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Noggin

John Corey Whaley

3.76 · Rating details · 11,688 ratings · 1,920 reviews

Listen — Travis Coates was alive once and then he wasn’t.

Now he’s alive again.

Simple as that.

The in between part is still a little fuzzy, but he can tell you that, at some point or another, his head got chopped off and shoved into a freezer in Denver, Colorado. Five years later, it was reattached to some other guy’s body, and well, here he is. Despite all logic, he’s still ...more

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ebook, 340 pages

Published April 8th 2014 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

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Average rating 3.76 ·

Rating details

· 11,688 ratings · 1,920 reviews

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Apr 12, 2018 Jesse (JesseTheReader) added it

Need to let this one sink in before I comment my thoughts on it, but for the most part I enjoyed it.

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Jan 20, 2015 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-in-2015, teenie-bopper-books, liburrrrrry-book

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

I would say I “didn’t get” this story, but seriously . . .

The idea of Noggin was great . . .

“Everything can go from fine and dandy to dark and depressing faster than you can say ‘acute lymphoblastic leukemia.’”

When Travis Coates was diagnosed with terminal cancer as a 16-year old boy, he was offered a potential second chance . . . .

Travis chose to roll the dice and have his head cryogenically frozen. What he didn’t plan o ...more

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Nov 17, 2015 Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ rated it it was ok

Shelves: genre-young-adult, 2015-reads, genre-scifi, genre-contemporary

DISCLAIMER : Don't seek scientific accuracy because there's none, and, really, that's not the point. You don't believe me? Just imagine I'd ask John Corey Whaley if he wanted to tell a realistic story, scientifically wise.

"Yeah. Sure. That's exactly why I chose to talk about a guy whose head is cut off then frozen THEN attached to someone else's body. Sure." *side glances* - who is this crazy chick?

There's this weird thing we often use when reading scifi, called suspension of disbelief . ...more

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Oct 02, 2014 Neal Shusterman rated it really liked it

Really enjoyed this one! The premise here is my kind of story -- a dying kid decides to have his head cryogenically frozen, figuring if they ever revive him, it will be in the distant future. Well, surprise, it happens five years later. He now has the buff body of some dead kid, and has to deal with that, and the fact that everyone in his life is five years older, and his parents who had mourned him, now have him back, which is weird on all fronts.

Having explored similar transplant-related issue ...more

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May 14, 2014 Andrew Hicks rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

When I got married in 2007, we moved 120 miles away. In 2011, we moved back. I thought my return would be the best of both worlds - I’d have my new family life and old friends back, redefined for adulthood. I walked into my old bar, the neighborhood hangout from my single years, and the same people were there, many of them sitting on the same stools, all of them doing and talking the same shit. And for me - it was obvious, immediately - it wasn’t the same. Three years later, I still haven’t gone ...more

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Nov 07, 2014 Elyse Walters rated it really liked it

A few basic facts.....
It's a Young Adult book about a dying kid - *Travis* - who chooses to have his
head cryogenically frozen. Five years later - he's back - alive with a fit- and taller body.
To Travis, it only feels like he's been asleep for the night -- in no way does it seem like five years has gone by without him.

However, after Travis woke up his parents kept saying how much they missed him.
It made Travis feel weird. Very weird!
Everything is different ... everyONE is different.

Travis is ...more

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Sep 05, 2015 TL rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to TL by: Mason

*edited somewhat 11-1-15 with quotes and extra thoughts*

“Maybe we all just exist, all versions of us exist at times, and we have to figure out a way to get to each of them, to find each one and tell that version that it's okay, that it's all just the way it works, a concept too powerful to ignore but too complicated to explain.”
--
“No matter how often you see or talk to someone, no matter how much you know them or don't know them, you always fill up some space in their lives that can't ever be re ...more

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Nov 07, 2014 Larry H rated it really liked it

I'd rate this 4.5, maybe 4.75 stars.

