| Title | : | Goodnight, Boy |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1786072106 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781786072108 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 352 |
| Publication | : | Published July 6, 2017 |
The kennel has been JC’s home ever since his new adoptive father locked him inside. For hours on end, JC sits and tells his dog Boy how he came to this country: his family; the orphanage and the Haitian earthquake that swept everything away.
When his adoptive mother Melanie rescues him, life starts to feel normal again. Until JC does something bad, something that upset his new father so much that he and Boy are banished to the kennel. But as his new father gets sicker, JC realizes they have to find a way out. And so begins a stunning story of a boy, a dog and their journey to freedom.
Goodnight, Boy Reviews
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I knew this was going to effect me emotionally when I started reading but this was a lot more intense then I thought and it really pushed my emotions. something that rarely happens when I read!
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This was a poignant and beautiful story - definitely not what I was expecting. The topics talked about are serious, but the voice - that of a child - has such a unique touch of innocence that really makes the book that much more heart-wrenching and powerful. Because of the writing style, I am still a bit confused about the plot itself, but overall this was a very special book, and I'm sure it would touch both adults and children alike.
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The teenager JC lives in the United States now. He moved there when Melanie decided to adopt him. However, Melanie needs to go back to JC's homecountry to finalize legally making him her son and leaves JC with his adoptive father and their dog Boy. JC's new father isn't happy at all with the arrival of a boy he doesn't know. According to Melanie he should treat him as a son, but he doesn't want to and is constantly angry. Instead of letting JC stay in the house he throws him out and makes him live in the doghouse together with Boy.
After a terrible incident JC is no longer welcome in the house that doesn't even feel like home yet. Boy is his only friend and to pass the time JC tells Boy about his life before Melanie took him in. He talks about his country, the terrible earthquake he survived, illnesses and his friends and family. JC has been through a lot and he's strong, but staying with a dog in a small wooden kennel without any regular food or water is tough and Melanie doesn't seem to come back any time soon. Will JC eventually find a way out of the doghouse and the terrible situation he and Boy are in?
Goodnight Boy is a fantastic moving story. I was shocked when I started reading it, because of the appalling conditions JC and Boy are living in. Their story moved me to tears many times, as what's happening to them is heartbreaking. Goodnight Boy is sad and emotional, but it's also beautiful and hopeful at the same time. It is a bittersweet story with a special main character and the writing is gorgeous. I couldn't put the book down, it mesmerized me and I had to keep reading. Goodnight Boy impressed me in many different ways, because of the amount of depth, the originality, the gorgeous one-way dialogue and the comfort a boy and a dog can offer each other.
Nikki Sheehan has written a stunning book about a teenage boy being unpleasantly surprised by life over and over again. JC never gets depressed, he does everything he can to make something of every situation he finds himself in and his resilience keeps getting him far. He's talking about his awful past in a matter-of-fact way and never feels any self pity. That made a difficult story light enough to keep reading. It's a strange contrast and Nikki Sheehan makes it work really well. Goodnight Boy is a story about bad luck, good and evil and everything in between. It shows how an unlucky situation can sometimes turn into a chance. It's about abuse, deep emotional wounds and the craziness that many unexpected twists and turns in life can bring. I absolutely loved this brilliant story and highly recommend it. -
Rating: 4/5
Genre: Upper Middle Grade/YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 12+ (trigger warning: abuse)
I received a free copy of this book courtesy of KidLitExchange and the publisher/author. If you’re interested in joining KidLitExchange follow the hyperlink!
A tale of two very different worlds, both shattered by the loss of loved ones. Tragic, comic and full of hope, thanks to a dog called Boy.
The kennel has been JC’s home ever since his new adoptive father locked him inside. For hours on end, JC sits and tells his dog Boy how he came to this country: his family; the orphanage and the Haitian earthquake that swept everything away.
