Mine!

by Natalie Hyde

Chris Dearing comes from a long line of losers and a history of bad luck that’s plagued the Dearing family for generations. His only hope runs through the wild rivers of the forbidding North. What is up there other than moose snot and mosquitos the size of bats, you ask? Gold. More specifically, a gold claim won and then lost by Chris’s grandfather, Wally Dearing.

Reclaiming the old family gold stake looks to Chris like his only chance to a) get his family back on the straight and narrow, b) get Social Services off his back and c) turn the Dearing family luck around once and for all.

Will he strike out, like the rest of his family, or strike gold and finally get a chance to rewrite Dearing history? Well it all depends on whether that giant, slobbering moose lets him down from that huge pine tree. The stakes are high and the hi-jinx even higher in this laugh-out-loud novel from acclaimed author Natalie Hyde!

Genres: Middle Grade, Canada, Juvenile

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2017

Reviews

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book hits all the right notes: while laugh out loud funny in unexpected spots, it's a page-turner too, and decidedly unsentimental. That said, you can't help but want to give Chris a gentle hug for his terrible family situation and all his extraordinary antics to try to make it better. Refreshing and endearing, very well written and with moose snot! I started it today and needed to find out how it ended before going to bed. Brava, Natalie.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

hi sisters

[Lj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet story of boy meets world.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mine! could be largely described as a picaresque road trip book for the 21st century, although in some ways it is very reminiscent of a 1930s screwball comedy or a French farce. With its cast of disparate characters and constant movement, the pace is fast and the language is lively. Chris Dearing, a teenager from a "loser" family is on a quest to change his personal circumstances which soon involve avoiding Family Service and the police. Chris sees his only hope in the Yukon where his grandfather was swindled out of the gold claim that would put his family back on their feet. So he is off to the Yukon with a motley crew of characters, who while appealing, do not necessarily hinge too well to the plot - there's lots of deus ex machina going on here to pull the story together. The story finishes conveniently with both a bang and whimper and some confusing geography - but what's not to like when there's a appealing young protagonist, a motorcycle moll, a high speed food truck, a snappy friend named Shard (short for Chardonnay) and gold in them thar Yukon streams? More realistically 3.5 stars because the end was sharp and short.

[Philippa Dowding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Dearing has a lot to deal with. His mother is gone to points unknown. His alcoholic dad is in jail for a few weeks and the landlord needs the rent. Social Workers are hot on Chris's heels ...

... and Chris wants to try to fix it all by reclaiming his family's gold mine claim outside Dawson that his grandfather was bilked out of decades before as a young man.

It's a lot for one boy to take on, but Chris Dearing is one plucky and kind, hilarious kid. He gets help from the local bar owner and his friend Shard (short for Chardonnay, her sister's names are similarly Merlow and Reesling, Reese for short), and Shard's uncle Vince, who drives a Muffin Man food truck. They all head up to Dawson in the Muffin truck with Children's Aid and a bad guy on their heels ... who gets there first?

A funny, wild ride from Natalie Hyde about a "loser" from a family of losers, who with the help of some unconventional friends, tries to change his luck.

[Colette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris is down on his luck; his mother has abandoned the family and his father uses the rent money for a good time at the bar. When Dad ends up in jail, Chris makes a run for it by convincing the local bar owner, Fiona to go to the Yukon to stake a land claim and hunt for gold. Now he only needs to make sure that CFS and the police don't catch up with him. This novel has an original and endearing cast of characters, both heroes and suspected villains. The tension mounts as more and more people begin to follow Chris and learn his secret plan. Although he has to trust somebody, no one knows for sure who will betray him. Recommended for middle grade students who enjoy mysteries and suspense novels with a touch of wry humour. Will there be a sequel? I hope so!

[Miha Plesko · Rating 3 out of 5]

A enjoyable and easy read. Well suited for the 2018/2019 Forest of Reading series.

I enjoyed the Canadian content and references in the book. The storyline reminded me of Holes, as there seemed to be some similar parallels being drawn.
This book was easy to get into, and engaged you early on. I felt as if the end of the book was rushed and didn't leave you with a fulfilling conclusion.

I hope that a sequel is written as I feel there are loose ends, or storylines that can be continued and fleshed out more thoroughly.

[Mrs. Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

The balance between comedy and serious issues faced by a troubled teen were covered well in this book. There was an element of no way that hair brained scheme wouldn't happen and yet the possibility that it could, that I quite enjoyed. The storyline was serious, the storyline was funny, the plot hosted an array of interesting characters that had a great dynamic. It was put in the silver birch category for ages 9-12 but I thought it was more suitable for grade 7/8 despite there being nothing particularly offensive.

[Sylvia McNicoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plucky Chris Dearling never seems to feel sorry for himself even though he thinks the only luck his family has is bad. When his dad goes to jail, Chris is hungry and lonely and washes dishes for a place to stay. But he plans big and sometimes fate even twists his way. Can he make his way to Dawson City and reclaim the gold stake his grandfather once lost? Despite a disadvantaged life, Chris Dearling manages to be hilarious as well as resourceful. "Do you know where the muffin man is? The muffin man? The muffin man."

[Karen Upper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this laugh out loud funny story about onions, crazy cupcakes and rollicking rides in a bakery truck! Throw in a moose or two, and you cannot help but keep the pages turning!
This tale will leave you grinning!

[Kiera · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was great I loved how in the end he ended up getting to stay. It had me in a way on the edge of my seat. I loved seeing all the different parts come together, and how it showed that his best friend was there to back him!!!

[Yolanda Ridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://yolandaridge.com/2018/08/08/mine

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

noice

[Arlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun middle grade novel. I enjoyed the setting (much of it takes place in the Yukon).