One of the things I love so much about reading is what different books do for me. Some entertain, some manipulate my emotions (this is not necessarily a negative), some teach, some infuriate, and some make me think. I love when a book surprises me and does more than I expect. Such was the case with John Corey Whaley's spectacular second novel, Noggin. I enjoyed it tremendously (despite its offbeat premise) and it really made me think.

Travis Coates was a gravel I'd rate this 4.5, maybe 4.75 stars.

One of the things I love so much about reading is what different books do for me. Some entertain, some manipulate my emotions (this is not necessarily a negative), some teach, some infuriate, and some make me think. I love when a book surprises me and does more than I expect. Such was the case with John Corey Whaley's spectacular second novel, Noggin. I enjoyed it tremendously (despite its offbeat premise) and it really made me think.

Travis Coates was a gravely ill 16-year-old who was tired of dying, but he didn't want to keep living the way he was. He and his family agreed to participate in an experimental program in which his head (the only part of his body not riddled with the cancer that was killing him) was removed from his body and, when medical and technological advances made it possible, it would be attached to another donor's body. Deep down inside, everyone had a feeling this would never happen, but it was a good thing to imagine occurring years into the future.

One morning Travis woke up, his parents by his side, to find that his head had been reattached to another teenager's body (a better body, if anyone's counting). For Travis, it only seemed like a few hours had passed since he said goodbye to his family, his best friend, Kyle, and his girlfriend, Cate, but for everyone else, it was five years later. Five years in which so much had changed.

"I want to tell you a story about how you can suddenly wake up to find yourself living a life you were never supposed to live. It could happen to you, just like it happened to me, and you could try to get back the life you think you deserve to be living. Just like I did."

Travis has to return to his high school and repeat sophomore year. (While he should be 21, his body and his mind are still 16, and he didn't get enough credits while he was sick to become a junior.) Beyond everyone wanting to get a look at his really cool scar where they attached his head to the other boy's body, it's weird being there without Kyle and Cate, although he is able to make a new friend.

But as similar as that aspect of his life is, things are really different where Kyle and Cate are concerned, as their lives moved on, much differently than Travis would have expected. Travis can't seem to understand why they can't seem to pick things up where they left off, and runs the risk of alienating the people who matter the most to him. It's truly hard to reconcile his gratitude at being able to have another chance to live with his frustration that his life can't be the way he wants it to be.

Noggin is tremendously thought-provoking, because while the procedure that gave Travis a new lease on life is certainly difficult to grasp, it raises some interesting questions. If you thought a person you lost would come back to you, should you keep your life in a holding pattern until it was confirmed that it won't happen? What obligation do we have to those we leave behind? If this procedure existed, should it be used, or is it one step too far?

I really loved this book. I loved the fact that Travis wasn't any wiser than he was before he died, and if anything, he's more confused. I loved all of the characters and how they were flawed, just like real life. And I love the way Whaley tells a story, which is just one reason why his previous book, Where Things Come Back, was one of my favorite books of 2012.

If you can get past the procedure on which this book hinges, you'll really enjoy this, and it will move you if you've ever had to face the loss of someone you wish could still be with you. As Travis says, "It made me realize that no matter how often you see or talk to someone, no matter how much you know them or don't know them, you always fill up some space in their lives that can't ever be replaced the right way again once you leave it."

Noggin might be that way for me. ...more

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Mar 05, 2016 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2016

4.5

I just finished this a second ago and I really don't know how to rate it! My thoughts are all over the place.

It was a book that made me think. The entire thing was one big what if? There were so many lines that really hit the nail on the head about dealing with loss and grieving, and learning to move on. Powerful stuff.

But at the same time, all these powerful thing were said but I feel like I didn't get to see them happen. There was very little plot movement in this book and I absolutely 100% ...more

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Feb 08, 2014 Debby rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, stand-alone, blog-reviews, 2014-reads, books-that-linger

4 stars

When I was offered Noggin for review, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. From the blurb it just sounded unique and sort of weird. With the head cut off element, I thought it would be a bizarre kind of sci-fi, but nope. This book surprised me in the best possible way.

