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Review of the Day: I Am Not Joey Pigza (Part Two)
October 10, 2007
The connections Joey's dad draws between karma and winning the lottery is not all that different from the premise behind, "My Name Is Earl". Of course, the difference here is that Joey's dad isn't interested in real karma. Just doing whatever it takes to make it look to the universe like he's making a difference. But even if Joey's dad's a pretty awful fella, he's not the real villain of this piece. Joey's mom has never been perfect, but this story wins her the official Worst Mom of the Year Award. She knows exactly how bad Joey's dad has been, but because he's now rich she's willing to throw aside her doubts and her child's safety so that she can live with the guy again. She's never around when Joey needs her most and about the moment she says, "I could use a drink. When I was pregnant with you a little drink every now and again did me a world of good," you're half a step away from calling Child Protective Services. On the other hand, it's moments like these that drill home just how extraordinary Joey really is. If he became a screaming psychopath you couldn't blame him a bit, but Gantos shows us that in spite of environment a person like Joey can show enough smarts and wherewithal to break free of his surroundings to become a decent human being. Gantos offers hope to the rest of us in the form of Joey.
I think the important thing about this book is that it makes it clear that forgiveness is different from stupidity. You can forgive someone and remember what they put you through. Forgiveness is not the same as memory loss. Casting aside preconceptions garnered in the past books and the fact that an adult will read this book on a different level than a child, this is undoubtedly one of the strongest titles of the year. "I Am Not Joey Pigza" may have been a gamble, but I'm certainly going to hope that it's one that pays off in the end.
Notes on the Cover: Well, personally I prefer the Selznick covers. That look of sheer unadulterated panic in Joey's eyes on the first "Joey Pigza" book really took my breath away. This one grew on me, though. On a first glance I hadn't noticed the broken antennae or chipped wing. The smiling bee face sets up a nice contrast with Joey's otherwise horrified look. Though I still remain loyal as a Selznickian, this cover has earned my love.
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Posted by Elizabeth Bird on October 10, 2007 | Comments (2)
