Reviewed by Grandma Bev for TeensReadToo.com

This is a strange combination of picture book and novel for older readers that is unsettling at best. A young boy's fantasy, the story and the illustrations are both filled with raw emotions that border on frightening and reflects the main character's own experiences and feelings.

Blue's counselor advises him to try writing down his feelings to help deal with the pain of his father's death, but that really doesn't work very well. Then Blue starts to write a story about a wild child who lives in the woods and who, on occasion, kills and eats people.

His story tells about the savage child interacting with Blue and his sister, and how the Savage hates the boy, Hopper, that bullies Blue at school.

McKean's illustrations show a wild child who is bony and shirtless, armed with a knife. Blue begins to believe that the Savage may be real, since he is sure there is evidence that the Savage visits him while he sleeps.

The idea that what you write becomes real is not a new one, and when the bully, Hopper, receives a beating in his bedroom during the night, Blue is sure that his fantasy has become reality.

Almost a graphic novel, THE SAVAGE is filled with fast action, suspense, and characters that are realistic. It is an exciting story that should appeal to the imagination of reluctant readers, too.

Don't we all have a bit of the Savage lurking somewhere just beneath the surface? ( )

Another exceptional and quietly moving work of lyrical prose by David Almond, this time enhanced by the graphic illustrations of Dave McKean. Narrated by Blue, a boy mourning the sudden death of his father, this short graphic novel is a story within a story, as Blue writes his own tale about the Savage, a feral boy he imagines lives in his town. In the hands of a lesser author, the narrative might have become a muddled mess, but from Almond's pen, the result is a superb blend of fantasy and truth in which young Blue discovers that he and the Savage have more in common than he realized. The work's one shortcoming - and the reason it doesn't merit a 5-star rating - is the inconsistency of the ink-and Photoshop illustrations, which are occasionally nondescript and add little to the story, though Almond's effortless skill carries it all. ( )

This story by David Almond and illustrated by Dave McKean is a beautiful telling of a story of grief and reconciliation. Having loved Skellig, I was also prepared for something unusual because the cover shows a child yelling—in pain? In a manical attack? The story and the illustrations seem to be seamless, conjoining of written word and picture, each complementing the other. Blue’s father has died and the school counselor advises Blue to write out his feelings. Blue is sharing the book he wrote, complete with spelling and other errors, with the reader. Blue eventually writes about a wild boy who lives in the nearby woods and who has adventures but is also capable of facing down the local bully. At some point for Blue, the difference between his reality and the story he’s writing begin to blur, and Blue realizes there is some interaction between his creation and himself. In one sense, this is similar to classic (and I mean the non-politically correct) fairy stories which were meant to scare and teach. Blue’s creation is scary, but he helps Blue make sense of his world, and Blue to help his mother and sister. This is not a book for small children, but for tweeners and older, especially those having some issue in life, this might be an excellent choice. ( )

After Blue Baker's father dies, he begins writing the story of a savage boy who lives in the woods. When Blue is bullied by Hopper, the savage comes to life and puts Hopper in his place. Much like "Fight Club", written from a juvenile's perspective. ( )

In this illustrated story (Included in Yalsa’s 2009 Great Graphic Novels for Teens) Blue Baker is still grieving over the loss of his dad, even though he may not admit it. He’s also taunted by a fearsome bully who preys on Blue’s vulnerability. Blue’s school counselor encourages him to write down his feelings, but it seems pointless to Blue. Instead he finds himself drawing pictures of a wild boy who’s not afraid of anything, or anyone and suddenly his attempt at storytelling takes on new meaning. By the end of the story, when the savage boy and Blue have melded into one, Blue finally finds the resolution he’s been craving.
The pictures have a stark fierceness to them, but the weight and meaning of the story may elude the target audience. ( )