The Book of Fred

Interesting story, this book. This interesting cover has been on my bookshelf for no less than 4 years and quite possibly many more. I bought in on one of my many Barnes & Noble binges (one of my very favorite things to do) and have just never gotten around to reading it. I must admit...there are many books in my bookcase with a very similar history. Let's just say I'm working on it.

Next up: 'The Book of Fred' by Abby Bardi.

This book was not at all what I expected. With a cover like this, I expected some quirky, loveably odd book about...I don't know...fish? And possibly fish named Fred. Wrong. Believe it or not, this book is about religious cults and the effect they have on people. I know, I know....seriously?! Yes, seriously. Let's just say the jacket illustrator took some of the most random elements in the story and put them together to make a catchy cover...regardless of if is insightful into the storyline. Whatever.

The book is about a girl named Mary Fred. Her last name isn't really Fred, but everyone in their cult has to have the name of Fred somewhere in their own name, as it was the name of their founder. The book begins with Mary Fred and her many siblings being taken away from their parents as their parents are incarcerated for neglect after 2 of their children die. All of their children are then put into the foster system. The bulk of the story from this point is about Mary Fred adjusting to life outside a cultic atomosphere, including watching television and shopping for the first time at 14 years old.

The family she lives with consists of a sweet woman who works in the library, her daughter who is the same age as Mary Fred, and the mom's drug-addicted brother. The chapters are broken up to be taken from the point of view of each of the different characters, producing a very well-rounded perspective of the events taking place. This is where the real charm of this book is located. Observing the relationships built between Mary Fred and each of the members of the household is both endearing and intriguing as Mary Fred slowly assimilates into the life of a normal 14 year old girl.

The end of the book provides some real suspense as Mary Fred's mother is released and attempts to take her to the new cult she has joined, but comes full circle back to the foster home that has officially become Mary Fred's home. In the end, I was surprised by this book. It was far different from what I had expected and raised some good questions about needing to know why we believe what we believe.

I'm going to implement a new rating system, if for no other reason than my own entertainment.

'The Book of Fred': 3.5 out of 5 bookmarks