Stuck in Neutral | Plot Summary

Stuck in Neutral Overview

Stuck in Neutral is a brief but powerful story narrated by a teenage boy with cerebral palsy who comes to believe that his own father is going to kill him. Shawn McDaniel is a bright, funny, observant young man whose disability makes him unable to communicate with anyone else.

In fact, everyone thinks he is hopelessly retarded. Shawn is actually quite intelligent and can remember everything, and he enjoys many aspects of his frustrating life. His father loves him but is considering killing Shawn as an act of mercy. Stuck in Neutral offers a whole new, imaginative perspective on the inner life of those whose outward quality of life may seem unbearable to others.