MacGregor Tells the World

by Elizabeth Mckenzie

Twenty-two-year-old MacGregor West, orphaned as a boy, is on a quest: to understand the circumstances of his mother’s untimely death. On a foggy San Francisco evening, guided by an old stack of envelopes, Mac finds himself at the mansion of cultural icon Charles Ware, where he encounters the writer’s beautiful and enigmatic daughter, Carolyn, trapped in a fold-up bed. Upon freeing her, Mac plunges headlong into the world of the eccentric Ware family and a love affair with a woman whose murky history may be closely linked to his own.

MacGregor Tells the World is a poignant and often hilarious ride through present-day San Francisco, a city brimming with memorable characters who help Mac discover just what story is his to tell.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult

259 pages, Paperback

First published June 12, 2007

Reviews

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I purchased this book for my school library collection based on a School Library Journal review that compared Elizabeth McKenzie's storytelling and humor to that of Chris Crutcher and Ned Vizzini. Unfortunately, I didn't find that in this novel about 22-year-old Mac West, who is searching for the answers to his family background after being abandoned by his mother when he was nine. The book started off strong, and with its abundance of affluent, eccentric characters it reminded me of such John Irving novels as The World According to Garp and Hotel New Hampshire. However, I'm always annoyed when I figure out a book's "shocking" surprise many chapters before the characters get a glimmer, and that was the case here. As a result, the second half of the book was a real slog for me to finish. Despite SLJ's thumbs up, I'm not sure there's tons of teen appeal here either.

[Tom DeMarco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grabbed me immediately, but then . . .

Two compelling characters and a story intriguing enough to keep anyone reading to the end. But the book showed its own seams in a way that a storyteller as gifted as Mckenzie should never have allowed. She seems to feel the need to go Joycean on us at times, indulging in her own Bloomspeak, all of which felt pasted on. I don't mind that you're left wondering what has happened and what's going to happen; after all that is the state most of us find ourselves in as we consider our own lives. What I minded though was the two letters at the end that establish this ambiguity. The two principals as you've come to know them would never have written those letters. So the ambiguous ending was contrived. Yes, the reader is left in the dark (kind of cute), but the characters have also left each other in the dark (dumb).

[Nick Milinazzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young man in his early twenties falls in love with a girl. This girl's father is a famous author who might have knowledge regarding the death of the young man's mother. This novel felt very much like that Exquisite Corpse game: where a sheet of paper is folded into four sections, and each participant draws part of a person without seeing the contributions of the other participants. So much of the style of the tale seems flippant -- that the character's actions, as odd as they might be, are completely "normal." But there is also a Mystery element to the story. The big revelations near the end are not surprising: you can basically predict what is going to happen. It's not a bad book per se, but like the Exquisite Corpse, it just doesn't know what it wants to be. It is very charming, but it feels more fumbled than intentional.

[Tim Tendick · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the three books in my life that I stopped reading. My respected high school English teacher insisted that you give every book 100 pages to earn your interest, and it was truly a struggle to make it to 100 on this one. The author made a gallant but utterly unsuccessful attempt at writing as a man, but the book was just unreadable. Sorry.

[Octavio Solis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully realized story of a young man's search for love while he also years to know the truth about his mother. A perfect Valentine to the City of 14 Hills, my San Francisco, so gloriously depicted in these pages.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book very weird (and not in a good way). I didn't think the main characters were likable, hard to finish.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

weird.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretentious and annoying.

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

MacGregor tells the world is about an orphaned young man who goes out to find as much as he can about his mother's death. His Girlfriend who is along with him on the journey to find out the mystery of his mother's death after he saved her from a fold out bed that trapped her. He found dozens of letters from his mother so he tries to find the meaning behind them and where they came from. Around halfway in the book MacGregor finds out that her dad actually has some insight on what happened to her. But, he isn't really willing to give away the information on her death. Her father after ridiculing Macgregor and saying some mad stuff about his mom gives some info to him. After doing the research he found out that his girlfriend carolyn’s dad actually had worked with his mother before her death happens and that's why her father was resistant to share. In the end, he found out that his mother actually went to Paris and ended up drowning in a river due to suicide. After he found out the big mystery of his mother he is able to rest at ease and come to acceptance of what happened. The book was mainly about him trying to find out who his mother was so he could find out what happened to her also finding out who he is as a person. I definitely recommend the book because its thrilling to find out the mystery but the main problem is that the book gets really dragged out until the end.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

MacGregor West receives a box of his mother's things and uses the things in the box to try to piece together the answers to the mysteries of his life. What sort of person was his mother? How did his mother die? Who was his father?

