andream0885's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
niccakicca's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It was smart, heart felt and I really liked the phonetic spelling of some of the words, really made me hear the Irish accent. It's a good look at how the troubles affected children who had no idea of the world outside of their small villages - the feelings of suffocation, not being able to move freely and having to watch every word that is said. The feeling of no escape. The twist at the ending feels real.
lainey_books's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
cwgrieves's review
4.0
A fantastic book. The child's voice really shone through. Although I don't claim to be an expert on the troubles in Northern Ireland, this seemed like a really genuine and authentic. I felt that McVeigh hit just the right balance with the use of slang and phonetic spellings of Northern Irish pronunciations (now/nigh) - I could understand everything that was happening, but still felt immersed in the Ardoyne neighbourhood.
It would be unfair to just classify this book as a child's view of the troubles though. It's also a great look into the life of a bullied child from a troubled home. It touches on religion, politics and the dreams of a young boy too.
I'd highly recommend this one.
It would be unfair to just classify this book as a child's view of the troubles though. It's also a great look into the life of a bullied child from a troubled home. It touches on religion, politics and the dreams of a young boy too.
I'd highly recommend this one.
alwaysneedmorebooks's review
4.0
Another book club read, chosen as it was Brighton ' s City Read. This is the reason I love my book club so much - I would never have picked this up and if I had I wouldn't have chosen to read it. The story is told from the point of view of Micky, an 11 year old Catholic boy being brought up during the troubles in Northern Ireland. The book is written in the dialect of Northern Ireland which takes a bit of getting used to. Micky is an outcast but loves his Mammy and wants to be a good boy. It's a good story and gives you a sense of what it was like to be growing up during the troubles.
cozydayreads's review
5.0
Hands down one of my favorites that I had to read for school. May or may not have wept a little during the ending. But then again, I cry at everything.
robhughes's review
4.0
Set in Belfast during the troubles, in a city literally divided in half; Protestants on one side and Catholics on the other. In the middle of all this is our 12 year old narrator, a strange but ultimately good boy with a unique perspective on all that goes on around him. McVeigh creates a distinctively Irish voice that speaks clearly during difficult and at times terrifying events; both a funny and an uncomfortable read.
jackielaw's review
5.0
The Good Son, by Paul McVeigh, tells the story of eleven year old Mickey Donnelly, who lives in Belfast’s troubled Ardoyne but has problems in his life far greater than those caused by sectarian violence. Mickey is different from the other kids and they make is life miserable because of it. He dreams of going to America and living the life he sees on TV. Hemmed in as he is by the segregated schools and housing, the peace lines and death threats, he cannot travel beyond his few home streets.
When the book opens Mickey is looking forward to escaping his local primary school and the misery daily life there entails. He has been offered a place at a grammar school where he hopes he can make a fresh start, find friends and fit in with those who are more like him. Few from his area ever pass the selection tests. When his parents turn up at his school, dressed in their Sunday best, he thinks that somebody must have died. The news they give him is far worse.
Mickey’s Da is a drunk without a job. Mickey hates him for making his beloved Ma’s life so hard. She and his eldest sister work but there is never enough money. Mickey does what he can to be a good son, but his natural exuberance and dreamy nature are a liability. He is expected to grow up and conform.
The story unfolds over the course of the long summer holiday before Mickey starts at his new school. He wants to play with his wee sister, Maggie, but she is itching to join in with the other girls in their street. Mickey would be happy to play with them too, but boys and girls their age rarely mix. When he tries he is mocked and derided.
The background to their lives involves riots and shootings, bombings and random house searches. Helicopters fly overhead and security forces patrol the streets. Mickey knows not to watch too closely and to turn his back when incidents happen. There are some things it is better not to know, especially those which involve his older brother, Paddy.
The violence and poverty are just a part of Mickey’s life. What worries him more is his difference and how to cope with his peers. The author has captured the difficulties faced by a child of this age with a realism that made my heart ache.
There is much humour beside the pathos. Mickey has an infectious energy and optimism despite the wasteland where he resides. He is easily distracted, creating trouble for himself, then dreaming up schemes to undo the damage he has wrought.
I feared where the denouement was going, but this story is about the journey. The author skillfully portrays life in Ardoyne at this difficult time, a tale of a boyhood that he captures perfectly. Mickey Donnelly is a character it would be hard not to care for. He is one I will not readily forget.
When the book opens Mickey is looking forward to escaping his local primary school and the misery daily life there entails. He has been offered a place at a grammar school where he hopes he can make a fresh start, find friends and fit in with those who are more like him. Few from his area ever pass the selection tests. When his parents turn up at his school, dressed in their Sunday best, he thinks that somebody must have died. The news they give him is far worse.
Mickey’s Da is a drunk without a job. Mickey hates him for making his beloved Ma’s life so hard. She and his eldest sister work but there is never enough money. Mickey does what he can to be a good son, but his natural exuberance and dreamy nature are a liability. He is expected to grow up and conform.
The story unfolds over the course of the long summer holiday before Mickey starts at his new school. He wants to play with his wee sister, Maggie, but she is itching to join in with the other girls in their street. Mickey would be happy to play with them too, but boys and girls their age rarely mix. When he tries he is mocked and derided.
The background to their lives involves riots and shootings, bombings and random house searches. Helicopters fly overhead and security forces patrol the streets. Mickey knows not to watch too closely and to turn his back when incidents happen. There are some things it is better not to know, especially those which involve his older brother, Paddy.
The violence and poverty are just a part of Mickey’s life. What worries him more is his difference and how to cope with his peers. The author has captured the difficulties faced by a child of this age with a realism that made my heart ache.
There is much humour beside the pathos. Mickey has an infectious energy and optimism despite the wasteland where he resides. He is easily distracted, creating trouble for himself, then dreaming up schemes to undo the damage he has wrought.
I feared where the denouement was going, but this story is about the journey. The author skillfully portrays life in Ardoyne at this difficult time, a tale of a boyhood that he captures perfectly. Mickey Donnelly is a character it would be hard not to care for. He is one I will not readily forget.
More...