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33 Snowfish
The first sentence of 33 SNOWFISH sets the tone in a novel of four kids on the run: "On top of everything
else, Boobie's got the clap." Quick, punchy, realistic narrative in the voice of two main characters depicts their
hardships, traumas, and views on life.
Boopie, an allusive character who is the leader of this group, has murdered his parents and taken his unnamed baby brother
on the road with him. His girlfriend is Curl, a teenage prostitute. Custis is a younger runaway who joins Boopie
and Curl because he is running from a pedophile who had him in sexual bondage.
The surreal plot moves from scene to scene, alternating between Custis and Curl's narration. Custis sees the world
in jumpy, almost unintelligible ways - he carries a gun, uses offensive language, makes racial comments and derrogatory comments
about Curl, though he does care for her and worries about her health. He moves from one thought to another, jostling
the reader back and forth between the disturbing events in his life. Curl's narration is more subdued and thoughtful.
The characters seem to be, in equal proportions, both real and unreal. Perhaps it is their circumstances that are
the most unreal, though the characters themselves portray their lives in realistic tones, using language and narration to
make the tragically unbelievable believable. As a review in School Library Journal said, "The fearsome elements escape
the pages like nightmares loosed into daylight" (Jones 2003). It is the characterization in this novel that makes it
a success. The world described within the novel is both violent and depraved, with the main characters suffering from
abuse, neglect, and isolation.
Rapp, Adam. 33 Snowfish. Cambride: Candlewick Press, 2003. ISBN 0763618748.
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