The Savage by David Almond, illustrated by Dave McKean.

Blue has been told that he should write things down to help him deal with his father’s death.  It all seems forced and useless until he starts to write a story about The Savage, a boy who lives alone in the woods near their small town, eats animals and murders anyone who glimpses him.  Blue has to deal not only with his own grief and his mother’s and sister’s but also with a bully named Hopper.  Hopper is featured in the stories about The Savage as are others in Blue’s small community.  As Blue begins to share his story with his family, something changes and The Savage becomes real.

The depth in this book is incredible.  It is like submerging in icy lake water and viewing things through that swirling lens of blue and green, distorting everything but also clarifying too.  Almond has once again created a book that is strange, unexpected but also shouts with truth and beauty.  Pairing his work with McKean’s art was a masterful choice that deepens the book, bringing both a level of reality and a subversive quality to the book.

Highly recommended, this is another book that will resonate with male readers.  Appropriate for a strangely broad age range: 12-16.

Also reviewed by Fuse #8.

Hurricane Song by Paul Volponi.

Miles has been living with his father for a few months in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hits.  He and his father, a jazz musician who often pays more attention to his music than his son, and his uncle try to drive out of New Orleans before the storm but when their car breaks down they are forced to head to the Superdome.  They spend the length of the storm there, in stifling heat, among crowds of people, and with broken toilet facilities and little food and water.  As the situation deteriorates and gangs of thugs appear in the Superdome, Miles and his family must decide whether to just take care of themselves or to risk themselves to help strangers.

I saw this on several best books of the year lists and had to try it.  My synopsis above barely scratches the surface of this novel.  It is taut with the tensions between a teen son and his father even before Katrina arrives.  Take that tension and place it under even more pressure and you have this book which magnificently captures the racial divide during the crisis, the dire situation people found themselves surviving in, and yet also the hope, the community and the strength of people.  Volponi also weaves music through the story as well as choices.  The voices of his characters are real, individual and ring raw and true. 

Ideal reading for teen boys, some people may be turned off by the strong (but very accurate) language in the book.  Appropriate for ages 14-17.