When his adoptive mother Melanie rescues him, life starts to feel normal again. Until JC does something bad, something that upset his new father so much that he and Boy are banished to the kennel. But as his new father gets sicker, JC realizes they have to find a way out. And so begins a stunning story of a boy, a dog and their journey to freedom. – Amazon.com
While I love my fantasy novels, I have a special place in my heart for books that discuss touchy topics that effect children. Maybe it’s because of my background in criminal justice and my past in working with the juvenile justice system. Anyways, I feel that there aren’t a lot of books out there that explore abuse in children. While many children use books as an escape, they also look up to characters that go through the same situations as they do and who are like them in some way. This is why it’s important to have realistic elements in books and it’s a reason why I think this book is absolutely amazing.
Everything in the book is described through the eyes of a teen who is being abused. The teen is alone in this situation except for his companion, a dog named Boy. Although we are subject to what can only be seen through JC, I feel that the character development was very well done, the plot development was superb, and the pacing was not forced or too slow. I thought that while we are forced to accept what JC says and sees as true that he is not a misleading narrator.
The only thing that bugged me about this book was that I thought the ending was a bit of a cop-out. It felt that too many things fell into place and there was a bit of a plot hole in the book at the end as well.
Verdict: Overall the book was absolutely beautiful and very empowering. JC is an inspiration to everyone who finds themselves in hard or even impossible situations as JC never gives up hope, whether through childhood ignorance or sheer power to will the things he wants to come true. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to explore how children might deal or cope with abuse or for someone who just wants a good cry. -
This is a well written and moving story about a boy trying to make sense of his world. The trauma he has lived through and his youth really come across well. However I do have an issue with not really knowing enough for the story to work for me - it’s never quite clear what Melanie thought was going on, what the man’s motivations were etc. I know that’s because it’s all from the perspective of JC but it would be nice to have an adult explain things occasionally. And I sort of wanted a reaction to the last thing that happens in the book. An interesting and sad read but nothing too stellar for me.
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3.5
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'Goodnight, Boy' is a stunning, stunning book. With a unique voice, Nikki Sheehan creates a story that is both dark, yet filled with hope. It's one of those books that you want to re-read again and again. Brilliant, beautifully written and unforgettable.
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Wow. This book was so good, that I read it in less than a day! I loved the writing style of the book, at first I was pessimistic, thinking oh no this looks strange. This also isn't the usual genre of book I go for. However, I found it so hard to put down! JC'S story is so heartbreaking and gives you so many different feels. It even left me in suspense at times, wondering what was going to be on the next page. The relationship with him and "Boy" was refreshing yet saddening. Parts of the story you are going "awwwwww" and parts you are in tears. It makes you feel happy then angry then sad. Happy that he finds a person that truly loves him and wants to be his family. Sad that because of a kind-hearted person he also must suffer for a short period because of a terrible person. Angry because you realize there ar kids out there that do suffer like this boy if not worse. The positive message is there though, that in the end he does find sanctuary and happiness. In the end he actually has two families that love him very much. He also has a dog that loves him very much. Someone that young shouldn't have to go through such horrible events and feel so alone. He is forced to grow up way too quickly. But, he finds happiness and I am so glad it has a positive ending and message. I give this one five stars, it had such great emotions.
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I simultaneously loved and hated this book. Overall I'm still trying to untangle what I really feel about it, so let me see if I can put it into words.
Goodnight, Boy is a pretty weird book in some ways. It's the story of a boy who is living in a doghouse with a dog named Boy, because his adoptive father has locked him in there. The story alternates between present-day scenes in which the boy JC talks to his dog, his only companion, and flashback scenes about his life before he was brought to the US and adopted by his current "family."
By spacing out the flashbacks like she does, Sheehan causes the reader to wonder a lot about why things are the way they are for JC and Boy. If Melanie (his adopted mother) is as sweet and caring as JC thinks, how did he up out in the doghouse? If she cared enough to bring him to the US illegally, why did she leave again? Just why does his stepdad seem to hate JC so much, from the very first time they laid eyes on each other? Why does his stepfather limp all the time?
