Analysis Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow is a young adult novel set in 2023 in Rural Vermont. The novel’s central character is Ian, a teenager struggling to comprehend the world around him. Despite Ian’s young age, he is confronted by difficult situations that require him to make wise decisions to hold his family together. Kenneth M. Cadow’s key focus in the novel includes the impact of drug addiction, coming of age, companionship, and love.
The novel starts by exploring the theme of drug abuse and its impact on families. Ian's mother is addicted to opioids, which makes her body dysfunctional and unhealthy. Opioid addiction has serious effects on Ian's family. For instance, Ian must drop out of his favorite sports to find a job to support his family. Besides the financial burden of opioid addiction, it also leads to depression and anxiety in families. Ian and his family are all apprehensive about his mother's addiction.
Throughout the novel, readers see how Ian grows from a young age to maturity. Cadow's focus on Ian's coming of age is a significant theme because it helps readers comprehend youth's challenges as they age. Ian confronts the harsh realities of life when he realizes that he is making critical decisions to determine his family's future. Ian's mother cannot hold the family together because, most of the time, she is hospitalized to recover from her opioid addiction. Similarly, Ian grows up in a society struggling with the abuse of drugs, and he must make his decisions wisely to avoid plunging into drug addiction like his mother.
The novel concludes with a keen focus on companionship and love, which emerge as a critical theme. After Ian's mother is discharged from the hospital, he adopts a stray dog named Gather. Gather is a friendly dog and a good companion that gives Ian a sense of security, love, and belonging. Ian and Gather walk side by side and do most things together. When Gather runs away, Ian requests his neighbors to help him return the dog. Ian receives overwhelming support from the community, and he embraces their love and learns to be humane, kind, and helpful to others.
