Freak the Mighty

A Review by Daniel

What can I say? Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick, is another classic novel. I first read it as a requirement in the eighth grade. Freak the Mighty is a tale of a boy named Max, who is very large boy (at least for an eighth grader) who towers over anyone he talks to. Max isn't the brightest kid in the world, in the eighth grade he still has a lot of trouble reading and he can't even write! Max lives with Gram and Grim (his grandparents from his mother's side) because his mother died when he was very young and his father is in prisoner serving time for murder. The other main character in the story is Kevin, or Freak as he is mainly known in the story. Max and Freak attended the same daycare when they were much younger however one day Freak just doesn't come back, and now several years later Freak returns and moves into Max's neighborhood with his mother who is referred to as "The Fair Gwen". Now, Freak is a very unique boy, he has a debilitating disease that has greatly stunted his bodies external growth. Kevin, close to the same age as Max, resembles a toddler, 3 or 4 years of age, in body size. However Kevin is extremely intelligent, his IQ is very high, he practically has the whole dictionary memorized, and his teachers in school even admit he knows much more than they. And since Freak is so small, it becomes habit to ride on top of Max's shoulders. The ingenious Freak rides on top of Max, who often times can't tell the difference between left and right, and directs him on where to go by kicking his heels into Max's sides, like a horse.

Here is a short excerpt from the book concerning when Freak is telling Max about the special hospital he has to go to in order to receive treatment and how he's going to get a new body, a "robot-like" body:

"Will it hurt?" I [Max] ask. "Getting your parts replaced?"
Freak doesn't answer for a while and then he says in his stern, smart voice, "Sure it will hurt. But so what? Pain is just a state of mind. You can think your way out of anything, even pain."
I'm pretty worried about the whole deal, and I go, "But why do you want to be the first? Can't someone else be first? Isn't it dangerous?"
"Life is dangerous," Freak says, and you can tell he's thought a lot about this. After a while he kicks me with his little feet and says, "Home."

Together, Freak and Max become "Freak the Mighty" and form a very strong and special relationship that will change both of their lives forever.

Max and Freak run into their share of challenges during the book however about three-fourths of the way into the story Max's father comes up for parole and a chance to leave prison... What will his father do? Is he really as terrible as everyone has told Max? Has the whole story about his father been told and could his father possibly be trusted? Max certainly finds the answers to those questions and more on Christmas Eve!

Join Freak the Mighty on a journey of a lifetime as they learn the value of acceptance, friendship, courage, trust, and the meaning of life!

Authors: Rodman Philbrick
Rating: 5/5
Number of Pages: 160
Age Recommendation: Ages 10+
Sequels: Max the Mighty
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