All these and more are answered through the course of the narrative, which is a veritable roller coaster of powerful emotion. I found myself furious at his stepdad (whose name is never given) for abusing JC and Boy. I was frustrated with Melanie for seemingly turning a blind eye to this abuse, or even allowing JC to be left with this horrible man. I was even exasperated with JC, who not only accepts his punishment of having to live in the literal doghouse, but believes he deserves it because of something he did. I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and say "Hey! Nobody deserves to be treated like a subhuman animal, no matter what you did that you think was so bad."
Now, one thing that I kinda don't like about this book is that it's weirdly formatted, in that the flashback scenes are all normal prose, but the present-day scenes are all... I guess you'd call it stream-of-consciousness or a monologue, since it's all just JC talking to Boy. It's formatted like free verse, in that there will be a line or a paragraph or whatever, and then it will skip a few lines on the page, or there might just be a scant few lines on the page. It doesn't follow any sort of rhyme scheme or anything, so it's hard to tell if it's even meant to be poetry. Now, it's an understatement to say that I hate verse novels. However, as much as I'm reluctant to admit it, I don't think these scenes would have worked as well if they were formatted like normal prose, with an "I said" being appended to almost every line or paragraph. As weird and (at first) jarring as those sections are, I think that really was the best way for Sheehan to do those scenes in the doghouse.
Other than that though, it's hard to find any kind of fault with this story. The characters are well written, with realistic thoughts, motivations, and actions. Sheehan's prose is quite good, and she's a master of conveying information between the lines, without actually coming out and saying it directly. It's hard to think of a specific example without spoiling anything, though.
This is a step outside my normal reading interests, and the odd format took me a couple days to get into, but the characters were so compelling, and I just HAD to know what had happened that led to JC being locked in the doghouse with Boy. -
I received a copy of this title from the publisher via Netgalley.
Ten Second Synopsis:
JC has been adopted by an American family from his native Haiti. When his adoptive mother leaves, JC and his dog Boy find themselves at the mercy of Melanie's abusive husband.
I've got two separate warring opinions on this book which is making it a little difficult to come to a cohesive overall feeling about it. Goodnight, Boy is narrated by JC, a teen boy who has been adopted from Haiti by an American couple. The story is revealed as JC talks to his dog, Boy, with whom JC is imprisoned in a kennel in the backyard of his suburban home. As the story unfolds, the reader finds out that JC's adoptive mother, Melanie is missing, gone away or otherwise absent, for reasons that are also unclear, and that JC's angry adoptive father is responsible for JC and Boy's captivity.
If you are hoping, as you read, that the reasons behind JC's imprisonment will be revealed in a timely fashion, you will be sorely disappointed. The reasons are not revealed until the very end of the story and by that time I was a bit baffled as to why Melanie thought leaving JC alone with her obviously abusive partner, who had expressed no liking for JC, was a good idea in the first place.
But I digress.
The main things I enjoyed about this book were the easily readable narrative voice and JC's descriptions about his childhood in Haiti. The book has a conversational tone and it is easy to fall into the flow of the words and get caught up in the story, despite the constant interruptions in which JC takes issue with Boy's doggish behaviour. Similarly, although often sad, JC's recounting of his childhood I found to be absorbing and fascinating and revealed much about the factors that have moulded his personality.
The thing that I found difficult about the book was that it didn't have the shock factor of a book like Room by Emma Donoghue, which dealt with a similar situation, and I felt that without this, something was lacking. From the beginning of the story it was obvious that something seriously bad was going to happen - or possibly was already happening - but this didn't pan out in the way I expected and I felt that the ending was a bit of an anti-climax. Not that I'm unhappy that there was a satisfactory ending for JC and Boy - far from it - but I was hoping for a bit more suspense and emotional turmoil than was delivered.
I think I would have preferred it had the book had a second story thread, narrated by Melanie or her husband, to flesh out some of the issues and heighten the suspense.
Overall I found this to be an interesting read with some original qualities, but it didn't quite stand out as a stellar story for the reasons I've mentioned. -
I confess. I agreed to review this for a purely superficial reason. We share the same last name.
I have no idea if it’s HER name or she married into it (mine came via DNA and a father who ensures I know the history). I’ve never met her and as far as I know we’re not related but then my father once told me all the Sheehans are related in one way or another because there really isn’t that many of us. That’s why I said Yes because out of ‘family name’ loyalty.
