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Oct 05, 2011imaginethat rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I was so moved by Push, Sapphire's previous novel, that I was very excited to read The Kid. Unfortunately, while I feel I learned from reading it, The Kid lacks some very important elements that made Precious palatable despite its devastating subject. My primary problem is that I struggled mightily to maintain positive affect for the protagonist after a pivotal scene early in the first section. In fact, I was so disturbed by Abdul's actions that I returned the book to the library and debated with myself if I could continue. I ultimately did borrow the book again and finish the novel. Its most redeeming feature is the section in which we get to learn the backstory of Toosie (Precious' grandmother) and Mary (Precious' mother). Precious was endearing because the character survived and overcame grave abuses. Abdul's reaction to different horrifying abuses was perhaps more realistic, but my needs as a reader were not met by the book. If Sapphire writes a sequel, however, I would likely read it in the hopes that meaningful redemption is available for Abdul at some point.