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Cover of Noggin by John Corey Whaley

Noggin

John Corey Whaley

A terminally ill teen wakes five years later in a new body and must face the life, love, and friends that moved on without him.

First published 2014

Review Score: 80%

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The Story

Travis Coates is a 16-year-old facing terminal illness when he agrees to an experimental cryogenic procedure that preserves his head for a possible future reattachment. What begins as a desperate gamble turns into an impossible second chance when the technology arrives much sooner than expected.

He wakes up five years later in a different body and a world that has changed without him. His parents, his best friend, and his girlfriend are older, grief-stricken, and living new lives, while Travis feels as if almost no time has passed at all. He has to navigate school, recovery, media attention, and the shock of seeing everyone he loves in a different place than he remembers.

As Travis tries to reconnect with the people from his old life, he must also confront what it means to grow up, let go, and accept change. The story centers on his struggle to reconcile his past with the present, especially in his relationships and in his sense of who he is now.

Story Profile

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