The search leads Mac to the Ware family. Instead of finding answers, Mac discovers more questions. What relationship did Mr. Ware have to Mac's mother? Could Carolyn Ware be Mac's soulmate? What is the meaning behind the photo Mac discovers of his mother in Paris?

I love quirky characters and this story is full of them, but, just now and then, I felt like the author was trying just a little too hard to make them so.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

"MacGregor Tells the World" is a story about struggling to find and understand your own identity. The identity in question belongs to MacGregor West, an adolescent boy who has been living with his aunt and cousin in San Francisico. Mac, as he is usually called, has never known his father---as a matter of fact, he's not real sure who is father even is. His mother dropped him off at his aunt's one day, and never returned. Weeks later her body was found by the police, leaving Mac an orphan of sorts.

Through his whole life Mac struggles with his lack of a secure family. He often wonders why his mother left him, and why he has no father to speak of. One day his aunt presents him with a box of his mothers things. Included in these things is a stack of empty envelopes, all bearing the same return address. Seeing no better place to seek answers to his questions, Mac finds himself staring at a house located at this mystery address.

From here Mac is tossed into the world of the mysterious Ware family. Though he is searching for answers, it seems all he is finding are tougher questions. Add to the fact his very complicated feelings for Carolyn West and you have a full blown identity crisis on your hands.

The story is a decent one. It moves quickly and all the pieces fit together in a nice neat way. It is a story of human nature; of betrayal and deceit. Of vulnerability and compassion. All the elements seem to be tossed in throughout the story.

There were times I found myself wandering, as I had momentarily lost interest in the story before me. Overall though, its not terrible. If you enjoy coming of age stories you'd probably enjoy this one.

[Tom Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I found myself puzzling over Macgregor, the lead character. Before I began to move to how he apprehended the world as the POV character, I found the writing and his perspective to be out of rhythm. He also seemed younger in thought and expression, which belied many of his actions, or some of the narrative about his actions. But once his backstory was established (some points of which remained intriguingly elusive almost to the end), I liked the book—and liked it more and more as it progressed.

Lots of inviting quirky humor, the tears, tangles and triumphs of families (and the truly crazed ways they go in and out of disarray), some nice seasonings of San Francisco. A good balance of touching moments, odd moments and annoying moments. (There were a couple of characters I would have liked to pour a paint bucket over.)

This book made me curious about Elizabeth’s other works; I want to see if the same pliant, sometime asynchronous use of language and inner vision plays out in her other novels, or if they are cut from wholly different stones.

[Memet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in SF, this was an engrossing read about a young man (finally)coming to terms with being abandoned by his mother and the mystery that surrounded that critical event of his childhood. Some lovely writing in here. Can't wait to read her other book, Stop that Girl.

[Lemar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give it 5 stars due its ability to take difficult characters and make the exposition of their lives seem breezy and effortless. This is a fun book to read while it deals with uncomfortable issues that touch many modern lives.

[Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great writing style. Quirky sense of humor, bold descriptions, and an insane plot that keeps you motivated to read more.

[Christina M Rau · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was spectacular. I want to give it to everyone I know because it is simple and pretty and about a nice boy, which is a nice reminder that they exist.

[Brenda Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. A quirky fresh voice.

[Paul Andrew]

Beautifully written...a mesmerising journey of self-discovery.

[Justin Masilang · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of MacGregor told through this book is quite a hectic one. For me it was a little bit difficult to follow but in the end it all came together. The part I liked most about the story is that it has a mysterious story line to it. I am a reader who gets more intrigued by mystery and it makes me want to read more. To some readers who are into romance as well could possibly like this book as there is a large aspect of love. The way this story flows, it can easily be turned into some sort of show. Overall, I would recommend this to the types of readers who like aspects of a story that consist of mystery and romance.