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Cumyn, Alan
5 Reviews
(3)
4-6
Almost-twelve-year-old Edgar, sensitive and insecure, and his troubled mother, Stephanie, who's just gone through a breakup, are house-sitting in the Yukon. There Edgar bonds with a dog named Benjamin, while friendship and family drama swirl around him--leading to a near tragedy. An engaging read, with well-developed characters, a strong sense of place, and a fast-flowing narrative.
Reviewer: Jack Forman
(4)
YA
Shiels is Vista View High's put-together, motivated student body chair. When sexy Pyke, "a flying ancient screeching monster," becomes the first interspecies exchange student, in-control Shiels is driven to distraction. Cumyn's bizarre story takes an unusual (and surreal) look at diversity and inclusion, which may appeal to some readers. Shiels's evolution from type-A to less-controlling is believable, but she comes across as too adult.
Reviewer: Sian Gaetano
(2)
YA
Sixteen-year-old Stan is driven to make the basketball team, but a couple of distractions enter his life. First, Stan develops a crush on Janine Igwash. And second, Stan's home life--already complicated by his high-strung mother--gets more so when his deadbeat dad shows up. Cumyn's third-person narrative presents his teenage characters in an especially endearing light, capturing the absurdities and impossibilities of adolescence.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2011
(3)
4-6
Beset by family troubles (including a crying baby cousin) and the inability to spell, Owen Skye could be miserable--and sometimes he is. In this epistolary novel, Owen's letters to schoolmate Sylvia are funny and poignant. Experience teaches him a lot, and if the mystery of Sylvia's whereabouts is solved a bit too neatly, readers will nevertheless admire Owen's pluck throughout.
Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian
(3)
4-6
Middle brother Owen joins forces with older Andy and younger Leonard for several adventures in this episodic family story set in the post-WWII era. Some of the outings are typical: Owen's regard for unapproachable Sylvia, a late night tale of Bog Man. Others are more original, such as when Owen's finger is sliced by a garage door. Owen's wry perspective is engaging and believable in a novel that succeeds in combining humor with poignancy.
Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian
5 reviews
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