THANKFULLY her book doesn’t suck so I don’t have to lie out of that same loyalty or this could have been awkward.
I’ve always adopted shelter pets because I can’t stand to see the animals in cages as if they’re criminals locked up waiting for a pardon or a death sentence in some cases and with Clear the Shelter coming up in a couple of days this book brings on even more meaning and emotions. I already have 2 labs and a black cat but now I feel the need to add to our family.
She really knows how to hit you in the gut, and your conscience, with this beautiful but sad story about adoption, love, family dynamics and most importantly the relationship between a boy and a dog.
Be prepared to have the Kleenex ready and consider checking out the schedule for your local shelter event.
Despite the emotional turmoil you’ll go through reading this JC is such a strong, amazing character you want to stay glued to the pages as if your mere presence will somehow seep through and give him hope, let him know there are caring people in this world.
The writing style is easy to get through, great for a younger audience and the pace is on point with no big areas that drag making you regret picking this up. Despite the obvious sadness I’ve referenced repeatedly there are bright moments with humor and hope that help keep this from falling over a cliff of pure depression.
I could easily see this being made into one of those emotionally powerful movies Hollywood needs since it is a unique story with a great voice. -
Yes, there was hope throughout. But gawd... what he had to go through for that hope. Not a novel to embark upon lightly, and I don't know if it's even ok for kids. Maybe older teens. I question whether this is akin to exploitation, in that we get to gawk at this poor kid and then walk away. I'd like to think there was something redeeming in it, but between that and the author's (apparent) endorsement of the savior complex so many white/affluent Americans have... It left me feeling equal parts sad, icky, and humbled. It would be good to read for a group discussion, but I think someone reading it without thinking deeper might be led in the wrong direction.
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This was just too disturbing and grim for me to enjoy and I wouldn't recommend it to the young people I know. It is about a young boy JC who after the Haitian earthquake was recused by an aid worker, who went on to be his adopted mother, but was then locked in a kennel with his dog, Boy, by his adoptive story. It is JC's story of how he came to be adopted, and the suffering he had gone through in the past and then later in the future. The structure works well, the delving into JC's mind is effectively written, with good use made of the 'unsaid' but it is just pretty horrid to read. I found it dark without really much to redeem it.
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I received this book through librarythings' giveaways. I was really looking to reading a book from the viewpoint of a Haitian orphan and his dog. I enjoyed JC's character, and hearing his backstory. For me the book dragged a little in places, and the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly. Overall this book was a good look at a child moving from one nightmare to the next, and I would be willing to check out more by this author.
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An enjoyable read - really engaging. I had to find out what happened next..
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This is incredibly affecting, sad and original. Interestingly, the blank spaces in this story are as profound as the words. Impressive.
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Recently I received and advanced copy of Goodnight, Boy by Nikki Sheehan. I was intrigued by the synopsis, but I put off reading it because I had other books that I was excited about. Plus I had a feeling that this one would be sad and dare I say it, the dog might even die. So I was hesitant. Animals own my heart, there is no doubt about it. They're my soft spot. I finally picked up this book a few days ago, because I was waiting on a book to arrive from Amazon and I figured I could read it to fill those waiting days. It was so good. So. Good.
Goodnight, Boy is about a Haitian boy named JC who gets adopted by an American couple. When the story starts we find out that JC is living outside in a kennel with his dog named Boy. We don't know why he's in the kennel, or why he's being so abused. He laments that it feels deserved. He thinks he did something wrong. We don't fins out exactly what happened until the end of the book though. The book is basically a one sided conversation between JC and Boy. JC fills his time by recounting stories from his home country. He tells Boy about the earthquake and being adopted. His stories are insightful and heart-wrenching, balanced out by the snarky banter (although, one sided) between himself and Boy. The next paragraphs will go into book spoilers, so be warned. If you want to go into this book with spoilers, stop here. (And thanks for reading! I hope you give this book a try, it comes out in August.)
