Wow wow wow. This book is INCREDIBLE. It is a bit slow in pacing at some points, but otherwise, this book is amazing. Caden’s journey is both so relatable and yet so unique to his own struggle. At first, I was a bit confused about the plot construction, but I enjoyed that, as readers, we are along on this confusing and jolting mental journey with Caden. I realized very soon that being confused is part of the reading experience. As someone who struggles with mental health, I felt seen and understood, even though my own story has few similarities to Caden’s. That’s the beauty of Challenger Deep - it’s relatable on a myriad of levels. It’s a masterfully told story, equipped with drawings and humor to help bolster the story. I will definitely be re-reading this again at some point and it is now a favorite of mine.