Starred Review ALA Booklist (Sat Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Starred Review In this YA answer to Harvey, 17-year-old Calvin suffers from schizophrenia, causing him to see and hear a large, invisible tiger: Hobbes, of course. It's a quick hop from imaginary tiger to psych ward, where Calvin grows convinced his cure lies not in medication but in persuading cartoonist Bill Watterson to write one more Calvin and Hobbes strip e where a healthy teenage Calvin exists without Hobbes. All hinges on making a dangerous pilgrimage across frozen Lake Erie to Watterson in Cleveland. Accompanied by his best friend Susie, the teens' icy trek is punctuated by philosophical discussions, random encounters, realizations of love, and Hobbes' humorous comments. Though he is highly intelligent, Calvin's sense of reality is blurred, casting the journey in a slightly surreal light. Allusions to Calvin and Hobbes and a lighthearted tone blanket cracks in the plan and mounting tensions resulting from Calvin's illness, as when he wastes limited supplies to feed Hobbes. Written as if addressed to Watterson himself, the novel has a fresh, funny voice that never diminishes the seriousness of schizophrenia. National Book Award finalist Leavitt (Keturah and Lord Death, 2006) delivers an imaginative exploration of mental illness, examining what's real and what's true in this magical world.

Horn Book

Seventeen-year-old Calvin, recently diagnosed as schizophrenic, believes that his life is inextricably linked to Bill Watterson, the reclusive artist of comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. On a pilgrimage to find Watterson, Calvin sets off across frozen Lake Erie, and girl-next-door Susie insists on accompanying him. A more accessible, not-as-dark treatment of teenage mental illness than Shusterman's Challenger Deep but just as memorable.

School Library Journal (Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Gr 8 Up-Coincidences abound in Calvin's life: he was born on the day the last Calvin & Hobbes cartoon strip was published, his grandpa gave him a stuffed tiger called Hobbes when he was a kid, and his best friend was even named Susie. However, she became beautiful and stopped being his friend. When Calvin is diagnosed with schizophrenia, he believes that Bill Watterson is the key to curing him of the illness and he must escape the hospital to meet the famously reclusive artist. The teen, along with an eight-foot-tall version of Hobbes (who is imaginary) and Susie (who may or may not be imaginary), journeys across frozen Lake Erie to track down Watterson. This is a gentle and unique story about a boy struggling with schizophrenia; while Calvin is indeed having grandiose visions that include a beloved cartoon character, he is funny, charming, and smart. Even though Calvin's stream-of-consciousness rants can drag the story down, the premise that Susie may or may not be on this dangerous trek with the protagonist will keep readers interested. There are genuinely beautiful moments in the writing throughout; however, the ending is too pat and feels contrived, which will leave some readers unsatisfied. VERDICT Sweet, romantic, and funny, but flawed. Laura Lutz, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City

Voice of Youth Advocates

Calvin is intelligent, funny, and curious about the world, but he does not do well in school and he does not have friends. áIn fact, his only friend, Suzie, ditched him for the popular crowd. áWhen the deadlines for two projects worth half of his grades in English and Biology approach, Calvin's stress level increases and he starts hearing Hobbesa snarky, eight-foot tiger who is always just out of eyesight. Calvin soon learns that he has schizophrenia. He believes that his life is intertwined with the Calvin in the comics and that Bill Watterson, creator of the comic Calvin and Hobbes, holds the key to getting him well again; that his mind will heal only if Bill comes out of retirement to write one more comicone in which Calvin is mentally stable. So Calvin decides to make a pilgrimage to get Bill's attentionto cross Lake Erie in the middle of winter, and hike the frozen ice from Canada to the U.S. áSuzie, scared of losing her former friend, accompanies him. The two meet many interesting characters along the way, and face extreme conditions as Calvin tries to figure out what is real and upon whom he can rely.Written as a long letter to Bill Watterson, Calvin shares readers' love for the popular Calvin and Hobbes comic while providing great information about Lake Erie. áWritten in quick-witted dialogue, this book moves quickly and would be of high interest to reluctant readers. áThe ending is very quick, but wraps up the book nicely.Stacy Holbrook.Calvin is an engaging novel that successfully puts the reader into the mind of a schizophrenic teen. áThe disorder's terrifying hallucinatory aspects are well portrayed through Calvin's imagined tiger, Hobbes, and his perceived need for a final Calvin and Hobbes comic strip. áThe non-traditional dialogue between the characters makes the reading somewhat choppy. áTeens in high school who enjoy realistic fiction will be intrigued by Leavitt's refreshing story. 3Q, 4P.Victoria Quint, Teen Reviewer.