Book Description

Thirteen-year-old Tom, an unhappy foster child in Liverpool, falls into a massive open grave and is transported to Ireland in 1847 in the middle of the deadly potato famine.

Thirteen-year-old Tom Mullen has always been alone, moving about from one disastrous foster home situation to another. He has never known the true meaning of family love. When he hears that a mass grave has been unearthed on his school grounds, he feels drawn to the grave, pulled toward it, but can’t explain why.

I sucked in a deep breath to try and calm my bursting chest. The smell from the open grave wasn’t bad the way you’d expect from so many dead people. . . . But it wasn’t the smell that got to me, it was the feeling that something in the black pit was calling and reaching out to me, pulling me, that same urge again, the one I’d been getting for the past couple of days, but stronger now and more powerful. It terrified me, if you really want to know the truth.

The truth is Tom’s life is about to change forever.
... Read more

Reviews (5)

The Grave
In the beginning things are a little confusing but as you continue it gets really ineresting. It starts with Tom Mullen. That's not his real name though. It's the name one of his "fozzies" gave him when he was young. He considers himself a loner but at the Two Peas (his new fozzy) its a bit difficult. There is another kid there, Brian, who is a little slow and totally dependant on Tom. Brian annoys Tom very much but later on he realizes he really likes him.
A new school is being put up but something delays the construstion and Tom drags Brian along to find out what it is. The discover a mass grave. The grave is what takes Tom back in time to the 1800's to help the Mohanagans. Tom even starts to like the daughter, Hannah. Now I won't ruin this book for anyone who hasn't read it yet, but it is a really good book.

good combtnation
good combtion of histrocal fiction and sicne fiction, time travel in one book. the stroy is good to your really feel from and understand tom.

Decent historical novel
The teen book club at the neighborhood branch of our city library system chose The Grave for the February book -- but I was the only one who showed up for the discussion!

What was the book about? Well, the construction of a new school is no secret, but something the builders find is. Tom and Brian decide to check it out. What they learn is extraordinary: the excavation site is a grave with hundreds of coffins! When a guard discovers the youths and comes running, they begin to flee the gruesome site, but Tom stumbles into the grave. The next thing he knows, he's flying through time back to 1847, back to the Irish Potato Famine.

Well written, suspenseful historical novel that teaches as it entertains.

~ JFS

One of The Best!@!
I found this book to be amzingly well written and the characters were built carefully and slowly. I am 12 and found this book to be one of the best I've read! WONDERFUL BOOK! You'll never be able to put it down so quickly order it now and read the best book of your life!

For Time Travel and Historical Fiction Fans!
Tom Mullen is a foster child in 1974 Liverpool, England. He becomes curious about the rumors of a mass grave found near his school. While exploring the grave, he falls into the open pit and is transported to Ireland during the Irish Potato famine. He befriends the Monaghan family after saving Tully's (the oldest son) life. The descriptions of the Monaghan family and the others suffering in the potato famine are vivid. Readers will become engrossed in this part of the story. One feels empathy for the family and the horrors they must face daily. Tom travels back and forth in time regularly and readers may find this confusing. Only at the end of the story will this constant travel make sense. Also, the book is full of British slang. Those that are unfamiliar with British slang may find some of the slang confusing. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy time travel and/or historical fiction. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Stunning Book!
Waiting for Sarah was an amazing read!

Mike was in an accident that killed his family and made him lose the lower part of his legs. His only family is his aunt. After a LONG absence from school, he returns. He is commisioned to make a project about the history of his school and town. While doing this, he meets a girl named Sarah. He learns a heart-wrenching secret about Sarah, and sets out to give her the peace she needs.

I was very impressed by James Heneghan's description of the Mike's grief. This is a stunning book, I reccomend it to males and females, 12+!!!!

great bk!!
its an awesome book and no its not boring its really interesting and kind of "deep" but i like it [because it] was a little creepy about sarah and all though but overall its a gd bk!!

BORING!!!
This book was ssssssssooooooooooooooooo boring! all it did was drag on and on about nothing that was important. In most books there is and interesting twist that makes you want to keep reading, but not this book! DON'T BUY THIS BOOK!!!!! IT WAS HORRIBLE!!!!!!!

Terrible change and recovery evolves
Mike's parents and sister are dead, his legs are gone, and his life is shattered. He returns to school bitter and distant until he meets Sarah and discovers her secrets. Waiting For Sarah is a very finely written and highly recomended story of terrible change and recovery evolves.

