The Savages

January 20, 2014
Happy families are all alike—except, perhaps, the one in Whyman’s (the Carl Hobbes books) wickedly funny and mildly disturbing novel. Aside from their secret appetite for human flesh—a tradition dating back to Grandpa Oleg’s gobbling up a neighbor during the siege of Leningrad in WWII—the Savage family suffers from fairly normal stresses. Mrs. Savage struggles to get her spending under control while 15-year-old Sasha contemplates vegetarianism, to the shock of her parents and the delight of her new soon-to-be-vegan boyfriend. When a schlubby private investigator starts digging too closely into Mr. Savage’s business dealings and the apparent suicide of a model last seen alive at the Savage home, there’s no telling what, er, juicy truths might be revealed. Whyman’s taste for the bizarre is grislier than most, and a gruesome finale is particularly unsettling. But it’s his choice phrasing (the family’s victims are “free range”) and spot-on comedic delivery, seen especially in 12-year-old Ivan’s pointed practical jokes, that make the book so digestible. Ages 12–up.

January 15, 2014
Dinner with the Savages can be murder. Sixteen-year-old Sasha Savage has a new boyfriend. Jack is a year ahead of her in school, but that's not what causes a family controversy: He's a vegetarian, and the Savages are...well, they're cannibals. Ever since Grandpa was in the siege of Leningrad, the family has ritualistically, on occasion, feasted on human flesh, but they are always respectful to the source and waste as little as possible. Sasha's father, Titus, was born and raised in England. He's a predatory businessman; he orchestrates hostile takeovers of companies. It's this practice that has private detective Vernon English tailing Titus. Then a model fatally falls prey to a prank directed at Sasha by her younger brother, Ivan. Vernon doesn't know the specifics behind her disappearance, but he's sure something more than illegal business deals is going on. Can Sasha introduce her controversial boyfriend to the family, and can they all keep Vernon from finding out the family's culinary peculiarity? Making fun of foodies and vegetarians alike, this is neither a laugh riot nor a page-turning thriller, but readers seeking a little grisly diversion may be entertained. Whyman's British Addams Family of man-eaters certainly won't be to everyone's taste, but for those who like their humor very, very dry, it may just hit the spot. (Fiction. 13 & up)

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June 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-The Savages-Titus, Angelica, 15-year-old Sasha, 12-year-old Ivan, toddler Kat, and grandpa Oleg-are a close-knit family, bound together by their secret penchant for eating human flesh. The plot is composed of several disparate elements, including a woman whom psychopath Ivan has accidentally killed, a private detective who is hoping to find proof of Titus's shady business dealings, and Sasha's new boyfriend, who has persuaded her to try vegetarianism for a month, to her family's disgust. Lest you think that this novel will pull its punches, a main character does indeed get killed, carved up and eaten, which might make for a savory black comedy if this novel were at all funny. Instead, it never finds the right tone, alternating creepy scenes of young Ivan playing sadistic practical jokes with banter between Sasha and her friends about her make-out session with her boyfriend-"Did you get to see his cucumber?" The diction is awkward as well, with an unappealing stiltedness. The characters never come fully alive, though quite a bit of effort is made to introduce each family member to readers. And finally, the jacket art, while quite effective, is more likely to attract younger readers than the discussion of cucumbers and jokes about a suspected pedophile "wanting" Ivan make advisable. Throw this half-cooked novel back in the pot.-Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library

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