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The Secret of Ferrell Savage
Middle school romance is hard enough, but cannibalism really gets in the way. This humorous look at first crushes and family secrets is sure to be devoured.
Ferrell Savage is finally twelve, and finally eligible to compete in The Big Sled Race on Golden Hill—the perfect chance to impress Mary Vittles. Mary is Ferrell’s best friend…and maybe, someday, something more.
Except the “more” Ferrell first finds is more information about his family. It turns out that his great, great, great uncle had an encounter with Mary’s great, great grandfather. And the encounter was, well, let’s just say…edible. Sure, the circumstances were extreme, but some facts might just be romantically indigestible. At least now Ferrell understands why his family is vegan.
But even as Ferrell and Mary encounter blackmail, a second sled race, and a particularly enticing bag of beef jerky, Ferrell realizes that he might still have a chance with Mary. If, that is, his family secret doesn’t eat them alive.
Ferrell Savage is finally twelve, and finally eligible to compete in The Big Sled Race on Golden Hill—the perfect chance to impress Mary Vittles. Mary is Ferrell’s best friend…and maybe, someday, something more.
Except the “more” Ferrell first finds is more information about his family. It turns out that his great, great, great uncle had an encounter with Mary’s great, great grandfather. And the encounter was, well, let’s just say…edible. Sure, the circumstances were extreme, but some facts might just be romantically indigestible. At least now Ferrell understands why his family is vegan.
But even as Ferrell and Mary encounter blackmail, a second sled race, and a particularly enticing bag of beef jerky, Ferrell realizes that he might still have a chance with Mary. If, that is, his family secret doesn’t eat them alive.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2014
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116 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
October 6, 2018
nature abhors a vacuum.
and when it becomes glaringly obvious that there aren't any middle-grade books about cannibalism, here comes this book to plug itself into that slot.
and thank goodness for it, really.
and while all the cannibalism takes place in a historical context, and no one is getting noshed right on the page, it is still a delightfully bold topic for the 8-12 set.
ferrell savage is twelve years old. which means he is now eligible to compete in the big day-after-christmas sled race that is the tradition of his town. ferrell has been raised vegan, and doesn't care at all about the sled race. i am pretty sure that being raised vegan removes the competitive spirit, because young ferrell doesn't really let much bother him, and is just a chill fellow overall. his best friend mary, though, is a meat-eating, brilliant-minded girl with ambitions who is all about the sled race.
and since ferrell has been developing feeeelings for mary and her huge...vocabulary, he enters the race to prove that he is game, and totally on-board with all of her interests.
unfortunately, he not only wipes out and almost gets himself killed, but he attracts the attention of a new boy in town, one who knows a secret about mary's family history, and ferrell's own.
this is probably a spoiler, but since it is the coolest thing, and what drives the narrative, i can't not mention it:
AWKWARD!!
so the rest of the book involves blackmail and more sled races, and overcoming history, and deepening relationships and the consumption of about a million skittles.
it is a completely lovely story with two very likable characters (and one insufferable one) and i am so glad that i got a chance to read it. but why isn't the cover up on this goodreads?? because this cover is just perfect and adorable and completely fitting.
if you are looking for a book about cannibals for your young ones (and you really should be), this is the perfect book for you.
and hopefully, this subject matter will become a new trend for YA and MG fiction. universe, answer my prayers!
come to my blog!February 26, 2014
Disclaimer: I know the author, who is a wonderfully lovely person. However, my sons (ages 9 and 12 and big fans of the Wimpy Kid books) do NOT know the author and they LOVED this book. They ate it up (pun intended!) In fact, yesterday while riding in the car, my 12 year old said, out of the blue, "Hey Mom, that Ferrell Savage Book is cool." You can't get a better review than that!
