REVIEW: Jimmy the Freak by Charles Colyott & Mark Steensland

Thanks to being dropped on his head when he was a baby, Jimmy is now both mentally disabled and psychic. This has made him the perfect target for abuse by those who would exploit his wild talent for their own power and glory.Disgusted by his part in the game, Jimmy's bodyguard Mike takes him on the run. But Mike's boss isn't the sort to let a meal ticket go easily, so he dispatches a brutal hitman named Ash to hunt them down and bring Jimmy back to work.Winding through a snow-covered landscape of back alleys, cheap motels, and strip clubs, Mike mustfight his own personal demons while desperately trying to keep Jimmy free.

Jimmy the Freak is a story that makes you appreciate great characterisation. The relationship dynamics between Jimmy and Mike made my heart warm. Mike has essentially taken on the role of carer and isn’t too above himself to admit that it was more than he anticipated. The authors have created two of my favourite fictional characters of all time. An unlikely friendship. A freakish psychic ability. An obsession for pizza. A will to protect. I haven’t read another story like this in which disability is at the forefront and tackled with a sense of tact and love. I fell deeply for this raw storyline.

Jimmy was dropped on his head as a baby, in the bath. Incidentally, it is the only place he can sleep, irony is only a five-letter word. The accident left him with a mental disability, his chronological age doesn’t connect with his developmental age. He acts and behaves like a child, his obsession with pizza and making snowmen highlighted his single-mindedness. People in power can see how his abilities can further their own gain often at the expense of Jimmy’s health. Mike steals Jimmy away from the bishop who manipulates him to further his own career and church. Can Mike stay true to his initial motivations and protect Jimmy?

Mike needs to keep Jimmy away from the people that will exploit his specialness for financial gain. He has a bit of a tarnished background himself, but he’s determined to do right by someone. He makes it abundantly clear that Jimmy should not read his thoughts, and he agrees somewhat reluctantly. The realism that Mike feels about taking care of Jimmy affected me, as a mother of a child that is like Jimmy, I will admit it choked me up. Yes, you try and keep your cool at least 80% of the time but it’s inevitable that you will grow frustrated with the constant demands for the same foods or the obsessive behaviours. You are only human, and you slip up from time to time.

Jimmy the Freak has so many elements that makes it an impressive read. There are characters to root for, some to hate and ones you hope to attain their redemption. Colyott & Steensland are masters of their craft. It’s grim, it’s raw and it will leave you thinking about it for days and months afterward.

Buckle up, you need to prepare for the whiplash. A story that will leave you with physical wounds and mental torture.