Golden Boy

jman926 - I read the book Golden Boy by Tara Sullivan. The book is about an albino child named Habo who lives in a farmhouse with his family in Africa. His father left his family after Habo was born because the dad thought that the mom had cheated with a white tourist because Habo is white, because that's because he's albino. One day, his family is evicted from their home. When this happens, they are forced to set out to a city called Mwanza to live with Habo's aunt. They hitch a ride with an elephant poacher called Alasiri. When they arrive at Habo's aunt's house, Habo's aunt tells Habo that he is an albino and that he should be careful of Alasiri as he might hunt Habo for his skin. Alasiri tries to get Habo alone and kill him but Habo runs away to a nearby town. He gets so hungry that he tries to steal food from a blind man. The blind man named Kweli doesn't yell at Habo, but makes Habo his apprentice. Habo lives at his house until Alasiri tracks Habo down to Kweli's house, knocks on the door and asks Kweli if he's seen Habo. Habo breaks down after Alasiri leaves and tells Kweli what happened. Kweli notifies the police and Alasiri gets put into jail. At the end of the book, Habo is reunited with his family and finally accepts that he is not a monster, but an albino. My opinion of the book is that it was good, but it lacked a couple of characteristics. The book was very detailed in describing things, but moved very slow. For instance, it described Habo's pale skin and red eyes very well, but it took a very long time for the family to make it to the aunt's house. I also felt like the author described some things that didn't need to be described, or was almost over-describing. This book was realistic fiction because everything that happened in the book could and still happens today, but this book was not taken from an actual story. Poachers still do hunt albinos for their skin as they think that it will bring them good luck. An audience that should read this book are people that like descriptive writing, with a setting that is very detailed and clear. The audience should like reading books with slow starts and not books that move very fast. The audience should also like a little bit of action, as there is some action at the end of the book. In this book, there was one internal conflict and one external conflict. The internal conflict that Habo faced was him thinking of himself as an outcast because of his skin color. This was because all of the kids in the city called him white boy, and made fun of him for his skin color. An external conflict that Habo faced is when he was being chased by Alasiri. Alasiri was trying to kill Habo for his skin and Habo barely managed to escape. Overall, this was a pretty good book and I would recommend it.

July 8, 2013
Sullivan's standout debut spotlights the quest of 13-year-old Habo, an albino ("zeruzeru") struggling to survive in Tanzania, where albinos are both reviled and prized; some even believe that their limbs possess magic and are willing to kill for them. The narrative begins in the small village of Arusha, where Habo, his mother, and siblings are starving. The family decides to immigrate to the city of Mwanza, in hopes of finding stability. In raw, candid prose, Sullivan conveys Habo's learned shame and the violence that his family encounters as a result of their poverty and perceived difference. Habo's sense of liberation is almost palpable when an elderly, blind sculptor trains him as an apprentice and begins to show him the meaning of unconditional love. Weaving in Kiswahili words and phrases, Sullivan presents a nuanced view of Tanzanian culture and its entangled economic circumstances, while writing vividly of the country's landscape. Though the novel is horrifying in parts, Habo's tender interactions with those he loves combat the sense of lurking dread that, most often, takes human form. Ages 12âup. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Starred review from April 15, 2013
Some call Habo a zeruzeru--a zero-zero--nothing. Others willingly pursue the riches his albino body parts will bring on the black market in Sullivan's intense debut. With his white skin, shaky, blue, unfocused eyes and yellow hair, 13-year-old Habo fits nowhere in his chocolate-brown Tanzanian family--not with his brothers who shun him, nor even with his mother, who avoids his touch. Did this bad-luck child even cause his father to abandon him at his birth? Only Habo's sister, Asu, protects and nurtures him. Poverty forces the family from their rural home near Arusha to Mwanza, hundreds of miles away, to stay with relatives. After their bus fare runs out, they hitch a ride across the Serengeti with an ivory poacher who sees opportunity in Habo. Forced to flee for his life, the boy eventually becomes an apprentice to Kweli, a wise, blind carver in urban Dar es Salaam. The stark contrasts Habo experiences on his physical journey to safety and his emotional journey to self-awareness bring his growth into sharp relief while informing readers of a social ill still prevalent in East Africa. Thankfully for readers as well as Habo, the blind man's appreciation challenges Habo to prove that he is worth more alive than dead. His present-tense narration is keenly perceptive and eschews self-pity. A riveting fictional snapshot of one Tanzanian boy who makes himself matter. (Fiction. 12-16)

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Starred review from July 1, 2013

Gr 8 Up-Habo, 13, knows that his albinism makes him a zeruzeru, less than a person. His skin burns easily, and his poor eyesight makes school almost impossible. People shun or mock him. Unable to accept his son's white skin and yellow hair, his father abandoned the family, and they cannot manage their drought-ravaged farm in a small Tanzanian village. Habo and his mother, sister, and brother travel across the Serengeti to seek refuge with his aunt's family in Mwanza. Along the way, they hitch a ride with an ivory poacher, Alasiri, who kills elephants without remorse for the money the tusks bring. In Mwanza, the family learns that one commodity can fetch even higher prices: a zeruzeru. Rich people will pay handsomely for albino body parts, and Alasiri plans to make his fortune. Habo must flee to Dar es Salaam before he is killed. After a harrowing escape, he reaches the city and miraculously encounters a person to whom his appearance makes no difference: a blind woodcarver named Kweli. Slowly Habo develops a sense of self-worth as well as carving skills. When Alasiri brings ivory for Kweli to carve, the boy and old man work with the police to send the hunter to prison. Habo's gripping account propels readers along. His narrative reveals his despair, anger, and bewilderment, but there are humorous moments, too. Although fortuitous encounters and repeated escapes may seem unlikely, the truth underlying the novel is even more unbelievable. In Tanzania, people with albinism have been maimed and killed for their body parts, thought to bring good luck. Readers will be haunted by Habo's voice as he seeks a place of dignity and respect in society. An important and affecting story.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2013
Grades 8-12 Born albino in a Tanzanian village, Habo suffers virulent prejudice for his pale skin, blue eyes, and yellow hair, even from his own family. At 13, he runs away to the city of Dar-es-Salaam, where he thinks he will find more acceptance: there are even two albino members of the government there. He finds a home as an apprentice to a blind sculptor who knows Habo is a smart boy with a good heart, and he teaches Habo to carve wood. But Habo is being pursued by a poacher who wants to kill him and sell his body parts on the black market to superstitious buyers in search of luck. Readers will be caught by the contemporary story of prejudice, both unspoken and violent, as tension builds to the climax. Just as moving is the bond the boy forges with his mentor, and the gripping daily events: Habo gets glasses for his weak eyes, discovers the library, and goes to school at last. The appended matter includes a Swahili glossary and suggestions for documentary videos.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)