Who is the Rat Man?

Bella has nothing on Meredith Malady. Seriously, this novel is part poem, part Sweeney-Todd drunken butcher's opera, with a dash of logging-town historical fiction. What starts as a dark, licorice-flavored coming-of-age story poses, by the end, a serious mystery in which we as readers feel compelled to choose an allegiance.

As a high school teacher, I wish I could put this on the curriculum to read with my students. Hungry Rats feels like several books in one. There's plenty of young adult material here: imperfect parents, awkward jealousies, dangerous friendships, runaway adventures. At the same time, this slim volume would make a power-shake of reading comprehension. Don't let the experimental style deceive you--this is edgy fiction that's made for devouring.

Hungry Rats is a compelling read. It's filled with rich, fascinating metaphors and imagery that walks the fine line between drawing you in and scaring you away. I found it difficult to read in one sitting, feeling a little overwhelmed by the evocative language and imagery, but I couldn't put it down for too long, either.

The characters are drawn skillfully and the quirks of their relationships move the story beautifully from one point to the next. The different points of view add more depth than is often found in similar novels. And the rare 2nd-person narration combined with the often-poetic language used make this a great read.