Review of The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid

[Ben Louis 1]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid" by Gary Robinson.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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For everybody who has encountered a challenge in life and is looking for rehabilitation for the dashed dream of redemption that has struck them, Gary Robinson has written the perfect book.

The tale of two peculiar characters is found in The Sword Swallower and the Chico Kid. One of the two is named Duke Reynolds. When he was younger, he was desperate to see the circus's exotic animals. He eventually achieves his goals when the Mitterand Circus comes to his town. Duke joyfully joins the procession as it approaches the area where the circus workers are assembling their apparatus. He assists in pulling the ponies to the carousel in addition to other duties needed for the performance. He sees it as a chance to go away from his house; Duke has to lie to be able to join the circus, and aside from his passion, he wants to escape from a troubled family life in Somerville. 

The life of a Chico Kid, as lived by Gary, is the subject of the second part of the novel. Gary, the president of the student body at Central Valley High School, is a self-destructive individual who puts everything and everyone around him in danger. He has made partying, drinking, and using illegal hard drugs a regular part of his routine. After finishing his act, Duke ran into Gary at a bar, and they rapidly became close. The book's succeeding chapters continue to describe Duke and Garry's unusual friendship, which, though it was only fleeting, was absolutely stunning.What I didn't fancy about the book was the entailing of excessive thinking and hard drugs, which I believe are more likely to create a negative impact, making it dangerous for kids to emulate.

There weren't many aspects of the book I didn't like, but one of the many lessons I learned from it was that no matter what struggles we may be going through in life, we should always have compassion for others around us. I have to laud the author for his artistic ability.

I will award The Sword Swallower and The Chico Kid a rating of 4 out of 5 stars due to the aforementioned weaknesses, the unparalleled creation in this novel, and the great editing. Although I wouldn't suggest this book to kids, I'm very sure I'll convey its stories to some of my friends who are going through rehabilitation and to many others who have given up on finding salvation.

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The Sword Swallower and a Chico Kid
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