What do you think?
Rate this book
The Agony of Bun O'Keefe
1986 Newfoundland. Bun O’Keefe 14, has an eccentric point of view to tell us her unusual story. Her ma told her to go, so she did.. In the nearest city, the girl is taken in by a street musician. The shared house has an eclectic cast: a pot-smoking dishwasher with culinary dreams; a drag queen with a tragic past; a Catholic school girl desperately trying to reinvent herself; and the landlord to be avoided at all cost.
218 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2017
25 people are currently reading
1628 people want to read
About the author
Heather Smith
14 books170 followersOriginally from Newfoundland, Heather Smith now lives in Waterloo, Ontario, with her husband and three children. Her Newfoundland roots inspire much of her writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 382 reviews
July 12, 2024
reread #2 - five years later and it's still just as good. @heather smith pls give me a second novel
--
reread #1: I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant to read this again, because I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it almost a year later. i’m happy to announce it was just as good as the first time.
—
this is the easiest five stars I have ever given to a book. words cannot describe how much I loved it, how it touched me, and how an entire portion of my heart now belongs to Bun O’Keefe and her story. this book is sooo underrated and is gem of a novel.
I initially picked up this book because I was excited to read about hoarders. but how was I to know that I’d be reading one of my favorite books of 2018? it took me 20 pages to be completely and utterly immersed in the story and not stopping until I was done. it’s short and sweet and super binge-able.
when Bun O’Keefe’s mom tells her to “go on, get out!”, she does.
for fourteen years of her life, she has lived with her hoarder mother and learned everything she knows from VHS tapes and the various books her mom brings home. every morning, Bun’s mom heads out with her wagon and returns with garbage bags full of junk. upon returning, she sits down in her palace of garbage bags and… eats.
she eats, she eats, she eats. she barely talks to her daughter. the only physical contact the two have is when Bun has to pull her mom out when she gets stuck in the accumulated pile of garbage.
and Bun O’Keefe? she’s someone I will forever keep close to my heart. she is just so, so precious. she’s a walking factbook, who spends every christmas listening to the guy on TV tell her he likes her. she puts the radio and the TV on at the same time so it sounds like she’s having a christmas party. she has had one of the most troubling childhoods; she’s malnourished, she doesn’t know anything of the outside world, she has no street sense. no matter how smart she may seem, she is desolate. and since she knows nothing, she thinks that she is deserving of everything that is happening to her. she doesn’t even have the sense to acknowledge that there is anything wrong with her mother calling her retarded, shoving her so hard she falls against the sink and bruises her ribs.
this life is all she has ever known.
so when her mother tells her to get out, she does. she knows no better. she walks to st.john’s, newfoundland. on the street, she asks a man where she can find a mission to stay in. he doesn’t say goodbye, so when he gets up and walks away, she follows him.
that man is known as Busker Boy. he takes Bun to his “temporary accommodations” and introduces her to Chef, Cher and Big Eyes. and Bun O’Keefe becomes their roomate.
and finally, Bun finds a family. a family of four people who were brought together by circumstance, struggling to get by in life and their own internal struggles. when they had no one, they had each other.
i’m not a crier. 120%, I don’t cry when reading, at least not easily. but every chapter made me want to collapse into tears. how everyone loved Bun, took care of her, and how Bun reacted to all the love was just beauty in itself. she is nurtured enough to make up for the fourteen years she spent alone. and Bun is so loveable, you can’t help but know that she deserves everything and more.
and nothing is perfect in this book. it’s raw and real. it captures, in just 240 pages, what prejudice and depression can do to a person. it’s so naturally diverse and heartbreaking. I was rendered speechless for a straight 30 seconds after I finished reading this masterpiece, because I just didn’t want it to end. I knew I’d never find a book that would make me feel the way Bun did.
busker boy
busker boy deserves the world. I just have so much love for this man, this boy who gave Bun a home and a place in his heart. even when he was hurting, grieving, he was there for Bun. he loves Bun in a way only a brother can, in a way that brought tears to my eyes. I’M IN TEARS RIGHT NOW WRITING THIS BECAUSE I JUST LOVE BUSKER BOY SO MUCH AND NOTHING WILL EVER COMPARE. I have so much love in my heart right now for busker boy and I worry it’ll overflow and spill into this review so i’m going to stop writing about him.
chris/cher
for Bun, he’ll do anything. and just… so many parts of his story, especially regarding his dad really pulled at my heartstrings.
chef
a dishwasher who has dreams of becoming one of the greatest chefs in Canada. in every way, the chef made me feel every emotion on the spectrum. his character is super low key but has such a strong effect.
big eyes
big eyes was a character that battled so much but kept it all bottled up inside her, until the very end. born in a strict catholic household, when traumatizing events happen to her, they are ignored and the mindset is branded into her that everything is her own fault, that she is dirty and sinful. and her “bleepin’s” made me laugh, and she made me cry, and she’s just an all-around beautiful character.
please guys, don’t sleep on this. it:
-is canadian
-makes you cry
-makes you laugh
-makes you never want to stop reading the book
-is naturally diverse
-is heartbreaking
-has an effortless and easy to read writing style, even though it was a bit hard to get into
-has so many happy moments!! cure to your slump!
i’m recommending it to all my friends on goodreads just to get more reads. just to get more love for the wonderful journey it will take you on. this will be better than any nicola yoon or jennifer niven you have ever read (i hope. speaking so highly of a book always makes me nervous.)
it is my lifelong aspiration to meet heather smith and tell her how much I admire her, and that her talent astounds me. I want to thank her for writing this book that will forever change my life. this is one of the most gush-filled reviews i’ve written, but if you’ve read it all, thank you. now read the book!!!!!!
--
reread #1: I’ll admit, I was a little hesitant to read this again, because I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about it almost a year later. i’m happy to announce it was just as good as the first time.
—
this is the easiest five stars I have ever given to a book. words cannot describe how much I loved it, how it touched me, and how an entire portion of my heart now belongs to Bun O’Keefe and her story. this book is sooo underrated and is gem of a novel.
I initially picked up this book because I was excited to read about hoarders. but how was I to know that I’d be reading one of my favorite books of 2018? it took me 20 pages to be completely and utterly immersed in the story and not stopping until I was done. it’s short and sweet and super binge-able.
when Bun O’Keefe’s mom tells her to “go on, get out!”, she does.
for fourteen years of her life, she has lived with her hoarder mother and learned everything she knows from VHS tapes and the various books her mom brings home. every morning, Bun’s mom heads out with her wagon and returns with garbage bags full of junk. upon returning, she sits down in her palace of garbage bags and… eats.
she eats, she eats, she eats. she barely talks to her daughter. the only physical contact the two have is when Bun has to pull her mom out when she gets stuck in the accumulated pile of garbage.
and Bun O’Keefe? she’s someone I will forever keep close to my heart. she is just so, so precious. she’s a walking factbook, who spends every christmas listening to the guy on TV tell her he likes her. she puts the radio and the TV on at the same time so it sounds like she’s having a christmas party. she has had one of the most troubling childhoods; she’s malnourished, she doesn’t know anything of the outside world, she has no street sense. no matter how smart she may seem, she is desolate. and since she knows nothing, she thinks that she is deserving of everything that is happening to her. she doesn’t even have the sense to acknowledge that there is anything wrong with her mother calling her retarded, shoving her so hard she falls against the sink and bruises her ribs.
this life is all she has ever known.
so when her mother tells her to get out, she does. she knows no better. she walks to st.john’s, newfoundland. on the street, she asks a man where she can find a mission to stay in. he doesn’t say goodbye, so when he gets up and walks away, she follows him.
