The Savage by David Almond

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Perhaps it's because of his father's death, but Blue Baker knows that real life doesn't play out the same way as fairy tales. Therefore, when he started scribbling his own story, he decided to write about a savage – a fearsome, wild being who lives off of terrifying and eating people. This was how Blue dealt with his grief. As Blue continued writing, he became more involved with the story – he even included himself, his sister, and the kid who keeps bullying him in it. What Blue didn't expect was for the savage to come to life as well as the events he had written.

The story mostly revolves around the savage, though I think it's interesting how it seems to be a wilder, angst-y version of Blue. There was a part where Blue seem to question whether he was the savage. I found the blend of Blue's and the savage's story really intriguing. The Savage reads more like a big picture book than an actual novel. The pictures were fiercely illustrated; it captured how I would have imagined the savage. Another interesting thing I noticed was how the savage was illustrated in blue most of the time, and the protagonist is named Blue. Perhaps that's just a coincidence though.

For such a simple story, there are some great themes and messages pertaining to grief and bullying. Though he's overridden with hatred for Hopper, a bully, Blue doesn't lose sight of himself. While writing about the savage, Blue refused to kill Hopper.

For a story about angst, grief, and hatred, this was a pleasant read. It is a VERY quick read though, as it's aimed towards children.

(Note: This was also reviewed for LibraryThing)