JC is kidknapped from his family in Haiti and sold to an adoption agency. The earthquake happens and he finds himself on the streets, learning to survive on very little. Melanie is a Doctor from America who takes care of him from time to time. After a while she decides that she wants to give him a home. She adopts him from the agency in Haiti, but has trouble legalizing it in America. Eventually she gives in and smuggles him home with her. Melanie and her husband had a son who has passed away, and he and JC look a lot alike, which is probably why she had such a soft spot for him. JC uses his passport and goes to live in America. But because he's a illegal immigrant, they only tell a select few people about him. So after a while of hiding out in their home, someone finds out and threatens to turn in them unless they pay them. Melanie is distraught and goes back to Haiti, leaving JC home with her husband, while she tries to find his true family.
His adoptive dad hates him, he hates the danger that they're in for bringing him into their home and he hates that JC isn't his son. (Who we learn was killed in a car accident because of his wreckless driving.) He only really adopted him in the first place to appease his wife. One day when he catches JC in his son's room, playing with his video games, he gets enraged and starts to yell, Boy comes to his rescue growling and showing teeth. The dad is so mad that he starts to kick Boy, and fearing for the life of his pet, JC launches at him and bites a chunk out of his calf. Well deserved I think, because this guy is the worst.
This is what gets JC and Boy locked up outside, where they're lucky if they get food or water. Weeks pass and JC and Boy are wasting away. The Dad is limping, his leg is infected. He can't go to the hospital for his wounds because they came from an illegal immigrant he's been harboring. He gets worse and worse and one day he collapses in the yard and doesn't move. JC knows that Boy is really sick and that if he doesn't break them out soon, they'll both die. No one is coming to help them, because Melanie still isn't home. How does a weak, near starvation boy break out of a heavy duty kennel? He doesn't know and he begins to panic.
That's all I'll give you because you really are missing out if you don't read this book. It's such a sweet story about family and love. You'll be on the edge of you're seat with fear for these two characters. You'll laugh at the goofy things JC says to Boy. You'll probably want to punch some people in the face, but it's worth it. This book is worth reading. -
The latest novel by Nikki Sheehan - author of ‘Swan Boy’ (CILIP Carnegie Medal nominee for 2017), and ‘Who Framed Klaris Cliff’ (winner of the North Herts Book Award for 2015) - is a touching story about an illegal immigrant (JC) and his dog (Boy) who are forced to live in the doghouse that JC built with his adoptive father (referred to as Him).
Melanie (JC’s adoptive mother) saved him from the streets of an unnamed country after he’s been through a huge earthquake and witnessed many deaths. Melanie is portrayed as the kind of mother that everyone wants, but He is far from a desirable father; with a stressful job as a steel trader, buying and selling it from his computer at home, making a lot of money, which he often squanders on gambling. Many a time, he’s drunk around JC, which eventually leads to the dilemma of the book.
One day, JC gets a surprise: the family dog, Boy, had been staying with the grandparents for safekeeping while JC was being picked up. Boy becomes JC’s best friend, and someone to talk to.
Melanie goes back to JC’s country to try to find his family, leaving JC and Boy alone with Him. It’s fine, until JC and Boy do something so terrible in His eyes, that they are banished to the doghouse. At first he feeds them, but it gets worse and worse.
I would recommend this book for mainly 9-14 year olds, but don't let that deter older readers either. It may upset people who have been through a traumatic experience before - e.g. an earthquake, being beaten, etc. - so please consider that before reading.
A brilliant, short read. Definitely worth it. I would rate it 9.5/10.
Nikki’s other two books - ‘Swan Boy’ and ‘Who Framed Klaris Cliff’ - are available from Amazon, Waterstones, and any other good bookshop. -
Goodnight, Boy by Nikki Sheehan is a tender story about a teenager and his best friend, Boy the dog. The story is told by J. C. during their imprisonment in the dog house. J. C. tells Boy how he became an "orphan," his best friend Oskar, the years he spent at the hospital among severely challenged children, the earthquake that freed him, his life on the streets with Oskar, the cholera that made everyone sick, and his eventual "rescue" by a kind doctor to the U.S. J.C.'s tales flicker between his childhood in his homeland, his early teenage years living on the streets, his early days in his new home with his adoptive parents, and the current predicament he finds himself with Boy, fenced in the dog run in the back yard with little food or water for days and days.
