I think it took me less than an hour to read this. It's an illustrated short story, really, but it packs quite a punch. It's about a boy dealing with the loss of his father and a horrible bully. Though he says writing down his feelings will never help, he does use writing to cope: he writes a story about a savage.

American kids might be a little thrown by all the British English, but I think the story itself is powerful on a gut level. It's a little dark, and very darkly illustrated, but there's light at the end. ( )

All little boys are savages at some point, but where does the savage end and the boy begin? ( )

Blue is a young boy dealing with the sudden loss of his father. He lives with his mom and younger sister, and at school he's trying also to deal with a bully that is making his life even more miserable. This is a personal story about how Blue comes to terms with his new life and its challenges by writing in his notebook. His story takes on more meaning for him as he writes it, and Blue comes to realize that there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. He has a lot of emotions running through him and the book helps him channel them in constructive (and non-violent) ways.

I actually selected this book because I recognized Dave McKean, who illustrated Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. I really admired his drawing style in that book, so I was eager to see his other stuff. The Savage is nicely illustrated, too. ( )

This graphic novel far exceeded my expectations. The book addresses many topics which young readers can relate with or have experienced, such as confusion, frustration, loneliness, or misunderstanding. This book teaches about feeling "sad, small, frightened, furious, bitter, lost, and lonely," (50) but it ultimately expresses the importance of choosing tenderness, compassion, and care over violence or revenge. The book contains important messages about bullying, justice, and emotional regulation. It also addresses death, the grieving process, and finding reconciliation with the past through healing. The narrator states "Somehow I knew my wounds would heal, that my sadness would start to fade." (76) It celebrates the triumph of choosing and gravitating towards "good," while steering clear and away from "bad." The story ends with the strong message that love is eternal and continues forever, even past our own lifetimes. This book is truly phenomenal, and I highly recommend it as a graphic novel for young adults or more mature children.

I picked this up because I love Dave McKean's art, and I've enjoyed the books he's made in collaboration with Neil Gaiman. His art here is wonderfully surreal and dark, with lovely layers of atmospheric ink wash and strong black brushstrokes. His characters have faces that sometimes look like tribal masks from Africa or the Inuit. I loved looking at it and trying to pick apart how he drew each page.

This book is an interesting intersection of feral child stories and childrens' monster myths, combined with a compelling story about coping with the rage and frustration of being bullied. It touches on violence and cannibalism that might startle some straitlaced parents (also true of a lot of kid-generated content) and I don't think middle-school readers will feel pandered to, or as if they're subject to an author trying to teach them An Important Lesson. ( )