Customer Reviews

Chance Murphy and the Battle of Morganville

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you were a child of the 80's, then you'll especially enjoy the cultural references of "Chance Murphy" as he battles the typical adolescent foes: parental divorce, sexual awakening, sibling rivalry, and the struggle to find your place in the world. Set in small town Indiana, this is a worthy first novel by author Josh P. McClary, and it's somewhat reminiscent of Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye."

Chance Murphy is a thirteen-year-old boy growing up in Indiana. He lost an eye a few years back to a BB gun incident. His parents are divorced and his sister is mentally handicapped. His best friend lives next door, but so does his worst enemy. His father owns that local movie theatre and his mother is a high-powered lawyer. He goes through crushes, hatred, love, and pain in several ups and downs throughout the year or so that the story covers.

I have never known a kid that seems this messed up. He has family problems, friend issues, religious compunctions, and enough school issues to land him in detention for life. I often questioned his sanity and wondered if physiological intervention was needed. However, I cracked up at his antics and even remembered playing some of the games he loves (who can forget the weeks of waiting to see if the laser tag game was under the Christmas tree?).

That was what made this book such a great read. I felt like I not only knew Chance, but I was part of his life. The descriptive language brought everything to life. From the packed movie theatre that would aggravate anyone, to the nail-biting basketball game, you feel as all five of your senses are engaged. I was with Chance life like a fly on the wall while he went through his day-to-day life. You didn't always like him, but that just contributed to making him feel even more real.

Even though the Chance character was a little over the top (I really hope most thirteen-year-olds don't have SO many issues), you grew attached to him almost immediately and wanted him to pull through everything unscathed.

Chance Murphy's life is like a rollercoaster ride that throws more then one curve ball and will make you think a lot about your own life. It brings situations alive that will make you question how you would feel and react, no matter what your age.

Armchair Interviews says: Maybe you know a Chance Murphy in your life.

Inane drivel. There is no significance, no plot, just an endless droning of common events in a young boys life.

There is a reason this book is selling for pennies on the dollar. It has very little value.

Also notice that all previous reviews were made within 2 months of the 2007 publishing date. This is suspicious to say the least.

In the summer of 1986, Chance Murphy was living in Morganville, Indiana with his mother and his mentally handicapped older sister, Sabby. His parents are divorced and his father lives with his old Vietnam buddy, Pete, in an apartment over The Murphy. The Murphy is the local movie theater, and Chance and his sister went weekly to spend time with their father, but also to partake of "Monday Movie Madness", a tradition in the town of Morganville.

Chance is not your average 13-year-old. He has dreams of grandeur. His grandfather died during WWII while fighting the Germans. He wanted to be soldier too, but an accident when he was little involving his best friend Dan and a BB gun put an end to that dream quickly. He has the normal problems that any kid has at that age, and yet they always seem bigger to Chance. He lives across the street from his mortal enemy Otto Manheim (the dirty "Hun"). His best friend Dan lives next door with his perfect (at least to the outside world) family. When Dan gets home cooked breakfast consisting of eggs and whole hog sausage, Chance is forced to endure bran flakes and a mom that works all the time. And his sister Sabby is sweet and he loves her, but sometimes it's hard dealing with her handicap.

I really enjoyed this book. It's hard not to like Chance and feel sorry for him, although he has a lot of anger issues. In fact, he has a lot of issues period. He's got a mouth on him that needs a good bar of soap, and a temper that is hard for him to control. But through it all, Chance has a good heart. He really WANTS to be a better person, he just can't quite get there. But I think that's what being a 13-year-old is all about. Trying to become the person you will eventually grow up to be. And Chance has a lot of growing to do.

One of the best things about this book is all the pop culture references. When Chance is DYING to have Laser tag under the Christmas tree that year, it brought me back in time to my brother wanting the same thing!! From Top Gun and The Breakfast Club to Coca-Cola Shirts and Guess? Jean jackets, I was definitely transported back to the my days in jr. high and high school! Isn't that really the fun of books?

This book is flat out hilarious! The best book I've read in a long time. It took me back into the day, but is still a great story of everyday life. I recommend this book for anybody that wants to be entertained and is tired of reading the same 'ol, same 'ol.

Set in 1986 small-town Indiana, Chance Murphy and the Battle of Morganville is a novel about a thirteen-year-old boy who longs to be a man but hasn't quite finished growing up. Chance Murphy dreams of being a war hero, but has lost his eye in a BB gun skirmish and fears his wish can never come true. He loves yet simultaneously resents his handicapped sister, and has difficulty coming to terms with the understanding that she will need a brother all her life. At times his paranoia flares and he keeps an enemies list including his mother, and his tensions with neighbor kid Otto Manheim (an ancestral German and Chance's archenemy) threaten to unbalance the sometimes narrow catwalk of his daily life. Told in first person, Chance Murphy and the Battle of Morganville is a coming-of-age tale of a more-or-less ordinary teen coming to grips with the challenges of life itself.

Chance Murphy sucks you into the 1980's like you never left it behind. This books tells of the struggle and worries of a 13 year old boy in a sometimes (most of the time) humorous way. You really pull for Chance although he is labeled the "troubled" kid, you know he has a good heart. His emotional struggle with all the people in his life makes you wonder how any of us came out the other side normal. This funny and very entertaining book is definitely worth the read. I look forward other works by Josh McClary.

For anyone who grew up in the 80s this book takes you back to your childhood with many references to popular culture of the time. As you turn the pages and learn about the battles Chance must fight you remember how the experiences and outcomes of the big events of childhood (teachers, parents, first dates, first kisses, school athletics, etc.) were the most important things in your life at the time. In hindsight they are just memories some fond and not so fond.

Even if you didn't grow up the 80s or want to relive your childhood the story is a great one complete with villians, heros, character flaws that make it hard to put down without starting the next chapter. I throughly recommend this for anyone who wants a page turning story to enjoy.

You want to get inside a 13 year old boy's head. This story gives you a three dimensional character to study! He is equiped with the honesty of innocent questions to the hateful desires of a boy coming of age and all with a little spice of humor. Chance Murphy is a boy trying to become a man forgetting how wonderful youth is. His quirky adventures are humorous and revealing. How does a 13 year old boy think? You'll find out while giggling at his discoveries about the opposite sex and his determination to be a great General. Playground fights are battles. Girls become traitors. The grass is always greener next door. But getting through homeroom seems impossible! The perfect balance of humor and tears. I loved it!