Sheehan writes J.C.'s hopes and dreams, his failings and disappointments in a tender, poignant, and sometimes humorous voice, his point of view mature and critical at times and childish at others, perfectly reflecting his transformation from child to adult. Because the story is told from J.C.'s point of view, we know little about the internal and external conflicts of anyone else, though we have enough information to imagine these issues. The way the story is constructed and told, the evil seems too extreme and hard to understand, and the kindness too sweet and unfounded. But this works well with the more naive and childish black-and-white understanding of the world by the narrator.
Recommended for those who like watering the garden, doll houses, worms, video games, and soft beds.
Thanks to LibraryThing and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed Goodnight, Boy! -
(I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
It's always difficult to give a serious book a poor rating, especially when it's evident that the author has worked so hard to give voice to suffering. Still, I didn't love this book.
What Worked:
I loved JC's recollections of his country and his honesty. He paints a picture of a proud nation brought to its knees by an earthquake, and aid workers who try so hard, but can't do everything. He's honest about the times he got in fights or stole to survive, and he knows he's not a weakling. Basically, everything about the flashbacks, I loved.
I also love how his own trauma has colored his experiences with being locked in the dog kennel. He acknowledges that some people in his country have it much worse (or are dead), but he recognizes that it's not a healthy move on the part of his adoptive father. He knows he's suffering abuse, but also feels that he deserves it somehow. JC is an amazingly well-crafted bearer of survivor's guilt, and that aspect of the book really resonates with me.
What Didn't Work:
I did not like the frame of JC talking to Boy (the dog). This is where the writing got clunky and stilted in order to inform the reader of Boy's actions:
Good, Boy! You're drinking it! I'm going to bring you some more. Wait here.
Ready? All right, your mouth is full. Swallow, then I'll let you sleep. I promise. No, don't cough! Swallow. Good.
I lied. Just one more. I mean it this time. Good, Boy, you licked your lips!
Etc.
The writing throughout the frame felt forced, and it pulled me out of the ambiance of the story.
I would not recommend this for a classroom library (either MS or HS)... it just feels too clunky. -
I feel like I read this entire book holding my breath! The format is such that the novel has a beautiful fluidity and incredible hooks to make sure that it's almost impossible to put down.
JC is a survivor in every sense. Even at his young age (around mid teens by the time we meet him) he's experienced more than any child should have to endure. Without spoiling the novel, I can tell you that he was informally adopted as an orphan from a French speaking African country, brought to America by his new mum to (what should be) a loving new home.
There he meets Boy, the family pet who at first terrifies him but soon becomes his closest friend. It's Boy that JC is talking to for the whole of the novel. Reminiscing about his past and telling Boy about his thoughts and feelings while they are confined together in the dog house/run he helped his "new Dad" build where they have been exiled after a terrible event...
A beautifully crafted novel that plays with the reader, weaving the timeline as JC shares more and more of his heart with Boy, revealing his story and reeling you in closer and closer to his and Boy's story. I found this really hard to read towards the end as I can't stand it when an animal gets hurt/dies in a novel (kill all the humans you want in fiction, just leave the animals alone!) and I was terrified how this was going to end up.
What I will say is that there was NO WAY I could tear myself away in the end, I stayed up late to finish it as I couldn't put it down and felt that I could almost change their situation if I could just hold JC's hand (and Boy's paw) through their trials.
