I'd heard a lot about Jimmy before I read it. I heard it was the modern version of Huckleberry Finn or To Kill a Mockingbird. I'd read reviews of it, but I never really understood what the plot was about. Now I know. To say that it's a plot puts it into too compact of a box. It's not a plot; it's real life. The characters are just that believable.
Jimmy Mitchell is a special boy. He's slow to learn things, but once he learns things, they never leave his head. His father is a defense lawyer, which gives Whitlow the freedom to show Jimmy's viewpoint of some of his cases, since he testifies in them often.
Jimmy loves his stepmother with all his heart, so when his world is threatened by his birth mother wanting to have him for her own, he clings even harder to his family and to the Watchers he sees that no one else can see. The best thing about the custody battle portion of the book is that the other side are not portrayed as ax murderers or monsters in the closet.
Another portion of the book follows Jimmy's adventures with his paternal grandfather, to whom he is very close to.
The third major portion of the book shows Jimmy working as a water boy for the local high school football team, on which his best friend plays.
I can't think of any characters that are not believable people.
But adding all the previous facts together, and combining them with the completely original, non-public end, we have a five star book in our hands. All in all, this is Whitlow's best book to date.
5 stars
P.S. Do not read the alternate end unless you want an unoriginal disappointment.
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