Nikki SheehanReseñas

I confess. I agreed to review this for a purely superficial reason. We share the same last name.

I have no idea if it’s HER name or she married into it (mine came via DNA and a father who ensures I know the history). I’ve never met her and as far as I know we’re not related but then my father once told me all the Sheehans are related in one way or another because there really isn’t that many of us. That’s why I said Yes because out of ‘family name’ loyalty.

THANKFULLY her book doesn’t suck so I don’t have to lie out of that same loyalty or this could have been awkward.

I’ve always adopted shelter pets because I can’t stand to see the animals in cages as if they’re criminals locked up waiting for a pardon or a death sentence in some cases and with Clear the Shelter coming up in a couple of days this book brings on even more meaning and emotions. I already have 2 labs and a black cat but now I feel the need to add to our family.

She really knows how to hit you in the gut, and your conscience, with this beautiful but sad story about adoption, love, family dynamics and most importantly the relationship between a boy and a dog.

Be prepared to have the Kleenex ready and consider checking out the schedule for your local shelter event.

Despite the emotional turmoil you’ll go through reading this JC is such a strong, amazing character you want to stay glued to the pages as if your mere presence will somehow seep through and give him hope, let him know there are caring people in this world.

The writing style is easy to get through, great for a younger audience and the pace is on point with no big areas that drag making you regret picking this up. Despite the obvious sadness I’ve referenced repeatedly there are bright moments with humor and hope that help keep this from falling over a cliff of pure depression.

I could easily see this being made into one of those emotionally powerful movies Hollywood needs since it is a unique story with a great voice.

It took me a long time to review this book because I kept processing it over and over...how can a book both heartbreaking yet full of Hope when talking about only the main character. JC was rescued from a life so horrifically unimaginable that he seemed almost thankful about his present day abusive relationship with his father figure. JC was so desperate for any relationship that his bond with Boy seemed magical. The heartbreak that I felt over and over reading this reminded me of the reality of how some people in our world are treated. It also reminded me that even though our motives are good, we can be so out of tune with reality, as was the mother figure in the book. How can she keep striving to do more and more yet be black and to what was going on at home. The ending was a great conclusion -the happy without tying everything up with a bow and being overly saccharine. I immediately passed this book on to be read by many others and recommend it to many.

I received Goodnight, Boy by Nikki Sheehan. This is an ARC copy of the book. I received this book through Librarything.com for a honest review. I found this book to be sad but also a learning experience. I love the boy and dog relationship.

Exquisitely written, but for me, exquisitely unsettling. Goodnight Boy is the story of JC, who was separated from his family at a young age, separated from life as he knew it when the earthquake shook his world in Haiti. He comes to the US as the adoptive (sort of) child of an American couple, whose own world was shook, and destroyed, not by an earthquake, but by the happenstances of life.

Told in flashbacks, and current musings, by JC to his Dog (named Boy) as they are locked together in a kennel by JC's adoptive father, the story unfolds in stops and starts, the writing varied on the pages. It is haunting, it is heartbreaking, and in it's own way, it is beautiful.

Thank you to the publisher and to librarything for sending me this copy.

This was a poignant and beautiful story - definitely not what I was expecting. The topics talked about are serious, but the voice - that of a child - has such a unique touch of innocence that really makes the book that much more heart-wrenching and powerful. Because of the writing style, I am still a bit confused about the plot itself, but overall this was a very special book, and I'm sure it would touch both adults and children alike.

I received this book through librarythings' giveaways. I was really looking to reading a book from the viewpoint of a Haitian orphan and his dog. I enjoyed JC's character, and hearing his backstory. For me the book dragged a little in places, and the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly. Overall this book was a good look at a child moving from one nightmare to the next, and I would be willing to check out more by this author. The

I won this advanced reading copy from Librarything. I loved the format, which made it very easy to read. I loved the story, even though much of it was so sad. I did feel like the narrator sounded like a much younger boy than he was. I thought this was a very good read and would recommend it.

Goodnight, Boy by Nikki Sheehan is a tender story about a teenager and his best friend, Boy the dog. The story is told by J. C. during their imprisonment in the dog house. J. C. tells Boy how he became an "orphan," his best friend Oskar, the years he spent at the hospital among severely challenged children, the earthquake that freed him, his life on the streets with Oskar, the cholera that made everyone sick, and his eventual "rescue" by a kind doctor to the U.S. J.C.'s tales flicker between his childhood in his homeland, his early teenage years living on the streets, his early days in his new home with his adoptive parents, and the current predicament he finds himself with Boy, fenced in the dog run in the back yard with little food or water for days and days.

Sheehan writes J.C.'s hopes and dreams, his failings and disappointments in a tender, poignant, and sometimes humorous voice, his point of view mature and critical at times and childish at others, perfectly reflecting his transformation from child to adult. Because the story is told from J.C.'s point of view, we know little about the internal and external conflicts of anyone else, though we have enough information to imagine these issues. The way the story is constructed and told, the evil seems too extreme and hard to understand, and the kindness too sweet and unfounded. But this works well with the more naive and childish black-and-white understanding of the world by the narrator.

