Freaks: Alive, on the Inside! [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Annette Curtis Klause (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2006

Abel Dandy feels all alone, a normal teenager who lives in Faeryland, where his parents perform with other "human oddities." His extended family includes dwarves, fat ladies, and Siamese twins, and his first kiss was with Phoebe the Dog-Faced Girl. Everyone has an act to perform, for in 1899 there are not many ways for these "freaks" to earn a living. But what can boring Abel do? Determined to seek adventure and find a girl without a beard to kiss, Abel runs away from home.

But Abel finds a harsh world outside of Faeryland. Nothing seems to go as planned and he is even more alone -- except for a beautiful dancing girl who haunts his dreams and seems connected to his ancient Egyptian scarab ring. After misadventure and mishap (complicated by a little problem he thought he'd left behind), Abel stumbles upon a shabby traveling freak show run by the sinister Dr. Mink. It holds secrets that break his heart. Abel's grand adventure takes a dark and dangerous twist, but the dazzling girl of his dreams beckons him onward as does his own true soul.

Annette Curtis Klause has woven humor, adventure, history, and fantasy into this exhilarating epic. Step inside and see the show -- if you dare. You will never be the same again!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–Abel, 17, is the normal son of a legless father and an armless mother. He lives with other oddities in a midget village where they put on shows. He is restless and wants his own life. His romantic experiences have been limited to kissing the hairy Dog-Faced Girl. He runs away and joins a traveling circus, unaware that Apollo, 12, the hairy Puppy Boy, has followed him and stowed away aboard the circus train. Apollo is discovered and caged like an animal and Abel is thrown from the train by his fellow performers. Apollo escapes and they are reunited, working as servants in a brothel until Dr. Mink's Traveling Monster Menagerie arrives in town and Apollo is lured into joining them. Most of the show's monsters are children who were born with deformities and have been sold to or kidnapped by Mink. As Abel attempts to free them, he is plagued by dreams of a beautiful Egyptian woman who repeatedly throws herself at him. Somehow a ring he received as a gift allows this female mummy to come alive. Set in 1899, this gripping and sensual, but never explicitly sexual tale is a fascinating mixture of fantasy and reality. Abel's growth from an immature, irresponsible teen into a more mature, dependable young man ready to take charge is well done. The author never loses sight of the fact that despite their unusual appearances, all of the characters are human.–Sharon Rawlins, NJ Library for the Blind and Handicapped, Trenton
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 10-12. Seventeen-year-old Abel has spent most of his life at Faeryland, a resort offering "displays of oddities," featuring performers with unusual physical characteristics. Both of his parents are missing limbs, and his first girlfriend is Phoebe the Dog-Faced Girl, whose cheek fur is ever-present when they kiss. Abel feels "useless" and "handicapped" by his normality. Longing to find a sense of purpose (and eager to escape Phoebe's affection), he runs away. He soon discovers that Phoebe's fur-faced younger brother has followed him, and together the boys journey through the seedy, terrifying world of traveling sideshows, led in part by the mysterious dark-haired girl who appears to Abel urgently in dreams and begs to be rescued. Klause's wild historical fantasy enfolds numerous stories and characters, and readers may get bogged down in the wandering subplots that knit the story together. The characters often speak coarsely, occasionally dipping into broad sexual innuendos, and Abel's romantic interludes read with the steaminess of a bodice-ripper. But teens will be easily drawn in by the cliff-hanger chapter endings; the vibrant, affectionately drawn cast of characters (including a seductive mummy); and the exuberant, often bawdy language, in which even emotions are visceral creatures: "A worm of anger squiggled in my gut," Abel says. Klause's suspenseful twist on the outsider's story, the grim horror of human exploitation, and the questions about belonging will fascinate readers. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (January 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068987037X
• ISBN-13: 978-0689870378
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,156,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AN EPIC ADVENTURE OF FREAKISH FUN!!, February 1, 2006

By 

Linda Joy Singleton "Linda Joy Singleton" (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freaks: Alive, on the Inside! (Hardcover)

A book that has something for everyone! Amazing adventures, loveable misfits, kidnappings, murder, mythology, history, thrilling battles and a romance that sweeps across time and defies death. Readers will remember FREAKS long after they finish the last page.

Although labeled for young adults, this book will appeal to every aged reader. It's about a young man with a legless father and armless mother who lives in a freak-community called Faeryland. Born healthy with no deformities, Abel doesn't feel he fits in and yearns for adventure and romance. A mysterious ring gives him a vision of a beautiful woman and guides him on a fantastic journey unlike any other book I've ever read. The closest I can compare this to is Nancy Farmer's thrilling novels.

I loved this book and expect to see it on Newbery, Best Books, and Printz shortlists. And it would make a great movie, too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WOW!, September 13, 2006

By 

Shadow Hearth "Gamer Freak" (Texas, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freaks: Alive, on the Inside! (Hardcover)

I have to say that this book had me hooked. I had read some of Annette's other books, and as soon as I saw this one the shelf, grabbed it up for myself. I read it within the first two days of buying it, and I'm still in love.

It's a great book, it could be for people of every age... Well, except for some younger ones. There is some suggestive themes, but I'm glad to say it's not overly graphic.

This is a wonderful book, I recommend it to people all the time, especially when I know that there into the same mythical, historical, strange, and heart trobbing, just as I am. It's a great book with many of different subjects all mixed into one.

Enjoy the book!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Glad I Read This Book!, July 9, 2006

By 

Oz Griffin (Charleston, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Freaks: Alive, on the Inside! (Hardcover)

I almost didn't read this book. I was in the signing area at Book Expo America, and a friend pointed the book out to me. I grabbed a copy thinking "why not." As soon as I got home, I put it on my shelf, but something kept drawing me to it. I decided to put the book I was already reading aside, and start Freaks. I fully expected to read a couple of pages and put it down, but I was hooked from the first sentence on. This is a great read for Young Adults. Abel Dandy is a great character and the Freaks are worth the price of admission. Klause has written a wonderful story that has you cheering out loud for the good guys, and jeering the evil Dr. Mink (not to mention Ceecee.) I highly recommend it.