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Summary
Summary
Nicky Flynn's life just got a whole lot harder. His parents are going through a messy divorce, and as a result he's starting a new life, in a new city, in a new school. Now his mom has brought home Reggie, an eighty-pound German shepherd fresh from the animal shelter, who used to be a seeing-eye dog. At first Nick isn't sure about this canine intrusion--it's just another in a series of difficult changes. Soon, however, Nick is on the path to finding out why a seeing-eye dog would be left at an animal shelter, and along the way discovers that Reggie is a true friend that Nick can rely on. But when he tries to reconnect with his dad, Nick puts everything on the line, including the life of his new best friend.
Art Corriveau is a brilliant new voice for middle-grade fiction. How I, Nicky Flynn, Got a Life (and a Dog) is a heartfelt and honest look at the effects of divorce and the wonders of friendship.
F&P Level: T
F&P Genre: RF
Author Notes
Art Corriveau 's first novel, Housewrights , was for adults and was published by Penguin in 2002. Library Journal called it "one of the better debut novels of [the] year," while Publishers Weekly said "Corriveau is a smooth, evocative writer who creates engaging character." His adult short fiction has been anthologized in literary journals in the United States, the UK, and Canada, and as a travel writer he has lived in and written about Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and Hong Kong. He holds an MFA in writing from the University of Michigan and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Reviews (5)
Publisher's Weekly Review
This touching and engrossing story stars 11-year-old Nicky, whose parents have just split up, forcing him to move with his troubled mother to a tiny apartment in Boston. Despite having difficulty making ends meet, Nicky's mother brings home another mouth to feed: Reggie, a former guide dog. While Nicky is at first dismayed by his new companion, he quickly grows to rely on him, particularly since he is having a hard time integrating at his new school, and his father neither calls nor visits. With Reggie leading the way, Nicky visits the haunts of the dog's former owner and tries to figure out why Reggie landed at the pound. But the web of lies he tells in the process grows out of control, and ultimately he must face up to the truth and accept the dissolution of his parents' marriage. In his first book for young readers, Corriveau (Housewrights) includes cultural and geographical facts about Boston without weighing the story down. Nicky should appeal to readers who have had troubles at home or have struggled to fit in. Ages 8-12. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Following his parents' divorce, Nicky and his mother attempt to start over in a new town with the aid of a retired seeing-eye dog named Reggie. Before running away to find his father, Nicky complicates his life further by pretending to be Reggie's new blind master. Some suspension of disbelief is required, but Nicky's emotions ring true. Copyright 2010 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Since his parents' recent divorce, Nicky, 11, has moved with Mom into a rundown Boston city neighborhood. Why doesn't Dad come and take Nicky away? It must be Mom who is to blame. Then Mom brings home a guide dog, Reggie, who was trained to lead the blind before he was dumped at the pound. Nicky bonds with his new pet, and together they run away, retracing the Freedom Trail, which Nicky remembers walking with Dad. Adult writer Corriveau roots his debut youth novel in Boston's independence struggle, and the parallels get a bit heavy. What will hold readers is the young runaway's elemental bond with his loyal sidekick, shown in descriptions that cover not only the dog's training but also the realism when Nicky messes up and even endangers his pet. The characters are vividly drawn without sentimentality, especially Mom; Nicky's Latina classmate, who tries to be his friend; and the bullies who come to respect him for running away. More than independence, it is Nicky's blindness about Dad's rejection that is the powerful theme.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-Nicky and his mother live in a tiny apartment in a less-than-affluent area near Boston since his parents separated. She says he acts more like a 40-year-old man than an 11-year-old boy. In the area of behaving responsibly, she's probably right. One night, instead of dinner, she brings home a former seeing-eye dog with a mysterious past, but Nicky doesn't want him. During their walks, Reggie tries to go in certain directions, so Nicky finally lets him, hoping to discover his former owner and why Reggie was at the pound. He meets new people, becomes familiar with a new neighborhood, and discovers some of the dog's history. Nicky also tries to fit into a new school with tough kids and is confused and hurt that his dad doesn't see him on weekends. The story is told in the authentic voice of a boy who is dealing with too much upheaval in his life, including his mother's depression about her new lifestyle. What he thinks and actually says are often poles apart, but kids will immediately pick up on the difference. There are a few crude words and the action drags a bit in the middle, but young people, especially those who have had to take on responsibility at home, will enjoy the story.-Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Reeling from his parents' separation, his move from a comfortable suburban home and perennially postponed visits with his father, almost-12-year-old Nicky Flynn begins a log to record his mother's "lying" when she brings home a former seeing-eye dog to share their tiny apartment in Charlestown, near Boston. Instead, he ends up chronicling his own growing acceptance of his new situation and love for the dog, Reggie. Through his investigation of Reggie's background, he comes to recognize how he's shut his eyes to what had been going on around him and also what it would be like to be truly blind. There's a lot going on in this story: making new friends, adjusting to school and family changes, dealing with flawed parents, even the training of guide dogs. Corriveau weaves in interesting information about Boston's Freedom Trail and provides significant suspense when Nicky and Reggie actually run away. Nicky's first-person narration tends to make light of his own anger-management issues, but readers will applaud when he comes to recognize and control them. An appealing boy-and-dog story. (Fiction. 9-13)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
