Blue Baker is a normal, nice kid with a normal, nice family: a Mom, a Dad and a little sister.  He has friends, goes to school, and has regular run-ins with the town bully.  When his Dad dies, he gets set up with a counselor at school, Mrs. Molloy, who tells him to try writing out his feelings, which is how he ends up writing the story of The Savage.  The Savage is a savage: he lives under an abandoned chapel, hunts and kills for food, doesn’t speak except in grunts and has sticks and chicken feathers in his hair.  The Savage is Blue’s private story, but as he writes more and more chapters, it starts to become real.  The Savage starts showing up around town, and eventually Blue is going to have to face him.

Dave McKean’s illustrations make The Savage.  It’s a quick read from Almond, an author who has won numerous awards for his other books.