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Reviewed by Manik Chaturmutha for Readers' Favorite
Allan Davis' The Eye of the Bedbug is a riveting piece of realistic fiction that highlights how a person's mental health and emotional compass can be affected in a fractured family setting. The narrative revolves around the lives of two children: Rebecca (an eight-year-old girl) and Bobby (her five-year-old brother). Rebecca and Bobby aren't biological siblings, but when Bobby's father, Leonard, decides to move in with his partner, Ruth (Rebecca's mother), the kids are forced to bond with each other. With Ruth's bipolar disorder taking its toll on her again and Leonard being engrossed in the farm work, Rebecca and Bobby are left to fend for themselves. When Ronald Jones, aka 'Uncle Sam', Leonard's brother, arrives to help his brother with the farm work, the barely put-together lives of Rebecca and Bobby are put to the test. Uncle Sam brings with him his disturbing experiences as a US Marine in the Vietnam War and the calamity of 'hawberry bedbugs.'
Written from the dual perspectives of Rebecca and Bobby in the first-person, this book aptly captures the inner turmoil of the siblings because of Uncle Sam and their emotionally and physically unavailable parents. The characters of both children are powerfully written. Rebecca is portrayed as a responsible and mature girl who perseveres to protect her brother amidst adversity. Bobby is portrayed as an innocent and curious boy who easily falls into Uncle Sam's trap. The author inserts a lot of foreshadowing to hint at the impending danger to the children. This aspect keeps readers on the edge of their seats and urges them to keep reading. The first-person POV enables readers to be privy to the protagonists' thoughts. Allan Davis' writing style is impressive and exciting in the way that it prompts readers to keep turning the pages until the very end. This book is riveting. I highly recommend The Eye of the Bedbug by Allan Davis, especially if you love reading about strong female characters in realistic fiction.