Recommended for those who like watering the garden, doll houses, worms, video games, and soft beds.

Thanks to LibraryThing and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed Goodnight, Boy!

A creative take on bullying; appropriate for late elementary and middle school students. Interesting mix of reality with nature to make points. I hope this book gets a fair shake with all of the bully books out there right now!

This is an interesting coming of age story about a young man who loses his father and then has to adjust to his life afterwards. This involves moving to a new school, becoming a care giver for his younger brother and learning to love himself. The story is well written and draws together elements of "Billy Elliot" and "Swan Lake". Even when you and everyone around you is broken, there is a beautiful swan underneath the surface.

Johnny and his family (mother and younger brother) have moved after the loss of Johnny's father. Johnny is the target of quite a bit of bullying, and has been choosing to perform in a ballet at his school, which doesn't help with social acceptance. On top of that, there is a fantasy/metaphor element to this story-line where he starts to grow swan feathers on his chest. In the end the story does a nice job of showing a young man learning to find his voice and his self-confidence.½

I received a free advanced copy of this book from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

**Spoiler Alert**

After looking at some of the other early reviews for this book, I guess I’m in the minority with my opinion. I’ll start by saying that this is just that, my opinion, and this story might really be enjoyed by some young readers, but it was a little too disjointed for me. There were several great story lines, but their resolutions seemed rushed or out of place in a way. I thought the author did a great job of making Johnny’s “bullying” story line seem very realistic and his feelings relatable to kids. It was a great idea to have the students punishment for getting caught fighting in the library be a choice of having to pick up trash or dance in a production of Swan Lake. It was also very realistic how the main character Johnny and his younger brother Mojo (who was my favorite character) dealt with their father’s death, especially how Mojo thinks in his 5-year-old mind that he’s responsible for his father’s death because he told him he “wished he would die” in that way some kids do when they are angry at their parents. Where things got a little confusing to me was when Johnny apparently started turning into a swan. At first I thought it was the metaphorical “turning into a swan,” because he was gaining confidence dancing in Swan Lake and seeing at the park how powerful real swans are. Then he really started turning into a swan...he grows a white streak of hair...finds feathers growing on his chest...and then starts talking in a gravelly “swan-like” voice. What I found odd was that people in his real life saw these things happening and really weren’t concerned by it. Then he wasn’t concerned that he was growing actual feathers. Again, I’m still not sure if this was metaphorical and he was imagining it or supposed to be realistic and it left me wondering what this story was trying to be...is it realistic...is it fantasy? I don’t like to box books into being one genre or another, but we genre in our library and I would have a hard time figuring out where to put this story. So very realistic bullying story, but a hard sell to students I think.

I received this book as an early review copy.

This is a fun coming of age story with some overtones of magical realism. Moving to a new school, Johnny has to deal with bullies, making new friends, and choosing between picking up garbage and starring in a dance-play of Swan Lake. And his 5 year old brother, Mojo, is Up To Something.

The dialogue and descriptions are good, and the author did a nice job bringing up important issues without hammering on them in a way that would turn off readers.

It is a coming of age story, where the young boy has to deal not only with moving to a new home/town, a new school and... BULLIES, but also with accepting and helping his younger brother accept the loss of their father and deal with their grief.

I really enjoyed this book and thought of passing along to my nephew, but I'm not sure he will want to read it :)

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I thought that the characters were easy to connect with and relatable. Many tough issues are addressed. They include the death of a parent, bullying, the changes that take place during the teen years (emotional and physical), and dealing with extreme emotions (guilt, anger, sadness). The author was able to convey these through an engaging and interesting story. I believe teens could easily relate to this book and could use this as a springboard for discussion with a caring adult or friend. Finally, as a teacher, I was inspired by Ms. Cray. She took a risk to reach out to challenging children through a creative and unique way. Although I may not direct a ballot, I would like to reach out to students who need extra support and engage them with fun activities and positive experiences. This was a great book to read as I head into the school year.

After losing his dad, Johnny, his mom, and brother, Mojo move away from their familiar neighborhood and into a mess of regret, guilt, bullies, and despair. Mojo is harboring a deep secret within his five-year-old self and Johnny is confronted by bullies at school who torment him everyday until he finds the courage to stand up for himself and his friends.

While being served yet another detention, Johnny is given the choice of either picking up litter or a acting and dancing in a modern version of Swan Lake. He chooses the dance and finds some freedom and expression in the art form. His grief over the death of his father, along with his mom and brother struggling with coming to terms with their new life, is played out in the music and dance.

Swan Boy is full of deeper meaning and will certainly benefit from discussion amongst peers and adults. As a reader, I didn't really care for all the symbolism and hidden meaning, but one who likes that sort of writing will be thrilled.

Thank you to LibraryThing Early Reviewers, OneWorld Publications, and Nikki Sheehan for this ARC.