that man is known as Busker Boy. he takes Bun to his “temporary accommodations” and introduces her to Chef, Cher and Big Eyes. and Bun O’Keefe becomes their roomate.
and finally, Bun finds a family. a family of four people who were brought together by circumstance, struggling to get by in life and their own internal struggles. when they had no one, they had each other.
i’m not a crier. 120%, I don’t cry when reading, at least not easily. but every chapter made me want to collapse into tears. how everyone loved Bun, took care of her, and how Bun reacted to all the love was just beauty in itself. she is nurtured enough to make up for the fourteen years she spent alone. and Bun is so loveable, you can’t help but know that she deserves everything and more.
and nothing is perfect in this book. it’s raw and real. it captures, in just 240 pages, what prejudice and depression can do to a person. it’s so naturally diverse and heartbreaking. I was rendered speechless for a straight 30 seconds after I finished reading this masterpiece, because I just didn’t want it to end. I knew I’d never find a book that would make me feel the way Bun did.
busker boy
busker boy deserves the world. I just have so much love for this man, this boy who gave Bun a home and a place in his heart. even when he was hurting, grieving, he was there for Bun. he loves Bun in a way only a brother can, in a way that brought tears to my eyes. I’M IN TEARS RIGHT NOW WRITING THIS BECAUSE I JUST LOVE BUSKER BOY SO MUCH AND NOTHING WILL EVER COMPARE. I have so much love in my heart right now for busker boy and I worry it’ll overflow and spill into this review so i’m going to stop writing about him.
chris/cher
for Bun, he’ll do anything. and just… so many parts of his story, especially regarding his dad really pulled at my heartstrings.
chef
a dishwasher who has dreams of becoming one of the greatest chefs in Canada. in every way, the chef made me feel every emotion on the spectrum. his character is super low key but has such a strong effect.
big eyes
big eyes was a character that battled so much but kept it all bottled up inside her, until the very end. born in a strict catholic household, when traumatizing events happen to her, they are ignored and the mindset is branded into her that everything is her own fault, that she is dirty and sinful. and her “bleepin’s” made me laugh, and she made me cry, and she’s just an all-around beautiful character.
please guys, don’t sleep on this. it:
-is canadian
-makes you cry
-makes you laugh
-makes you never want to stop reading the book
-is naturally diverse
-is heartbreaking
-has an effortless and easy to read writing style, even though it was a bit hard to get into
-has so many happy moments!! cure to your slump!
i’m recommending it to all my friends on goodreads just to get more reads. just to get more love for the wonderful journey it will take you on. this will be better than any nicola yoon or jennifer niven you have ever read (i hope. speaking so highly of a book always makes me nervous.)
it is my lifelong aspiration to meet heather smith and tell her how much I admire her, and that her talent astounds me. I want to thank her for writing this book that will forever change my life. this is one of the most gush-filled reviews i’ve written, but if you’ve read it all, thank you. now read the book!!!!!!
September 7, 2017
Both cute and quirky and dark and dismal. Upsetting at times, uplifting at others. This story is about a unique girl named Bun O'Keefe. When her mother demands she leave their home one day, she goes. She leaves behind a mother with a lot of issues and a large house they could barely move around in thanks to her mother's excessive hoarding.
Fourteen year old Bun hasn't been in school since kindergarten. When her father left, her mother told everyone he took their daughter with him. But there she remained... nearly buried by junk, neglected and unloved as the trash she was surrounded with.
Bun is an odd duck. She hasn't been schooled or socialized, and as a result she says whatever is on her mind while remaining extremely naive. However, you couldn't call her stupid. She has an active brain filled with random facts. It's like she knows something about nearly everything. She certainly knows nothing about surviving on the streets when she leaves home, and as a reader I breathed a sigh of relief when the first person she comes across is kind hearted and willing to help.
Busker Boy takes her in and introduces her to an eclectic cast of characters: Chef, Big Eyes, Chris/Cher, and The Landlord, who is the only one she's warned to stay far away from. The others welcome her with open arms, intrigued and amused by this girl who is different than anyone else they've ever met. Bun has found her tribe.
This book covers a lot. The hazard and joy of being different, dealing with tragedy, prejudice, abuse, and neglect... and it does it in just over 200 pages. While the language is not graphic, the subject matter gets heavy and I don't think I'd recommend it to a child under twelve or thirteen.
I flew through this book. There were moments that were rough to read, but I still couldn't put it down. Chock full of very memorable characters, I'd recommend it as a one sitting read when you're in the mood for a YA that's a bit unusual.
I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Penguin Teen, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
Fourteen year old Bun hasn't been in school since kindergarten. When her father left, her mother told everyone he took their daughter with him. But there she remained... nearly buried by junk, neglected and unloved as the trash she was surrounded with.
Bun is an odd duck. She hasn't been schooled or socialized, and as a result she says whatever is on her mind while remaining extremely naive. However, you couldn't call her stupid. She has an active brain filled with random facts. It's like she knows something about nearly everything. She certainly knows nothing about surviving on the streets when she leaves home, and as a reader I breathed a sigh of relief when the first person she comes across is kind hearted and willing to help.
Busker Boy takes her in and introduces her to an eclectic cast of characters: Chef, Big Eyes, Chris/Cher, and The Landlord, who is the only one she's warned to stay far away from. The others welcome her with open arms, intrigued and amused by this girl who is different than anyone else they've ever met. Bun has found her tribe.
This book covers a lot. The hazard and joy of being different, dealing with tragedy, prejudice, abuse, and neglect... and it does it in just over 200 pages. While the language is not graphic, the subject matter gets heavy and I don't think I'd recommend it to a child under twelve or thirteen.
I flew through this book. There were moments that were rough to read, but I still couldn't put it down. Chock full of very memorable characters, I'd recommend it as a one sitting read when you're in the mood for a YA that's a bit unusual.
I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Penguin Teen, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
November 20, 2018
4.5 Stars
I just inhaled this and my emotions are not okay. This book is almost like 'Annie' but in a very rough, raw setting that feels real.
--------
Look who's actually reading ARCs again!
(So what if it came out two months ago, it counts)
I just inhaled this and my emotions are not okay. This book is almost like 'Annie' but in a very rough, raw setting that feels real.
--------
Look who's actually reading ARCs again!
(So what if it came out two months ago, it counts)
September 5, 2017
When her 300 pound hoarder mother tells this smart as a whip yet extraordinarily literal 14 year old daughter to get out, Bun does and leaves the remote place she has always resided (I refuse to call it a home or living). She finds her home in the city with a group of strangers, the names of almost all we never learn.
Bun's father left when she was five, at which point her mother made her invisible. Telling everyone Bun had gone with her father, her mother withdrew her from school after she'd only attended Kindergarten and proceeded to focus solely on her hoard. Bun taught herself everything she knows from the various books and VHS tapes that made their way into the house with the towers of stuff her mother gathered. Yes, you read that right. I said VHS. We travel back to the 1980's in this book.
So, with all of Bun's book smarts, incredible talent for memorising entire documentaries (here's to you, Jimmy Quinlan) and her lack of any form of contact with the world except possibly on Tuesdays when she'd walk half an hour to shower at the RV park, Bun is completely naive regarding social norms. She doesn't lie, doesn't tell jokes and she doesn't do sarcasm. What comes out of her mouth is usually delightfully inappropriate and giggle worthy.