March 10, 2014
Never thought I'd see a kids' book that touched on cannibalism. Shows how little I know. :) THE SECRET OF FERRELL SAVAGE was a fun, quick read that quickly forced me to Google "Alferd Packer" out of sheer curiosity. Now, thanks to THE SECRET OF FERRELL SAVAGE and my own online research, I know quite a bit about "The Colorado Cannibal" that inspired this book. I'm hoping it may help me win a game of Trivial Pursuit one day! :)
February 25, 2014
I love Ferrell. If I were in middle school, I'd want to share my Skittles with him and listen to him read the Thesaurus. This had me laughing out loud so many times--mostly due to the subtle wry humor Gill uses to portray her good-natured and unassuming main character, Ferrell Savage. And the premise! I loved seeing how Mary and Ferrell's embarrassing family historical connection was woven hilariously into the plot and ended up (spoiler!) drawing them closer together.
March 18, 2014
How did Gill weave such a great trio of characters in and out of each other in such a brief, action packed, heart warming story? I usually find YA fiction simple, overdone and rote. The Secret of Ferrell Savage however, is crisp and clean, refreshing, sweet and funny. There's a whole lot of great literature out there clamoring for me to read it and I don't like to waste my time on standard, ho hum plots and lackluster characters. Read it with or without your kiddo, it's worth your time.
March 30, 2014
This is a fun, quick read. The characters are marvelous. Although Littledood is a little over the top, Mary and Ferrell are lovable and absolutely believable. More than a book about cannibalism, it's a text on how to accept and love yourself. I will recommend it to all the 8 to 12 year olds I know.
April 3, 2014
This is definitely the most adorable book about cannibalism that I've ever read. :) Seriously, it's a terrific, original premise, and Ferrell just has the most hilarious voice--I constantly found myself laughing out loud (which I rarely do, even with purportedly "funny" books). And the development of his relationship with Mary was spot-on. Kids will love this one!
June 19, 2014
This was a fun book to read. Ferrell Savage has ADHD with a carefree attitude and his best friend, Mary, is a competitive brainiac. They complement each other well and spend a lot of time together. They also have a budding romance that neither is initially aware of. They team up to protect their family secrets from becoming public.
June 21, 2017
Funny. Enlivening. Love Mary, love her vocabulary. Ferrell is also an awesome character; love how he takes life and greatness like it was just the next thing to do and then they'll be something else.
Want to read
February 6, 2014I must read this because I cannot ignore a middle school book about CANNIBALISM
May 27, 2016
Fantastic fun!
June 26, 2019
Gill has done the seemingly impossible -- creating a light-hearted realistic fiction book that features a cannibalism story. Nominated for the 2015-2016 Maine Student Book Award.
August 22, 2021
This is such a comical book, with a couple of lovable, albeit quirky characters, with issues with which to wrestle. The real heroes come through with humility and grace.
September 12, 2015
This was a fun and quick read. Ferrell Savage and his best friend,Mary, are shocked to discover that their families share a long-standing secret.
Ferrell never knew about the family's secret.It is a real shock when it is revealed to him by Bruce Littledood, a new kid in town.
Mary has known about the family secret and she believes that it is almost like a curse. She will be a failure no matter what she does. The thing is, she doesn't let it stop her from trying very hard to succeed.
The two kids handle their respective family secrets very differently. Ferrell just thinks its one more thing not to really worry about--it is in the far distant past, and nothing he can do will change it. He's not even concerned about whether others find out about it or not. Mary, however, is driven by her fear of failure. Nothing is ever good enough--second place in any contest is a failure; being elected vice president of the student council instead of president is a failure; any grade less than the top grade is a failure.
It is their shared experiences as the work together to prevent Bruce's threatened revelations to the whole community that helps Mary and the readers to see that Ferrell's laid back approach to life is one to be desired.
The book is entertaining and amusing. It is loosely based on the true story of Afred/Alferd Packer and Polly Pry. The chapters are short and easy for those kids just beginning to read chapter books. The vocabulary is interesting--Ferrell has what is probably a pretty average vocabulary for his age, but his friend Mary has an exceptional one. In an effort to keep up with her, Ferrell tries to use words which are not part of his normal vocabulary, but usually winds up misusing them.
