Freak the mighty

Max is an insecure, stupid giant of a boy with a murdered mother and a father in prison. He lives with his grandparents in the room in the basement. Thinking his too stupid to do anything, he spends most of his time down there, until he meets Kevin. Kevin is a four foot tall twelve year old genius, who spends most of his time memorizing dictionaries and building robots. Kevin is too small and Max is too stupid, but together they become Freak the Mighty, the unstoppable force.

I was a little hesitant about starting this book. I think it was the title that threw me off. Freak the Mighty? What does that even mean? Also, the back of the book doesn't do it justice. But, on one of those many times I have skimmed over my bookshelf looking for something to read, I chose Freak the Mighty. I went into it very negatively, but I was instantly absorbed by the tone. I could easily picture a bumbling teenager writing it. The tone was very realistic, but that's not to say that the writing was bad. The grammar wasn't bad, and the sentence structure was good. I think it was the vocabulary. It was very simple and to the point, making it obvious that this boy either didn't know or couldn't spell more sophisticated words than good, cool, numb.

This book was a great example of why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. Although I had very low expectations going into Freak the Mighty, I strongly suggest you read it.

Mrs. Packard

Elizabeth Packard is a outspoken mother and wife of a Methodist preacher in the mid-1800s. Due to her obstinate views and the sexism of her time, Elizabeth's husband sends her away to an insane asylum, although there is nothing mentally wrong with her. During her time in the insane asylum, Elizabeth tries hard to fight back at the domineering men of her society, help improve the asylum, and stay as sane as possible in the most trying of circumstances. As Mrs. Packard is a play, the scene will change between and interlap with Mrs Packard in the asylum and the trial on her sanity three years later.

Mrs. Packard was a very interesting play to read. It is a very fast read, but included great detail and description, something that is hard to come by in a dialogue. This play brings out all your emotions; you'll find yourself yelling at Dr. McFarland and cheering on Mrs. Tenney. I suggest reading this book for a fast yet informative read.