I'm bleepin' certain that my heart grew larger while reading The Agony of Bun O'Keefe and I'm pretty sure Bun is going to inhabit that extra space for a long time to come. This story should be a tragedy, covering a range of themes including sexuality, abuse, neglect, abandonment, rejection, sexual assault, suicide, grief, discrimination and outright bigotry, yet it's not. The reason it's not? Bun O'Keefe and her family. Not the family she was born into. Nope. They suck.
I'm talking about her other family that all live in the same temporary accommodation - Busker Boy, Big Eyes (thanks for the lesson in fake swearing, Big Eyes), Chef and Cher who is sometimes Chris. [Oh, and Dragon Man lives in the attic in the temporary accommodation but he is most definitely not family and doesn't deserve precious words wasted on him.]
This book follows the lives of a bunch of society's supposed misfits who we'd all be better off knowing and we would be so blessed to be grafted into their family. Everyone in this family have histories that haunt them and as we learn more about them and their pasts, we learn to love them all. This group of loveable outcasts show compassion that they haven't been given, understanding that they've been denied and a purity of love that I doubt they've often felt, if ever.
The writing style made me want to beg Heather Smith to give me writing lessons. There was a simplicity to the way this book read, like you're listening in on a conversation, but told in such a gorgeous way. I almost feel as though Heather bewitched me because I can't tell you exactly how she made me connect so deeply and so quickly to this many diverse characters but she did a brilliant job. This book brought echoes of Billie Letts' writing style to mind, perhaps because of the host of quirky characters and the ability to put a knife through my heart yet give me hope at the same time.
This should be one of the most depressing stories you've ever read but it's told with such grace and beauty that I wound up smiling at all of the funny little things that made their way out of Bun's mouth. Beneath the surface you are sure to feel an ache for her and the life that she and her new family have endured, and sometimes that ache will flare into an open wound, but you will be OK because this family won't let you wallow in your sadness for long. Yes, I did need Kleenex and yes, I did cry six times but I promise you that over half of those times they were 'oh, that's so beautiful' tears.
The ending was so sweet I could almost taste it but that didn't bother me in the slightest. After what these people have been through, they deserve every snippet of happiness that comes their way.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback. This book is now one of my all time favourites. Whatever Heather Smith writes, I plan to read, no questions asked.
Bun's father left when she was five, at which point her mother made her invisible. Telling everyone Bun had gone with her father, her mother withdrew her from school after she'd only attended Kindergarten and proceeded to focus solely on her hoard. Bun taught herself everything she knows from the various books and VHS tapes that made their way into the house with the towers of stuff her mother gathered. Yes, you read that right. I said VHS. We travel back to the 1980's in this book.
So, with all of Bun's book smarts, incredible talent for memorising entire documentaries (here's to you, Jimmy Quinlan) and her lack of any form of contact with the world except possibly on Tuesdays when she'd walk half an hour to shower at the RV park, Bun is completely naive regarding social norms. She doesn't lie, doesn't tell jokes and she doesn't do sarcasm. What comes out of her mouth is usually delightfully inappropriate and giggle worthy.
I'm bleepin' certain that my heart grew larger while reading The Agony of Bun O'Keefe and I'm pretty sure Bun is going to inhabit that extra space for a long time to come. This story should be a tragedy, covering a range of themes including sexuality, abuse, neglect, abandonment, rejection, sexual assault, suicide, grief, discrimination and outright bigotry, yet it's not. The reason it's not? Bun O'Keefe and her family. Not the family she was born into. Nope. They suck.
I'm talking about her other family that all live in the same temporary accommodation - Busker Boy, Big Eyes (thanks for the lesson in fake swearing, Big Eyes), Chef and Cher who is sometimes Chris. [Oh, and Dragon Man lives in the attic in the temporary accommodation but he is most definitely not family and doesn't deserve precious words wasted on him.]
This book follows the lives of a bunch of society's supposed misfits who we'd all be better off knowing and we would be so blessed to be grafted into their family. Everyone in this family have histories that haunt them and as we learn more about them and their pasts, we learn to love them all. This group of loveable outcasts show compassion that they haven't been given, understanding that they've been denied and a purity of love that I doubt they've often felt, if ever.
The writing style made me want to beg Heather Smith to give me writing lessons. There was a simplicity to the way this book read, like you're listening in on a conversation, but told in such a gorgeous way. I almost feel as though Heather bewitched me because I can't tell you exactly how she made me connect so deeply and so quickly to this many diverse characters but she did a brilliant job. This book brought echoes of Billie Letts' writing style to mind, perhaps because of the host of quirky characters and the ability to put a knife through my heart yet give me hope at the same time.
This should be one of the most depressing stories you've ever read but it's told with such grace and beauty that I wound up smiling at all of the funny little things that made their way out of Bun's mouth. Beneath the surface you are sure to feel an ache for her and the life that she and her new family have endured, and sometimes that ache will flare into an open wound, but you will be OK because this family won't let you wallow in your sadness for long. Yes, I did need Kleenex and yes, I did cry six times but I promise you that over half of those times they were 'oh, that's so beautiful' tears.
The ending was so sweet I could almost taste it but that didn't bother me in the slightest. After what these people have been through, they deserve every snippet of happiness that comes their way.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback. This book is now one of my all time favourites. Whatever Heather Smith writes, I plan to read, no questions asked.
June 16, 2021
The Agony of Bun O'Keefe was a whirlwind of emotion - joy, nostalgia, wonder and heartache. I felt it all.
This book is about the young Bun O'Keefe, a girl who has grown up in mountains of trash with her abusive mother. And when Bun's mother tells her to leave, she does. Not knowing where she's heading, Bun stumbles upon a boy that takes her home and slowly but surely introduces her to his friends and life, while also teaching her what a family truly is.
Heather Smith writing style is so wonderful and raw and I won't do it any justice trying to explain it. It's very simple and often reminded me of how Patrick Ness wrote the masterpiece that is The Knife of Never Letting Go - and Bun O'Keefe was the perfect narrator for that kind of writing.
Oh, Bun. I just wanted to hug that poor, brilliant child. That little nest that Smith built in my heart, that is purely Bun. A child that had been mistreated her entire life, abandoned and chased out, alone except for her documentaries and book. A child so unfamiliar with love that when it hit, it confused her, but that still manages to spread so much love around her.
But it would be unfair to only write about Bun. Every character in this was amazing - Basker Boy, who saved Bun and who himself got saved by her in return. Big Eyes and her trying to find acceptance, both from the rest of the world and herself. Chef, calm Chef that filled both Bun's heart and belly. And Chris/Cher, the wonderful, strong and clever queer man who was a drag queen and was told to "straighten up" by his parents. I loved them all. I wanted to take them in, hold their hands and thank them for the hope they gave me through the kindness they showed Bun and each other throughout this book. It sounds ridiculous, but it's books like The Agony of Bun O'Keefe that push me to become a better person. For kids like Bun.
I really don't understand why this book is so underrated. It's incredibly well-written, diverse (for example, Basker Boy is Aboriginal Canadian), will make you cry, make you laugh and never leave your heart. Read it.
This book is about the young Bun O'Keefe, a girl who has grown up in mountains of trash with her abusive mother. And when Bun's mother tells her to leave, she does. Not knowing where she's heading, Bun stumbles upon a boy that takes her home and slowly but surely introduces her to his friends and life, while also teaching her what a family truly is.
Heather Smith writing style is so wonderful and raw and I won't do it any justice trying to explain it. It's very simple and often reminded me of how Patrick Ness wrote the masterpiece that is The Knife of Never Letting Go - and Bun O'Keefe was the perfect narrator for that kind of writing.
