Two Sided

Freaks and Revelations

Davida Wills Hurwin

Jeff Vega

There are two sides to every story, as there is with every coin or every wall. You benefit from the different perspective that each side offers. In Freaks and Revelations by Davida Wills Hurwin, we are given two sides of the same story, by two very different boys who each have to face their own problems. First, there is Doug. He is a punk kid with a nasty attitude and a racist outlook on people who does drugs for fun without thinking about the consequences. His parents have a toxic marriage, with a father that lives his life drunk, and a mother that puts up with his abusive ways. The other perspective is told by Jason, a younger child who seems to have the perfect life, but has a secret he can’t tell anyone, he’s gay. His parents seem to be happy together, and he has a close relationship with his father.

Now, I haven’t finished the book yet, but each perspective is building up to the grand scheme of it all. Where I have left off, Doug is moving on to some hardcore drugs. It’s seems that he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. At this point, it’s more of a drug addiction instead of something to do just for fun. Doug meets with a dealer and tries a new drug. He starts to trip out and says “ Not a white face in sight and I can’t run. I’m on NEB , PCP, animal tranquilizer” (60). The sad part about it all is that Doug is about 17 years old at this point of the book. He went out looking for something crazier to do, and that disgusts me. Meanwhile, Jason realizes that he is gay, and starts to experiment by kissing boys. He meets a boy that is much older than him, and starts a relationship with him. After a date, Jason “ [sneaks] one last kiss. My luck-it’s just as [my bully] walks by” (66). This is a red flag for Jason because now he has to worry if his bully will be telling everyone. But we see Jason's’ pride take off when he stops caring what people think. He even takes it a step higher and decides to tell his family. But what Jason doesn’t realize is that his mother is STRICTLY religious and will not approve. He tells his family, and the first thing his mother says is an angry “No son of mine is going to hell” (73). 

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes different perspectives on the same story, or if the reader likes a mix of a serious yet funny read. It has all the elements within the book: surprise, comedy, and tragedy. It brings out all the emotions in the reader, and will definitely have you picking sides, whether you like Doug or Jason more. It’s very different from other reads, in the sense of the plot of the story and how it is set up. I strongly recommend it.