I feel sorry for Penrod aka Penn who lives in a small town in Maryland. He thinks of himself as a freak because he hears voices, and his parents think he has a mental disorder. On the other hand, his wacky drunk uncle Hewitt tells Penn that hearing voices is a gift, and only true Pygmies have this special ability. Uncle Hewitt does not believe in hospitals, medicines and psychiatrists. Although I agree neither with his parents nor with his uncle, I understand why his parents think that Penn is mentally ill, because Penn’s older brother is mentally challenged.

What I wrote above sounds depressing, but there are some funny scenes too. “You know that small actor, that Cruise fella who’s always breaking up with his wife?” Uncle Hewitt says, “Mark my word, Tommy Cruise is a Pygmy. I seen it in his eyes, Penrod.” Then, he adds that Penn is a much more powerful Pygmy than Tom Cruise. I could give many more examples to show that the craziest person in this book is undoubtedly uncle Hewitt. Also, the book is not all about Penn’s mental problem. Just like a normal teenage boy, he delivers papers, has a crush on a girl, and copes with peer pressure.

By the end of the book I felt like trapped in a riddle, “What is Real?” or “What is Fiction?” Although I am confused about the ending and Penn’s future, “King of the Pygmies” is a good book for teenagers in general, but I especially recommend it to those who struggle with society.

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