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Munro vs. The Coyote
REVIEW: Munro vs. The Coyote
By Darren Groth
Victoria: Orca Books, 2017. $19.95 / 9781459814097
Reviewed by Carol Anne Shaw
*
Sixteen-year old Munro Maddux has been having a rough time. Ever since the sudden death of his sister, he has been angry, depressed, and confused. Even worse, he can't seem to get rid of the horrible voice in his head -- the one he calls "The Coyote.";
The Coyote's cup is always half-empty, and every time Munro takes a step toward healing his broken heart, the Coyote is there to tell him not to bother. After all, he's really just a loser. And let's face it: he's partly to blame for Evie's death.
Grief-stricken and at a loss as to how to help their son, Munro's parents decide to send him on a six-month student exchange to Brisbane, Australia, hoping a change might do him good. Munro isn't exactly thrilled at the idea; after all, the name of the program is YOLO and the pamphlet is chock-full of all-caps text and far too many exclamation marks.
But soon after the plane lands in Australia, Munro begins to settle in. His host family is pretty cool, and he quickly makes friends with a group of kids at his new school, including Caro, whose eyes are big and wide, and whose mouth looks ready to break out in a smile, even when its filled with ramen noodles.
But just like always, as soon as things begin to show signs of improvement, The Coyote shows up, doing his best to alienate Munro from his new friends.
To make matters worse, Munro learns there is a volunteer component of his exchange experience -- one that will see him working as a "Living Partner"; to a group of special needs residents at the Fair Go Community Village in Brisbane. "No way!"; he thinks.
"I've got to get reassigned!"; It's too much. Evie had Down Syndrome, and this is just a little bit too close to home.
But to his surprise, Munro discovers that Fair Go is the one place where The Coyote actually keeps his mouth shut. Maybe this isn't going to be so bad after all. And it isn't. In fact, it's kind of great. Munro soon makes solid connections with his group of residents, including Blake, a Down Syndrome girl with a spirit almost as bright as Evie's had been.
As his volunteer hours grow, Munro finds himself spending more and more time with his group. He is especially determined to connect with Shah, a group member who managed to escape the atrocities of civil war in the Middle East in the back of truck, only to become separated from his family.
Shah is understandably distant and guarded, but to his delight, Munro slowly earns the boy's trust through brief conversations they share over a chessboard.
But when two members of Munro's group suddenly leave Fair Go, Munro's old nemesis, The Coyote, makes a fearful return and Munro suffers a setback. What was he thinking? He should have known this was all a mistake. He's let down two members of his group, just the way he let down Evie. He couldn't save her, and he can't fix things for Blake and Shah, either.
He's useless, according to The Coyote, and the sooner he realizes it, the better. Unless, of course, he can begin to trust the people around him -- the people who want to help him find the old Munro again.
With loving support and a strength he didn't know he had, Munro learns that often it isn't just one person's fault: sometimes life takes on a life of its own. And sometimes, the best thing you can do is get out of your own head and help someone else.
Darren Groth is a brilliant storyteller, his characters are rich and layered, and this book was a delight to review. Readers will surely identify with the voice of The Coyote -- that alter-ego naysayer so many of us come up against during challenging times.
And younger readers will certainly enjoy the growing romance that develops between Munro and the lovely Caro, too.
Throughout the novel, I found the dialogue between the teens both engaging and completely authentic a feat that is sometimes a difficult thing for us grown-ups to pull off successfully. Mr. Groth has clearly spent considerable time in the company of young people!
All this adds up to a page-turner of a book. The story moves quickly and we meet a whole host of characters along the way. I fell in love with the members of Munro's Fair Go group, all of them delightfully unique, while the adults who pepper the pages of the story are also wonderfully human.
In addition to real laugh-out-loud moments, this novel has some heart-wrenching moments that might have you wiping your eyes a time or two. However, the sentiment is never sloppy or gratuitous, and I reached the end of the novel having experienced "all the feels.";
While Munro vs. the Coyote is a book about loss, grief, despair, and the messiness of a sixteen year old's broken heart, ultimately it is an account of true healing. It is a book about love, the tenacity of the human spirit, and our capacity to mend.
This is the first book I have read by Darren Groth. It certainly won't be the last.
*
Carol Anne Shaw is the author of the "Hannah"; books, all from Ronsdale Press: Hannah & the Spindle Whorl (2010), Hannah & the Salish Sea (2013), and Hannah & the Wild Woods (2015). She lives at Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island.
*
The Ormsby Review. More Readers. More Reviews. More Often.