I was curious about Bruce Littledood's role in this book. He is the one who knows the families' secrets, but he appears to have no connection to them. I really expected him to reveal that he had been related somehow to one of Packer's victims/meals. That didn't happen. (16-17: I-0, II-1, III-0)
Ferrell never knew about the family's secret.It is a real shock when it is revealed to him by Bruce Littledood, a new kid in town.
Mary has known about the family secret and she believes that it is almost like a curse. She will be a failure no matter what she does. The thing is, she doesn't let it stop her from trying very hard to succeed.
The two kids handle their respective family secrets very differently. Ferrell just thinks its one more thing not to really worry about--it is in the far distant past, and nothing he can do will change it. He's not even concerned about whether others find out about it or not. Mary, however, is driven by her fear of failure. Nothing is ever good enough--second place in any contest is a failure; being elected vice president of the student council instead of president is a failure; any grade less than the top grade is a failure.
It is their shared experiences as the work together to prevent Bruce's threatened revelations to the whole community that helps Mary and the readers to see that Ferrell's laid back approach to life is one to be desired.
The book is entertaining and amusing. It is loosely based on the true story of Afred/Alferd Packer and Polly Pry. The chapters are short and easy for those kids just beginning to read chapter books. The vocabulary is interesting--Ferrell has what is probably a pretty average vocabulary for his age, but his friend Mary has an exceptional one. In an effort to keep up with her, Ferrell tries to use words which are not part of his normal vocabulary, but usually winds up misusing them.
I was curious about Bruce Littledood's role in this book. He is the one who knows the families' secrets, but he appears to have no connection to them. I really expected him to reveal that he had been related somehow to one of Packer's victims/meals. That didn't happen. (16-17: I-0, II-1, III-0)
July 28, 2022
I'm going to make a bold statement: more books for children should feature cannibalism.
I've been trying to broaden my reading range by adding more middle-grade books in my rotation, and this was a good one for me, as it has a sense of humor that is equal parts goofy and kind of dark:
"My great-great-grandfather was Shannon Wilson Bell."
"Uh-oh," I said. Now it was starting to make sense. "He was one of the guys Alferd ate."
Mary nodded.
"Gosh, I'm sorry, Mary. I always knew there was something weird about me. I guess it goes back a long way. Wow, I'm really sorry." What else could I say? What does any guy say to the girl he's crushing on when he finds out his family ate hers for dinner? This could be a real relationship buster.
So Ferrell's ancestor ate Mary's great-great-grandfather, and Mary isn't too concerned about that, but she is concerned that the new kid in school is going to reveal this secret to everyone, which would 1) make everyone think Ferrell is some kind of freak, and 2) contribute to her peers' (nonexistent) belief that Mary is a loser. Ferrell, who has been friends with Mary since they were babies and suddenly has realized that hey, girls are kind of cute, Mary in particular, begrudgingly decides to challenge said New Kid to a sled race in order to keep their family secret, well, secret.
You know, that age-old story.
Gill has crafted a really sweet, funny novel that deals with a topic most would consider taboo, and I applaud him for that. I also applaud him for the creation of Ferrell, who is just the most precious and relatable protagonist:
"Mary brought me the bucket of melting snow, and I drank with my cupped hands. I wished we had some Kool-Aid to pour into it. Water is so boring and useless without sugar."
You might as well be reading my mind every time I drink water, really.
Anyway, a solid entry onto my (currently, sadly) minimal middle-grade shelf, but I can't imagine I'll be reading too many other books like this one. 4/5 cannibal ancestors.
I've been trying to broaden my reading range by adding more middle-grade books in my rotation, and this was a good one for me, as it has a sense of humor that is equal parts goofy and kind of dark:
"My great-great-grandfather was Shannon Wilson Bell."
