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From Publishers Weekly
Rebellious adolescents are pretty much the same the world over, a point borne out by Newfoundland-born Hynes's debut about growing up in a small town in Canada's easternmost province: his teenage characters get high, have sex, and insult and outrage the adults around them. True, they speak a Celtic-tinged dialect (which Hynes captures masterfully), and they commit their minor social crimes in an isolated, rural setting that amplifies their discontent. Hynes's antihero is Keith Kavanagh, a hard-drinking bad boy ("a bit of a savage," his best friend Andy admits), who strives in self-destructive ways for love and respect. Keith's clipped but evocative narration trades off with the similarly poetic, snappish, adolescent narration by Andy and Keith's girlfriend, Natasha. The self-contained chapters read almost like short stories: the birth of Andy and Keith's friendship; Keith's drug-addled killing of a sick cat; a run-in between Natasha and her father over a sex toy. Raunchy, humorous and energetic, Hynes's novel engrosses, but never truly surprises: the author owes a large debt to Holden Caulfield for Keith's interior monologues and consistent attacks on hypocrisy. But it's a gritty, moving portrait of growing up—or trying to, anyway. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
In this raw debut that has earned honors in Canada, Hynes concocts a portrait of a bad-boy Newfoundlander as if slinging blood and guts onto a canvas. On the ice, Keith Kavanaugh acts as if he's "in constant competition with his own penalties-per-minute record," which turns out to reflect his broader approach to life. When he and his girlfriend, Natasha, move to provincial capital St. John, Keith's boozing and tripping eventually wear thin; Natasha's efforts to extricate herself send Keith into a tailspin that eventually slams him, as they say in "newfie" slang, right down to the dirt. Vignettes written in gritty vernacular conform to a deceptively formal structure, with events initially presented from alternating perspectives but eventually settling deep into Keith's fogged, self-absorbed point of view. Readers up to the challenge of Hynes' blink-if-you-dare storytelling, particularly stark in a scene involving a botched euthanization of a sick cat, will find themselves yanked between sympathy and revulsion and echoing one of Keith's characteristically pithy sentiments: "I'm laughin' now, but not in a healthy way. More like a last resort." Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A near-masterpiece,
By
This review is from: Down to the Dirt (Paperback)
It follows in the tradition of American writers like Twain, Kerouac, Salinger, and Bukowski: No pretences.It's the kind of book you give to people who don't read much, and dare them not to like it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Down to the Dirt,
By Joey S "JoS" (BC Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Down To The Dirt (Paperback)
The second novel by an tremendously sensitive voice of modern Newfoundland, this book remained in my mind long after I read it. I've shared it with friends who have all reacted the same way. I am looking forward to his next effort.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book, Great read, I couldn't put it DOWN!!!,
By
This review is from: Down to the Dirt (Paperback)
This book is a great book, with great characters. Keith the main character made me feel what it was like to be 16 again. I read this in 2 days or so, minus, the school i did, and the bathroom breaks. I could not put this book down. I even Laughed out loud in some parts, and that alone makes me excited about another book. BUY THIS BOOK!!
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