Boobie is a teenage pyromaniac who has killed his parents and kidnapped his baby brother with the intention of selling him to the highest bidder. Custis is an orphan who, for most of his wretched life, has been the sexual slave of middle-aged pedophile. Curl is a teenaged prostitute who has a dangerous crush on Boobie. These three miserable outcasts have formed a tenuous bond and are all on the run for Boobie’s murder. The heartbreaking struggles they experience together as a sort of nightmarish family unit will leave two of them dead, and only one left to learn what real love and trust feel like through the kindness of an elderly black man named Seldom, and his chicken Deuce. This is a hard, hard book to read. It is disturbing and graphic and strange and sad. Snowfish contains great rewards for those who can handle its horrific descriptions, but go easy on yourself if you think this sounds like something you’re not ready for yet. I’m 30-something, and I wasn’t ready for how truly sad this book is. Read this one cautiously, maybe even with a friend or parent, so you can help each other understand the terrible beauty of this story.
Yeah, well, obviously this isn’t for everyone, but I found it horrifyingly compelling, devastatingly sad, wise and naive and ultimately uplifting. This is a novel for extremely discerning and mature kids who can firstly get past the street language and secondly understand that they must throw away their moral compasses for the duration of the novel. Rapp took me to a place I didn’t want to be, cut me to the bone and left me with images that will stay with me for a long time. The novel has three narrators: Custis and Curl who control the narrative and Boobie who communicates in raw, poignant drawings which are eloquent and touching. This is a remarkable novel, but not for the faint of heart
Thirty Three Snowfish was not the easiest book to read. The relationships between Boobie, Custis, and Curl were strong but very disfunctional. Curl was very much attatched to Boobie. They were all dealing with things that made their journey harder. The whole book was full of obstacles for each and every one of them. I think this book should be recomended for 11th and 12th graders. To read this you have to look at it from a mature prospective. You must think about the things that happen differently than you normally would. I do not think 10th graders would be able to do that.
I think this book was pretty good because it kept me interested the whole time. I believe the fact that this books was so intense and the characters had to go through real hard and crazy circumstances made it better. I feel That this book is approprate for grades 10-12 because you cant protect them from swears they already know also this book will let them know how easy they have it compared to some other people some even younger then them
Overall, this book was very intense but very good. It is the type of book that keeps you thinking, and there never really was a “dull” moment. There is a lot to process, with the mature language and situations, but it is real life, and things like that really do happen. I don’t believe that this book is appropriate for 10th-12th grade students, simply because I don’t think they are mature enough. It is, however a very good read for those able to look past the rough subject material. The relationships between these 3 main characters are anything but ordinary. It was like all that they wanted was stability and someone to love, but they went about it in all the wrong ways. Yet they are still children, so it is almost justifiable. These 3 kids really make you sit back and reflect on the times you considered to be terrible and think about how fortunate you truly are. So, yes, the book is crazy and a little uncensored- but it touches on a subject that most authors are too afraid to delve into. And I believe Adam Rapp is commendable for doing something out of the norm and producing a very well written book.
IN THE NOVEL THIRTY-THREE SNOWFISH, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE THREE MAIN CHARACTERS CURTIS, BOOBIE, CURL WAS UNBELIEVEABLE. THEY WERE ALL IN CRAZY SITUATIONS WHERE ONE KILLS HIS PARENTS THE OTHER, IS TOO YOUNG WITH NO SENSE INTO HIM AND THE OTHER WAS YOUNG AND PUT INTO PROSTITUTION. THEY MANAGE TO HELP EACH OTHER AND HOLD ON TILL THE END. THIS NOVEL IS CLEARLY NOT APPROPRIATE FOR KIDS IN 9TH 10TH OR EVEN 11TH GRADE WITH SUCH LANGUAGE. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS FOR KIDS IN 12TH GRADE AND OLDER PEOPLE.
HII PEOPLE :DD
I thought the book 33 Snowfish was a pretty interesting book. I’m happy I got the chance to read it cause I never herd of the book before. The three main characters Custis, Curl, and Boobie all had very different lives than most kids their age. They were all very close, alot like a family they never had. The events that went on could happen to anyone, it’s a very real book just hard to take it all in. Not many people write about topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, prostitution, and addiction. I feel like this book is for kids over the age of 16-17. It’s not that kids couldn’t handle the content I just feel like when kids are in class together they act immature.
After reading 33snowfish and reading the experiences of boobie, custis, and curl who fight to survive after some brutile tragedies they face when boobie kills his parents and steals his baby brother to make money. You’ll come to find out that the impacts they encounter will destroy their lives when drugs, sex, and std’s brings death into the picture and the intensity of this novel will have you jaw dropped!
In this novel there are three kids that have a really rough life and experience alot of bad things. They come together to help eachother out but at the end of the day they are only making things worse for eachother. For an example one of the young boys (boobie) killed his parents and kidnaped his baby brother and tryed to sell him for money. The other young Boy (Custis) got touched by a man and was in porn video’s. The girl (Curl) got sold to different men for money by her aunt. They had many events they had to go through like dealing with drugs, sex, and std’s at a young age. That destroyed their lives and all they were was misunderstood and just tryed to make a better life for them selfs but just didn’t know how to begin it.
The relationship between characters is strong. they care about eachother a lot. but there relationship as a whole with society is very suspect. Meaning there very sketchy and do the most abnormal things for fun ect. curls relationship with herself is horrible. Selling herself? Even if its the only way to survive. Basically there strong with eachother, but alone there weak. They always stick together, until the end of the story when curtis loses curl and boobie. For example, they always stick together because, most of the story they are all together unless they have to split up for curl to turn a trick. And again, until the end of the story were boobie and curl die.
To me, the book started at rock bottom for each individual main characters. But as I soon saw this wasn’t the case granted their starting point; one kidnapped for some psycho’s “snub films”; another prostituted and used for her own aunt’s personal gain. They as a group choose the worst possible path to follow. If not for it being a class requirement, I don’t think I would’ve finished reading the book after the halfway point. Fact of the matter is I continued to read, and despite the raunchy filler the ironic ending is what made the book a worth while read. the story has a short but important lesson; the sun will shine if you wheather the storm. Altogether a good book and if the teacher can get the class past the racial slurrs and sexual filth then I think 10th grade through seniors can get alot from the book.
I am a 10th grader and I finished the book 33 Snowfish in 2 days. This book was a little bit of a hard read, but it was very intriguing. I believe 10th graders are old enough and mature enough to read this book. Sure, this book is not for everyone, but it helps you realize some very important things. By reading about the terrible lives of these 3 characters you come to realize that there are some people in this world that have it worse than you. Boobie, although he doesn’t talk much, is a pyromaniac and a murderer, but that doesn’t mean he has no heart for he protects Custis and Curl in the worst times. Curl has a lot of hope, and you can tell because of her tendency to count black birds. Although she has to sell herself to obtain very little money and was sold by her aunt, she lives in this world where black birds and turkeys are just a way to help her get through everything. Custis is very young and at some point innocent. I know that he does not have the best vocabulary and he’s seen many horrible things, but he does not know any better. When Seldom allows him to stay at his farm and Custis climbs up to his bed and tells him that he can fuck him, Seldom immediately turns him around puts his pants back on and slaps him and I think that is the moment that Custis realizes that there is some good in this world. I really liked this book.