A Modern-Day Monster!
Ty and Cameron are twins ready to start ninth grade and are just like all kids, except for one thing. That one thing is what sets them apart. They are being horribly neglected and beaten by their father.
The boys live on a remote farm far from any potential witnesses to the horror they experience daily. Their father makes Ty and Cameron work from sunup to sundown taking care of work in the fields, the farm animals, kitchen clean-up and anything else he can think of.
In return, they are lucky to get one egg for breakfast, and supper is often a lone chicken leg with a small dab of mashed potatoes. While they have that in the kitchen, their father eats like a king in another room. Whenever the boys do the least little thing wrong, or even if they don’t, they are beaten.
When school finally starts, it is somewhat of a reprieve because the starving boys get to eat the school lunch. But they are also made fun of at school for a variety of things including having body odor—since they do not know what deodorant is. Often at home, they have been given a bar of soap and told to stand in the rain and clean themselves. Despite attending public school in a small town, no one seems to be paying attention to the obvious suffering the brothers are going through.
This tale is told through the eyes of Ty. Except for his twin brother, Ty has no other friend in the world besides his dog Jake. He often thinks Jake has a spiritual quality, that he might be an angel. Even though he has never been exposed to Christianity, he believes in God.
Be warned, this is a disturbing story of child cruelty and neglect. It is very troubling. Since the author is a master story-teller, he describes incidents so well you will clearly see what the boys endure in your mind’s eye. There is a Christian message towards the end, and that is when the tale becomes uplifting. I would not call this a children’s book. As a writer, the author does five-star work, but be prepared to brace yourself while reading this.
Pelican Book Group has provided bookreadingtic with a complimentary copy of the e-book, Me and Jake, for purpose of review. I have not been compensated in any other manner. All opinions expressed are my own, and I was not required, or influenced, to give anything but an honest appraisal. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