"Uh-oh," I said. Now it was starting to make sense. "He was one of the guys Alferd ate."
Mary nodded.
"Gosh, I'm sorry, Mary. I always knew there was something weird about me. I guess it goes back a long way. Wow, I'm really sorry." What else could I say? What does any guy say to the girl he's crushing on when he finds out his family ate hers for dinner? This could be a real relationship buster.
So Ferrell's ancestor ate Mary's great-great-grandfather, and Mary isn't too concerned about that, but she is concerned that the new kid in school is going to reveal this secret to everyone, which would 1) make everyone think Ferrell is some kind of freak, and 2) contribute to her peers' (nonexistent) belief that Mary is a loser. Ferrell, who has been friends with Mary since they were babies and suddenly has realized that hey, girls are kind of cute, Mary in particular, begrudgingly decides to challenge said New Kid to a sled race in order to keep their family secret, well, secret.
You know, that age-old story.
Gill has crafted a really sweet, funny novel that deals with a topic most would consider taboo, and I applaud him for that. I also applaud him for the creation of Ferrell, who is just the most precious and relatable protagonist:
"Mary brought me the bucket of melting snow, and I drank with my cupped hands. I wished we had some Kool-Aid to pour into it. Water is so boring and useless without sugar."
You might as well be reading my mind every time I drink water, really.
Anyway, a solid entry onto my (currently, sadly) minimal middle-grade shelf, but I can't imagine I'll be reading too many other books like this one. 4/5 cannibal ancestors.
February 7, 2014
Pay no attention to the similar last names of this reviewer and the author! Ferrell Savage is a great character with a great funny voice. He’s sort of a Greg Heffley with some self-awareness and perspective. The story takes place a comic heightened reality where people have names like Mary Vittles and Jerry Dunderhead, and small towns have Big Sled Races in which everyone takes delight in seeing twelve year olds almost kill themselves. On the cartoon world spectrum, this book falls closer to the realistic end than Wimpy Kid, but still far short of our real world of safety regulations and helicopter parents. And that spot is the exact right place for this story. Gill smartly relegates adults to minor roles leaving the children all the fun and adventure for themselves.
If you’ve ever seen one of those 80s teen movies involving some sort of obscure sport-—skiing, white water rafting, karate, BMX racing-—you know how they always end with some Big Event (that somehow draws large enthusiastic crowds) where the lovable, unorthodox hero beats the cold, cheating bad guy. Gill riffs off of these movies and gives us a very peculiar Big Event that no one (except for one) comes close to taking seriously. (And for young readers who won’t get the reference, there is still an essential appeal to the formula that works.)
The careful comic tone of the book is a lost a bit at the end when the inevitable lesson-learning appears, but that’s my complaint about everything funny that’s not Wimpy Kid or Curb Your Enthusiasm. At its heart, this funny book is really a story of the moment when boy-girl friendship becomes something just a little bit more. It’s a moment and a feeling hard to capture, but somehow underneath this silly story of sled races, genealogy, and swallowed marbles, Gill captures it perfectly.
If you’ve ever seen one of those 80s teen movies involving some sort of obscure sport-—skiing, white water rafting, karate, BMX racing-—you know how they always end with some Big Event (that somehow draws large enthusiastic crowds) where the lovable, unorthodox hero beats the cold, cheating bad guy. Gill riffs off of these movies and gives us a very peculiar Big Event that no one (except for one) comes close to taking seriously. (And for young readers who won’t get the reference, there is still an essential appeal to the formula that works.)
The careful comic tone of the book is a lost a bit at the end when the inevitable lesson-learning appears, but that’s my complaint about everything funny that’s not Wimpy Kid or Curb Your Enthusiasm. At its heart, this funny book is really a story of the moment when boy-girl friendship becomes something just a little bit more. It’s a moment and a feeling hard to capture, but somehow underneath this silly story of sled races, genealogy, and swallowed marbles, Gill captures it perfectly.
