The Savage
by by David Almond
Illustrated by Dave McKean
Frankly it is getting somewhat tiresome trying to find enough superlatives to do justice to quite how wonderful David AlmondŐs books are but if thatŐs all I have to do in exchange for extraordinary works of fiction then it seems pretty reasonable to me. AlmondŐs latest book for younger readers, 'The Savage', follows on in the tradition of 'My DadŐs A Birdman', in that it considers the subject of bereavement but in a much darker way than his previous title.
'The Savage' tells the story of Blue Baker who is encouraged by the school counsellor to write down his feelings following the death of his father and who, finding this difficult, starts writing a story about a savage who lives in the woods. However when his savage creation pays a night-time visit to the local bully Hopper, who has recently homed in on BlueŐs vulnerability and weakened emotional state, reality and fantasy begin to merge and Blue begins to wonder where he ends and the savage begins.
Almond deals with the heavy and difficult subject of bereavement with sensitivity, understanding but also, most importantly, with honesty and bravery. It is this ability to engage with the darkest of human emotions and do so without patronising the child reader that sets him apart from a myriad of lesser writers. The book exemplifies the healing power of writing, illustrating how the act of storytelling helps Blue move through the various stages of his bereavement, leading him to grow in strength and gain the ability to look to the future with hope.
'The Savage' is described as Ôan extraordinary graphic novel within a novelŐ and the illustrations are provided by Dave McKean who is perhaps best known for his collaborative work with Neil Gaiman on projects such as 'Coraline' and the exquisite 'Wolves In The Walls'. McKeanŐs dark-washed ink drawings perfectly evoke the confused and turbulent nature of BlueŐs subconscious and emotions. Furthermore the frequent horror, violence and brutality of McKeanŐs striking illustrations work in wonderful synthesis with the text, working to further strengthen many of the hallmarks of AlmondŐs work such as the latent darkness and violence in children. Yet the dichotomy typical of all AlmondŐs books is once again apparent in 'The Savage' as beauty, otherworldliness and hope do co-exist with the darkness and McKeanŐs illustrations attest to this fact.
The book is just so beautifully conceived and executed Đ a compete and total success. But then again, IŐd expect nothing less from the master of childrenŐs fiction. And again the bar is raised ...