Review - The Very Troublesome Ghoulish Bizarre Boy by Mark A. Roeder

Thad has had a rough life since being orphaned at a young age. He's been in a string of orphanages, foster homes, and juvenile detention. The experiences have hardened him and made him cynical far beyond his thirteen-year-old age. Thad is certain that nobody is nice to him unless they want something. When Angel and Kurt pick Thad up from "juvie" and announce they're adopting him, he figures they're just the latest in a long line of do-gooders or abusers looking for free labor on their farm, which is just outside of a small town that seems right out of a 1960s sit-com. Thad plans to run away as soon as he gets the lay of the land, but then he meets Alberto, another boy his age who seems to share Thad's interest in the macabre. The longer Thad stays, the more he comes to like his new life among “boring” people.

“The Very Troublesome Ghoulish Bizarre Boy” is probably another one of those books that gets labeled as “Young Adult” (YA) because the main character is a young teen, even though the story and themes are more adult in nature. I quite enjoyed it, while I don't think a real young adult or teenager would appreciate it.

The narration switches points of view between Thad and Alberto after each chapter. Thad is likable almost from the start despite his very irascible nature. He no doubt has good reason to keep people at arm's length, but we very quickly learn that he's got a kind-hearted nature, even if he tries to hide it. The abuse he must have suffered in the past is alluded to, but no details are given. Thad's fascination with the dead is a bit macabre, but it's more endearing than disturbing.

Alberto is more of a mystery. I had a guess about what he might really be early on, and I wasn't far off when the truth was revealed. Even with a good idea about where things were going, it was still a fun read to see how the wild-boy Thad would be tamed by the gentle folk of Blackford.

The secondary characters around Thad and Alberto are quite well-defined and believable. Thad's observations about adults and school are funny because they're true.

“The Very Troublesome Ghoulish Bizarre Boy” is available from Amazon (commissionable link).