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Book Review of Chicken Boy

Chicken Boy
havan avatar reviewed on + 138 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Tale of a dysfunctional red-neck family which has sort of fallen apart since the mother got sick and died. The father spends most of his time at work or away, the kids have had run-ins with the law and the youngest, Tobin, is quickly becoming a problem child at his local middle school.

What makes this work is that it's told from the point of view of Tobin. He's still got a childish optimism buried beneath the thorny exterior he's cultivated and when he makes friends with a chicken obsessed kid from his school, he starts to become human again.

What makes this story compelling is how believable it is and how commonplace all the story elements are. The kids are likeable, the parents and grandparents become understandable by the end and its only toward the end that we start to see the whole picture.

At just over 200 pages and aimed at the ages 10 and up set, it's a fast worthwhile read.