• Age: 12
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12

After watching a TV program about Otzi, a 5,000-year-old "Ice Man," Kit's friend Ike becomes convinced that Kit's destiny is to become the next ice man—a source of information for future generations. Together they obtain artifacts they think will accurately reflect life in the early twenty-first century and plan their journey to a nearby mountain. Kit gets tattoos similar to Otzi's, writes a manifesto and tries to come to terms with making the ultimate sacrifice. As he grows more and more agitated and isolated, his family and friends suspect that something is terribly wrong, but before they can discover the true severity of the situation, Kit and Ike set off on what could be their last journey.

K.L. Denman was born in Calgary, Alberta, and spent her childhood in a house one street away from the open prairie. When she was 11, her family moved to Delta, British Columbia, and she got to know life on the coast: tides, clam digging, rain gear, green grass year-round and enormous trees. It was there that Kim and her sisters got their first pony. She continued to live near Vancouver for many years while finishing school, attending college, and eventually getting married and starting a family. She always loved writing and when her teen children and their friends provided inspiration and re-kindled memories of this challenging passage, writing for teens became an irresistible venture.

Today she lives on a small farm on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast with her family of people, two dogs, three cats, two horses and an elderly mule. When she's not writing or caring for critters, she's reading, trying to grow vegetables, taking pictures, or volunteering at therapeutic riding. More information about Kim is available on her website at www.kldenman.com.

 

K.L. Denman's profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
• Nominated, The Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks) - Young People’s Literature Text
• Commended, Stiftung Internationale Jugendbibliothek The White Ravens
• Commended, Resource Links, The Year's Best Books

"A powerful novel about the onset of mental illness."

Prairie books NOW

"[This] harsh and oppressive teenage novel makes readers share the experiences of Kit as he looses touch with the real world around him and slips deeper into his illness."

The White Ravens 2010

"Denman illustrates her knowledge of the disease through the compelling portrait she paints of Kit losing touch with reality...An informative afterward addresses signs of schizophrenia and notes the challenges of living with the disease."

Puget Sound Council

"A gripping novel full of surprises. K.L. Denman's masterfully-crafted first-person narrative on schizophrenia sweeps the reader along...Denman manages to portray Kit in a way that is both realistic and sympathetic."

Governor General's Literary Awards committee

"Denman has done her homework in this novel. She does not waver from Kit's point of view, not an easy task when the main character's thinking is so disturbed....A compelling novel of a young man's descent into schizophrenia. Highly recommended."

Resource Links

"A heartbreaking look at the effects of indiagnosed schizophrenia...Recommended for school libraries where mental health issues are studied."

TriState YA Book Review

"Readers looking for suspense and adventure will certainly find it here. I believe Me, Myself and Ike presents a well-researched glimpse into mental illness, and would recommend it for older teens."

What If? Magazine

"The fact that Denman exhibits such flexibility within the confines of a first-person narrative, while also maintaining the reader's feelings of empathy for Kit, is an undeniable accomplishment. While the writing is seamless, the subject matter is challenging...Completely riveting, suspenseful, and heartbreaking, Me, Myself and Ike is one of the best young adult releases of the year."

Quill & Quire

"An intensely edgy, first person account of a troubled teen descending into a paranoid, psychotic state...Denman is a responsible, caring, and skilled writer who drops subtle breadcrumbs throughout her story and provides an afterword explaining this mental illness...Denman is to be commended for tackling this issue straight on. Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

"A stark and fascinating portrait of a paranoid and delusional teenager…Denman deftly gets into the head of a mentally unwell teenager while telling a coherent, engaging story."

Publishers Weekly

"This harrowing journey through the mind of a paranoid schizophrenic never hits a wrong note. Especially laudable is Denman's ruthless adherence to Kit's point of view…Demonstrating a powerful control over her prose, Denman builds Kit's decline in subtle increments that ramp up the suspense as readers note each new failing…Try this one with readers who like their stories dark and intense."

VOYA

"This expertly crafted novel delves into the sensitive topic of mental illness while maintaining a story that is both touching and tragic."

Canadian Children's Book News

"While the story is about a young man with a mental illness, it is also a well-told, readable mystery, brimming with suspense. An author's note giving details about schizophrenia adds an additional level of clarity to the novel's ending."

School Library Journal