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Conaghan, Brian
4 Reviews
(3)
YA
When his single mother develops multiple sclerosis, Bobby--a witty, good-natured teen--becomes her primary caretaker. A support group for fellow "young carers" introduces Bobby to some of the carefree youth he's been missing--and to an alluringly gruff boy with secrets. This is an unrestrained portrayal of a heartbreaking situation; dry humor, wordplay, and a shining bond between mother and son lighten the tone.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
(2)
YA
In this verse novel, tough girl Jess nicks some cosmetics with friends who let her take the fall. Nicu, an earnest Romanian-immigrant boy, impulsively steals a candy bar to satisfy his hunger. Their crimes lead to community service detail, where (English-language-learner) Nicu is drawn to Jess: "She seem lonely. / She seem lost..." This moving star-crossed love affair set in modern-day London is heartbreakingly timely.
Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
May, 2017
(2)
YA
Charlie Law lives in Little Town, a place with a strict Regime and an antagonistic relationship with bordering Old Country. Nobody leaves Little Town, and nobody leaves Old Country--until one day the Duda family arrives as refugees. This dense, dark novel is lightened up at times with teen-boy asides. Conaghan's dystopia, with its contemporary-world parallels, is all too easy to envision today.
Reviewer: Sarah Hannah Gomez
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2016
(4)
YA
Dylan Mint has Tourette's syndrome, and things go from bad to worse when he becomes convinced he's going to die. He winnows his bucket list down to three things: get laid, find a new friend for best friend Amir, and bring Dad back from the war. Plot is minimal (and slow), but the narrative voice is engaging and the issues raised are important.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
4 reviews
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