The Secret of Ferrell Savage by J. Duddy Gill (review)

Ferrell Savage doesn’t even realize that his family has a terrible secret until Bruce Littledood, a fellow twelve-year-old with a knack for genealogical research, arrives on scene. Bruce is angry that Ferrell’s accidental death-defying stunts at the town’s Big Sled Race overcome his own impressive win, and, in revenge, is threatening to reveal the histories of Ferrell’s and his best friend Mary Vittles’ families, unless Ferrell shows up for a rematch down a steeper, more dangerous hill. Ferrell and Mary undertake investigative work and discover that one of Ferrell’s ancestors was Alferd Packer, a traveler whose snowed-in conditions caused him to eat his five traveling companions, one of whom was Mary’s relative. The two friends agree to the contest, only to get stuck together in a whiteout themselves, which forces them to overcome the potentially deadly circumstances. The subject of cannibalism is treated with cheerful absurdity: Ferrell and his family are vegan because his parents believe that they can’t otherwise control their inherited taste for flesh, and Mary points out the implications of their names. Ferrell is compellingly drawn, as he struggles to deal with newfound fame while hiding his burgeoning (and seemingly reciprocated) feelings for know-it-all Mary. A screwball take on an unusual topic that’s tempered with sweetness and honesty, this will appeal to youngsters who want to sink their teeth into something a little less conventional.