Freak [Hardcover]

Marcella Pixley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2007

For Miriam Fisher, a budding poet who reads the Oxford English Dictionary for fun, seventh grade is a year etched in her memory "clear as pain." That's the year her older sister, Deborah, once her best buddy and fellow "alien," bloomed like a beautiful flower and joined the high school in-crowd. That's the year high school senior Artie Rosenberg, the "hottest guy in the drama club" and, Miriam thinks, her soul mate, comes to live with Miriam's family. And that's the year the popular "watermelon girls" turn up the heat in their cruel harassment of Miriam--ripping her life wide open in shocking, unexpected ways. Teased and taunted in school, Miriam is pushed toward breaking, until, in a gripping climax, she finds the inner strength to prove she's a force to be reckoned with.
 
This riveting first novel introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine, an outsider who dares to confront the rigid conformity of junior high, and in the process manages not only to save herself but to inspire and transform others.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Poet Pixley’s gripping story of middle-school bullying may call to mind Spinelli’s Stargirl (2000) Anderson’s Speak (1999) . . . Thorny, determined, brilliant, mature yet surprisingly naive, Miriam is unforgettable.”—Starred, Booklist

 

“An expertly—and lovingly—narrated story about girls and bullying . . . Stunning.” —Starred, Kirkus Reviews

 

"Observant and tough, Miriam's voice has a knife edge that tears past the surface"

—Starred, Publisher's Weekly

 

“Middle school girls will read this book and realize how many girls are just like them.”—VOYA

“Wow! Freak is heartbreakingly funny, heartbreakingly spot-on, and heartbreaking.  If you've ever been on the outside—and you have—Miriam Fisher is your new best friend.”—Chris Crutcher, author of The Sledding Hill

 

"Pixley writes with well-crafted intensity of a girl in an agony of perplexed exclusion...readers will be intrigued by her eventual ability to make a new way for herself." — Starred, Bulletin of Center for Children's Books

 

"Skillful use of first-person narrative and figurative language make the novel very readable for persons ages twelve and up." —IRA

About the Author

MARCELLA PIXLEY teaches eighth-grade language arts. Her poetry has been published in literary journals such as Prairie Schooner, and she has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She lives in Westford, Massachusetts.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374324530
• ISBN-13: 978-0374324537
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #363,808 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Me Love Bully Stories, January 2, 2008

By 

ZeeSays "zeesays.blogspot.com" (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freak (Hardcover)

I have a special affection for books where the character is bullied. Of course, the love affair began with what I consider the first book about bullying: Blubber. Remember Blubber? They picked on the fat girl, the nice girl stood up for the fat girl, and then the nice girl got bullied, too.

This affection stems from the fact that I have been both the victim and giver (only once) of the bullying. It's a universal thing that happens to everyone at one point or another. Isn't it interesting that the victims of bullying usually end up being amazing people. They just happen to not conform to the usual patterns of other kids. And the bully ends up having problems of their own.

Miriam is known by many names. Her parents call her Miriam. Her friends, Artie and Rosie, call her Shakespeare because of her dramatic presence. But the kids at school call her Freak. Why? For the usual non-reasons bullies have. She doesn't have breasts yet. Her nose is too big. She journals. She likes Shakespeare. All together, the cumulative points of Miriam make her a freak. She gets bullied by a triumvirate of popular, pretty girls that smell like watermelon. In addition, Artie, the crush of Miriam's life has moved in with their family while his parents are on sabbatical. And Artie is getting hot and heavy with Miriam's older sister.

It's pretty standard bullying fare, but I still liked it, mostly because of Miriam's character. She is the kind of girl that will rock the world someday, but she is in that middle stage which is so painful. You know by the end of the book that if Miriam was older and not in the ugly middle school phase of her body, it would be a no-brainer who Artie would like.

Recommended for grades 6-8.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, February 8, 2008

By 

Rosemary Bernhard (Hollywood, FL) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Freak (Hardcover)

I bought this for my 16 year old stepdaughter because I heard it was a good book on teenage angst. She loved it and says it has inspired her to want to be a writer. I then read it and agree. I loved Marcella's writing style and really enjoyed the book.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally -Middle School Without the Gloves, September 22, 2007

By 

Tili Pearlson (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freak (Hardcover)

I've been waiting a long time for a book that realistically chronicles the middle school experience for people who don't fit in. This book sucks you in to the life of Miriam Fischer and lets you experience with her the pain and confusion she feels as she attempts to find her place within her family and with her peers. It is powerful and raw but ultimately hopeful (not to give anything away). I can't recommend it enough for teens, adults who want to understand teens, and adults who have been teens. I think this will become a classic and I can't wait to see what Pixley writes next!