Customer Reviews

Green Grass Grace: A Novel

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Green Grass Grace has got to be one of most hilarious books I have picked up in years. I haven't been this blown away by an adolescent protagonist since CATCHER IN THE RYE.

McBride tells the story of 13-year-old Henry Toohey and his childhood adventures in 1984 Philadelphia. The book is both sharp and soft, as Henry's expletive-filled mouth tells a rather beautiful story of the search for love and hope within his Irish-American family. His journey is entertaining enough but the wit with which the story is narrated makes it all worth while, maybe even more than the immortalized Holden Caufield (Holden would be unlikely to compose a sonnet to breasts--that should give you a flavor of what is going on here.) The story is filled with surprises and treats that will have you laughing to yourself long after you've put the book down.

I hate it when I can't fine books this good in hardback; I've already read it three times. Buy this book and enjoy yourself!

Though not from Philadelphia originally, I have lived here since 1991 and live a stone's throw from the mythical St. Patrick Street in the Holmesburg section of the city. Wow do I see my neighbors being echoed in this novel (and no, I do not know and have never met the author and do not have any connection to him).

When Green Grass Grace was first published, you couldn't turn the radio on without hearing something about the novel or an interview with the auther and you couldn't open up any local publications up without reading something about it - so of course I bought it. After all, I live in Holmesburg myself and can easily identify a multitude of the businesses, landmarks and places described in the novel.

Though I love to read and usually can zip through a book in a day or two - this one took me months - not because it was hard to read - on the contrary - it was easy to read. The problem was - I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END. I savored it by reading a few pages a night - not even entire chapters. I have never done that with a book before!

I don't think there was a character in the book that I didn't want to know more about. WONDERFUL!

I look forward to hearing more from Mr. McBride and hopefully someday - Mr. Toohey.

Although set in Philadelphia in the 1980's Shawn McBride has fostered an authentic feel for neighborhood life and politics in just about any city in the United States. While there are obvious details that make it Phila to those who know it, an outsider will not be in the dark if they haven't visited Tack Park or seen a 76ers game. The voice of 13-year-old Henry Toohey is brash and fresh and although female readers may have difficulty discerning if Henry's voice rings true (do 13-year-old boys really think about boobs THAT much?), Henry is a bright star in a world stuffed with books about young women "coming of age". Henry's constant fluctuations between immaturity and maturity, his desperate desire to make everything right for everyone, for his family to be happy and whole, and his naiveté in believing he can bring it about single-handedly (and at all) with a premature wedding proposal to his beloved, chain-smoking, young love, Grace, is heart wrenching. And while every character in Henry's world is dysfunctional (the rule, not the exception), they are all dynamic, eccentric, powerful, compelling, insightful, touching, and familiar. Wonder abounds that they can survive each other at all. Shawn McBride's prose is musical and wonderful. The first couple of paragraphs demand to be read out loud and they suck you into Henry's attitude for life, into his world, and really set the pace. McBride's writing hits a beat like Henry's beloved record albums, resonating with life, love and the desire to persevere.

I decided to read Green Grass Grace for three reasons; my parents grew up in Philly, I've lived my entire life in NJ a stones throw from the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge and the "Philadelphia Inquirer" gave it rave reviews. How incredible that a first time author should hit a grand slam on his first at bat! And as with any grand slam, Shawn McBride touches all the bases. This book is hilarious, sad, poignant, touching and always refreshing. We quickly fall in love with the hero of this book, Henry Toohey. Henry is a typical 13 year old--he tries to be cool, agonizes over his hair, hangs out with his buddies, loves sports, describes every woman by her cup size, worries about his dysfunctional family and is in love with a neighborhood girl. Henry also possesses a heart of gold and a garbage mouth. We follow Henry through three days of late summer as he hatches a plan to propose marriage to his girlfriend and at the same time, save his sorry family from themselves. He is a naive romantic who believes in "happily ever after." Although Henry's scheme doesn't go as planned, the end results are satisfying and touching nonetheless. The events in these three short days also prove to have a maturing influence on the young Henry and he ends the book much closer to manhood than at the beginning.

Although the book itself was thoroughly enjoyable, it was made even more so for those of us who recognize the neighborhoods, the parks, the churches, the neighborhood games (stickball and freedom), the sports teams and the houses complete with statues of assorted saints. It was also nice that this book was published first in paperback, thus making it more affordable for the average reader. I gave a number of them as gifts for Easter--something I couldn't have done if they were hardbacks.