Noggin is actually sort of a cancer book. It centers on Travis Coates who, indeed, has his head cut off - but for a medical reason. He had a terminal form of cancer that had destroyed his body - except for his head. Know ...more

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Jul 16, 2014 Gabby rated it it was amazing

Shelves: love-the-concept, love-triangle, read-in-2014, read-in-one-day, romance, contemporary, lgbt, reviewed, favorites, liked-it

I loved this book so much more than I was expecting. After reading the synopsis I was really intrigued and I was curious to see how this story would unfold. It did not disappoint at all. One minute i was literally laughing out loud (which is rare for me to actually do while reading) and the next I was crying. I couldn't believe how emotional some of these scenes were for me, and how attached I got to these characters. All of the characters in this book are well developed: Travis, Cate, Kyle, eve I loved this book so much more than I was expecting. After reading the synopsis I was really intrigued and I was curious to see how this story would unfold. It did not disappoint at all. One minute i was literally laughing out loud (which is rare for me to actually do while reading) and the next I was crying. I couldn't believe how emotional some of these scenes were for me, and how attached I got to these characters. All of the characters in this book are well developed: Travis, Cate, Kyle, even Travis's parents are well developed characters, which I wasn't expecting. This is a story about life and death and grief, but also a story about what it means to be alive.

I stayed up till 2am reading this book because I couldn't put it down and I was enjoying it so much. Travis is a very relatable character. It's just the way he thinks, the way this book is written that makes Travis such a relatable character. "But in that moment I understood what they say about nostalgia, that no matter if you're thinking of something good or bad, it always leaves you a little emptier afterward." I highlighted that quote because I completely agree and I thought it was so beautifully said. John Corey Whaley has a beautiful way with words, and an incredible sense of humor. I loved Hatton's character, I could not stop laughing every time he opened his mouth. I also really loved the relationship between Travis and Kyle because you could tell they really cared about each other and wanted each other to be happy.

I think the idea that you could wake up 5 years later and have your head attached to another human being is terrifying, but also amazing. The fact that Travis got a second chance at life is so fascinating, but I like that this book dives into the problems that also happen in a situation like this. because yes, it is a miracle, but Travis feels like he is left out and has missed growing up with his friends, and he doesn't understand what has happened within his own family.

The one problem I had with this book was Cate's character. I don't know why, she just bugged me. Maybe it was because she constantly lead him on, even though she was engaged, and then she would get pissed at him for trying anything with her. I think it was a cool plot point to have his previous girlfriend be engaged to another guy when he wakes up, but I also thought she took up so much of Travis's time. It felt a little repetitive at times with Travis trying to be with her and her leading him on, just to reject him later. I understand that Travis was a little naive, but I admired his optimism at the same time. I just wish Cate wouldn't have led him on so much. I also think it ended kind of awkwardly between Cate and Travis because to me it feel like nothing had been resolved between them. At least not in the way I wanted. However, i will agree with what Cate said, when she said everyone has soul mates for different times in their lives. I agree because it's hard to believe in just one soul mate. I think we have several soul mates at different times in our lives, and that's okay. I think our soul mate at the time is whoever makes us happiest in the world at that moment, and if that changes several years later, that's okay too. But I did think the ending in general was kind of awkward and I didn't really understand why it ended the way it did. I was expecting it to end beautifully and give me a positive outlook on life, but then it just kind of ended. I felt like maybe there should have been an extra chapter at the end just to sum everything up.

Other than that, I really enjoyed Noggin. This book somewhat reminded me of "Winger" by Andrew Smith and "Everyday" by David Levithan. It reminded me of Winger because of the humor, and Everyday because of his constant desire to be with this one girl. I enjoyed those books as well and this will only add to the collection of books I love. I can't wait to read other books by John Corey Whaley. ...more

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May 15, 2014 Ken Shindle rated it it was ok

Noggin is a disappointing follow-up to Whaley's thought-provoking, well-written Where Things Come Back; it's a predictable story filled with banalities, shallow characters, and completely unbelievable dialogue. I hate being hard on a book quite obviously written for children, but I've come to expect a lot more from YA literature.

