This week, I want to share a book that’s been on my to-be-read list for quite some time, and I’m so glad I finally sat down to read it. It was captivating, with a thrilling twist partway through, and it constantly left me thinking even after it was over. So, dear Jays, here is my definitive review of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault, originally published in 1989. Be wary that it may contain spoilers.
On the first page, we are introduced to three characters: A, B and C. The trio decides to climb a nearby coconut tree, which happens to be growing exactly three coconuts. Interestingly, the characters don’t immediately take the coconuts, even though there would be one for each of them.
In the next page, we begin to see why. The characters D, E, F, G and H are introduced, who also all intend to climb the tree. However, this cast of characters also don’t take the coconuts, and instead seem more intent on racing each other to the topmost branches.
Next, we meet I, J, K, L, M, N, P and O, who also plan to climb the tree. K is described as a “tag-along” to I and J, which, although never explicitly stated, allows the reader to infer that K is a younger sibling to those two, which as a younger sibling myself really helped me to relate to his character.
In addition to the character development, I think the description of K’s character gives the reader a full understanding of the context of this world. A, B and C clearly hold some leadership role, and the rest of the characters are simply followers. It serves as an excellent analogy to society and a commentary on blindly following the crowd, especially since as of yet, still none of the characters have taken the coconuts.
Q, R, S, T, U and V are the next to be introduced, but they are hardly given any characterization. This may be my one critique; I thought the concept behind V was very interesting and the color language the authors chose to use was intriguing, but without much development the character felt somewhat flat. Even so, I’m pretty sure the authors intended for the characters to become increasingly one-dimensional as they built on the theme of individuals simply following in their leaders’ footsteps rather than blazing their own trails.
The final characters to be introduced, W, X, Y and Z, serve a very similar purpose to the previous group of characters we met. They are no longer having full conversations with each other as the first few did; they are merely following what they see, perhaps even indicating that their voices are being silenced by the elite.
In a shocking twist, once Z reaches the top of the tree, it collapses, leaving many of the characters injured and the tree itself bent. This scene especially brings out the scathing commentary on society rivaling works like “1984”. A, B and C beg the other characters to help them up, despite being unscathed. The other characters are battered and piled together and the so-called leaders still have the audacity to call on their people to boost them up instead of providing aid for the downtrodden.
At this point, it’s revealed that in the wake of such a terrible event, “J and K are about to cry,” which really managed to pull at my heartstrings. I had been rooting for K, and it was so sad to see his character arc end that way, especially with the way his oldest sister ended up hurt in the fall. I was really hoping for him to get his happy ending but unfortunately not.
I could go on, but I’ll leave the very ending unspoiled. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is well worth the read, and though I’m not usually one to annotate my books, I highly recommend reading closely to understand the full scope of the satire embedded in its pages.
