Payback - Softcover

Heneghan, James

3.52

112 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0888997043 ISBN 13: 9780888997043

Publisher: Groundwood Books, 2008

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

Thirteen-year-old Charley Callaghan is coping with some difficult changes in his life. His family has recently moved to Vancouver from Ireland, and his mother has died of cancer. Now he is desperately trying to fit in in a new school, a new city, a new country while holding a part-time job and keeping an eye on his little sister, Annie. Charley’s red hair and Irish accent at first make him a target of the class bullies, but he is just tough enough to keep them at bay. It's almost a relief to him when the bullies find a new target, Benny Mason. Charley keeps hoping, in vain, that Benny will defend himself, but he fails to intervene. When Benny commits suicide, Charley is overcome with remorse and guilt. He visits Benny’s single mother, Joanna, but instead of confessing, finds himself trying to make amends by doing chores, running errands, and befriending Benny’s little brother. Can Charley find atonement for his failure to help Benny? James Heneghan's trademark narrative drive, vivid characters, and strong social message make this a masterful study of loss and renewal.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

James Heneghan was raised in Ireland and in Liverpool, England, where he worked as a policeman. After coming to Canada, he was a police fingerprint specialist before becoming a teacher. He has won the Arthur Ellis Award for Juvenile Crime Fiction and is a three-time winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Book Prize for Children's Literature. He lives in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

Review:

...a quietly affecting tale of grief and emotional healing. (Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 2007-07-01)

...excels in presenting the difficult issue of school bullying and suicide without a heavy dose of adult finger wagging...Heneghan [has created] a gritty and compelling story that reflects an often ignored phenomenon of youth culture in public schools...Payback is a refreshingly honest novel that seriously looks at the experiences of young boys in contemporary junior high school. Highly Recommended. (CM Magazine 2007-04-13)

...the drama of guilt, sorrow, and redemption is honest and heartfelt, told in Charley's spare, fast, first-person narrative...A good title for group discussion. (Booklist 2007-05-01)

Heneghan is a wonderful storyteller, with Irish charm evident in the cadence of the narrative, filled with humour and drama. (Kliatt 2007-05-01)

...realistically portrays how males typically interact with each other...The tragic story of suicide is presented with sensitivity and from the point of view of adolescents. The short chapters, easy to understand adolescent style diction and the realistic plot makes this book a great addition to a classroom/library. (Resource Links 2007-11-07)

This is a startlingly poignant novel. Charley's compelling, straightforward voice rings true and builds trust in his audience by exposing his most wracking emotions...Readers will find a character or situation to identify with and will admire the means by which Charley achieves some peace of mind. (School Library Journal 2007-09-07)

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.