Robert Cormier's I Am the Cheese is praised for its intense, gripping narrative and complex, layered storytelling that effectively explores themes of identity and memory. However, some critics find the plot's nonlinear structure challenging and potentially confusing. Overall, it remains a thought-provoking and memorable read.

Fans of suspenseful, psychological fiction with a young adult focus will enjoy Robert Cormier’s I Am the Cheese. Readers drawn to complex narratives and themes similar to S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders or Lois Lowry’s The Giver will appreciate this gripping tale of identity and memory.

In I Am the Cheese by Robert Cormier, teen Adam Farmer believes he is biking from his Massachusetts hometown to a Vermont hospital to visit his dad, a journalist who exposed governmental corruption, while the story progressively reveals his reality in a psychiatric hospital and his journey through repressed traumas, identity crisis, and the struggle to recall his true past. The book references violence, threats, murder, psychological trauma, and family loss.

Robert Cormier

Novel

Fiction

Guide

Study Guide

Before You Read

Explore I Am the Cheese reviews, reading age recommendations, and essential genre and thematic details before you start reading.

Before You Read I Am the Cheese | SuperSummary

title

content

Overview

Get ready to explore I Am the Cheese and its meaning. Our full analysis and study guide provides an even deeper dive with character analysis and quotes explained to help you discover the complexity and beauty of this book.

I Am the Cheese Summary

Background

I Am the Cheese Background

chapter

chapterType

section

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

I Am the Cheese Chapters 1-6 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 7-12

I Am the Cheese Chapters 7-12 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 13-19

I Am the Cheese Chapters 13-19 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 20-25

I Am the Cheese Chapters 20-25 Summary & Analysis

Chapters 26-33

I Am the Cheese Chapters 26-33 Summary & Analysis

character

Character Analysis

I Am the Cheese Character Analysis

theme

Themes

I Am the Cheese Themes

Symbols & Motifs

I Am the Cheese Symbols & Motifs

quote

citation

Important Quotes

I Am the Cheese Important Quotes

primaryCharacter

Essay Topics

I Am the Cheese Essay Topics

I Am the Cheese

Before You Read

Reviews & Readership

Review Roundup

Who Should Read I Am the Cheese?

Reading Age

Book Details