Noggin reads like an elementary school version of The Great Gatsby (though Whaley adds curses, I guess, to make his story seem more mature): a male protagonist reemerges Noggin is a disappointing follow-up to Whaley's thought-provoking, well-written Where Things Come Back; it's a predictable story filled with banalities, shallow characters, and completely unbelievable dialogue. I hate being hard on a book quite obviously written for children, but I've come to expect a lot more from YA literature.

Noggin reads like an elementary school version of The Great Gatsby (though Whaley adds curses, I guess, to make his story seem more mature): a male protagonist reemerges among family and friends after a five year absence during which his head was attached to another man's body, and he's desperate for everyone to act as if nothing has changed while he was gone. Travis longs for former beau Cate just as Gatsby longs for the alluring Daisy Buchanan; Travis, too, reacts angrily to assertions that the past is gone forever just as Gatsby does. I kept waiting, in fact, for one of Travis Coates's friends to yell at him, as Nick Carraway yells at Gatsby in Fitzgerald's masterpiece, that he "can't repeat the past" and for Travis to yell back, "Can't repeat the past? Why, of course you can!" The theme works in Gatsby because of Fitzgerald's ability to craft a powerful love story and to make the titular character one on which readers can take pity and one who shows us all the dangers of nostalgia; it fails here because Travis Coates and his commonplace story are so woefully underdeveloped.

There is a good book somewhere hidden within in the plot of Noggin. There are fascinating ethical and moral issues Whaley could've explored in his book: was Travis ever legally dead? is the surgery Travis undergoes a morally defensible one? what happens to a family that experiences a retroactively unnecessary grieving process? would it have been easier for those with whom Travis was closest to simply stay in his limbo? Instead, Whaley leaves these conversations for the "grown ups," only ever addressed on nightly news broadcasts that Travis tunes out.

Whaley, too, has a horrible habit of telling his reader why something should be emotionally impactful after his opportunity for that emotional impact has passed. "Travis cried over the loss of two chairs from an old theatre that he set up in his room before his surgery," Whaley seems to say. "Now, let me tell you why those chairs were so important to him." It didn't work for me as I tried desperately to find something in which I could be invested.

I'll read Whaley's next book, for sure, because I was so impressed with his debut, but Noggin left me scratching my head. ...more

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Jul 08, 2017 Josiah rated it it was amazing

I finally get it. The comparisons to John Green made by John Corey Whaley's fans? I see it now. As raw, devastating, and brilliant as The Fault in Our Stars was, Noggin matches those qualities and perhaps slightly exceeds them, a mass of painfully intense emotion that gains momentum as the story rolls toward a conclusion we're never quite ready for. The ability to thrust readers so deep into a story that they feel the main character's anxiety, tribulation, and heartbreak as if they were their ow ...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Ginger at GReadsBooks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: to-read-2014, edelweiss, 5-star-reads

The brilliance of Corey Whaley shines so brightly in this unique & unforgettable story. I will be pushing this book on to every reader I know! Full review to come later.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Original review posted at GReads!]

When I first heard about the concept for this story, my head literally spun (see what I did there?). The idea that someone could get a body transplant from the neck down sounds completely absurd. How in the world is that even possible?! Well, my friends, that's The brilliance of Corey Whaley shines so brightly in this unique & unforgettable story. I will be pushing this book on to every reader I know! Full review to come later.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Original review posted at GReads!]

When I first heard about the concept for this story, my head literally spun (see what I did there?). The idea that someone could get a body transplant from the neck down sounds completely absurd. How in the world is that even possible?! Well, my friends, that's the beauty of literature when its written by such a hysterically poetic man as John Corey Whaley. He makes it possible by crafting a story that is so rich with life, you begin to believe NOGGIN is more than just fiction.

