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Overview
As World War II comes to an end, returning soldiers, parties, fights and drunks fill the streets. It should all be very exciting for Martin O'Boy, except for one thing...Synopsis
Martin O'Boy's life is not easy. His beloved grandmother has just died, his pregnant mother and father fight all the time, and his twin, Phil, is completely incapacitated. And yet, for Martin, life in Ottawa's Lowertown is not all bad: he has his best friend Billy Batson, the movies, his one-eared cat Cheap, and then there's Buz, his glamorous next-door neighbor, who's off at the war.
As the war comes to an end with the bombing of Hiroshima, Ottawa is plunged into a state of turmoil — returning soldiers, parties, fights, and drunks fill the streets. Meanwhile, turmoil of another kind is brewing closer to home: Martin and Billy joined the church choir to earn some money, and the organist, Mr. T. D. S. George, is very interested in Martin. As the reader knows, though Martin doesn't, this interest is a very dangerous thing. But Martin has a pure soul, Billy's friendship, his cat's affection, Buz's imminent return, and his grandmother's love — all of which help him to deliver justice to Mr. George and heal himself and others.
Publishers Weekly
The cherubic-looking boy on the cover of Canadian author Doyle's (Uncle Ronald) latest effort belies the emotional weight of this moving and often disturbing tale. Martin O'Boy lives in Canada in the waning years of WW II, with his parents and his mentally ill twin brother. As the story opens, Martin's beloved Scottish grandmother has just passed away; meanwhile, his mother and alcoholic father (who will drink from the Aqua Velva bottle when there is nothing else available), constantly argue about anything, but chiefly money. Martin and his friend have a lucrative job singing in the church choir, but it requires them to spend time with the unsettling Mr. George, the choir director. Mr. George takes Martin for ice cream, and tricks him into eating a sundae laced with creme de menthe and brandy, which leads to a scene of molestation, devastating in its minimalism. Other minor story lines echo the me-against-the-world mindset that young Martin is slowly developing, with the ethical voice of his grandmother always ringing in his head. Although Doyle's narrative occasionally hits a false note ("I open the door. The door to the house where I don't want to live. Please somebody. Take care of me. Love me"), overall, it comes across honestly and effectively. In one standout scene, when Mr. George threatens to take Martin's youthful beauty away from him, he simply replies, to himself, "You already have, Mr. George." Despite the boy's relentlessly bleak circumstances, he manages to keep some hope alive. Ages 11-13. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
The cherubic-looking boy on the cover of Canadian author Doyle's (Uncle Ronald) latest effort belies the emotional weight of this moving and often disturbing tale. Martin O'Boy lives in Canada in the waning years of WW II, with his parents and his mentally ill twin brother. As the story opens, Martin's beloved Scottish grandmother has just passed away; meanwhile, his mother and alcoholic father (who will drink from the Aqua Velva bottle when there is nothing else available), constantly argue about anything, but chiefly money. Martin and his friend have a lucrative job singing in the church choir, but it requires them to spend time with the unsettling Mr. George, the choir director. Mr. George takes Martin for ice cream, and tricks him into eating a sundae laced with creme de menthe and brandy, which leads to a scene of molestation, devastating in its minimalism. Other minor story lines echo the me-against-the-world mindset that young Martin is slowly developing, with the ethical voice of his grandmother always ringing in his head. Although Doyle's narrative occasionally hits a false note ("I open the door. The door to the house where I don't want to live. Please somebody. Take care of me. Love me"), overall, it comes across honestly and effectively. In one standout scene, when Mr. George threatens to take Martin's youthful beauty away from him, he simply replies, to himself, "You already have, Mr. George." Despite the boy's relentlessly bleak circumstances, he manages to keep some hope alive. Ages 11-13. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.KLIATT
This clear, well-written novel about a boy's life in 1945 Ottawa is the type of child's-eye-view piece usually marketed to adults. Observations and episodic events outweigh any overarching story. Martin O'Boy, whose age is unspecified, lives with his profoundly disabled (nonverbal) twin, his cruel and drunken father, and his overburdened mother, who tries vaguely to love him but instead just hopes he won't cause trouble. Martin's grandmother dies at the very beginning but remains a deep influence: he turns to her repeatedly in his mind and repeats to himself the stories he knows about her. Martin has his city, his friend Billy, and his newspapers and National Geographic for company, but he's lonely and wants care. Careful readers will realize early on that his distantly observant and precise narrative voice signals some sort of abuse, and indeed, a grown man who plays choir piano eventually molests both Martin and Billy. Although the boys figure out how to prevent this from happening again, their lives will remain painful. The Andrea Doria is cited as a troop ship returning to Montreal, but the historical ship of that name wasn't built until several years later (and was a luxury liner). If the name here is manufactured, it shouldn't have been; if there was coincidentally a real troop ship of the same name, an author's note should have been included. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2003, Groundwood, 161p., Ages 15 to adult.—Rebecca Rabinowitz
Children's Literature
As World War II comes to an end, Martin O'Boy spends the summer watching celebrations in the streets and wishing for his own war hero, Buzz Sawyer, to come home. The whole town echoes with excitement about the ending war. The Catholic Church nominates Martin and his friend, Billy Batson, to make some extra money being summer choir boys. The additional money is great until Mr. George, the organ player, begins to show extra attention to Martin and Billy. Still innocent, the boys do not realize that Mr. George may be being generous because he has plans to get something for himself in return. Martin's tale unfolds with surprising twists and heroic gestures as the boys realize their right to stand up for themselves and that revenge is always sweet. 2004, Douglass & McIntyre, Ages 12 up.—Jamie Mussman