So, to Mr. McBride, congratulations and here's hoping that this is just the beginning of a long and distinguished literary career. It is truly a delight to read a new, fresh and young voice in the publishing world.

The combination is bizarre...and works beautifully. Try not to make any judgements in the first 15 pages; you'll be glad you did.

The author did a great job of making me feel like I was reading a story from a thirteen year old boy from a working class family. It wasn't always comfortable, but I felt like I experienced his life and home. It was frequently funny, several times literally laugh out loud funny, and I came to care about the characters.

The book is a little different and a lot good. If you can get beyond the parents and children regularly swearing (and other things) in front of each other and a boy who has boobs-on-the-brain, you'll find a whole lot more beneath the surface.

I have to admit that I'm slightly embarrased, and totally thrilled, to write a completely positive review. But, read the book and just try to disagree.

I was basically demolished by the huge hearted exuberance of this astounding novel. Reading "Green Grass Grace" actually approaches a physical event: you're gonna laugh like crazy (real live tears) and cry like crazy (again, obviously, tears), reluctantly finish the damn thing (exhausted) and go back and read it again because you're just that in love with the whole messy, disasterous, beautiful world McBride creates (at least that's what I did.) Mr. McBride might restore your faith in humanity - he might even make you believe in God (although I'm sure that's the furthest thing from his mind.) But you're sure as hell going to have a great time.

Shawn McBride has shone in one novel the amount of humor, passion and hilarity an author can have at any age! His insights via Henry Toohey brought me back to my own dysfunctional adolescence. Thank you Mr. Mcbride.

About a year ago, every time I logged on to Amazon, it seemed as if the book GREEN GRASS GRACE was recommended for me to purchase. I am not sure why this title was constantly recommended to me, but it looked interesting to me and I ordered it.

This is McBride's first novel and it shows the promise of this young author. McBride creates a lovable main character in Hank Toohey, a thirteen year old growing up in an Irish-Catholic blue collar Philadelphia neighborhood in the 1980's. Readers see that life is not all that easy for the young man and we feel empathy for him, as well as for his family that has had its share of life's difficulties. Still we enjoy his antics, and genuinely want things to go well for him. His plans to propose to his girlfriend are meant to improve things for his family, and for a thirteen year old, something so outlandish could seem to work. McBride also creates other compelling characters that keep the reader involved. These people are flawed, as we all tend to be, but McBride crafts the characters in a way we like them, or at least understand them if they are less than likeable.

The book has many positive qualities: a compelling plot, lovable characters, and a clear writing style. This is not to say that the book is perfect. I did feel at times as if McBride relied on clichés and stereotypes. The Irish characters love to drink. The nuns in the book sound more like those that taught me, rather than nuns of the 1980's. I say this because I know that nuns were different in these decades. I attended Catholic schools like those mentioned in the book and know what Catholic school was like in the late 60's./early 70's. I taught in Catholic schools in the 1980's and schools were very different in these decades, at least in the New England area, but the school that Hank attends is out of an earlier time, and one that has been portrayed over and over again. Also, I have taught and/or worked with young people around Hank's age since 1985. While young teens can be somewhat oversexed and use words that begin with "f" frequently, puberty is not all they think about and the "f" word is not the only word in teenaged vocabularies, but it does play a major role in this book. I suppose we tend to remember ourselves somewhat differently from how we really were, and more than likely all readers will see a bit of themselves in the characters of this book, which may be what makes it so appealing overall.

I'm about the same age as Kevin McBride and got a real kick out of the 1984 setting of his first novel. This is a great story about love, family, dreams and just plain getting by.

This is one of those books that, when finished, you want to tell everyone you know to read, right away.

In his first novel, McBride brings vividly to life Henry Toohey; a quick witted, foul mouthed, wanna-be stand up comedian who also happens to be un-abashedly full of love. Love for his friends, neighborhood, his little sister, ..., and especially, his sligtly older sweetheart, Grace.

1984 find Toohey 13 years old in a family that between an adulterous father, a drunken older brother, and a heart-broken mother is falling apart. Henry has the solution though... he will propose to Grace, and in doing so will mend all the divides that have sprung up amongst the people he loves most.

It is touching to see a wonderful 13-year-old optimism up against the harsh world of growing up.

I was hooked from the very first line.