Oh, Bun. I just wanted to hug that poor, brilliant child. That little nest that Smith built in my heart, that is purely Bun. A child that had been mistreated her entire life, abandoned and chased out, alone except for her documentaries and book. A child so unfamiliar with love that when it hit, it confused her, but that still manages to spread so much love around her.
But it would be unfair to only write about Bun. Every character in this was amazing - Basker Boy, who saved Bun and who himself got saved by her in return. Big Eyes and her trying to find acceptance, both from the rest of the world and herself. Chef, calm Chef that filled both Bun's heart and belly. And Chris/Cher, the wonderful, strong and clever queer man who was a drag queen and was told to "straighten up" by his parents. I loved them all. I wanted to take them in, hold their hands and thank them for the hope they gave me through the kindness they showed Bun and each other throughout this book. It sounds ridiculous, but it's books like The Agony of Bun O'Keefe that push me to become a better person. For kids like Bun.
I really don't understand why this book is so underrated. It's incredibly well-written, diverse (for example, Basker Boy is Aboriginal Canadian), will make you cry, make you laugh and never leave your heart. Read it.
July 19, 2018
4 strong stars
Damn, this was too short of a read. From page one I was engrossed with Bun's quirky character & was sad when I had to put it down. Her strong voice & sense of self made for a welcome surprise that complimented Smith's powerful writing. At the beginning of the story we see that Bun was living with her emotionally abusive hoarder mother who demanded that she leave. So she did. At 14, Bun has not gone to school since kindergarten, so she doesn't have the socialization skills that most others would have at her age. Thus, she says whatever's on her mind & likes to reveal random facts. But she's still naïve, & when she leaves she meets Busker Boy, a 21-year-old willing to take her in. (And no, it's not like that. BB later tells Bun that he thinks of her as his little sister.)
Busker Boy introduces Bun to other characters: Chris/Cher, Pop Girl, Big Eyes, Chef & The Landlord (whom she is instructed to stay away from). These individuals become the family & support system Bun has never had. While not every character was entirely fleshed out, I felt like Smith added enough backbone to their stories so they wouldn't be interchangeable with one another. Each character had a distinct voice- whether good or bad- which I appreciated. For a book just over 200 pages, it covers a lot, such as: abuse (emotional & there is a sexual assault, though not graphically described), harmful Native American stereotypes, drag queen prejudice, & parental neglect. Again, nothing is graphic but the naivety of Bun & the blunt way things are written make for a haunting & dark read. That being said, I loved this book & eccentric characters. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt & it was just too short so only going 4* on this one. I know there's a 99.999999% chance Smith will never pen a sequel but these characters are too good to waste. Highly recommended for those who want something a little different.
Damn, this was too short of a read. From page one I was engrossed with Bun's quirky character & was sad when I had to put it down. Her strong voice & sense of self made for a welcome surprise that complimented Smith's powerful writing. At the beginning of the story we see that Bun was living with her emotionally abusive hoarder mother who demanded that she leave. So she did. At 14, Bun has not gone to school since kindergarten, so she doesn't have the socialization skills that most others would have at her age. Thus, she says whatever's on her mind & likes to reveal random facts. But she's still naïve, & when she leaves she meets Busker Boy, a 21-year-old willing to take her in. (And no, it's not like that. BB later tells Bun that he thinks of her as his little sister.)
Busker Boy introduces Bun to other characters: Chris/Cher, Pop Girl, Big Eyes, Chef & The Landlord (whom she is instructed to stay away from). These individuals become the family & support system Bun has never had. While not every character was entirely fleshed out, I felt like Smith added enough backbone to their stories so they wouldn't be interchangeable with one another. Each character had a distinct voice- whether good or bad- which I appreciated. For a book just over 200 pages, it covers a lot, such as: abuse (emotional & there is a sexual assault, though not graphically described), harmful Native American stereotypes, drag queen prejudice, & parental neglect. Again, nothing is graphic but the naivety of Bun & the blunt way things are written make for a haunting & dark read. That being said, I loved this book & eccentric characters. I felt the ending was a bit abrupt & it was just too short so only going 4* on this one. I know there's a 99.999999% chance Smith will never pen a sequel but these characters are too good to waste. Highly recommended for those who want something a little different.
January 19, 2022
The agony of wanting more of this book.
My favourite read of all time. I am in awe of how great different stories can fit in 224 pages. How a short novel can make me feel a variety of feelings, some still unnamed. This book is my aesthetic, a gentle eye-opener to what the world has instilled in us. A reminder that the society reacts interconnected within and everything has a domino effect. That's how much of a good book it is. But every good book has its pros and cons for every reader. Listed below are some of mine:
These are simply my observations. Although I noticed some cons, overall it's still a 5 out of 5 stars from me. I urge everyone to read this book.
My favourite read of all time. I am in awe of how great different stories can fit in 224 pages. How a short novel can make me feel a variety of feelings, some still unnamed. This book is my aesthetic, a gentle eye-opener to what the world has instilled in us. A reminder that the society reacts interconnected within and everything has a domino effect. That's how much of a good book it is. But every good book has its pros and cons for every reader. Listed below are some of mine:
Pros:
● The retro aesthetic vibes pouring from the pages into the readers' imaginations.
● A very relaxing read but holds a dark and more in-depth message about today's society.
● Gripping and can be read in just one sitting.
● Promoting diversity at its finest.
● The impact of the book stays for a long time.
● Characters are not easy to forget because everyone has their distinct voice.
● Unusual setting, we can barely read any Canadian fiction books in the YA section.
Cons:
● Too short.
● Some dialogues are out of place and are simply fillers.
● The point of view sounded like a fourteen-year-old girl but thinks like an adult woman with so many experiences in life. Makes me think, maybe she's reincarnated.
These are simply my observations. Although I noticed some cons, overall it's still a 5 out of 5 stars from me. I urge everyone to read this book.
September 19, 2017
I received this book for free through LibraryThing’s Early Reviewers.
This book was utterly amazing! It simultaneously broke my heart and gave me warm fuzzy feelings that filled my heart with joy.
The characters were hands down the best part. Bun was a precious cinnamon roll (no pun intended). Busker Boy was the sweetest. The way he took care of Bun was so heartwarming. I really liked how his Innu culture was incorporated in the story. Chef, Big Eyes, and Chris/Cher complete their family of misfits and I loved them all. They all had their own issues but I loved how they came together to help Bun.
I also loved the pop culture references. The book took place in 1986/1987 so there were a lot of them.
Overall, this book was insanely good. Like go and read it now!
This book was utterly amazing! It simultaneously broke my heart and gave me warm fuzzy feelings that filled my heart with joy.
The characters were hands down the best part. Bun was a precious cinnamon roll (no pun intended). Busker Boy was the sweetest. The way he took care of Bun was so heartwarming. I really liked how his Innu culture was incorporated in the story. Chef, Big Eyes, and Chris/Cher complete their family of misfits and I loved them all. They all had their own issues but I loved how they came together to help Bun.
I also loved the pop culture references. The book took place in 1986/1987 so there were a lot of them.
Overall, this book was insanely good. Like go and read it now!
April 2, 2023
what first drew me to this book was its title. its painful little title.
it's about bun o'keefe, of course. bun is an intellectually precocious and socially stunted 14-year-old who has just been kicked out of the home of her neglectful hoarder mother in 1980s canada. bun tells her own story, and she tells it in simple, almost childlike writing. she has a straightforward, tell-it-like-it-is perception of the world, and is confident in herself and her perspectives. while reading, i wondered if this was supposed to be coded neurodivergent rep or if we're just supposed to chalk her quirks up to her dysfunctional upbringing.
after bun leaves home, she ends up on the streets, but not for long. she is taken under the wing of a busker boy, who lives with a creepy landlord, as well as a ragtag group that becomes bun's found family: big eyes, who is an ex-religious young runaway, chris/cher, who is a gay drag queen estranged from his family, and chef, who is a sensitive mohawked friend who loves to feed the house. along with busker boy, this group becomes the family bun has always needed.
what puzzles me most about the book is its target audience. bun tells the story in a rather simple manner, so it reads like a middle grade novel. but it contains extremely serious content. there's racism against busker boy, who is indigenous, as well as homophobia and anti-AIDS discrimination against chris/cher. there is the darkness of bun's mother's mental health problems, as well as the neglect and emotional abuse in bun's past. the found family unfortunately faces a suicide close to them. bun deals with abandonment issues from her father, and the landlord stands as a looming threat of pedophilia. so many intense issues are touched upon, and bun experiences so many different griefs at once. it's a lot, even for YA, and the contrast of bun's straightforward narration delivers all of this even more intensely.
overall, it's a very touching story. one of my favorite parts is when bun teaches busker boy to substitute a tree for a magic 8 ball. you sit under the branches on a breezy day, ask a question, and wait for the creaks of the tree's limbs to tell you your answer.
。。。
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest (and belated) review.
it's about bun o'keefe, of course. bun is an intellectually precocious and socially stunted 14-year-old who has just been kicked out of the home of her neglectful hoarder mother in 1980s canada. bun tells her own story, and she tells it in simple, almost childlike writing. she has a straightforward, tell-it-like-it-is perception of the world, and is confident in herself and her perspectives. while reading, i wondered if this was supposed to be coded neurodivergent rep or if we're just supposed to chalk her quirks up to her dysfunctional upbringing.
after bun leaves home, she ends up on the streets, but not for long. she is taken under the wing of a busker boy, who lives with a creepy landlord, as well as a ragtag group that becomes bun's found family: big eyes, who is an ex-religious young runaway, chris/cher, who is a gay drag queen estranged from his family, and chef, who is a sensitive mohawked friend who loves to feed the house. along with busker boy, this group becomes the family bun has always needed.
what puzzles me most about the book is its target audience. bun tells the story in a rather simple manner, so it reads like a middle grade novel. but it contains extremely serious content. there's racism against busker boy, who is indigenous, as well as homophobia and anti-AIDS discrimination against chris/cher. there is the darkness of bun's mother's mental health problems, as well as the neglect and emotional abuse in bun's past. the found family unfortunately faces a suicide close to them. bun deals with abandonment issues from her father, and the landlord stands as a looming threat of pedophilia. so many intense issues are touched upon, and bun experiences so many different griefs at once. it's a lot, even for YA, and the contrast of bun's straightforward narration delivers all of this even more intensely.
overall, it's a very touching story. one of my favorite parts is when bun teaches busker boy to substitute a tree for a magic 8 ball. you sit under the branches on a breezy day, ask a question, and wait for the creaks of the tree's limbs to tell you your answer.
We're all damaged, in a way. But it's nothing that can't be fixed. You just have to kick out the dents from the inside.
。。。
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest (and belated) review.
October 30, 2018
A | 95%
You should read this if you're into:
Unique YA gems, 1980s Canada, quick reads, lovable and flawed characters, books that make you laugh and cry in equal measure, looking for the silver lining
You should read this if you're into:
Unique YA gems, 1980s Canada, quick reads, lovable and flawed characters, books that make you laugh and cry in equal measure, looking for the silver lining
August 19, 2017
This review is also on my blog illbefinealonereads
The Agony of Bun O’Keefe is one of my favorite reads from this summer, it left me wishing for more. The story touches on serious subjects, but the writing itself is really airy which makes it impossible to put it down. Mrs. Smith does an amazing job of bringing the story to the reader, I found it easy to relate to the events, the emotion just jumps off the page. I found the characters well developed, their relationships were fun to witness. I can’t wait to get my hands on another of Heather Smith’s books.
This is the perfect read for fans of YA.
*Copy received through NetGalley
*Original rating: 5/5 stars
The Agony of Bun O’Keefe is one of my favorite reads from this summer, it left me wishing for more. The story touches on serious subjects, but the writing itself is really airy which makes it impossible to put it down. Mrs. Smith does an amazing job of bringing the story to the reader, I found it easy to relate to the events, the emotion just jumps off the page. I found the characters well developed, their relationships were fun to witness. I can’t wait to get my hands on another of Heather Smith’s books.
This is the perfect read for fans of YA.
*Copy received through NetGalley
*Original rating: 5/5 stars
November 6, 2017
I fully recognize that I am in the minority here, but I did not like “The Agony of Bun O’Keefe” at all. The main character bothered me, even though she was supposed to be one I felt sympathetic toward. There were good issues brought up, but there were way too many and it made the whole thing seem crowded and rushed. The only things I liked about it was the character of “Busker Boy” and the diversity.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
This unbiased review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.
March 20, 2018
I was about the same age as protagonist Bun O'Keefe and also living in Newfoundland in 1986, so I sort of feel like Bun and me go way back. This novel might be aimed at the 9 to 12 year-old set, but this grownup got a kick out of all the 80s references. Duran Duran, Elton John, Casey Kasem's American Top 40, The Cosby Show, Mr. Rogers, The Facts of Life and other musicians and TV shows popular in the 80s are peppered throughout the book. I did catch a few maybe anachronisms, but nothing glaring enough to bother griping much about. (I also won't gripe about seeing this book pegged as historical fiction, as I find it hard to grasp that the 1980s is now "historical." Ouch.)
"The Agony of Bun O'Keefe" is set in the 1980s, but it is very much a book of this time in that Heather Smith has managed to put in just about ALL the hot topics of today: sexuality, homosexuality, missing and murdered indigenous women, racism, sexual abuse, child abuse, sex work and trafficking, hoarding, obesity, mental health, suicide, drugs, religion, broken families, childhood trauma, neurodiversity and self-harm. Part of the way that Smith gets all of these topics into not a really long novel is to gather together into one St. John's row-house what at first seems rather a motley crew of individuals. There is Busker Boy (an Innu young adult from Labrador), Chef (a mowhawk sporting hotel dishwasher with a penchant for the culinary arts), Big Eyes (a sort of lapsed Catholic who is big on 80s hair and makeup [weren't we all?]), Chris (a former med student who works as a drag queen with a fondness for Cher and Barbara Streisand) and Dragon Man (their menacing landlord and pimp).
With the exception of Dragon Man, the gang of roommates gather to nurture and protect Bun, who has spent most of her young life essentially trapped in an isolated and physically and emotionally unhealthy home with her dysfunctional mother. Her only real socialization or education has come from books, videotapes, magazines and TV. Her emotional and physical development have suffered, and although it is never explicit, the reader suspects that Bun is somewhere on the autism spectrum, perhaps having Asperger's Syndrome. The row-house roomates-cum-family nurture Bun with food, clean clothes, Al Purdy poems, Innu legend, hair-braiding, music, Christmas gifts, a library card, affection and acceptance. Busker Boy, in particular, becomes her special protector, calling her Nishim (Little Sister).
Smith shows a deft hand by never making the story too horrific nor too sweet. I look forward to reading more of her work - and am compelled to watch the National Film Board documentary that Bun O'Keefe knows by heart, and from which the title of Smith's book draws. The Agony of Jimmy Quinlan, a 1978 film profiling a homeless alcoholic man in Montreal. You can watch it, too, for free on the NFB website https://www.nfb.ca/film/the-agony-of-... If you read "The Agony of Bun O'Keefe," watching the NFB film will almost seem mandatory because you will want to see what Bun saw.
"The Agony of Bun O'Keefe" is set in the 1980s, but it is very much a book of this time in that Heather Smith has managed to put in just about ALL the hot topics of today: sexuality, homosexuality, missing and murdered indigenous women, racism, sexual abuse, child abuse, sex work and trafficking, hoarding, obesity, mental health, suicide, drugs, religion, broken families, childhood trauma, neurodiversity and self-harm. Part of the way that Smith gets all of these topics into not a really long novel is to gather together into one St. John's row-house what at first seems rather a motley crew of individuals. There is Busker Boy (an Innu young adult from Labrador), Chef (a mowhawk sporting hotel dishwasher with a penchant for the culinary arts), Big Eyes (a sort of lapsed Catholic who is big on 80s hair and makeup [weren't we all?]), Chris (a former med student who works as a drag queen with a fondness for Cher and Barbara Streisand) and Dragon Man (their menacing landlord and pimp).
With the exception of Dragon Man, the gang of roommates gather to nurture and protect Bun, who has spent most of her young life essentially trapped in an isolated and physically and emotionally unhealthy home with her dysfunctional mother. Her only real socialization or education has come from books, videotapes, magazines and TV. Her emotional and physical development have suffered, and although it is never explicit, the reader suspects that Bun is somewhere on the autism spectrum, perhaps having Asperger's Syndrome. The row-house roomates-cum-family nurture Bun with food, clean clothes, Al Purdy poems, Innu legend, hair-braiding, music, Christmas gifts, a library card, affection and acceptance. Busker Boy, in particular, becomes her special protector, calling her Nishim (Little Sister).
Smith shows a deft hand by never making the story too horrific nor too sweet. I look forward to reading more of her work - and am compelled to watch the National Film Board documentary that Bun O'Keefe knows by heart, and from which the title of Smith's book draws. The Agony of Jimmy Quinlan, a 1978 film profiling a homeless alcoholic man in Montreal. You can watch it, too, for free on the NFB website https://www.nfb.ca/film/the-agony-of-... If you read "The Agony of Bun O'Keefe," watching the NFB film will almost seem mandatory because you will want to see what Bun saw.
Read
November 6, 2017When Bun's mother -- a hoarder -- tells her to get out, she does. Bun, who hadn't been to school since kindergarten and had an absent father, could no longer live with her mother and walked. And walked. And walked.
By luck, she met a 20-something busker who took her in, along with a crew of ragtag roommates. This experience helps Bun come into her own, but it's through another traumatic experience that the relationships Bun has in her lives really come to help shape a course for her future she'd never anticipated.
Moving and a rare example of the 1980s setting doing a lot for the story. We not only have some pop culture, but we have a look at sexuality, about the AIDS epidemic, and even some about human trafficking .
The voice is a little hard to connect to, but that's purposeful. This would be a harder sell to general readers, but for teens who want darker stories about a teen learning to really grow up all on her own, this is a good pick. And I cannot rave enough about it being shorter, without sacrificing character development, plot, or exploration of tough topics. Bun is also a young teen -- 14 -- which is quite rare to see.
By luck, she met a 20-something busker who took her in, along with a crew of ragtag roommates. This experience helps Bun come into her own, but it's through another traumatic experience that the relationships Bun has in her lives really come to help shape a course for her future she'd never anticipated.
Moving and a rare example of the 1980s setting doing a lot for the story. We not only have some pop culture, but we have a look at sexuality, about the AIDS epidemic, and even some about human trafficking .
The voice is a little hard to connect to, but that's purposeful. This would be a harder sell to general readers, but for teens who want darker stories about a teen learning to really grow up all on her own, this is a good pick. And I cannot rave enough about it being shorter, without sacrificing character development, plot, or exploration of tough topics. Bun is also a young teen -- 14 -- which is quite rare to see.
June 28, 2018
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”--John Green. He just might have been talking about this book. My new colleague Jenny Zbrizher made me read this original, brilliant, funny, poignant book about a girl who leaves her abusive hoarder mother and finds a beautifully mismatched family of her own. And I'm so glad she did. Now you go and read it too!
June 1, 2021
I love hitting on a great book after a long drought. So far 2021 hasn’t been fruitful on five-star finds and this one was a lovely surprise.
June 26, 2017
General rating: ★★★☆
Diversity rating: ★★★★ (POC, LGBT+: gay, drag queen (does that count??), minority: native American, disability/disorder: OCD)
The Agony of Bun O’Keefe by Heather Smith is, I believe, a middle grade contemporary. It tells the story of fourteen-year-old Bun, who is one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever read about. The book is not only really good, it’s also very diverse.
Although this book is marketed as middle grade (or isn’t it?), the topics that this book covers are way heavier than the average middle-grade book. This book covers topics varying from loss, underweight and even sexual assault and abuse. I am not sure whether I would recommend this book to any 12-ish year olds, since these topics are not really pre-teen friendly.
Bun has always lived with her obsessive compulsive hoarder mother, but after her dad left, she stopped feeling. She became distant from all emotions. She didn’t go to school and all she knows is from books and movies. She is surprisingly smart, that is, she knows a lot, but socially her skills are less good. As the characters in the book fell in love with her, I did too. She takes everything literally and doesn’t understand jokes or metaphors. During the book, there is a large character development going on. Bun learns about her own emotions and learns to function socially. But like the characters in this book would say, Bun shouldn’t change herself, because she is perfect the way she is.
The writing style was quite confusing sometimes. I don’t know if it’s because of my edition, but there often was no line break between different characters talking and often I didn’t know who was speaking.
I am giving this book 3.5 stars because it was very interesting to read about such a character and about all the troubles she uncovered. The book was very diverse, had great main and side characters, showed amazing friendships and felt very real. I’m not giving it 4 stars because it lacked a feeling I can’t really describe, I missed the feeling of being dragged into the story. I really liked it, but I didn’t love it. Overall I would recommend this book to 14+ year old readers who want to read more diverse books and are interested in reading about quirky characters in a setting that is different from any other.
Diversity rating: ★★★★ (POC, LGBT+: gay, drag queen (does that count??), minority: native American, disability/disorder: OCD)
The Agony of Bun O’Keefe by Heather Smith is, I believe, a middle grade contemporary. It tells the story of fourteen-year-old Bun, who is one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever read about. The book is not only really good, it’s also very diverse.
Although this book is marketed as middle grade (or isn’t it?), the topics that this book covers are way heavier than the average middle-grade book. This book covers topics varying from loss, underweight and even sexual assault and abuse. I am not sure whether I would recommend this book to any 12-ish year olds, since these topics are not really pre-teen friendly.
“Do you really not have any goals?” he asked.
“Not that I can think of.”
“I thought everyone had goals, even if it was just to get through the day.”
“That’s not a goal,” I said. “It’s an inevitability. Unless you get hit by a car or something.”
Bun has always lived with her obsessive compulsive hoarder mother, but after her dad left, she stopped feeling. She became distant from all emotions. She didn’t go to school and all she knows is from books and movies. She is surprisingly smart, that is, she knows a lot, but socially her skills are less good. As the characters in the book fell in love with her, I did too. She takes everything literally and doesn’t understand jokes or metaphors. During the book, there is a large character development going on. Bun learns about her own emotions and learns to function socially. But like the characters in this book would say, Bun shouldn’t change herself, because she is perfect the way she is.
“Don’t ever apologize to me for sharing the thoughts that you have in your head. They’re honest and real and, more importantly, they’re you.”
The writing style was quite confusing sometimes. I don’t know if it’s because of my edition, but there often was no line break between different characters talking and often I didn’t know who was speaking.
“We’re all damaged in a way. But it’s nothing that can’t be fixed. You just have to kick out the dents from the inside.”
I am giving this book 3.5 stars because it was very interesting to read about such a character and about all the troubles she uncovered. The book was very diverse, had great main and side characters, showed amazing friendships and felt very real. I’m not giving it 4 stars because it lacked a feeling I can’t really describe, I missed the feeling of being dragged into the story. I really liked it, but I didn’t love it. Overall I would recommend this book to 14+ year old readers who want to read more diverse books and are interested in reading about quirky characters in a setting that is different from any other.
May 28, 2017
*4.25 Stars*
Upon first finding The Agony of Bun O' Keefe on Netgalley, I knew I was in for a quirky, fun read. I love reading about the 1980's and finding out how it was like to live back then, and plus, I love celebrating my country by reading Canadian books. Put the two together, and here is the awesome book you get!
This book totally met those expectations of a vibrant, quirky read. I LOVED the protagonist, and even though this book had a lacklustre plot, I still felt gripped to it.
The Agony of Bun O' Keefe, as you would likely guess, is about a young girl named Bun. She feels mistreated at home, so she runs away and decides to live with a street musician she meets and his other friends and family members. For the first time in a while, she feels as if she belongs. But do her parents care enough to come searching for her?
I loved Bun. LOVED her! She was so naïve and innocent, and right from the first page, I found myself loving her quirks and relatability(not that that's a word...)- I could truly relate to every second thing she said. I feel like if I got the chance to meet Bun in real life, we would make great friends.
Even though it may have been a tad immature for Bun to run away from home on impulse, her adaptability to new situations is simply amazing. She was taken in by such a welcoming, jolly crowd, and it was a blast to read about!
The plot of this book, as I said before, was lacking, to say the least. For a book like this one, that's actually not such a bad thing as the maximum spotlight is put on the strong, interesting, fun characters and their development by the end of the story.
In conclusion, I absolutely adored The Agony of Bun O' Keefe, although there were some very minor flaws. The characters were some of the most developed ones that I've read about in such a long time, especially the main character, Bun. For those wanting to get their hands on a quirky novel taking place in the 1980's, mark your calendars for September 5th, as that is when this beauty can enter your hands!
*I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Upon first finding The Agony of Bun O' Keefe on Netgalley, I knew I was in for a quirky, fun read. I love reading about the 1980's and finding out how it was like to live back then, and plus, I love celebrating my country by reading Canadian books. Put the two together, and here is the awesome book you get!
This book totally met those expectations of a vibrant, quirky read. I LOVED the protagonist, and even though this book had a lacklustre plot, I still felt gripped to it.
The Agony of Bun O' Keefe, as you would likely guess, is about a young girl named Bun. She feels mistreated at home, so she runs away and decides to live with a street musician she meets and his other friends and family members. For the first time in a while, she feels as if she belongs. But do her parents care enough to come searching for her?
I loved Bun. LOVED her! She was so naïve and innocent, and right from the first page, I found myself loving her quirks and relatability
Even though it may have been a tad immature for Bun to run away from home on impulse, her adaptability to new situations is simply amazing. She was taken in by such a welcoming, jolly crowd, and it was a blast to read about!
The plot of this book, as I said before, was lacking, to say the least. For a book like this one, that's actually not such a bad thing as the maximum spotlight is put on the strong, interesting, fun characters and their development by the end of the story.
In conclusion, I absolutely adored The Agony of Bun O' Keefe, although there were some very minor flaws. The characters were some of the most developed ones that I've read about in such a long time, especially the main character, Bun. For those wanting to get their hands on a quirky novel taking place in the 1980's, mark your calendars for September 5th, as that is when this beauty can enter your hands!
*I received a digital ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
October 26, 2022
Bun O'Keefe walks away from her neglectful, hoarder mother's house one day, and ends up on the streets of St. John's, Newfoundland. Thankfully, she is taken in by a kindly busker, whom she calls Busker Boy. He lives in a building with three other friends, a hotel dishwasher she calls Chef, a drag queen who calls themselves Cher, and a girl Bun calls Big Eyes. They are all variously threatened by their Landlord, and all warn Bun to stay away from the man.
Bun is amazed by much around her the longer she spends with her new friends, and her unusual way of looking at life intrigues and endears her to them. She also discovers the racism and homophobia that affect Busker Boy (he's Innu) and Cher, respectively, which seem incomprehensible to her. The lot of them end up forming a wonderful small family, and though they experience some loss along the way, the story had a satisfying and hopeful end.
Bun is amazed by much around her the longer she spends with her new friends, and her unusual way of looking at life intrigues and endears her to them. She also discovers the racism and homophobia that affect Busker Boy (he's Innu) and Cher, respectively, which seem incomprehensible to her. The lot of them end up forming a wonderful small family, and though they experience some loss along the way, the story had a satisfying and hopeful end.
July 25, 2017
5/5
So much love! I really did not expect to love this book as much as I did, but it really was amazing. The exploration of childhood trauma was eerily accurate, I adored all of the characters and wish I could have spent more time with them, the writing was punchy and clever, and it was well paced. I'll write up my full review when I get home from work.
So much love! I really did not expect to love this book as much as I did, but it really was amazing. The exploration of childhood trauma was eerily accurate, I adored all of the characters and wish I could have spent more time with them, the writing was punchy and clever, and it was well paced. I'll write up my full review when I get home from work.
November 22, 2017
Busker Boy may be my new literary crush.
January 3, 2022
Really great. I will definitely do a reread in the future
August 18, 2020
The best book I have read in a long time. An easy 5 stars for me. So funny, sad, dark and yet uplifting all at the same time. I couldn’t put it down. Thank you to whoever left this on my night table.
April 4, 2018
There's a lot to unpack in this book! Bun O'Keefe is a quirky but lovable character whose family fell apart. Luckily for her, it wasn't long before she found a new family that came to truly love her for who she was. For such a young person, she dealt with a lot. Some of her stories, and the stories of those around her, were truly awful to read about, let alone experience. Yet she came out on top and was able to find her silver lining, of sorts, despite all the awfulness.
July 16, 2018
Oh. My. God. There are no words good enough. I fell in love with Bun the moment she said "ducks are stupid". I just... I loved this. It deals with so many great issues, and Bun is one of the most interesting narrators I've ever read.
February 6, 2019
MY RATING 2/5 STARS
I received a copy from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for a honest review.
I was recommended this read by the publisher after hearing how this book really left an impressive and powerful punch. I must say, this book definitely gives you a punch. You really feel it but it's definitely not the book you should read if you're not in the mood to be super bummy afterwards.
I'll explain.
The Agony of Bun O'Keefe has a full set of quirky characters that don't really have names. Our main character, Bun O'Keefe, comes from a broken home. Her mother is described as an obese woman who is also a hoarder. One day, she gets really mad, and kicks out Bun. Bun begins this journey to find shelter and meets a man known as Busker Boy who is basically an Native man who is discriminated by his heritage and culture by society but still lives in the big city to find a living. Bun goes home with Busker Boy to another full set of characters like Chef, Big eyes, and Chris/Cher. Chef is called chef because he cooks for the group. Big eyes is a tough chick who ran away from her home because her uncle was revealed to have sexually assaulted her for a period of her childhood and she no longer believes in God like her religious mother does. Chris/Cher is a man who is gay and acts as a drag queen at night to earn a living. He's proud of who he is but also saddened that his parents can't accept him for who he is.
This book is definitely really depressing. Every character goes through a history I would never wish upon anyone. There is a definite trigger warning for sexual assault as it happens to two characters in this novel. Not to mention it dealt with characters who were still minors at the time it occurred. It also has suicide warnings and drinking triggers.
Basically, I kept reading this book because USUALLY it turns better towards the end. Maybe the characters can resolve some issues and live a better life but nope. This one left me with a bitter taste and disgust gurgling in my stomach because of how each and every character suffered till the end.
MY RECOMMENDATION
Some may have loved this one but it just wasn't what I was looking for. Please be careful when you pick this one up if you have sensitive reading triggers.
I received a copy from Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for a honest review.
I was recommended this read by the publisher after hearing how this book really left an impressive and powerful punch. I must say, this book definitely gives you a punch. You really feel it but it's definitely not the book you should read if you're not in the mood to be super bummy afterwards.
I'll explain.
The Agony of Bun O'Keefe has a full set of quirky characters that don't really have names. Our main character, Bun O'Keefe, comes from a broken home. Her mother is described as an obese woman who is also a hoarder. One day, she gets really mad, and kicks out Bun. Bun begins this journey to find shelter and meets a man known as Busker Boy who is basically an Native man who is discriminated by his heritage and culture by society but still lives in the big city to find a living. Bun goes home with Busker Boy to another full set of characters like Chef, Big eyes, and Chris/Cher. Chef is called chef because he cooks for the group. Big eyes is a tough chick who ran away from her home because her uncle was revealed to have sexually assaulted her for a period of her childhood and she no longer believes in God like her religious mother does. Chris/Cher is a man who is gay and acts as a drag queen at night to earn a living. He's proud of who he is but also saddened that his parents can't accept him for who he is.
This book is definitely really depressing. Every character goes through a history I would never wish upon anyone. There is a definite trigger warning for sexual assault as it happens to two characters in this novel. Not to mention it dealt with characters who were still minors at the time it occurred. It also has suicide warnings and drinking triggers.
Basically, I kept reading this book because USUALLY it turns better towards the end. Maybe the characters can resolve some issues and live a better life but nope. This one left me with a bitter taste and disgust gurgling in my stomach because of how each and every character suffered till the end.
MY RECOMMENDATION
Some may have loved this one but it just wasn't what I was looking for. Please be careful when you pick this one up if you have sensitive reading triggers.
November 6, 2017
This book is gut wrenching. I'm hesitant to tell anyone to read it because it's about such awful things. Certainly there are moments of love in it; that come from the awful things but that only makes the emotion of it harder to take.
Heather Smith has done what few writers can do to me. She's written a story that is about tragic circumstances and instead of making me annoyed, that she was tugging on heart strings, I was completely enthralled and absolutely crushed by the sadness of it all. The Agony of Bun O'Keefe is not for the faint of heart.
Between hoarding, abandonment, molestation, abuse, extreme prejudice and racism there is barely a chance to breathe in between moments. Thank goodness this is only 123 pages. I don't think I could have taken anymore of it.
And yet the characters, especially Bun (who the story is told through) are vibrant, real people. Smith puts so much energy (good or bad), character, emotion and realism into this short novel it's nothing short of a literary masterpiece. And yet I wouldn't want to read it again because I can only take so much heartache. Considering I rarely cry at books and usually scoff at those written to intentionally make you cry (I hated The Fault in our Stars); it's clear to me that Smith has written something special. And while you share the agony of Bun, Busker Boy, Chef, Big Eyes and others in this book you'll also share in their moments of true love and I suppose that is the whole point. Experiencing the world means sharing equally in both the unbearable pain and overwhelming love.
To read this and more of my reviews visit my blog at Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Heather Smith has done what few writers can do to me. She's written a story that is about tragic circumstances and instead of making me annoyed, that she was tugging on heart strings, I was completely enthralled and absolutely crushed by the sadness of it all. The Agony of Bun O'Keefe is not for the faint of heart.
Between hoarding, abandonment, molestation, abuse, extreme prejudice and racism there is barely a chance to breathe in between moments. Thank goodness this is only 123 pages. I don't think I could have taken anymore of it.
And yet the characters, especially Bun (who the story is told through) are vibrant, real people. Smith puts so much energy (good or bad), character, emotion and realism into this short novel it's nothing short of a literary masterpiece. And yet I wouldn't want to read it again because I can only take so much heartache. Considering I rarely cry at books and usually scoff at those written to intentionally make you cry (I hated The Fault in our Stars); it's clear to me that Smith has written something special. And while you share the agony of Bun, Busker Boy, Chef, Big Eyes and others in this book you'll also share in their moments of true love and I suppose that is the whole point. Experiencing the world means sharing equally in both the unbearable pain and overwhelming love.
To read this and more of my reviews visit my blog at Epic Reading
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
April 20, 2017
This is one of those books it is best to just start reading, and not know a lot about, so I won't spoil too much. The basic premise is that Bun is very literal, so when her horder of a mother tells her to leave, she does, and doesn't stop until she finds herself in the nearest town, in St. Johns Newfoundland, and meets a busker, and that is how the whole thing started.
Oh, and there is a drag queen, an Inuit, an evil landlord, an amazing chef, and a young woman who didn't want to be a nun.
I love, that those this is set in the 1980s, and this is told by Bun, who is 14, she doesn't seem surprised by anything. Everything is just accepted, and how she talks is delightful. She has a dream that she offers to lend out, about sliding down a rainbow, and smelling it.
Here is an example of how she talks about the situation at hand:
We spent the morning together, him talking, me listening, icyu pellets pinging the bedroom window. OUtside it was winter, but inside it was summer, and his steady, quiet voice floated through the room like a warm breeze and his words swirled like dandelion seeds, and when they landed on me, it was alike a light touch.
This is probably closer to a 4.5, but not quite a five. Oh, just go read it, and enjoy the language, and the strange story that dragged me and begged me to finish it, throughout the day.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review
September 4, 2025
i should have read this sooner. i don't know how else to describe it but this book deadass made a home in the crevices of my soul and i'm oddly okay with it. bun o'keefe is the epitome of the "i'm baby" meme because that is what she is - a baby. the characters in the book were so damn lovable and multidimensional! IT WAS SO REFRESHING SEEING such an array of people, a group of mismatched puzzle pieces that formed something so much more. the story had enough comedic tidbits to keep the rawness from making you bawl (still cried like the wimp i am tho). keep in mind though, although this seems like a light contemporary read - it is definitely not. prepare yourself - this book does contain mentions of abuse and a few homophobic slurs and aboriginal slurs. but most imporantly, PLEASE. READ. THIS!
October 27, 2022
A clever funny-sad book written for younger teens. My rating reflects how it might appeal to the target audience. I enjoyed it, but its approach to the material is a bit simplistic and the tone a bit twee.
In other words — I'm old and jaded and was only mildly amused.
Young teen in Newfoundland leaves dysfunctional home, finds ideal companions on first try. Can say no more without spoilers.
In other words — I'm old and jaded and was only mildly amused.
Young teen in Newfoundland leaves dysfunctional home, finds ideal companions on first try. Can say no more without spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 382 reviews