Teenage Travis has been dealt a crappy hand at life with a body that refuses to be kind and decides its had enough. New medicine has revealed that he's eligible for a new body. All he has to do is have his head chopped off, kept in a freezer, and wait til his donor body is ready. But there are no guarantees. How do you make such a risky, difficult decision? Travis takes the leap of faith and goes through with the surgery, imparting temporary goodbyes to his parents, girlfriend, and best friend.

Five years go by and Travis's head remains frozen. Then one day the unthinkable happens. They've found a donor body and Travis's head is reattached, reborn, reawakened. For Travis its felt like a quick nap, as if he closed his eyes for just a few minutes, and then it was time to wake up. He's unaware of his world that's moved on, yet in some ways stayed the same, for the past five years. Can you even begin to imagine?!

As the story progresses we follow Travis as he learns his new body, in what should be his same world, but he quickly finds out is all too unfamiliar. He's this kid that the media wants to splash all over TV screens and magazine tabloids. Not only is he trying to adjust to this second chance at life he's been given, but he has to do it while EVERYONE watches. Whaley gives Travis an unforgettable voice. One that had me laughing one minute, only to be flooded with tears the next. The relationships that Travis encounters after five years of not knowing what will be are definitely tested at their bounds.

There's a moment in Travis's home when he finds the cremated remains of his previous body, that caused me to hold my breath while reading, uncertain of how this heavy moment will play out. The realization, literally in his hands, of what he's been through was just too surreal. Then to follow up that scene with a comical mishap is pure genius on Whaley's part. I definitely feel that this novel is a story that will cling to your heart, remind you of how precious our lives are, and how irreplaceable some moments can be.

Do yourself a favor and grab NOGGIN as soon as it becomes available. Its a story not to miss, and one I will continue to recommend over and over again. ...more

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Dec 16, 2018 Amanda NEVER MANDY rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2018

One shouldn’t lose their head when dealing with life changes.

I read one other book by this author and I liked it so much I decided I wanted to read another. This book cured that craving and I won’t be back for more anytime soon. It’s not that it was bad, but that it was not my style. It was dripping with extremely predictable YA drama and I burnt out on that type of thing a few years back.

A walking science experiment experiences life after his first death. The people he left behind have move ...more

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Apr 08, 2014 Roo James rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-2014

Aww. What a great book. John Corey Whaley sure told a unique, beautiful story with this one.
The main character Travis, although experiencing something otherwise unheard of, is still very much relatable. The moments of sadness, confusion, optimism, hope and denial are experiences we've all felt at some point or another. In a way this story helped me make sense of all that. Kinda like catharsis or what have you.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone in the mood for a good read. Also, tha ...more

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Feb 08, 2015 Jacob McCabe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow. What an amazing book. Now that Whaley has two books out, I can firmly say that he is one of my favorite authors.

Noggin has its slowish moments, but it is so unique compared to many contemporaries in its weird premise. It teaches you the importance of allowing people to be who they are, and to not try to make others behave in the way you expect them to. Fantastic book. One of my favorites.

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May 17, 2020 Neil (or bleed) rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own

Review to come.

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Jun 08, 2016 Sophia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, philosophical

Okay. First of all, let me say that this book made me laugh so much. I loved the main character. He was just so funny and BRAVE, sometimes in that reckless kind of way. Okay, I admit he was also a little bit selfish, but aren't we all? We're all flawed. He had my type of humor. That kind of turning-everything-into-a-joke-even-in-the-most-morbid-of-times, playful sense of humor that I just personally love so much. Seriously.

My favorite parts were when he joked with his friends and when they made Okay. First of all, let me say that this book made me laugh so much. I loved the main character. He was just so funny and BRAVE, sometimes in that reckless kind of way. Okay, I admit he was also a little bit selfish, but aren't we all? We're all flawed. He had my type of humor. That kind of turning-everything-into-a-joke-even-in-the-most-morbid-of-times, playful sense of humor that I just personally love so much. Seriously.

