THE ICKABOG BY J.K ROWLING BOOK REVIEW

The Ickabog

⭐⭐⭐⭐

4/5

WARNING! SPOILERS ALERT

Animal farm meets Oliver Twist in this Shakespearean style fairytale filled with wicked lies, prolific propaganda and surprising realism. I thoroughly enjoyed this book up until the finale which i feel was too positive for the book’s premise. I also disagree with the book being a middle-grade fiction as there are too many deaths and the storyline is too complicated for younger readers to understand. 

Lord Spittleworth is one of the most well written villains I have read in a book a incredibly long time. He’s callous and manipulative behaviour is predominantly representative of politically corrupt parties and leaders. He’s ability to scapegoat the “ickabog” to oppress innocent civilians is vindictive of prejudism found even in modern societies. For example, the Chinese genocide of the Xinjiang province and the subsequent  propaganda which has followed. 

However, I did feel it became a lethargic read especially during the midpoint. This was emphasised by the constant introduction of new characters, locations ,desserts and other miscellaneous details. 

I suspected that the Ickabog would be real but it’s emergence as a friendly monster was a predictable fairy tale plot which didn’t suit the narrative. In my alternative ending I would have had lord Spittleworth decide to silence the growing sceptics of the ickabog by actually confronting the beast in the marshland. He has planned for a fake Ickabog to emerge from the fog to scare the observing townspeople so they continue paying their taxes. Unfortunately, for him the real Ickabog emerges and eats him up. 

Or Lord Spittleworth’s terrible misdeeds slowly transform him into the “Ickabog” after which he is chased out of town by the mob. I also found the “borning” to be a confusing concept alongside the Ickabog wanting to eat Bert, Daisy and her friends and then deciding not to. 

It would have made more sense if the Ickabog had the magical ability of reviving dead  people. Lord Spittleworth kills the Ickabog but not before it brings back Mr. Bertram and all the people murdered by lord Spittleworth from the grave who narrate lord Spittleworth’s crimes. 

I also didn’t understand why so many people were happy to trust the “Ickabog” considering the fact that there was widespread fear regarding it. It would have made sense if the Ickabog friends were limited to the children in the orphanage as they were least influenced by lord Spittleworth.

Ultimately, “Ickabog” is a intricately woven morally reflective piece of children’s literature that is sure to become a classic. However, I feel like the depth and emotional sentiments of the storyline lost potential in a whimsically  idealistic fairytale ending. 

I felt King Fred the fearless being incarcerated was too harsh of a punishment. His relationship with lord Spittleworth was similar to the king and lord high in “the beast of Buckingham palace” by David Walliams. Especially, given the fact that he wasn’t really involved in lord Spittleworth’s plan but was generally aloof and naive of his power.  

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