[BCBW 2-17]
By Darren Groth
Victoria: Orca Books, 2017. $19.95 / 9781459814097
Reviewed by Carol Anne Shaw
*
Sixteen-year old Munro Maddux has been having a rough time. Ever since the sudden death of his sister, he has been angry, depressed, and confused. Even worse, he can't seem to get rid of the horrible voice in his head -- the one he calls "The Coyote.";
The Coyote's cup is always half-empty, and every time Munro takes a step toward healing his broken heart, the Coyote is there to tell him not to bother. After all, he's really just a loser. And let's face it: he's partly to blame for Evie's death.
Grief-stricken and at a loss as to how to help their son, Munro's parents decide to send him on a six-month student exchange to Brisbane, Australia, hoping a change might do him good. Munro isn't exactly thrilled at the idea; after all, the name of the program is YOLO and the pamphlet is chock-full of all-caps text and far too many exclamation marks.
But soon after the plane lands in Australia, Munro begins to settle in. His host family is pretty cool, and he quickly makes friends with a group of kids at his new school, including Caro, whose eyes are big and wide, and whose mouth looks ready to break out in a smile, even when its filled with ramen noodles.
But just like always, as soon as things begin to show signs of improvement, The Coyote shows up, doing his best to alienate Munro from his new friends.
To make matters worse, Munro learns there is a volunteer component of his exchange experience -- one that will see him working as a "Living Partner"; to a group of special needs residents at the Fair Go Community Village in Brisbane. "No way!"; he thinks.
"I've got to get reassigned!"; It's too much. Evie had Down Syndrome, and this is just a little bit too close to home.
But to his surprise, Munro discovers that Fair Go is the one place where The Coyote actually keeps his mouth shut. Maybe this isn't going to be so bad after all. And it isn't. In fact, it's kind of great. Munro soon makes solid connections with his group of residents, including Blake, a Down Syndrome girl with a spirit almost as bright as Evie's had been.
As his volunteer hours grow, Munro finds himself spending more and more time with his group. He is especially determined to connect with Shah, a group member who managed to escape the atrocities of civil war in the Middle East in the back of truck, only to become separated from his family.
Shah is understandably distant and guarded, but to his delight, Munro slowly earns the boy's trust through brief conversations they share over a chessboard.
But when two members of Munro's group suddenly leave Fair Go, Munro's old nemesis, The Coyote, makes a fearful return and Munro suffers a setback. What was he thinking? He should have known this was all a mistake. He's let down two members of his group, just the way he let down Evie. He couldn't save her, and he can't fix things for Blake and Shah, either.
He's useless, according to The Coyote, and the sooner he realizes it, the better. Unless, of course, he can begin to trust the people around him -- the people who want to help him find the old Munro again.
With loving support and a strength he didn't know he had, Munro learns that often it isn't just one person's fault: sometimes life takes on a life of its own. And sometimes, the best thing you can do is get out of your own head and help someone else.
Darren Groth is a brilliant storyteller, his characters are rich and layered, and this book was a delight to review. Readers will surely identify with the voice of The Coyote -- that alter-ego naysayer so many of us come up against during challenging times.
And younger readers will certainly enjoy the growing romance that develops between Munro and the lovely Caro, too.
Throughout the novel, I found the dialogue between the teens both engaging and completely authentic a feat that is sometimes a difficult thing for us grown-ups to pull off successfully. Mr. Groth has clearly spent considerable time in the company of young people!
All this adds up to a page-turner of a book. The story moves quickly and we meet a whole host of characters along the way. I fell in love with the members of Munro's Fair Go group, all of them delightfully unique, while the adults who pepper the pages of the story are also wonderfully human.
In addition to real laugh-out-loud moments, this novel has some heart-wrenching moments that might have you wiping your eyes a time or two. However, the sentiment is never sloppy or gratuitous, and I reached the end of the novel having experienced "all the feels.";
While Munro vs. the Coyote is a book about loss, grief, despair, and the messiness of a sixteen year old's broken heart, ultimately it is an account of true healing. It is a book about love, the tenacity of the human spirit, and our capacity to mend.
This is the first book I have read by Darren Groth. It certainly won't be the last.
*
Carol Anne Shaw is the author of the "Hannah"; books, all from Ronsdale Press: Hannah & the Spindle Whorl (2010), Hannah & the Salish Sea (2013), and Hannah & the Wild Woods (2015). She lives at Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island.
*
The Ormsby Review. More Readers. More Reviews. More Often.
[BCBW 2-17]
Submitted on April 14, 2017 in By David.
