Book Review - Freaks and Revelations by Davida Wills Hurwin

Monday December 21, 2009



Freaks and Revelations
by Davida Wills Hurwin
Released September 1, 2009
Little, Brown and Company

This raw, moving novel follows two teenagers-one, a Mohawk-wearing 17-year-old violent misfit; the other, a gay 13-year-old cast out by his family, hustling on the streets and trying to survive.

Acclaimed author Davida Wills Hurwin creates a riveting narrative told in alternating perspectives of their lives before and after the violent hate crime that changed both their futures. This tragic but ultimately inspirational journey of two polarized teens, their violent first meeting, and their peaceful reunion years later is an unforgettable story of survival and forgiveness.

This story is inspired by the real lives of Matthew Boger and Timothy Zaal, who have shared their story on The Oprah Winfrey Show and NPR.

Wow, this is one of those books that you want to tell all your friends about. You want everyone to read it because it is so moving and truthful and truly enlightening. I am going to MAKE my own kids read this book.

Hurwin does one of the best jobs I've ever seen in character development. Characters you should hate, who seem to have no redeeming qualities at all are still sympathetic because you can see the whole picture, you can see why this person is the way they are.

This is a well written, excellent and important story. I also appreciate that the author balances the good with the bad. It's not a book that is so heavy and down trodden that it will be emotionally exhausting to get through. Hurwin portrays the horror of bigotry and hate but leaves you with the knowledge that people are capable of change.

As a librarian I have to say this book is best suited for high school and above but I'm going to let my fourteen-year-old daughter read it because I think she should.