Author: Rob Lloyd JonesPublication Date: April 2013
Publisher: Walker Books
ISBN: 978-1406341386
Pages: 304
Age Group: 9+
A short summary
A short summary
A boy covered in hair, raised as a monster, condemned to life in a traveling freak show. Wild Boy has extraordinary powers of observation and detection. He is accused of murder and is on the run; hungry for the truth.
My Review
I will not give away any spoiler plot lines. This is not the kind of book I’d normally read. And yet this is the sort of book that I’ve been looking for! A huge thanks to Walker Books for providing me with a beautiful review copy. In case you haven’t guessed it; I loved this book.
The story is based in London, 1841. We see the mistreatment of a young innocent boy and are repelled that this is caused by his unfortunate unusual appearance he is covered in hair. Wild Boy – one penny a kick, lives a confined life in a freak show and his only enjoyment is observing people.
He is wrongly accused of murder and a fellow circus member is also accused just because she tries to help him. I just loved that Wild Boy uses observation and can follow clues. I wonder if the author had to do much research, as some of the clues were so slight and yet proved to have a huge impact.
Yes, I was able to guess who the killer was. But, there is a twist. This book is smart and kind, you see, the book wants us to feel smart. And so, it wants us to know who the killer is. You will like the twist though. It made me look at the plot in a different light. I liked Wild Boy and his new friends. I loved the way the book finished and I will be buying the next Rob Lloyd Jones book in this series.
Michelle Moloney King 