Mixed reaction
While I appreciate the fact that the author attempted to tackle such heavy subject matter, I really didn't understand the point of the story. Was it a story about a boy learning to cope with his new life after the loss of his family and his legs? Or was it a ghost story? Somehow, I didn't quite understand how the two were supposed to fit together. As a result of the strange mix, I felt that Mike's problems were not really delved into as deeply as they could have been, and the ghost story seemed like a superfluous plot that was tacked on as the author started to shirk away from the heavy subject matter. Had it been just a straight ghost story, the whole issue of loss on Mike's part would have been unnecessary; why would he need to suffer such an enormous tragedy to work on the yearbook?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that it seemed like the tragic elements were only added for shock value, and then cast aside in order to tell the ghost story. It could have been either a story of coping with loss, or a standard ghost story. Instead, the two were mixed and, as a result, the book didn't quite work. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This book is misleading, but good
I read the book Hit Squad by James Heneghan for a school project. It is an adventure book. It is also fiction. This book is very misleading. It has many surprises. I enjoyed this book because this book has mysteries to it that are not solved until the end.
I'd give this book about 3 stars. You can make connections in this book with real world affairs. An example of this is the quote "The ski masks gave the kidnappers an even more menacing and scary look." This can relate to real world affairs by terrorists are doing the exact same thing every day all over the world.
The book Hit Squad was intresting. You don't know what is going to happen next. The ending is very surprising. You'll never guess what is going to happen. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

review
"Torn away" was quite interesting. The book was easy to read, among other things because of the annotations an the easy English language that the author used.
But the book is written with typical clichés, a bit like a feri-tale or a Hollywood film. The plot and especially the end was very simple to guess. While reading the book, I knew that Declan will stay in Canada. But If had written the book, I would not haven done it that way, because it's absolutely not Declan's character. His most important aim is to take revenge for the death of his family. And the fact that his father was killed by his own people changes his opinion about him and the Protestants, but I can't imagine that Declan changes completely after he knows that. His stay in Canada is not convincible for me. So the plot was too superficial and especially in the last chapters, you get the impression that Heneghan wants to finish the book; lots of events, but with no explanations.
Further more this kind of story does not please me. A point is missing, perhaps a love story or something like that. The whole book is about nature, a nice family and a boy who is so bitter, but in spite of, he finds a wonderful family. The moral: the world is fair.

Juliane

comment on a novel
"torn away" is a grat book which gives the reader a realistic insight in the Irish Question and its consequences which they certainly have on young kids like Declan. Though the story seemed to be a bit predictable from up to the middle (it was clear that he stays in Canada, otherwise Heneghan would have failed his moral),the autor achieves maintaining the tension until the happy end. Declan is torn between two worlds:on the one hand violence,death,revenge and cruelty in Northern Ireland and on the other hand the peaceful Canadian countryside symbolizing the love of his family.The development that he has to go through impressed me very much: at the beginning he felt so contemptuous, full of hate and revenge and after a while he began to identify with his relatives and their way of living. It`s precious to read it!!!

A ¿fixer¿s world
Representation of real political problems or just English shoddy?

The book „Torn Away" deals with a boy, called Declan who is an Irish Catholic and lives in Falls Road/Belfast. His mother and sister died in a bomb attack which was organised by the Brits. Left alone and filled with wrath and anger, Declan joins the terror group "Holy Terrors". There youngsters learn to build bombs and plan attacks against the British army. However, he shell be brought to his uncle who lives in Canada. Declan tries to refuse because he thinks his uncle Matthew is a coward and a traitor of the country because of immigrating to British Columbia. After a lot of attempts to escape, police manages to take him into his uncle's custody.
Although, his aunt, uncle and the both adopted kids Ana and Thomas are very friendly and caring, Declan still has the wish to return. First a bargain makes him remain: If he stays until after Christmas and joins school, Matthew won't stop Declan leaving and pays his journey home.
But whilst time passes, Declan starts to accept Ana and Thomas as a real brother and sister. He is departed between the family feelings and the so-called "fixer's world", as he calls his new home.
The book "Torn Away" has its focus on the Northern Irish conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. The main reasons of fighting with each other are shown very clearly in this book. It recovers the means which the IRA uses to damage or kill their enemies, the Brits. I like the representation of the strong will-power which is in the Catholic and Protestant mind in order to get through their aim for their country. However, the realisation of the difficult topic about the young terrorist Declan isn't so convincing. At the beginning of the story, the rough reality is shown clearly. But the more Declan is "caught" by the family's generosity and kindness, the more the ending is absolutely clear. To put it in a nutshell: The character of the almost innocent family is too unrealistic and invisible to regard the story as a realistic happening within a Catholic boy's life.
So, thank you James Heneghan, but the moral of "Torn Away" is clear: Violence is never a solution!

review for miss aulmann
The novel "Torn Away" written by James Heneghan is focused on the life of a thirteen year old boy who lost his family during a terrorist attack and is deported to his only relative left, his uncle Matthew in Canada.
Being involved in a youngsters terrorist group in Belfast, fighting against the Prods(Protestants,the British and the authorities he is forced to leave Ireland, starting a new live in Canada. After his arrival he acts in a very rude, reserved and aggressive way against all attempts to include him in the family. Although he still insists on his opinion, that he wants to leave Canada as soon as possible to take a revenge his family he starts to notice, that he will miss his new family.

We had to read the book in our English-class and so at the beginnig we were not very pleased. But after reading the first chapter which made a strong impact on us, our interest was caught and we enjoyed the novel more and more.

Torn Away
We've read this book in class and talked a lot about it and wrote a reading journal.
This book is about a 13-year-old boy who lost his family in a bombing of the IRA and is forced to leave Northern Ireland to stay with his only relatives in Vancouver, Cananda. He is a very headstrong and stubborn boy and tries to escape serval times even from Canada. But in time he begins to like his "new" family and decides at the end to stay with his uncle his aunt and their adopted children in Canada...