My favorite parts were when he joked with his friends and when they made a surprise for him at the hospital. That was really sweet. I think this book has a lot of heart, and that's why I liked it so much.

Maybe I'm falling in love with the writing style, but hey. That still says something.

There was one problem I had with the story. So during the first half I was thinking, "This is the best book I've read this year. Maybe one of my favorites.' I came close to crying during a few parts, I laughed, I smiled. Some parts made me think deeply. It was quite an experience.

As I continued, however, things took a sadder, less exciting turn. Travis became obsessed with getting his ex-girlfriend back, no matter how many times she refused. He was in such a denial to the point that he did something stupendously ridiculous. At that point, I cringed at his every move.

However, here are some of the gems in this book:

"We have to bury things, hopes and dreams, so deep sometimes that it takes a little while to access those things once we need them again." -p. 29

"'We're so proud of you, Travis. You're so brave,' Dad said with tears and a scratchy, broken voice.
'You guys have been better than you should've been,' I said. 'Can you just know that? Can you just try not to forget how good you were at all of this?'
'We haven't been good at anything,' Mom said.
'You took care of me,' I said. 'Every second, my whole life.'" -p. 80

"...no matter how often you see or talk to someone, no matter how much you know them or don't know them, you always fill up some space in their lives that can't ever be replaced the right way again once you leave it." -p. 124

"She kissed my cheek for the first time I ever remembered, and she told me that if it came to it, I should probably tell my grandfather hello for her. I thought that was sweet, the way she said it like I was just going to visit a foreign city or something." -p. 234 ...more

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Mar 17, 2017 Mari Kaplan rated it liked it

Beyond the prompt, there wasn't much depth or really enticing storyline to this book. Sure- of course a story a kid who has his head chopped off, frozen and then reattached five years later has got to be some great tale, but it was a bit dull. The first few and last few chapters were worth reading, but otherwise, I finished this book fairly unsatisfied. ...more

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Mar 16, 2014 Jeff Zentner rated it it was amazing

From ages nineteen to twenty-one, I lived in the remote outback of the Brazilian Amazon. I had no access to radio, Internet, or television. When I got back to the U.S., it was like I'd been dead for two years. My girlfriend had moved on. There were hundreds of movies and TV shows I’d missed. I didn’t recognize any of the music on the radio. I found out about Columbine, the war in Bosnia, and the Monica Lewinsky scandal. I had to come to terms with a world that I only mostly still recognized.

Thi From ages nineteen to twenty-one, I lived in the remote outback of the Brazilian Amazon. I had no access to radio, Internet, or television. When I got back to the U.S., it was like I'd been dead for two years. My girlfriend had moved on. There were hundreds of movies and TV shows I’d missed. I didn’t recognize any of the music on the radio. I found out about Columbine, the war in Bosnia, and the Monica Lewinsky scandal. I had to come to terms with a world that I only mostly still recognized.

This is the perspective I brought to this book about Travis Coates--a teenager who's been dead for five years while the world moves on without him. In the sparkling voice he first displayed in his excellent debut, Where Things Come Back, Whaley nails the strangeness of this experience. Travis Coates is a sympathetic (if exasperating) narrator and protagonist. His story is hilarious and moving in equal measure.
I gave this book five stars, not because it’s a technically flawless book--it’s not--but because it tells the story it sets out to tell perfectly.

It is the rare book with a premise so imaginative, original, and yet so plausible. We're already performing face transplants and growing organs in laboratories. We couldn't possibly be far from head transplant technologies (I seem to remember reading, during a fall down the Wikipedia hole, that Russian scientists performed head transplants with dogs in the 1950s). And as with any advance in technology, it will play out against the quiet background hum of people living, loving, and dying. It will have benefits and it will have costs.

Noggin made me think about the human costs of technology. It made me think about the nature of the self--I almost had an existential panic attack during a humorous scene in which Travis holds the ashes of his own body. Like looking in the mirror too long or saying your name too many times.

