LitPick Review
Imagine what it would be like to have no memory of your family, to have never had a home, or even a single person that loves you. It has been like this for as long as Grady can remember. Every time they reach a new village its the same routine. The small boy dresses in his old opossum hides, muffs his hair, dirties his face, and then crawls into the old wooden crate. He shocks the frightened villagers so badly when he bursts out of the crate that they feel privileged to have paid their few coins to get a closer look at a real Feechie, the mysterious swamp people from the wilds. Floyd, the greedy mastermind of the Feechie act, is the closest thing to family that Grady has ever known. Grady understands that Floyd only keeps him because the scam brings in money, but when the villagers begin to doubt the existence of the Feechie, the future opens up new possibilities for the Charlatan's Boy.
Opinion:
I loved this book and will definitely be reading it again! It was an adventure following Floyd and Grady as one searched for riches and the other for belonging. If you are going to read this, be prepared to feel something. The author puts you right in Grady's position. I could actually feel his loneliness, his longing for a family, and his desperate need to belong. There were some good messages in this book. The relationship between Floyd and Grady showed how important it is to be able to depend on somebody. The villagers prejudice against the Feechie and the fact that a persons character is more important than their physical appearance were also strong themes as well. When I first read the description I was afraid it was just going to be a feel good kind of story but it really was exciting. Once I started, I was hooked. I could hardly put it down. This is definitely one of favorite books!
