The Fat Man

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Of this "seamlessly crafted psychological thriller" set in 1933 New Zealand, PW's starred review said, "Gee gives the proverbial victim-turns-villain myth several spellbinding twists.... Readers with a hearty appetite for the diabolical will get their fill here." Ages 12-up. (Mar.)r

Children's Literature

The Fat Man is back in his hometown and he's turning Colin Potter's life upside down. Set during the 1930's in New Zealand, Colin is a hungry kid who stumbles upon a candy bar that belongs to a mean, overweight man who catches him eating it. The Fat Man pressures Colin into becoming an accomplice in several small crimes. Colin is afraid to tell his parents because he believes the man is also after his parents. In the end, Colin learns about some notsoproud moments in his parent's background and how they have affected the Fat Man. Eventually, Colin begins to develop sympathy for the Fat Man. 1999, Alladin Paperbacks/Simon & Schuster, Ages 10 up, $4.50. Reviewer: Melissa A. Caudill

KLIATT

This story is set in 1933 in New Zealand, which could make it difficult for young readers to identify with the situation Colin Potter and his family are facing. There is very little money or work for his dad and the family must make do with the few resources they have. When Colin is on his way to visit with his grandmother, he encounters "the Fat Man" bathing in the river. Colin knows of a cabin nearby and when he goes there he discovers the man's belongings. He finds a chocolate bar and because it is such a delicacy for Colin, he eats some of it. The Fat Man catches him and thus begins a reign of terror for Colin. The Fat Man bullies Colin into becoming his accomplice in a burglary. As Colin discovers later, it is the Fat Man's own mother that he robs. Colin knows that he has committed a crime but he is so intimidated he says nothing. The story drifts a bit until one day the Fat Man arrives in town, returning after many years. Revenge is the reason for the return and as the story unfolds the objects of this revenge become apparent. The Fat Man gains the confidence of Colin's parents by giving his dad much needed work and though his mother is suspicious, she can't refuse the "gifts" he offers. As the story moves along, Colin becomes convinced that he must expose the Fat Man for the bully that he is, but he is afraid. The climax of the story is well constructed and exciting. The plot is simple, but it is not a real page-turner. The characters are realistic for the setting of the story and the Fat Man is a true villain. This is not a book that I would recommend highly. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 1994, Simon & Schuster, Aladdin, 186p, 18cm,96-35044, $4.50. Ages 13 to 15. Reviewer: Deane A. Beverly; Retired Reading Teacher, Pawcatuck, CT, September 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 5)

VOYA - Dr. Beverly Youree

After living away for years, fat Herbert Muskie returns with his new wife to Loomis, New Zealand, to find his hometown suffering in the midst of the Depression. When twelve-year-old Colin Potter, who is always hungry, steals a candy bar from Herbert, the man forces Colin to help him steal from an old woman (Herbert's own mother), lest Herbert tell Colin's parents about the candy bar theft. Colin does the deed, but he is now fearful he will once again run into this intimidating man whose name he does not know. The two do meet again, and Herbert dangles his threat in front of Colin while wrangling the boy into a new plan: exacting revenge upon Colin's parents for the ridicule they heaped upon Herbert when the three were classmates. Unaware that Herbert even knows his parents, Colin goes along with the plan, believing it will earn some much-needed money for his folks. All goes well until Colin's father learns Herbert's true nature and that Herbert is engaged in illegal activities. Mr. Potter threatens to go to the police, and Herbert flees with his stepdaughter and Colin as hostages. This tale of psychological terrorism will appeal to students on the middle and junior high school levels, as they follow the adventures of this twelve-year-old. The terms used in New Zealand might give some trouble, but most can be understood through the context of the sentence. VOYA Codes: 3Q 3P M J (Readable without serious defects, Will appeal with pushing, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8 and Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9).

School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up--In this engrossing psychological thriller, a devious man, embittered by the taunts he endured as a child, returns to his hometown to seek revenge on the family of one of his tormentors. (Nov.)

Kirkus Reviews

In an ugly, menacing psycho-thriller set in Depression-era New Zealand, a man returns to his small town to repay the bullies who sent him fleeing 13 years before.

Herbert Muskie appears suddenly in Loomis, with overflowing pockets, wild tales of rum-running in the US, and a new wife and stepdaughter. His outward geniality conceals a sadistic talent for cutting through people's defenses, and he quickly proves himself a master of both violent and subtle intimidation. Only a few months earlier, Colin Potter was terrorized into helping Muskie rob his senile mother of her life savings, but he doesn't dare tell his parents, who were among the man's tormentors years before. Gee (The Champion, 1993, etc.) tightens the screws expertly: Strong, cunning, and unbalanced, Muskie is thoroughly frightening and increasingly given to bursts of brutal irrationality. When he snatches his stepdaughter and Colin as hostages after police discover that he's been burglarizing houses in nearby Auckland, even hardened Cormier readers will stop breathing. Colin shows steel beneath his rabbity exterior, "helping" Muskie to his doom over a deep gorge, but even in death the fat man has his revenge, leaving nearly everyone he's touched damaged in some way. Sobering and scary.