Little Miss Sunshine meets Room in this quirky, heartwarming story of friendship, loyalty and discovery.
It's Newfoundland, 1986. Fourteen-year-old Bun O'Keefe has lived a solitary life in an unsafe, unsanitary house. Her mother is a compulsive hoarder, and Bun has had little contact with the outside world. What she's learned about life comes from the random books and old VHS tapes that she finds in the boxes and bags her mother brings home. Bun and her mother rarely talk, so when Bun's mother tells Bun to leave one day, she does. Hitchhiking out of town, Bun ends up on the streets of St. John's, Newfoundland. Fortunately, the first person she meets is Busker Boy, a street musician who senses her naivety and takes her in. Together they live in a house with an eclectic cast of characters: Chef, a hotel dishwasher with culinary dreams; Cher, a drag queen with a tragic past; Big Eyes, a Catholic school girl desperately trying to reinvent herself; and The Landlord, a man who Bun is told to avoid at all cost. Through her experiences with her new roommates, and their sometimes tragic revelations, Bun learns that the world extends beyond the walls of her mother's house and discovers the joy of being part of a new family -- a family of friends who care.
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"A friend actually gave me this book and when i tell you it is my new favorite book i mean it. Its such a simple story yet it pulls at the heart strings like crazy. Everytime i think everything all better, there is another rollercoaster ride just waiting for me on the next page. I highly recommend this book especially if your an east coaster. Can definitely feel the eastern love in the writing. 💖"
— HereIsSeanna (5/5)
An easy sensitive read
"A very unique book. Unique characters, interesting setting. It’s a quick read."
— Chloe P. (4/5)
Loved it!
"After reading Chicken Girl, I wanted to check out Heather Smith’s other books. I loved this one! This story had a diverse cast of characters, who lived in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Bun runs away from home and ends up moving in with a busker she meets on the street. He lives with a variety of people, including a guy who dresses up in drag as Cher and a chef. The Busker boy is Native Canadian. Bun comes from a mother who was a hoarder. There were many tough issues discussed in this story, including suicide. I loved Bun! She had a childlike innocence, even though she was fourteen. She didn’t have experience in schools, because she was only sent to kindergarten. She was educated by movies that she memorized. She took everything literally, which created some funny misunderstandings. She read and memorized the dictionary for fun. I loved her innocence. She had to grow up physically and emotionally in this story. I loved this book! I highly recommend it!"
— Jill (5/5)
My fave of 2017
"Poignant, creative and relevant. Must read everything by Heather Smith!"
— Alison (5/5)
Good story
"Nice change from depressing YA stories - it has some drama but overall a positive story."
— HappierNow (4/5)
Incredible story for young adults and adults too
"I bought this book when it first was published knowing how much I loved the author's first YA novel, but choose to save reading it for vacation - I'm glad I did since I was so involved with the characters that I couldn't put it down. From delighting in Bun's innocence to being brought to tears by her struggles to laughing with the other quirky character antics - I simply fell in love with these characters and you will too!"
— YvonneM (5/5)
what a great read
"loved this book from start to finish and loved taking the journey with this young girl"
— Stacy (5/5)
A heart-warming and heart-breaking story
"I loved this. The story pulled me in completely, and I was entranced watching Bun grow up and discover the ways of the world. This story looks at a snapshot of life in Newfoundland in 1986, where the world isn't always fair, but we can only rely on each other to get through it and learn from each other."
— JenJen (5/5)
Wonderful, emotional, heart-wrenching
"This book is quite wonderful, the characters, story and setting are just lovely."
— ChaptersCustomer (5/5)
Young girls at the age of maturing will love Bun!
"Fourteen-year-old Bun lives an unsafe and demoralizing life with her mother who is a hoarder. When she is ordered to leave, she takes to the streets. Luckily the first person she meets happens to be a young busker who opens his home and his heart to her. Readers will love Bun’s naivety, and her live in the moment spirit. This coming of age story contains mature content, and will be enjoyed by readers 12 and up."
— Barbra H. (4/5)
Q&A
Published date: Apr 02, 2019
Language: English
No. of Pages: 224
Publisher: Tundra Book Group
ISBN: 9780143198673
Dimensions:
5.56" W x
0.63" L x
8.26" H
A Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2017 One of the Globe and Mail's 100 Best Books of 2017 One of Bank Street’s Best Children's Books of The Year (2017) One of Toronto Public Library’s Great Reads for Youth 2018 One of CCBC’S Best Books for Kids & Teens (2018) Selection – OLA Forest Teen Committee’s 2018 Summer Reading List One of CanLit for Little Canadians' must-read Canadian YA books
"There's an abundance of humour both subtle and overt, and a shattering of stereotypes and tropes. . . . This is a book that grabs readers by the heart and the head." --Starred Review, Quill & Quire
"Although Bun is 14, she possesses the endearing naiveté and honesty of a child, but her first-person narration isn't sappy or immature. . . . Bun O'Keefe will settle comfortably at home in readers' hearts." --Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
"Heather Smith's second novel burns with nostalgia, wonder and sadness… a quietly profound, starkly Canadian account of being unwanted by family and society." --Globe and Mail
"Teens will truly dive into Bun’s mind and her surroundings through her understanding of the world… A nuanced, well-done novel about tough topics that deserves a place in most collections." --School Library Journal
"Smith's strength is her attention to setting details and character development. . . . Recommended." --CM: Canadian Review of Materials
HEATHER SMITH is originally from Newfoundland, and now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband and three children. Her east coast roots inspire much of her writing. Her first novel, Baygirl, received a starred review from Quill & Quire, named to the Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year, and was a 2015 White Pine Honour Book.
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