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A review by motherhorror
Jimmy the Freak by Mark Steensland, Charles Colyott
5.0
Confession: I have in me, the potential to fall in love with fictional characters. Like, madly in love with them. I've been reading 90% horror fiction since the Fall of 2017, so falling in love with characters who are likely going to become victims is not easy on my heart.
Jimmy the Freak is the story of an unlikely friendship. A tough, rough around the edges kind of man named Mike is traveling with a man named Jimmy who has special needs. Jimmy is a big fella who exhibits the behaviors of a child. We also learn there's something special about Jimmy--but you don't need to know what.
Jimmy is a sought after commodity. Mike is taking care of his friend by hiding out from some guys who want Jimmy so that they can exploit that specialness. Even though this is a novella, Mark Steensland and Charles Colyott managed to drive the story through strong character development.
The dialog is impeccable. I'm not sure why my brain does this, but oftentimes it will choose actors for me to visualize while I'm reading--Mike was Jason Bateman and Jimmy was Tony Hale (maybe it was something reminiscent of their sibling relationship on Arrested Development). This very vivid visualization only enhanced my reading experience--I could see the scenes playing out in cinematic vibrancy.
I applaud both of the authors for their storyline choices--everything was so carefully planned and well thought out. I enjoyed the different characters that came in and out and their clearly defined motivations for all the decisions they made.
I appreciated how Mike was doing this amazing service of caretaking, a noble act, but he's human; flawed at the same time. Nobody can be anyone's hero 24/7. Especially someone as emotionally and physically demanding as Jimmy--some of the scenes just exhausted me and I had empathy for Mike's situation.
It's my recommendation that everyone needs to read more Mark Steensland. Earlier this year, I read IN THE SCRAPE which was a collaborative effort he did with James Newman and it is easily one of my new favorite novellas.
And now here I am with a glowing review of another novella collab!
My hunch is that there is something special about Steensland's writing and I want to know what it is. I'm eager to read a solo offering.
Recommended for fans of Character-driven, emotional, friendship drama with a supernatural element.
Jimmy the Freak is the story of an unlikely friendship. A tough, rough around the edges kind of man named Mike is traveling with a man named Jimmy who has special needs. Jimmy is a big fella who exhibits the behaviors of a child. We also learn there's something special about Jimmy--but you don't need to know what.
Jimmy is a sought after commodity. Mike is taking care of his friend by hiding out from some guys who want Jimmy so that they can exploit that specialness. Even though this is a novella, Mark Steensland and Charles Colyott managed to drive the story through strong character development.
The dialog is impeccable. I'm not sure why my brain does this, but oftentimes it will choose actors for me to visualize while I'm reading--Mike was Jason Bateman and Jimmy was Tony Hale (maybe it was something reminiscent of their sibling relationship on Arrested Development). This very vivid visualization only enhanced my reading experience--I could see the scenes playing out in cinematic vibrancy.
I applaud both of the authors for their storyline choices--everything was so carefully planned and well thought out. I enjoyed the different characters that came in and out and their clearly defined motivations for all the decisions they made.
I appreciated how Mike was doing this amazing service of caretaking, a noble act, but he's human; flawed at the same time. Nobody can be anyone's hero 24/7. Especially someone as emotionally and physically demanding as Jimmy--some of the scenes just exhausted me and I had empathy for Mike's situation.
It's my recommendation that everyone needs to read more Mark Steensland. Earlier this year, I read IN THE SCRAPE which was a collaborative effort he did with James Newman and it is easily one of my new favorite novellas.
And now here I am with a glowing review of another novella collab!
My hunch is that there is something special about Steensland's writing and I want to know what it is. I'm eager to read a solo offering.
Recommended for fans of Character-driven, emotional, friendship drama with a supernatural element.