Freaks: Alive on the Inside! by Annette C. Klause

Bibliographic information: 

Klause, Annette C.  Freaks: Alive on the Inside! New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007.  ISBN-13:  978-0689870385

Plot Summary:

            Abel Dandy is seventeen and has spent his life growing up in a freak show.  Both of his parents, his first girlfriend, and his best friend are all part of the various acts.  Abel does not feel as if he belongs because he has no outward physical abnormality.  He is given a magical ring which causes him to start having dreams about an exotic woman and these dreams urge him to run away and find adventure.  Abel runs away and joins the circus as a knife-thrower’s assistant.  He is secretly followed by Apollo, the dog boy, who consistently gets him in trouble.  The two have trouble at the circus and eventually separated. The pair finds one another, and secures janitorial work at a Bordello.  It is here they meet Dr. Lazarus Mink who has a variety show and he tries to steal Apollo away for his show.  Abel sees no choice but to get a job at the act as a cart driver.  The conditions of the show’s children are horrible; the adult performers are not treated much better; everyone is exploited by Dr. Mink.  The performers are afraid of Mink’s henchmen including a razor wielding pseudo-hermaphrodite.    

            During the shows Abel is made to guard some of the exhibits including an Egyptian mummy.  This mummy comes to life and starts to explain that she is connected to him in a previous life and that she is the one that is in his dreams.  It was she who magically set his adventures in motion.  She starts to rejuvenate into a young woman and Abel begins to fall in love.  After the murder of one of the performers, Abel and the performers decide to escape, being pursued by Mink and his villains; the band tries to make it back home where everyone will be cared for and nobody exploited.

Critical Evaluation:

            The writer does a great job with characters and setting.  There are over a dozen different characters each with their own physical anomaly and interesting back story.  The use of magic is woven into the story at just the right points.  There is also a historical element to the book recalling times when freak shows were places where the performers were often horribly treated.  The author sets the era well and one gets a true feeling for the age through little details added to the story. There are a few places with adult language and situations, but these never go too far, and the content is suitable for older teens.  A number of important themes, such as accepting those that are different, and caring for the less fortunate run through the book.

Reader’s Annotation:

            Abel Dandy runs away from his home where his parents and everyone he knows are all part of variety acts involving those with physical anomalies.  Before he leaves he is given a ring that connects him to a mysterious lady in his dreams.  He is pursued in his escape by Apollo the dog boy and goes from job to job trying to ply his trade as a knife thrower.  Eventually he ends up in another variety act with Apollo where he finds his chance for adventure and the key to the mystery woman that haunts his dreams.  

Information about the author: 

Annette C. Klause is an Anglo-American young fiction writer born in Bristol, England in 1953.  Freaks: Alive on the Inside! is her most recent work.  A number of other titles written by her have been published including The Silver Kiss, Alien Secrets, and Blood and Chocolate (which is being slated to be made into a film). 
Klause holds a BA and an MLA degree from the University of Maryland. She is a full time writer and lives with her husband in Hyattsville, Maryland.  She has a number of cats for pets

Genre:

Romance/Adventure/Fantasy

Curriculum Ties:

N/A

Booktalking Ideas:

1.  Discuss how Abel feels like an outsider because he is the only person in his home community who does not have singular physical characteristics.

2.  Magic and ESP play a major role in the plot, talk about the characteristics of those with these powers.

3.  Focus on the differences in what is considered ‘normal’ at different parts of the story.

Reading Level/Interest Age:

14+

Challenge Issues: 

Language/ Adult Situations

Challenge Defense Ideas: 

1.  Read the book.

2.  Be Familiar with the policy of the ALA and your institution.

3. Make a note of the contents of the work and how they fall in with the collection development policy of your institution and the standpoint of the ALA. 

4. Gain an awareness of the awards, reviews, and criticisms of the work, as well as other works by the same writer.

5. Know the process for materials challenges at your library.

Why did you include this book? :  

I very much enjoyed the book Geek Love by Katherine Dunn, which I read a number of years ago, and thought that Freaks: Alive on the Inside! would be similar in terms of content and creativity.
Author Info Website:

http://www.ravenstonepress.com/klause.html