Idgie Says:This is a bittersweet story of a little boy who simply wants to be loved, but also manages to graciously accept whatever circumstances he finds himself in.
I'll admit that when I was first approached to review this book the title set me back a bit. What the heck did this hot mess title mean? What kind of weird book was this? I did contemplate going no further into the email to investigate what was being offered to me. But I did dig deeper into the email and was intrigued by the synopsis enough to accept the book. Once received, I found the cover to be very cool, but was still unsure of the story.
By the end of the first chapter I was engrossed. The writing is strong and the characters are alive. The descriptive sentences of events happening in those first pages were fully fleshed out and truly created the atmosphere and scene. This novel is filled with clever wordplay and the dialogue doesn't grows old.
The story moves at a brisk pace, never bogging down with useless filler. While fantastical in parts, it's a story that could, and does, happen to many children in the world. I wanted nothing more than to be able to put my arms around Hug and well... hug him.
A very sad story, but told in a weirdly uplifting way.
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Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Cinestate (January 23, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1946487007
ISBN-13: 978-1946487001
Synopsis:
Hug Chickenpenny: The Panegyric of an Anomalous Child is a gothic, Dickensian take on the Elephant Man, as if David Lynch wrote a fable for unbalanced orphans.
Hug Chickenpenny is an anomalous child. Born from tragedy and unknown paternity, this asymmetrical and white-haired baby inspires both ire and pity at the orphanage, until the day that an elderly eccentric adopts him as a pet. The upbeat boy's spirit is challenged in his new home and as he is exposed to prejudiced members of society in various encounters. Will Hug and his astronautical dreams survive our cruel and judgmental world?