Suzanne Collins. Ya feel me, bro? j/k

This short novel plays with perceptions, memory, and switches effortlessly between first-person present-tense chapters and third-person past-tense segments. Also, a third, unique from of storytelling exists here--the recording between the main character and the "Doctor." Between these three avenue...more

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Mar 11, 2012 Sanjida Kamal rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Despite that low star rating, I really did find this book interesting. The surprising twist in the end was quite Wizard of Oz-esque. I'm always up for a psychological twist like that. It was reminiscent of Cormier's The Chocolate War in the way that it had this sort of depressing, down on life kind of vibe to it. That's what appealed to me in The Chocolate War, the way the protagonist deals with life and doesn't win in the end. To other people the depressing and hopeless outlook may seem off put...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Megan H rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just finished reading this book in my lit class and I suprisingly liked it. Cormier keeps readers guessing until the very end. Adam is on a bike ride from Massachusetts to Vermont...or so we think. Adam Farmer is my name....or so he thinks. It's a very entertaining book an has lots of symbolism in it. The title was very confusing to some, and lots of people didn't want to read it because of the strange title. The title "I am the Cheese" is in reference to the song 'The Farmer In the Dell' whic...more

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Jan 24, 2012 Beau rated it 4 of 5 stars

Have you ever watched the movie "Abduction" staring Taylor Lautner? Well this book is just like that movie but it actually puts a modern twist to it. Although this book is a fictional book, the way the author tells it makes it so much more realistic. This book is full of deception and lies that it makes this book interesting.

This book is about a kid named Adam Farmer who has been drugged into finding out more information about his family, mainly his father. As Adam is induced in the drug, someon...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Mariahsalameh_ added it

Who is Adam Farmer? Who is Paul Delmonte? Who is Brint? Where is Adam? What are these “tapes”, and why are they deleted? Who is Mr. Grey? And what pills? Are just some of the many questions you are going to ask yourself when you read this novel.
The focus of the novel being around an innocent teenager named Adam Farmer who just wants to know the truth, makes for an interesting story. The novel not only alternates between two time periods leaving the reader confused, yet craving more, but is writ...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Jason Darnell rated it 2 of 5 stars

I am the cheese was not one of my favorite books. It was some what difficult to understand who Adam Farmer really is. There were about three narrators, Adam being the first peron narrative, and an anonymous third person narrator as well as someone who narrates the tape sessions he has. The sessions he has are with his psychiatrist Brint. Brint plays mind games with Adam, because he's trying to find out information about Adam's past life, which he has very little memory of. Sometimes it seems as...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Laina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: suggested-for-lib

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 09, 2010 Sydney White rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit

When I was four years old I went through a terrible night terrors phase. My parents said that I would wake up in the middle of the night for weeks on end after having recurring nightmares. Fortunately I don't remember any of them today, but I do recall how nice it was to crawl into bed with them and feel safe enough to continue the rest of the night's sleeping hours. When I finished Cormier's I am Cheese it was 11:00 pm, my house was dark, and the trees outside the bedroom were looming through s...more

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Sep 16, 2010 Tahleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, thrillers, young-adult

This book is a very difficult one to summarize. We have Adam Farmer, a 14-year-old boy who is biking his way to Vermont from a small town in Massachusetts with the goal of visiting his father. Yet these first-person, present-tense accounts are alternated with taped conversations Adam has with a man named Brint, supposedly a psychiatrist of some sort—these conversations are an attempt to get Adam to remember his past which is so horrible that he has been repressing the memories. What does this al...more

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by Walter Dean Myers

About Robert Cormier

Robert Edmund Cormier (January 17, 1925–November 2, 2000) was an American author, columnist and reporter, known for his deeply pessimistic, downbeat literature. His most popular works include I Am the Cheese, After the First Death, We All Fall Down and The Chocolate War, all of which have won awards. The Chocolate War was challenged in multiple libraries. His books often are concerned with themes...more

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Trivia About I Am the Cheese

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Quotes from I Am the Cheese

“He was intrigued by the power of words, not the literary words that filled the books in the library but the sharp, staccato words that went into the writing of news stories. Words that went for the jugular. Active verbs that danced and raced on the page.” — 15 people liked it

“A: Funny about my mother. All my life, from the time I was just a little kid, I thought of her as a sad person. I mean, the way some people are tall or fat or skinny. My father always seemed the stronger one. As if he was a bright color and she was a faded color. I know it sounds crazy.
T: Not at all.
A: But later, when I learned the truth about our lives, I found she was still sad. But strong, too. Not faded at all. It wasn't sadness so much as fear--the Never Knows.” — 3 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48974.I_Am_the_Cheese?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1170356988l/48974.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48974.I_Am_the_Cheese?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier[/url]

I Am the Cheese

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