April 27, 2015
Ferrell Savage is an easy-going twelve year old with a crush on his best friend Mary Vittles. In order to impress Mary, he enters the town's big sled race on his lawn chair on skis sled. He wipes out but becomes the town hero when he comes through the disastrous crash without a scratch. This earns him an enemy of Bruce Littledood who actually went after Ferrell and won the race. Of course no one noticed. Bruce decides to blackmail Ferrell and Mary with some information he has about their families. Turns out, Ferrell's great, great-uncle ate Mary's great, great-grandfather, which is kind of a relationship killer. Bruce wants a rematch or else he will reveal all.
Pretty funny stuff cannibalism, especially cannibalism books for elementary students. Sure there was some history and Alfred Packer was really a cannibal, but that isn't the point to the book. It is all very tongue-in-cheek silly and a lot of fun. First you have the names which are pretty spectacular. Then you have the fact that Ferrell's family is vegan and his mom panics about him finding out the family truth. Then there is Bruce's hilarious attempts to blackmail Ferrell and Mary. I think kids will enjoy this one as long as they don't take it too seriously.
Pretty funny stuff cannibalism, especially cannibalism books for elementary students. Sure there was some history and Alfred Packer was really a cannibal, but that isn't the point to the book. It is all very tongue-in-cheek silly and a lot of fun. First you have the names which are pretty spectacular. Then you have the fact that Ferrell's family is vegan and his mom panics about him finding out the family truth. Then there is Bruce's hilarious attempts to blackmail Ferrell and Mary. I think kids will enjoy this one as long as they don't take it too seriously.
July 2, 2014
At twelve years old, Ferrell Savage is finally able to compete in the annual town sled race. But when he survives a tremendous wipeout, the town forgets all about the actual winner. The winner hasn't forgotten about him, though, and now Ferrell's about to come up against things that are way more difficult than his first sled race: family secrets, blackmail, cannibalism, first love and, yes, a bigger, harder second sled race. If Ferrell lives through all this, he will be the true champion.
This was such a fun, hilarious, heart-warming read. While the plot was a bit ridiculous at times, I loved going along with Ferrell on his journey, because he was such a great character. Even when he made goofy mistakes -- something to be expected of kids his age -- his warm heart and sense of humor carried him through. I also enjoyed the historical details sprinkled throughout, the realistic setting, and the well-rounded secondary characters. All in all, a very good story.
This was such a fun, hilarious, heart-warming read. While the plot was a bit ridiculous at times, I loved going along with Ferrell on his journey, because he was such a great character. Even when he made goofy mistakes -- something to be expected of kids his age -- his warm heart and sense of humor carried him through. I also enjoyed the historical details sprinkled throughout, the realistic setting, and the well-rounded secondary characters. All in all, a very good story.
October 9, 2015
Ferrell Savage and Mary Vittles have been friends since they were little. At the age of twelve, they are finally old enough to enter their town's annual Big Sled Race on Golden Hill. When Ferrell wipes out in a spectacular fashion, he takes the glory away from this year's winner, newcomer Bruce Littledood. (All of the character names are quite descriptive in a rather tongue in cheek way.) Bruce threatens to reveal a secret about Ferrell and Mary's past that even they don't know. As they research their intertwined ancestors, shocking discoveries are made. Ferrell is goofy but well-intentioned, the first junk food eating, vegan main character that I can recall. Recommended for grades 4-6.
December 2, 2014
The focus of the story was unusual, but it kept my interest. A huge sled race for kids that had the whole town talking for days was strange. Ferrell's principal even asked him to visit a first-grade classroom, because her son wanted him for Show and Tell. The idea of Ferrell's relative being a cannibal was a little gross, but Mary's connection to it added an unexpected twist. I liked how Ferrell was naive and how others had to explain things to him. It gave him an innocence that was easy to like, but he also was brave to stand up for Mary. I enjoyed it!
