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School Library Journal
Reviewed on February 1, 2004
Gr 5-8 Doyle sets his story in the waning weeks of World War II. Martin O'Boy is an expert observer and narrator of the summer of 1945, focusing both on the ups and downs of his family and neighbors; news from the war; and the popular culture of the day, including Captain Marvel (who shares his name with Martin's friend Billy Batson). His naive voice mirrors the limited understanding of the book's prospective readers while adults will immediately see that the boy's presumptive mentor at...Log In or Sign Up to Read More
Horn Book Magazine
Reviewed on March 1, 2004
Brian Doyle revisits Lowertown, Ottawa, at the end of World War II—essentially the setting of Angel Square—to offer up his version of "The Spider and the Fly." The fly is the young narrator, Martin O'Boy, who has, as his recently deceased grandmother once told him, "the kind of beautiful face that people will always want to believe." Martin also has a severely mentally disabled twin brother, a mean-tempered father, and a best friend, Billy Batson (sharing his name with Captain Marvel's alt...Log In or Sign Up to Read More