It made me think about the nature of the soul (SPOILER ALERT: Noggin doesn't tell you where Travis's soul was for five years; you’re on your own there). It made me think about the way the world and time keep unspooling after we're gone. It made me think of the interconnectedness of human relationships, and the way we bump around in this world, sending each other spinning into different directions when we make contact. You know--light, fun, YA stuff. And it does all of this subtly and elegantly, without bombast, pedantry, heavy-handedness, or fireworks, but with the odd dry-humping joke. In the hands of a lesser author, this premise could have been disastrous, but Whaley never loses sight of the human core of this story.

Wherever Travis’s soul was in the five years between his death and resurrection, there is no question where it is once Noggin begins.
...more

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Aug 19, 2013 Jeremy West rated it it was amazing

NOGGIN is a heartfelt story about love, sex, friendship, and family that might just be worth losing your head over. John Corey Whaley's unique voice and serious brilliance will strike a cord and may change your mind about decapitation. ...more

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Jul 31, 2013 Debbie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: simon-and-schuster, 2014, april, arc, contemporary-challenge-2014, covers-i-love, own, reviewed, funny, ooooo-pretty

Noggin is a story full of bad jokes, awkward situations, and horrible puns. And I loved every second of it. I didn't feel like I was reading a work of fiction, instead, I felt as if I were reading a story, my story and my life of how I was brought back to life and forced to live in the present when I'm barely understanding the past. It's weird, confusing, and such a fun ride. John Corey Whaley is an author that I've been waiting for a long time and this will not be the last novel I've read by him.

Unfortunately, there are some downsides to this story. First of all, this whole situation is just too unbelievable and it took me some time before I could really wrap my head around it. No way did a dude get his head chopped off and then come back to life! That's too insane. I understood that Travis is really confused about this whole concept as well yet I still would have liked it if Travis was just as curious about the scientific aspect as I was and other readers will be. It's interesting yet not at all explained which sucked for me.

Nonetheless, I still loved this book. Noggin is full of great, complex characters that are extremely easy to like and relate to. Travis's relationship with Kyle is so heartfelt and awkward. I could easily relate to it and the struggles that Kyle faces to understand everything that's happening not only to him, but also to his best friend. I also liked the writing style. Holy shit, this is the writing that I have been craving for in young adult books. It's so relaxed and casual and makes everything seem like it's happening to the reader and just being told to the reader. I really do need more books written like this because they usually end up to be books that I really enjoy. The best part about Noggin has to be Travis's last holiday before his surgery. It's beautifully described and captivating. Imagine celebrating every single holiday in one day with a group of people you love most in the world? I would want that as my last day alive because it sounds absolutely amazing.

Overall, Noggin is great. Although there are a few unbelievable parts and too little information, the good certainly outshines the bad. I recommend this novel to everyone, especially if you're looking for something light to read with a serious undertone and don't mind a lot of jokes and puns. I envy those people who can easily make jokes out of anything, especially when they don't take life too seriously and can make anyone smile and for me, John Corey Whaley might just be one of those people. ...more

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Jul 19, 2014 Sean rated it it was ok

I was torn between rating this book with two or three stars, so it's probably a 2.5 from me. Whaley's writing is a pleasure to read, the characters were colorfully drawn, and there are some genuinely funny moments in this book. But despite an inventive premise, the plot seemed dull and like it was retreading over themes present in many YA books.

(Spoilers!)
The fact that much of the book is spent on Travis's relationship with Cate was particularly disappointing. When Travis wakes up, Cate is now ...more

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Feb 20, 2018 Gavin Tinker rated it did not like it

This book was awful. First of all I felt this book was way too slow and wasn’t exciting. Next this book was too emotional and was way too exaggerated. They made Travis look like a little kid and couldn’t deal with anything that was happening. I really advise that people don’t read this because it is a waste of time.