December 21, 2015
Between the cover of the book and the teaser on the back cover, I wasn't exactly sure what the book was going to be about.
Whether you like a good adventure (in a blizzard), a (daring) challenge, or a know-it-all that you can't help to root against (no matter what!), this book has something for you.
Start the book and you are instantly taken to a tradition of sledding down a hill the day after Christmas. Throw in a survival story that would make any ESPN highlight reel and you are hooked.
A good book for middle grades or older.
Whether you like a good adventure (in a blizzard), a (daring) challenge, or a know-it-all that you can't help to root against (no matter what!), this book has something for you.
Start the book and you are instantly taken to a tradition of sledding down a hill the day after Christmas. Throw in a survival story that would make any ESPN highlight reel and you are hooked.
A good book for middle grades or older.
February 16, 2016
This book ended up being quite funny. J. Duddy Gill really has a way with words at times. Ferrell Savage is a 12 year old who is trying to impress Mary Vittles (and yes, those names have ironic part to play in this story line) by entering The Big Sled Race on Golden Hill. He doesn't win, but still becomes a community celebrity with his "Pollypry" makeshift sled. The winner feels slighted that he lost his moment of glory and blackmails Ferrell. He must agree to a rematch or a "taboo" family secret will be revealed, one that may account for his family's vegetarianism!
October 23, 2014
OMG so cute. Little boy falls for little girl, but his great great granddad ate her great great granddad so it's kinda complicated. And funny. And sweet!
I am always impressed when these short, simple stories meant for like, 6th graders are more emotionally nuanced than stuff for teenagers or adults. And with more fleshed out, less cliched characters. And are actually funnier, too. This is good stuff!
yeah I couldn't resist a kids' book with a cannibalism in it
I am always impressed when these short, simple stories meant for like, 6th graders are more emotionally nuanced than stuff for teenagers or adults. And with more fleshed out, less cliched characters. And are actually funnier, too. This is good stuff!
yeah I couldn't resist a kids' book with a cannibalism in it
July 31, 2016
Is book is OK, not great. The story could be so much more, but the author chose to write a short story. The main character is a vegan which is an interesting character trait, and could expose children to something new. When we find out why he is a vegan it is kind of a goofy reason. Not to mention the main character eats junk food for most of the book.
Kidss might enjoy this book but I'm not likely to recommend it.
Kidss might enjoy this book but I'm not likely to recommend it.
November 24, 2016
Ferrell Savage is a quirky, middle school romantic (sort of) comedy about Savage and his best friend Mary's relationship. The town has a yearly sled race in which Ferrell crashes spectacularly making him a town hero. Everyone is awed by him except the boy who actually won the race, who only feels jealous. Through a series of unfortunate events the three kids learn to respect one another and come to terms with themselves as well. I recommend this book for 7th graders and above.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 26, 2016I was not crazy about this book. Probably won't be recommending it to my students if they ask. I thought a couple of the topics in the book were too mature for the average 4.7 AR reader. Spoiler alert: the "secret" is cannibalism done by a family member in the long ago past--thus the gingerbread man (?) with his arm missing on the front cover. Memories of the Donner Party, which 4th grade CA students do study about, so there's that. But ewww. I give this 1/2 star.
March 4, 2015
I thought this book was hilarious. Ferrell's family is vegetarian, but he's not sure why. One of his best friends is a girl and she's a know-it-all but he likes it? When his feats overshadow the winner of the local sledding race, events start to spiral out of control as he tries to protect a family secret.
September 29, 2015
This book deserves 3.5 stars in my opinion. At times it made me laugh (Ferrell vocabulary confusion and the family's vegan lifestyle in particular). But besides Ferrell, several of the other characters were a bit too much like a caricature.
June 21, 2015
Strange, funny, cute -- a love story that involves a little bit of cannibalism. What's not to like?
October 19, 2014
Fun, fun, fun!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews