Gypsy Davey

Gypsy Davey #1

by Chris Lynch

A boy triumphs over his abusive environment in this raw and gripping story from National Book Award finalist Chris Lynch.

Davey’s had to grow up fast in order to get away—away from his beautiful mother, who loves him but can’t take care of him; away from his charismatic but reckless father, who loves him too, but can’t commit; and away from the people who look at him strangely because he’s not like them. The only constant in his life has been his sister, Joanne. She’s fed him, protected him, and taken care of him ever since she was seven and he was two.

Now Jo, still a teenager, has a baby herself, and it’s Davey’s turn to take care of someone, to offer love like he’s never known before.

National Book Award finalist Chris Lynch “describes in unflinching detail a squalid, urban scene” in this “meticulously crafted” novel with “evocative and lyrical prose” ( Publishers Weekly ).

Genres: Young Adult

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Chris Lynch is the Printz Honor Award-winning author of several highly acclaimed young adult novels, including KILL SWITCH, ANGRY YOUNG MAN, and INEXCUSABLE, which was a National Book Award finalist and the recipient of six starred reviews. He is also the author of FREEWILL, GOLD DUST, ICEMAN, GYPSY DAVY, and SHADOWBOXER, all ALA Best Books for Young Adults; EXTREME ELVIN WHITECHURCH, and ALL THE OLD HAUNTS.

He holds an M.A. from the writing program at Emerson College. He mentors aspiring writers and continues to work on new literary projects. He lives in Boston and in Scotland.

Reviews

[Phylisha Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a make you think book and a make you cry book. Davey's home life is so disturbing it's hard not to immediately dislike his absentee mother (definite mental issues, regularly disapearing gambling father and a sister heading right into her mothers footsteps who essentially raised Davey from age 7 on. Of course she can't wait to find a way out and ends up a pregnant single mom who becomes just like her mother. Poor Davey then assumes the same role in her life (caring for her BabyboyDennis) as she did for him. I don't like how the book left us and Davey hanging like it did. I

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, one of the most interesting and depressing books I've ever read, but in a good way. This book allowed insight to the life of someone that is not usually the main character of books, with such vivid and personal experiences being described. It's plot and characters are set as a model for what we really should not be in society today.

[Panther Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Davey feels like a common fictional character: mentally challenged, with a huge heart and a fierce selfless determination to do what’s right. His disaster of a family feels familiar too. But there’s something in the way that Lynch conveys all the emotion that makes this story unique. And amazing.

Chapters alternate between the narrator and Davey’s first person accounts. It’s a very effective way to explain what’s really happening, and to let us know how much Davey’s taking in.

Big sister Joanne may be my favorite character. It’s not that I could sympathize with her. But her spiral into teen mom hell is fascinating. Mom is another manic highlight. Her mood swings and explosions are near impossible to shake off.

Davey can’t put all the pieces together, but he’s always watching, and he cares so much that he can’t help but realize how bad things are. It’s especially devastating to recognize how much Davey is hurting, and the hope he holds on to.

This is a very quick read - 151 pages in my edition. That’s good too. I’m not sure how much more dysfunction I could handle.

[Ronni · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many things that make me WANT to like this book, but truly it was too depressing for me to genuinely like. I was going to give it one star and say I can't think of ANYONE I would EVER recommend it to, but as usual, as I ruminated on it I started to find more value than I did initially.

One thing I really liked from the get go, though, is Lynch's actual writing style. Not only that he included the voice of Davey, which was a great addition, but Lynch's narration never gets in its own way. Each word fits perfect with the one before and flows into the one to come, and that's a beautiful thing. True poetics here.

Another thing that makes this book worthwhile was the subtlety with which Lynch handles both dark and "adult" matter (possible prostitution, sexual innuendo, extreme dysfunction in adult relationships, childhood drug use, etc). I think so many allusions/euphemisms could go over the heads of so many teen readers, but something about the understated yet blunt treatment of adult matter in a teen book really interests me. The art of combining understatement and bluntness in the same breath is fascinating on its own, actually.

[Vanessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is so depressing that it really makes you realize the blessings in life. I wish I could give this book more stars but it has the same plot throughout the whole book. Yet, the same drama in the book kept me intrigued. This book is about a young man named Davey. Davey is neglected from his mother, abandoned from his father, and dealing with all of his older sisters issues. Everyday for dinner he eats macaroni and cheese. His sister gets pregnant and he is the one to make sure the baby gets fed, takes his medicine, and goes to sleep. This boy, almost my age, goes through so much. I was upset to read the book because of how Davey wasn't appreciated or recognized for his sacrifices and efforts. I recommend this book to young adults from 13- 20

[Anna Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

The parts where it was Davey who was narrating, with grammatically wrong sentences and some uttering, made no sense at all and was really annoying to read since there are also no punctuations. Those parts were really unnecessary. The plot was good but would not really stay for long to the minds of the readers.

[Alma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told in various voices “Gypsy Davey” is the story of a dysfunctional family and one voice that rises up like a beacon of hope from the darkness in which it finds itself. That voice belongs to twelve-year-old Davey who is a special needs child. Read the rest of my review on my blog: http://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.c...

[Suzan Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This YA novel about an autistic boy with neglectful parents packs a lot of emotion into a small package. Read my full review:

http://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2014/0...