Review:'The Agony of Bun O'Keefe' by Heather Smith
This book was sent to me by Penguin Random House Canada to review. This in no way alters my thoughts on the novel. The following review is a truthful representation of my opinions.
The Agony of Bun O'Keefe by Heather Smith on September 5th, 2017
Pages: 216
Publisher: Penguin Teen Canada Spoiler-Free Synopsis:
For all her life, 14 year old Bun has lived with her hoarder mother, learning about life through books and VHS tapes. When her mother tells her to "get out", Bun leaves home and travels to St. John's. Upon arriving, she asks a man if there are any shelters that she can stay in. From there, the man - Busker Boy, as she calls him - takes Bun under his wing, introducing her to all of the others in his life, like Big Eyes and Chef.
To be honest, any words I write will not do this book justice. You have to read it to really get a feel for the plot and characters.
My (Spoiler-Free) Opinions:
Wow. I honestly did not think that I would enjoy this book nearly as much as I would. This story made me laugh and made me close to being in tears. In a short and sweet novel, Smith writes a story that portrays issues such as depression and homophobia; and in my opinion, accurately portrays them. To avoid spoiling some of the contents of the plot, that's all I will write on those topics. Read the book to find out more!
Bun is such a cute character, like a walking encyclopedia. The girl has more facts than a forest has trees! I saw a bit of myself in Bun, from when I was her age. She is kind of a socially challenged character, which is obviously a product of her upbringing with her mother. She sometimes struggles with basic do's and don'ts, of socializing, and doesn't really get sarcasm. I was also a bit of an awkward girl, but more importantly, I was a girl with a love for talking! Like Bun, I loved to chat and tell stories or random facts. I found Smith's characters easy to relate to, and for me, this was especially true for Bun.
After finishing this book, I searched online for other's reviews, curious to see how others received it. A trend that I found is that some people thought that the relationship between Bun and Busker Boy was inappropriate. I have to admit, my initial thoughts were similar to the aforementioned. After reading past this section at the beginning, I fell in love with the sweet bond that they shared. I also wanted to note that the story is set in the 1980's, and in Newfoundland, Canada. The 1980's were a different time; and the East Coast is also a different sort of place. Being that my family is from Nova Scotia, I know first-hand how friendly and welcoming people are out East. Not to say that people aren't friendly anywhere else; I am just speaking to my own experiences. That being said, I rate this book 4.5/5 stars and I highly recommend.
Goodreads Review Link!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2820686414
The Agony of Bun O'Keefe by Heather Smith on September 5th, 2017
Pages: 216
Publisher: Penguin Teen Canada Spoiler-Free Synopsis:
For all her life, 14 year old Bun has lived with her hoarder mother, learning about life through books and VHS tapes. When her mother tells her to "get out", Bun leaves home and travels to St. John's. Upon arriving, she asks a man if there are any shelters that she can stay in. From there, the man - Busker Boy, as she calls him - takes Bun under his wing, introducing her to all of the others in his life, like Big Eyes and Chef.
To be honest, any words I write will not do this book justice. You have to read it to really get a feel for the plot and characters.
My (Spoiler-Free) Opinions:
Wow. I honestly did not think that I would enjoy this book nearly as much as I would. This story made me laugh and made me close to being in tears. In a short and sweet novel, Smith writes a story that portrays issues such as depression and homophobia; and in my opinion, accurately portrays them. To avoid spoiling some of the contents of the plot, that's all I will write on those topics. Read the book to find out more!
Bun is such a cute character, like a walking encyclopedia. The girl has more facts than a forest has trees! I saw a bit of myself in Bun, from when I was her age. She is kind of a socially challenged character, which is obviously a product of her upbringing with her mother. She sometimes struggles with basic do's and don'ts, of socializing, and doesn't really get sarcasm. I was also a bit of an awkward girl, but more importantly, I was a girl with a love for talking! Like Bun, I loved to chat and tell stories or random facts. I found Smith's characters easy to relate to, and for me, this was especially true for Bun.
After finishing this book, I searched online for other's reviews, curious to see how others received it. A trend that I found is that some people thought that the relationship between Bun and Busker Boy was inappropriate. I have to admit, my initial thoughts were similar to the aforementioned. After reading past this section at the beginning, I fell in love with the sweet bond that they shared. I also wanted to note that the story is set in the 1980's, and in Newfoundland, Canada. The 1980's were a different time; and the East Coast is also a different sort of place. Being that my family is from Nova Scotia, I know first-hand how friendly and welcoming people are out East. Not to say that people aren't friendly anywhere else; I am just speaking to my own experiences. That being said, I rate this book 4.5/5 stars and I highly recommend.
Goodreads Review Link!https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2820686414
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