Caden Bosch is an ordinary teenager interested in computer games and art. Over time, his art twists. He is creating mysterious pieces of art. But why? No one can seem to understand except Caden. Soon enough, he is on a boat with a parrot, a captain, and his crew, drawing intricate maps and seemingly made-up sea creatures straight from your nightmares as they advance toward challenger deep, the deepest part of the Mariana trench. Is this really happening? As we read further into Challenger Deep, by Neal Shusterman, we explore Cadens' fine line between reality and fantasy. Soon he is checking into a mental hospital and meets the ship's captain and crew as he drinks “magic” concoctions. We learn about the freighting challenges Caden faces on his way to Challenger Deep and as he works through his mental illness.

This book is a perfect piece of realistic fiction if you enjoy suspense and mystery, but only if you enjoy an actual resolution and finding out what is really happening to Caden at the last possible moment in your book. Challenger Deep was repetitive and all of the scenarios were so similar I thought I had just lost my place in my book. I also thought that Neal Shusterman had good intentions with the plot but an unsuccessful and disappointing outcome. The book was predictable, but it was difficult for the reader to prove their theories because of the constantly changing story. It felt like I had skipped a chapter with the quick changing of events in the book. I would not recommend this book to anyone unless you want to learn about the confusing mess called a story.