We've liked reading this book because it's easy to understand and the story is exciting. Also because we like happy ends. :) ... Read more

Book Description

Jamie Monaghan wishes the war would hurry up and arrive in Liverpool. Despite the nightly air raids, the food rationing, and the gas masks he and his friends have to carry with them at all times, World War II has had little effect on life in Jamie's neighborhood. Jamie longs for a taste of the drama and excitement he hears about every night on the radio.

Soon the war hits a little too close to home. Fearing for Jamie's safety, his parents arrange for him to travel to Canada aboard the City of Benares, a ship carrying 100 young British evacuees. But in wartime, danger lurks in the most unexpected places. Instead of carrying Jamie away from the front lines, the ship brings him closer to battle than he or his parents ever would have dreamed possible. Before his voyage is complete, Jamie's courage and heroism will be put to the test, and his life will be changed forever. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Wish Me Luck
Reviewer: Middleschool student
Wish Me Luck by James Heneghan.
Jamie lives in Liverpool during World War 2. During the first year of the war there were no air-raids or nothing, so kids and adults started ignoring the war, until one night when the war struck to close to home. Jamie's parents decided to send him to Canada on a boat along with the new kid, Beeker.
On the boat a Navy escort for protection followed them from the U-boats. When the Navy Escort left, Jamie and Bleeker knew they were in danger. That night the boat was bombed, and Jamie and Bleeker were in for the most horrible night of their lives.
Exciting and suspenseful. James Heneghan's creative writing makes you feel like your there. I recommend this book to eight graders and up because it's a little hard to understand sometimes and has bad language.

Titanicish story from a kids point of view
This is one of my favorite novels to date. The story is that a 12 year old boy is deppressed that he has to leave his parents and England behind, he makes friends and has to endure the teasing of a bully who is in the same cabin as him. However they do not know that the ship they are on will be sunk by a U-boat and that of the 100 kids abord only 14 will survive. Will they be among them? This is a gripping novel with a facinating look at life on a ship and at home from a kids point of view. This book has everything, suspense,horror,religion,and even some romance. The chapter on the sinking is very gripping and exciting. The only complaint I had was that there was not more coverage of the hospital ship and there were a few inapropriate scenes for anyone under 12. Otherwise its excelent.

The Good: Gripping story, excititing sinking sequences, good look at life during WWII

The bad: little coverage of the hospital ship

And the ugly: some inapropriate moments involving naughty bits.

Good Plot But Needing a Bit More Finishing
I thought the story of the book was really quite good but it definitely needed something more. More than likely, some editing. Also, it felt like he was trying to rush everything. I think he could have probably made this a 400 page novel instead of a 200 page kid's book.

A great adventure novel with lots of suspense!!
This book was a real eye opener as to what the second world war actually was like. The book is slow at times but when it gets exciting it really gets exciting. My suggestion would be not to stop reading when it gets slow because it will pick up the pace very soon. Overal I would say that this is a very worthwhile book if your interested in World War II.

Gripping novel about children evaucuated from WWII England.
My twelve-year-old sixth grade boy and I just finished this wonderful novel. I am a children's librarian, but my son is a picky reader. Our favorite book to date is The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle by Avi, which won a Newbery Medal. Wish Me Luck has many of the same elements that make Charlotte Doyle so terrific: thoughtful, original characters, adventure and excitement. Kids who enjoyed the movie Titanic and like to read will enjoy this book. It has bombings, fires, lurking submarines and finally, a shipwreck. Any book that will induce your child to hide under the covers witha flashlight and read a chaper ahead, I consider a winner. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's a good thing that 11-year-old Andy Flynn has the Sheehogue, orFairy people, looking out for him, or he'd be up a creek--literally! WhenMosquito Creek floods suddenly after weeks of unrelenting rain, Andy, hisfamily, and their entire house get swept away into the raging river. Due to agroup of watchful Sheehogue who push him to safety, Andy survives. His motherand stepfather are not so lucky. Depressed and defeated, Andy is forced to leaveVancouver and move in with his grim-faced Aunt Mona in Halifax. There, he makesthe happy discovery that his real father lives nearby. Heartened, Andy runs awayfrom Mona to live with his dad. At first, Vincent Flynn seems thrilled. But hejust can't seem to remember to buy enough food to feed a growing boy, and hisgambling and drinking have police and thugs alike knocking on his door all hoursof the day and night. The Sheehogue watch worriedly over Andy, nervous that thelife they saved is in danger again. But Aunt Mona hasn't given up on Andyyet--and the Sheehogue may have a few more tricks up their emerald sleeves...

Irish-born Canadian author James Heneghan gambles on a mix of lighthearted Irishfolklore and a rather somber story of a lost and lonely boy. But imaginativeplotting and well-constructed characters makes this gamble pay off. Reminiscentof Floodland and Witch Hill, both by MarcusSedgwick, Flood is another satisfying, magically real read formiddle-grade students. (Ages 10 to 14) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more