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Feb 01, 2015 Ryan M. Hanna rated it it was amazing

I loved this premise of this book. Could it ever really be possible???? This book would appeal to most anyone - it was well-written, humorous, and full of heart. This book would be for a more mature reader.

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Mar 20, 2014 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, favorites

This book blew my mind. JC Whaley has some serious talent. A must read for anybody who likes extraordinary stuff.

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May 04, 2016 trishna rated it did not like it

even if u took out the sexism, homophobia, biphobia, and rape culture, this would still be one of the worst books ive ever read

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Feb 08, 2020 spencer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-favorites

“We all get lots of people. And maybe we don’t always get to have them the exact way we want them, but if we can figure out a way to compromise, you know, then we can keep them all.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / 5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Noggin was a book that completely caught me off guard; I’d had it on my shelf for years and picked it up whenever it came out. I knew I’d get around to it eventually, and I’m beyond glad that I finally picked it up.

We follow Travis Ray Coates five years after his bo ...more

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Dec 20, 2014 Ari rated it liked it · review of another edition

"You can find ways to be okay with dying, but you can’t fake your way through living."

Once reality takes a back seat—the reality that we all know where we say that vampires aren’t real, and that the Chupacabra is just a wild dog who ate a bunch of goats or chickens or whatever the hell the Chupacabra ate, and that flying is impossible if you jump off the roof of a ten-foot building…that realty—then this book is very easily enjoyed.

Because, after all, who the hell believes at this point in ti "You can find ways to be okay with dying, but you can’t fake your way through living."

Once reality takes a back seat—the reality that we all know where we say that vampires aren’t real, and that the Chupacabra is just a wild dog who ate a bunch of goats or chickens or whatever the hell the Chupacabra ate, and that flying is impossible if you jump off the roof of a ten-foot building…that realty—then this book is very easily enjoyed.

Because, after all, who the hell believes at this point in time in the world that someone can have their head cut off, frozen, then sewn into someone else’s body.

Luckily for me, however, I am pretty sure there is an alternate dimension where vampires are real; the Chupacabra probably hunts them down to eat them as snacks; and not only can you fly off a ten-foot building, but you get an upgrade in wing style, color and model each time you accomplish this feat without smacking into everyone else also attempting to flutter about.

"Some people say dying alone is a fate worse than death itself. Well, they should try being alone during the living part sometimes."

Noggin is funny and heartbreaking and wonderfully sarcastic. It’s emotional, so damn emotional that it’s painful at times, because I think that while no one can sit through this book and know what Travis goes through (head transplant-wise), being a teenager is a phase of life that no one can skip.

We all had to know what it was like to grow up, and then seeing someone get stuck in that stage—as Travis did—while everything and everyone around him changes and/or moves on, makes going through this moment twice as difficult.

How do you go to sleep, wake up, and nothing is exactly as you left it? How do you cope with the fact that your family is no longer how it used to be, or that your soul mate has other priorities, or that your best friend is living a double life when you just saw them a few minutes ago, in your mind at least.

It’s a coming of age, in a way. But for me, this story is, more than anything, about living.

Everyone exists (or, to quite Hatton, meanders), but not all of us know how to really live. ...more

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About John Corey Whaley

John Corey Whaley

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JOHN ‘COREY’ WHALEY grew up in the small town of Springhill, Louisiana, where he learned to be sarcastic and to tell stories. He has a B.A. in English from Louisiana Tech University, as well as an M.A in Secondary English Education. He started writing stories about aliens and underwater civilizations when he was around ten or eleven, but now writes realistic YA fiction (which sometimes includes zo ...more

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“But in that moment I understood what they say about nostalgia, that no matter if you're thinking of something good or bad, it always leaves you a little emptier afterward.” — 102 likes

“Maybe we all just exist, all versions of us exist at times, and we have to figure out a way to get to each of them, to find each one and tell that version that it's okay, that it's all justthe way it works, a concept too powerful to ignore but too complicated to explain.” — 37 likes

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