Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review In a tale that manages to be scary, suspenseful, exhilarating, and really really gross all at once, a bullied, lonely child and seven fugitives from "Madame Murdosas Home for Wastrels Foundlings & Orphans" ("Madame Murdosa believed that commas and apostrophes were a waste of paint") change one another's lives while battling a coldly relentless orphan hunter. Of the seven young squatters who have slipped into an empty house on Offal Road in the town of Slaughterville, it's his agemate Virginia that Ravani first meets and bonds with when she stoutly defends him from sharklike serial tormenter Donnie. From the get-go she always knows when he's lying, a check that gives him the courage both to shrug off the bully's power over him (after a few false starts), and ultimately to help his new friend and her fellow "Ragabonds" find safe haven after years of flight. Along with showing a sure hand when it comes to exploring serious themes and crafting strong, sympathetic characters, Gemeinhart displays a literally cutting sense of humor here as he sets much of the action around and in the windowless meatpacking plant that is the town's chief industry d though he doesn't offer extensive details, the setting will test the stomachs of even confirmed carnivores. A rare (yet well done) tale about second chances and being true to both self and friends.

School Library Journal Starred Review (Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 4–8 —Ravani is a lonely kid in Slaughterville, a town well known for its meat processing plant and little else. Virginia is a seemingly sullen girl with a passel of siblings who sneak into town under the cover of night and set up camp in an empty house near Ravani's. So begins Gemeinhart's moody, magnificent novel. A Stephen King—esque blend of the sentimental and sinister flows through the story—alleyway bullies, creekside confidences, a villain known as the Hunter with fingernails sharpened to points, and a breathtaking chase through the slaughterhouse's killing floor. The Hunter is in pursuit of Virginia's ragtag family, seeking the reward for their return to an equally sinister orphanage. However, as the story unravels, it's clear that the roving band of self-proclaimed Ragabonds are fine, functional, and perhaps a bit magical, living on their own. Their loving embrace of Ravani challenges his bleak view of his situation, and the powerful connection he forms with Virginia helps them both embrace their best qualities and become better together. Gemeinhart's omniscient narrator features heavily in the text, with an almost hypnotic commentary about souls and choices, but his best work in this book is scene-setting, painting the small-town tableaux fit for any drama required of his tale. Ravani and the Ragabonds are coded as white. VERDICT A tale by turns sweet and terrifying of friendship, bravery, and finding oneself in caring for others—this is for readers who enjoy dark tales with a lot of heart.—Emilia Packard

Horn Book (Thu Oct 03 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

In the dead of night, seven children arrive in Slaughterville, a typically sleepy town supported by a single industry -- the local slaughterhouse. Only Ravani, a friendless, bullied boy, witnesses their stealthy arrival. Who are these strangers and why are they so secretive? Guiding readers through this mystery, the omniscient narrator frequently employs direct address to emphasize various plot points and to ruminate on characters and their motivations. As literary strangers often do, this group of children will initiate change, but the question is: for whom? Numerous characters -- from Ravani to the mysterious children, from Ravani's bully to the factory owner -- are disposed (either knowingly or unknowingly) to transform lives. Sly dark humor nods at the slaughterhouse: Ravani lives on Offal Street; the factory owner is Mr. Skinister; and, as the narrator informs us, "Most of the town's visitors were cows and none of them were particularly happy to be there. They were even less happy when they left." Short chapters create a strong trajectory for the plot's arc, while the narrator's calm tone reassures readers that although danger lurks at several points, the conclusion will indeed be gratifying, perhaps even for the cows.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Slow-boiling danger elevates the stakes of Gemeinhart’s (The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise) imagery-rich novel of transformative friendship. Acute loneliness wakes 12-year-old Ravani Foster the night that the seven Deering children appear in Slaughterville, a town as unchanging as the incessant “hiss-moooTHUD!” emanating from its slaughterhouse. He’s the only person to see them arrive, and the newcomers intrigue Ravani, especially outspoken, parasol-twirling Virginia, also 12, who disrupts his routines and stands up to his relentless bullies. But the Deerings have “big secrets”: they are Ragabonds, a parentless found family on the run from a ruthless Hunter, and trusting new friends jeopardizes their freedom. Still, the same quiet magic that woke Ravani the first night draws him closer to Virginia, urging them to take the risk—because “sometimes, when two souls leap, they catch each other.” A quirky, intimate tone permeates the telling, developed through deliberate-feeling omniscient narration, amusing exclamations (“Holy spit”), and surprising metaphor (words that sound “like the smell of a campfire”). Amid suspenseful scenes and straightforward descriptions of slaughterhouse gore, the story’s robust emotional core sees the children forge the story’s path as they powerfully change their community through courageous honesty and emotional vulnerability. Characters cue as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Pam Victorio, D4EO Literary. (Aug.)