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133rd out of 281 books
—
437 voters
It's a Little Haywire
by
Elle Strauss (Goodreads Author)
Owen True is eleven and eleven twelfths and has been “exiled” to the small crazy town of Hayward, WA, aka Haywire, while his mother is on her honeymoon. All he has to whittle away the time is the company of Gramps, his black lab Daisy, and his Haywire friends, Mason and Mikala Sweet. They don’t look so hot this year, in fact the whole town has gone to pot since the mill sh...more
ebook, 100 pages
Published
February 1st 2012
by ESB Publishing
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I don't usually review MG books but I have reviewed for this author before and loved her book Clockwise. And I just adored this short read about Owen True and his friends in Hayward...or ‘Haywire’ as Owen likes to call it.
Owen is not looking forward to his month long visit with his grandpa in the very small town of Hayward. He feels as if his parents are abandoning him here. There is absolutely nothing to do and even his once local friends don't seem to want to see him. Things seem to have chan...more
Owen is not looking forward to his month long visit with his grandpa in the very small town of Hayward. He feels as if his parents are abandoning him here. There is absolutely nothing to do and even his once local friends don't seem to want to see him. Things seem to have chan...more
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What I Liked: 1) Owen. I always seem to like books with male MCs. And Owen is a sweet kid realizing new things in the world as he grows up. I really loved how he started seeing things with new eyes, because he was getting older and starting to think about things in new ways and realize what is important. 2) Owen's first taste of a little crush. Awe, this was cute. He starts having these feelings about Mikala and he doesn't understand them. And...more
What I Liked: 1) Owen. I always seem to like books with male MCs. And Owen is a sweet kid realizing new things in the world as he grows up. I really loved how he started seeing things with new eyes, because he was getting older and starting to think about things in new ways and realize what is important. 2) Owen's first taste of a little crush. Awe, this was cute. He starts having these feelings about Mikala and he doesn't understand them. And...more
This is such a great, heartwarming little story--I'd classify it as a quieter book and so worth the read. Strauss weaves what I can only describe as magic in the little town of Hayward (known as Haywire to the main character, eleven year old Owen True). The setting is vividly drawn and Owen's sense of abandonment at being sent here for the summer pulls at the reader. It's a delight to see his growth throughout the book, and how his relationship with the people around him evolve. Without giving t...more
What a sweet story. Owen True is a great kid, but a typical one, burdened with his own problems. His adventures in Hayward, his summer-exile, put his troubles into perspective though. In addition to finding friends in unexpected places, he gains compassion and a greater sense of what's really important in the world.
I loved the story, loved the characters, loved the writing. The only reason I marked it down is, sadly, because I felt the illustrations were a distraction. They were good, don't get...more
I loved the story, loved the characters, loved the writing. The only reason I marked it down is, sadly, because I felt the illustrations were a distraction. They were good, don't get...more
I really, really enjoyed this book. Middle Grade is by far my favorite genre, so this was right up my alley.
The characters were fun, amusing, and real. I loved Owen, Mikala, the grandfather, even the homeless men. The setting itself, "Haywire", was a character in itself. I was also really intrigued by the ghost train subplot, and loved the part about Mikala's story.
The ending was fantastic. Well done.
I didn't subtract any stars because there wasn't anything about the story I disliked, but I will...more
The characters were fun, amusing, and real. I loved Owen, Mikala, the grandfather, even the homeless men. The setting itself, "Haywire", was a character in itself. I was also really intrigued by the ghost train subplot, and loved the part about Mikala's story.
The ending was fantastic. Well done.
I didn't subtract any stars because there wasn't anything about the story I disliked, but I will...more
I loved the simple style of this story. The easy going pace of a small town and its residents were endearing. Owen, the main character is a young boy who has it all in the big city. Sadly neither parent has time for him and he spends time with his grandfather in the small town of Hayward. Having spent summers there before, Owen has a couple of friends for company. However, they are growing up and feelings are changing.
Elle Strauss shares a tale of youthful innocence and emotions, sprinkled with...more
Elle Strauss shares a tale of youthful innocence and emotions, sprinkled with...more
Apr 13, 2013
Clare Cannon
marked it as not-sure
reviews are ok but hasn't been much interest
This is a sweet and heart-warming story about charity and how one person can make a big difference. And Owen True starts seeing a ghost train complete with unearthly passengers. Really, it doesn't get any better than that. :)
Apr 22, 2013
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I write fun, lower YA fiction (time-travel and fantasy). I’m fond of Lindt’s sea salt dark chocolate and hiking in good weather. I’m married with four children and divide my time between British Columbia, Canada, and Germany. I also write upper YA (historical and science fiction) as Lee Strauss.
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Jan 29, 2012 05:55pm
Jan 29, 2012 05:56pm