A greyhound of a girl

1-4-18

   A greyhound of a girl, by Roddy Doyle. This book is perfect for those who are interested in a paranormal historical fiction, but also has a heartwarming feeling from beginning to end.

   An Irish teenage girl named Mary is visited by Tansey a deceased woman who is somehow related to her. Soon Mary finds out that Tansey is here to guide Emer (Mary’s grandmother)  when she passes. As days pass Emer is getting weaker and weaker, but the family tries their best to make her last few days the best. Throughout the book the author gives us readers small chapters to provide us with information on how Emer and Tansey are closely related. From beginning to end the book will want you to keep on reading, and once it ends you’ll be begging for more. My favorite part of this book is when the family tries to give Emer the best day she can. During that chapter the author tells the readers the advantages and disadvantages of being a ghost. It explains how Tansey has to deal with it and while reading that I could almost visualize it which would then make me giggle.

   The main character is Mary O’Hara. Mary is a very cheeky teen especially when it comes to Mary’s mother and grandmother. According to the book “ The same way, like, I’d have to murder someone if I wanted to become a world-famous murderer,” said Mary. “Not that I’m looking at anyone in particular.” Cheekiness was often a sign of intelligence. So Scarlett usually liked it when Mary was being cheeky. My brained daughter has insulted me yet again! Sometimes, though, it was just tiring, and even Marys snores sounded cheeky.”(Pg.13) This quote means that Scarlett (Mary’s mother) realizes that Mary is being cheeky or rude when she’s trying to make a point and Scarlett has seen that as a sign of intelligence, but has also seen it as an insult to herself.

   I liked this book because I kept me really interested in it from beginning to end and when I finished my last page i wanted to read more. To me this book was the kind of book that i just didn’t want to end just yet which is the same way I felt with another book called PIE. I’ve read most of the book at first in 7th grade but when cool was coming to an end so was the school’s library, so i never got to read the rest of the book. When I came back to school and I found out that one day in ELA our class had a chance to go to the library, I reimbursed that i had never finished this book and I’m so glad i found it and got a chance to finally finish it. Which also makes me want to recommend this ok to other people because i think they might use enjoy this book as much as i did and once they finish the book they’ll understand what I’m talking about. The theme of this story is to have courage even when your loved ones will soon leave you, which is exactly what happening with Marys family throughout the book.