So powerful, fantastically written, if you like stories of survival and love a (literal) under dog, this is the book for you! -
This is tough to review without spoilers because I was conflicted until reaching the very end, and even then, I was grappling with my feelings. This novel in verse is relentlessly bleak and depressing, almost to the point of excess, and it made me question whether or not it is properly packaged as Young Adult, because one of the hallmarks of YA lit is that there is an underlying optimism, or at least a hope-laden conclusion or reconcilation, and the protagonist usually achieves an epiphany or realization that counters the adversity and changes the trajectory of the oppositional forces at play. This was so unwavering in the compounding of brutality, hardship and abject cruelty that I had to put it down many times and take a break. There were no, or few, moments of levity or hope for over 300 pages. If you can't bear watching those TV PSAs about starving children and abused animals, you will be affected by this book and it may push you to your stress threshold. In terms of readership, I will be cautious about recommending it to younger YA readers, even though many middle school tweens and teens seek out books about animals, which are rare in the YA market. Regarding the format, the author's use of free verse is effective, but it often strays to loosely formatted prose, which I don't really consider verse. I wanted to like this more than I did, although I think I'm still processing it, and I was relieved to be done when I reached the end because it was so arduous to push through.
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Goodnight, Boy follows a young boy named JC as he tells stories to his beloved dog, Boy, to try to explain how they have ended up in their current situation- locked outside in a dog house by JC's adoptive father.
This book to me is
Room by Emma Donoghue for a younger audience. I loved this book for the same reasons as I loved Room but also felt it had the same faults.
Like Room, the perspective is from a young child.
I love this because the book touches on so many heavy topics and experiencing tough events through the eyes of a child gives things a unique, and heart wrenching, perspective.
However, this can also be frustrating because it can feel after awhile like no information is being given because the young narrator's thinking process can be limited.
Also, like Room, I felt like a lot of the same things were happening repetitively and then the ending was wrapped up extremely quickly without any real closure.
Overall though, this is a fairly quick read that I would still highly recommend because of all the unique topics it covers (adoption, the Haiti earthquake, living as a homeless child, etc.)
Plus it has a dog friendship, you can't pass up a loveable dog now can you? -
I gobbled down this book like it was candy.
JC is a young man from Haiti. When he was seven, he was stolen from his family and left at an orphanage. He lived there for a while until he got very sick and was taken to a hospital where he stayed until an earthquake destroyed it. He manages to escape with his life, rescuing one of his friends from the orphanage and while begging on the street, manages to meet Melanie, a woman who is an American medic assisting after the earthquake.
Melanie comes up with the idea to bring JC back to the States but her husband is not keen on the idea. Still, Melanie gets him to agree - but then after having JC there for a while, she decides she wants to adopt him legally. While she's in Haiti looking for his family, some terrible things happen and JC and Boy, Melanie's dog, are locked in the kennel deep in the corner of the yard where no one can see it.
There JC tells Boy the story of his life and dreams of finding a way out of the kennel and back to the house.
A sad but fascinating story. -
Ehhhhhhhh not entirely sure how I feel about this book TBH... I know it's meant for like ten year olds so I'm not the target audience but whateves I can still review it! It felt a little bit too short for my taste... it's trying to cram a lot into the story (the plot twist/reveal, the search for JC's family, JC's introduction to America... ect) Overall it was a nice read and I feel bad being too critical since it isn't meant for me but like....
The story was nice enough but it just felt like the author was trying too hard to make JCs voice come through? like theres random parts where he uses bad grammar for I guess authenticity? And there's also parts where he says like "I spoke to Boy in my language" or like "she said my real name with a perfect accent" or whatever but like... doesn't give examples? like what IS his name? what does he say to boy? I can't imagine it's difficult to type out creole so there's really not much of an excuse -_- Saw another review saying they wanted to pick a book by someone who's actually from Haiti next time and I agree LOL -
"But I'm stronger than the wind because I know what love and losing someone feels like and I'm STILL HERE."*
When JC is kidnapped and taken away from his family, he spends his childhood growing up on the streets and fending for himself. Following a deadly earthquake which sees him admitted to hospital, a young female doctor called Melanie decides to adopt him, and take him away from his native country to the United States of America.
The novel, told in free verse, follows JC's journey to the USA, adapting to life with a new mother and father, and, most importantly, the incredible relationship he shares with his new dog, Boy. The story is told in both the present day and through flashbacks, which aids in creating tension. It is certainly an emotional read, and includes serious themes such as abuse.
*quoted from advanced reader copy, published quote may differ
