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Freak by Marcella Pixley
People notice different things. When I visited Australia, my friend and I pointed out to each other all the ‘avatars’ we saw walking around (people that literally had wings on and appeared larger than life). A friend I went to a bookstore and he got excited when the music the store was playing was something that he was learning to play on his guitar-I hardly even knew there was music playing, I was paying more attention to the book titles.
Miriam in Freak notices things that other people usually don’t. “I’ve never had very many friends. They just aren’t interested in things the way I am. Here’s an example. They like brushing their hair. I like looking at my hair under a microscope. You get the picture.” While Miriam faces the typical awkwardness of being in middle school; acne, falling in love with popular high schooler Artie, parents she can’t really talk to, there is always an underlying strength about her, that accepts and is aware that she is different. Miriam’s nemesis is Jenny Clarke, who teases her and assaults her at school, on the bus, or at the many wild weekend parties she has at her house when Miriam isn’t even there. Taunts usually revolve around Miriam’s body not being fully developed and looking like a boy. One of the twists on the bully scenario is that Jenny and Miriam are a lot alike which is a theme throughout the book with people that Miriam seems on the surface to be polar opposites of. Noticing what no one else does, is ultimately a powerful gift that saves someone’s life at the end of the story, including her own.
While some things come together a bit too neatly at the end, especially her mother finishing her painting that’s taken her years at the same time Miriam finds her own strength, the reader sees the beauty in being a ‘FREAK’ and that in the town of Carlton, that might be your only ticket out.
