Jimmy the Freak by Charles Colyott and Mark Steensland
Thunderstorm Books (March 2019)
$40 limited edition hardcover
Reviewed by Frank Michaels Errington
From beginning to end, this limited edition novella is something special. Care is given to every word, beginning with this beautiful opening line…
There’s something magical about it, Mike thinks, watching the fat flakes of snow appear from a sky black as the void.
What made the falling snow even more special was…
Jimmy’s face. It was a bit like seeing a five-year old’s grin plastered on a 30-something-year-old’s face.
Jimmy the Freak is about Mike, and the seemingly mentally challenged Jimmy and the obstacles they overcome. The opening chapter sees the two venture into a snowstorm to visit a local convenience store where something very unusual occurs.
This is a wonderful buddy book. There are real difficulties involved in taking care of a mentally challenged man with powers some may want to abuse. In some ways, though, I wondered who was taking care of whom in this delightful story.
Charming, thrilling, and so original. By the way, I’ve taken the liberty of giving Jimmy the Freak the subtitle Wanna Build a Snowman? If you read it, you’ll gt it.
100% recommended.
